Thumbs-Up: AncestryDNA Improves Genetic Matching Technology
Double good news: AncestryDNA has made some improvements to the way they calculate your genetic matches, but they haven't messed with the site format or layout. There is one downside--so keep reading. Change is afoot at AncestryDNA. Again. While stability and...
Census Research Tip: Why Look at the Same Thing Twice
When may it pay off to look at the same records or indexes twice? When you can compare them on different genealogy websites. Here's an example for this census research tip. You’ve probably noticed that some record sets are available online at multiple websites. At...
We Dig These Gems! New Genealogy Records Online
Here's this week's roundup of new genealogy records online: Australia, France, New Zealand and, in the U.S., records for AK, CO, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, NH, NY, PA and WI. AUSTRALIA - NORTHERN TERRITORY - PROBATE. Ancestry.com has a new probate index (1911-1994) for...
Lisa Louise Cooke Coming to Canada: Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2016
Lisa Louise Cooke will be a featured keynote presenter at the Ontario Genealogical Society conference 2016, June 3-5 in Toronto, Canada. The biggest genealogical event in Canada is coming--and Lisa Louise Cooke will be there! Members of all 34 branches and special...
FREE NGS 2016 Live Streaming Sessions Have Begun
If you're NOT at NGS 2016, you don't have to miss out on everything! Join these free NGS 2016 live streaming sessions from Lisa Louise Cooke and Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard. Starting TODAY. My Facebook feed has recently been full of sad-face posts from my genealogy...
YouTube for Family History: Documentaries You’ll Love
Are you using YouTube for family history to watch documentaries about your ancestors' lives and times? It's instant family history movie time. Just add popcorn! After learning last year that my great-grandfather survived the horrific Johnstown flood of 1889, I wanted...
Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode 134 is Published
The new Genealogy Gems Premium podcast episode 134 is now ready for Premium website members. Get tips for recording oral history interviews on your mobile device, start your Irish genealogy and more. Attention Premium website members: you can now listen to the...
We Dig These Gems! New Genealogy Records Online
How great to see these new genealogy records online! Those with German roots will especially want to check out new resources on Ancestry.com. ENGLAND CHURCH. Findmypast.com has updated its collections of church baptismal and marriage records for Dorset, England. Those...
Is This Website Down or Is It Just Me? Downforeveryoneorjustme
When a website is down, use downforeveryoneorjustme to see whether the problem is on your end or theirs. Save yourself some hassle with this free web tool! If you’re like me, you sometimes come across websites that just don’t seem to cooperate with you. Perhaps they...
YDNA for Genealogy: 3 Scenarios When YDNA is Useful
Have you been wondering what's up with the Y? After taking an autosomal DNA test, many genealogists want to know what next steps to take, and if YDNA can help further their research. YDNA, which can only be taken by males, may be able to bust additional...
Record (and SAVE!) Audio Interviews: FamilySearch Memories App
With the FamilySearch Memories app, record conversations on your mobile device, automatically upload them to your FamilySearch tree--then save the master audio file to your computer. The free FamilySearch Memories app helps users capture family memories, photos and...
3 Tips for Finding WWI Ancestors and Their Stories
How did World War I affect your family's lives? Start your search with these 3 tips for finding WWI ancestors. Our current Genealogy Gems Book Club title takes place at the outset of WWI. The Summer Before the War: A Novel by Helen Simonson has endearing characters...
Ancestral Landmark Discovery Using Google Earth for Family History
Thom learned how to use Google Earth for family history after watching my free Google Earth for Genealogy video, and then made a landmark discovery: his ancestors' pond, business and a photo of his family at work. This Using Google Earth for Family...
Trove: Australia Digitized Newspapers and More
This free video (below) introduces Trove, The National Library of Australia's online catalog and digital archive for all things Australian. If you have roots in Australia, I hope you are using Trove. When I first covered it in the Genealogy Gems podcast a while back,...
We Dig These Gems! New Genealogy Records Online
Here's our weekly roundup of new genealogy records online. This week: Great Britain, Ireland, Sweden, the U.S. and Australia. AUSTRALIA LAND. Land grant deeds for Tasmania, Australia (1804-1935) are now searchable on Ancestry.com. The format and content varies:...
NGS 2016 Live Streaming: FREE Genealogy Gems Classes
NGS 2016 live streaming options have expanded this year--and include FREE Genealogy Gems classes you can watch on your mobile device wherever you are. Can't make it to NGS 2016? You're not the only one! You can still join the fun, though--and for free. Lisa Louise...
New Genealogy Book Club Pick: WWI-Era Novel by NYT Bestseller
The new featured title of our genealogy book club has been announced. We're guessing this NYT-bestselling British novelist will win your heart, if she didn't already with her breakout first novel. A smart young woman who's traveled the world finds herself suddenly in...
You and Albert Einstein May Have This in Common
Is a cluttered desk a familiar sight to you? Maybe you and Albert Einstein have something in common. Or maybe you're more like tenacious photographer Ralph Morse, who captured the now-famous image of Einstein's desk the day he died. Many a genealogist has written to...