We’ve all got genealogy brick walls in our research: family mysteries we have so far found unsolvable. In the new issue of Family Tree Magazine (May/June 2014), Lisa’s got a great article packed with 14 strategies for SOLVING those perplexing questions.
The article is “Warming Up a Cold Case,” and it’s got a fun criminal investigator theme. I won’t give all 14 of her tips away, but some of my favorites include re-examining old evidence, finding new witnesses and going on a genealogical stakeout. And one that made me laugh out loud: “Post wanted posters.” And then I just had to put my ancestor’s face on a wanted poster (right).
How do you really create a wanted poster for your ancestor? Lisa shares these ideas in the article:
1. Post their names on genealogy online message boards (like at Ancestry.com). But fill in those “wanted” details. Instead of height, weight and hair color, add what you know about their births, marriages, deaths, family relationships and residences.
2. Post your family tree online at any number of sites for free. Sites organize their trees in one of two ways. Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com and others can i buy medication without insurance offer the individual tree model. You upload (or build on the site) and maintain your own tree. FamilySearch.org, WikiTree, Geni.com and WeRelate.org are community tree sites. You may work from a view of your own tree, but the site is merging your tree with others behind the scenes to create a single world family tree (each does this a slightly different way).
3. Start your own family history blog. Write keyword-rich blog posts that make it easy for Google searchers to find your ancestors there. Check out Lisa’s free four-part series on how to create a genealogy blog at the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel. This link will take you to the 4 part video playlist.
Find the entire article in the May/June issue Family Tree Magazine. Even better: Genealogy Gems Premium Members can also watch Lisa’s one hour video class Brick Walls: Cold Case Investigative Techniques. Not a Premium Member yet? You’re missing out on 24/7 access for a year to some of her most popular classes on Google, Google Earth, organization, Evernote, newspaper research and more. Learn more about Genealogy Gems Premium Membership here.
SHOW NOTES: In episode 291 of the Genealogy Gems podcast, I’ll be discussing the launch of the 1921 England and Wales census on Ancestry with Crista Cowan, Ancestry’s corporate genealogist. The census covers 38 million people and is significant for several important reasons which Crista will explain. She also highlights the importance of understanding the context, including the delay in census day due to a potential worker strike, the impact of World War I on marital status, and new employment details. Our conversation also touches on the use of AI for indexing and the importance of family history storytelling. Listen in as Crista shares her answer to the question “what are you most excited about for the future of genealogy?” Then we’ll expand beyond the 1921 census as Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective, shares strategies for identifying your old family photos from the 1920s.
Listen to the Podcast Episode
To Listen click the media player below (AUDIO ONLY):
• The 1921 England and Wales census is now available on Ancestry.com for users with a World Explorer or All Access subscription.
• Ancestry estimates that around 10-11% of the U.S. population will be able to find close family members in the 1921 Census of England and Wales (according to the 2020 American Community Survey). This suggests that a significant portion of the U.S. population, around 1 in 10 people, have ancestors from England or Wales that they may be able to locate in this new census record collection.
• The 1930 US Census lists over 850K people with a birthplace in England with over 100K of those likely to be found on the 1921 England and Wales Census.
• The 1921 Census of England Wales was conducted on June 19th, 1921, and captures a critical moment in history. It offers a look into the lives of roughly 38M individuals, including those who survived the war and the infamous 1919 flu pandemic.
Head of household completing the 1921 England and Wales Census (image courtesy of Ancestry.com)
• The next England and Wales Census will not be available until 2051 given the records of 1931 were destroyed during the Second World War and no census was taken in 1941 – adding to the significance of this release.
• Demographic Shifts: 1.7 million more women than men in England and Wales, largely due to the loss of men during WWI.
• This census is the first to include details about employment, including the name and address of the employer and the materials used in the occupation.
• The census was originally scheduled for April 24, but it was delayed until June 19 due to a threatened worker strike. This resulted in an increase in the population count in resort towns and holiday destinations.
“Fill Up the Form Day” for the 1921 England and Wales Census (image courtesy of Ancestry.com)
• The census forms asked for information about the people who were living in a household on the night of June 19, regardless of their usual residence.
• There are 25 different forms for the 1921 census, including separate forms for institutions, the armed forces, prisons, and Merchant Marines.
• This census is the first for England and Wales to record divorces.
• There was an increase in the number of widows listed in the census, likely due to World War I.
• People were more likely to report their age accurately in the 1921 census than in previous censuses where they were encouraged to provide round numbers.
• The Scottish census was taken at the same time as the England and Wales census, but the forms were separate.
• Northern Ireland was not included in the 1921 census because they were in the middle of their war of independence.
• Ancestry.com uses artificial intelligence to index handwritten census records.
• Ancestry.com is working on using AI to make search results more findable and to help people connect the dots between different records in their family trees.
Get Answers to Questions about the 1921 England and Wales Census (Timestamps)
Navigate the podcast quickly with the help of these timestamps on the top questions answered in this episode.
• 01:45 – When was the 1921 census officially available?
• 03:13 – Is the 1921 census available to all Ancestry users?
• 03:38 – When was the 1921 England and Wales census conducted, and how many people did it cover?
• 06:15 – When will the next England and Wales census be available?
• 10:18 – How the census was conducted
• 17:59 – Women and their changing roles as reflected in the census.
• 20:50 – The Marriage Column.
• 22:41 – The accuracy of ages provided.
• 24:28 – Who might not appear in the 1921 census, even though they were physically there or nearby?
• 28:45 – How AI faced the challenges of handwritten census entries.
• 32:51 What is Crista most excited about these days when it comes to genealogy and what’s coming next from Ancestry.com?
Identifying Photos from the 1920s with Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective
Maureen Taylor’s expertise as a photo detective can help you unlock the stories behind family photographs from the 1920s in several ways:
1. Identifying clues in the photographs
Look for details like the clothing, hairstyles, technology, and background elements to help date the photographs and provide context about the time period.
2. Considering the physical format
Examine the size, paper type, and borders of the photographs to determine the camera and printing methods used. These can offer insights into when the photos were taken.
3. Exploring the context
Review the full set of family photographs, not just individual images. This can reveal patterns, missing pieces, and the broader story behind the photos.
4. Asking questions
By asking thoughtful questions about the photos, it can help uncover hidden details and stories that the family may have overlooked or forgotten over time.
5. Providing a fresh perspective
Asking a friend, fellow genealogist or an expert like Maureen to review your photos can bring a new lens to examining the photographs, spotting details and connections that the family members may have missed due to their personal connection to the images.
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SHOW NOTES: Episode 294 of the Genealogy Gems podcast shines a spotlight on 15 under-the-radar websites that serious genealogists should know about. Lisa Louise Cooke reveals powerful resources like AI tools capable of deciphering old handwriting in unindexed records, clever ways to hunt for unique family artifacts and ephemera online, specialized digital libraries perfect for finding memoirs, how obscure fashion archives can help date your mystery photos, and cutting-edge map sites that let you search text within the historical maps themselves. Plus, stick around until the very end for a special bonus tech tip to make your research even smoother!
Listen to the Podcast Episode
To Listen click the media player below (AUDIO ONLY):
You know how OCR technology lets computers read typed text on old documents? For years, which didn’t work well for handwritten records. But FamilySearch is changing the game! Their Full-text Search project, available through FamilySearch Labs, is training AI to decipher historical handwriting. The exciting part? More and more handwritten records that once required tedious page-by-page Browse are becoming keyword searchable. Dive in and explore the collections currently using Full-text search.
2. Calculating Cousins with FamilySearch
Ever get tangled trying to figure out if someone’s your second cousin once removed, or… something else entirely? Take the guesswork out of cousin relationships with the fantastic Cousin Chart blog post on FamilySearch. It pulls together some of the best tools – a handy visualization chart, a ‘Cousin Calculator’ tool, and even a math-based method. Bookmark this one – it’s a lifesaver!
3. Ancestry.com – Just How Far Back Can They Go?
We know Ancestry.com lets you filter searches way back, even to the 1600s. But is that the limit? Not even close! According to Ancestry themselves, their oldest documents are the Mühldorf Deeds from Germany, dating back to the 1300s! And thanks to modern tech, even these incredibly old documents can be surprisingly legible and searchable. Visit Ancestry.com’s Card Catalog.
4. Get Organized with Family Tree Magazine
Feeling buried under piles of papers or drowning in digital files? Getting your genealogy organized is a common goal, and Family Tree Magazine has a fantastic resource page to help you finally conquer the chaos. Their Organize Your Genealogy page gathers their best guides on everything from taming paper clutter and digital files to organizing photos and your workspace.
5. Newspapers – Veridian Collections
Many of us were sad to see the newspaper site Elephind.com go. But the good news is, the company behind it, DL Consulting, is still helping libraries digitize their collections using their Veridian software. Why does this matter to you? Because you can browse the fascinating, digitized content from their clients – including many unique and free newspaper collections – directly through the Veridian website.
6. In Search of Memoirs at FamilySearch Digital Library
Imagine discovering a detailed, personal memoir written by an ancestor born over 170 years ago! That actually happened to me. For decades, I knew my husband’s great-grandmother, Minna Boettcher, born in 1853, had written about her pioneer life, but the book was lost. Then, just recently, my sister-in-law found it while downsizing! It’s filled with incredible details. This experience is a reminder to talk to your relatives – you never know what family history treasures might be hiding in their homes! But while you wait (hopefully not 40 years like me!), try searching for memoirs in the FamilySearch Digital Library. I recommend using the Advanced Search, putting ‘Memoirs’ in the Title field and a surname in the Keyword field.
7. Shopping for Family History at eBay
Time for some retail therapy – genealogy style! You might be surprised what family history treasures you can find on eBay.com. Think beyond records – I’m talking about artifacts! Over the years, I’ve snagged things like catalogs and tools from my husband’s great-grandfather’s hardware store, an old stock certificate signed by an ancestor, photos, yearbooks, postcards, even a tablecloth embroidered with family names and dates! My pro tip: Run searches for family names, ancestral businesses, or hometowns, and save those searches. eBay will then notify you when matching items pop up!
8. Giving Back: Birth Parent Finder
Navigating searches related to adoption often requires specialized help. BirthParentFinder.com is a resource dedicated to this, combining investigative expertise with DNA analysis to help reunite birth parents, siblings, and adopted children across the US. They offer a fantastic free blog with strategies and success stories, and they’ve recently launched the ‘Finding Family DNA with Chris and Jay’ podcast. Don’t miss the episode featuring Family Tree Magazine’s own Andrew Koch!
9. The New Chronicling America
Next up, a long-time favorite that just got a major upgrade: The Library of Congress’s Chronicling America newspaper site! It’s always been a go-to for free historical newspapers, but the new Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers collection website is fantastic. It boasts a completely redesigned interface built to handle its massive, growing collection. Key upgrades include better search refinement, an improved image viewer, and updated advanced search options. But one of the coolest new features, especially if you’re a visual person like me, is the ability to explore newspapers geographically. The interactive map lets you zoom into specific areas and click blue dots to see available digitized papers. Plus, there’s a time slider to filter by date. They add new content weekly, so keep checking back!
10. MyHeritage’s New OldNews.com
Broaden your newspaper horizons with MyHeritage’s dedicated newspaper site, OldNews.com. Launched recently, this site already contains hundreds of millions of pages from small-town papers to major international ones, effectively doubling the newspaper content previously on MyHeritage. And they plan to add millions more pages monthly, so it’s a rapidly growing resource!
11. Fashion History Timeline
Those old family photos hold more clues than you might think, especially in the clothes! Fashion can reveal social standing, hint at activities, and crucially, help date photos. To decipher these clues, check out the free Fashion History Timeline from the Fashion Institute of Technology. It’s an academic resource with searchable databases of publications on fashion history, perfect for pinpointing that unfamiliar style in Grandma’s portrait.
12. The American Immigrant Wall of Honor Database
Did your ancestors immigrate to the US? You might find their names – or add them yourself – to The American Immigrant Wall of Honor at Ellis Island. Originally started in 1990 for Ellis Island immigrants, it’s now open to honor any immigrant, regardless of when or where they arrived. You can search the existing database for free at the Statue of Liberty.org website and even add your own ancestor’s name to the wall through the Foundation’s heritage site.
How incredible would it be to find a lost photo of your ancestor online? Thousands of people have had that exact experience using the free photo archive, DeadFred.com! It’s a repository of user-submitted old photos, many unidentified or partially identified. Search by surname or location – you might get lucky! And if you find a photo of a direct ancestor that’s part of the DeadFred archive itself, they’ll often send you the original for free. It’s also a great place to upload your own mystery photos – maybe someone out there holds the key!
The David Rumsey Map Collection, already an amazing resource, recently launched a Machines Reading Maps tool. It has indexed 100 million words across 57,000 historical maps. Think about searching for terms relevant to your ancestors’ lives: ‘saloon,’ ‘lumberyard,’ ‘winery,’ ‘livery stable,’ or even a specific business name! The Advanced Search lets you combine text searches with map metadata. Hover over results to see the map snippet, and yes, all maps are free to download.
15. Primary Sources at JSTOR
Let’s enrich your family’s story with historical context. JSTOR is a vast digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources. While you might not find your great-aunt’s birth certificate, you can find incredible materials that describe the world your ancestors lived in. For instance, I found the incredibly detailed WWII POW journal of Lt. Joseph ‘Ed’ Carter on JSTOR Daily. Reading accounts like this – journals, articles about local industries, social histories – can bring your ancestors’ experiences to life, even if they aren’t mentioned by name. Dive in and see what context you can uncover!
Bonus Tech Tips
Chrome Web Browser: Type @Gemini in the address bar, press the space bar, and then type your question. Press Enter on your keyboard for the answer!
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