By Lori Samuelson Are you in need of new ways to climb over your genealogical brick wall? Scaffolding can be a beneficial tool to help you reach new heights. When you think of scaffolding, you probably visualize the movable structure workers use to safely access high areas. In the education world, scaffolding means breaking learning…
By Ericka Grizzard In recent years the use of genetic or DNA testing has become more prevalent as a resource in genealogy research, but often when I speak with other people about their experiences with DNA testing they seem disappointed in the lack of connections it provided or don’t know how to interpret the results.…
By Rachel Silverman We’ve all been there: A certain census reveals your family living in a particular city, then the next census finds them halfway across the state. Or continent. Now you’re thinking, How did that happen? Or–even worse–they are nowhere to be found in the next census. Now what? Between censuses, my most valuable…
By Jayne McGarvey Visiting the homeland of your ancestor can be extremely rewarding, and even more so if you wish to combine a holiday with some research and or meet living relatives. We love to have you here, to show you our beautiful island and connect with the descendants of those who left so long…
By Jayne McGarvey Most of us will by now be fairly familiar with reading Census Returns, but do you make full use of the additional forms included with the Census? Most of us will use Form A, the handwritten version of the transcript seen below. This one is my great-grandparents and their children in 1901.…
By: Anne Sherman Most of us take our summer holidays (vacations) for granted and perhaps think of them as a relatively new experience that our ancestors did not have access to. The concept of a weekend did not exist until the early 20th century, and until then most workers only had Sundays off so they…
By Jayne McGarvey Civil Registration of non-Catholic Marriages commenced across the entire island of Ireland in 1845 with all Births, Marriages and Deaths commencing in 1864. The Superintendent Registrar’s Districts were not set up using the system of Civil Parishes or any other traditional land divisions but instead used the system of Poor Law Unions…
By Jayne McGarvey Researching early Methodist records in Ireland can be complex because Methodism began as a religious movement rather than a church, growing out of the Established Church (Church of Ireland) following John Wesley’s visit to Ireland in the mid-1700s. Early Methodists were expected to attend other denominations for services and sacraments. This followed…
By Jayne McGarvey If you are searching for a baptismal, marriage or burial record in Ireland for the period before commencement of Civil Registration (1845 for non-Catholic marriages, and 1864 for all births, marriages and deaths) you will need to know not only the religion of your ancestor but also the Parish and preferably the…
By Jeanne Rollberg Could research in Pennsylvania, The Keystone State, provide the key to unlocking some of your ancestors’ pasts? If you plan to attend a conference there, such as the upcoming FGS one in Pittsburgh, you may easily supplement your visit with trips to outstanding nearby research facilities as well as museums and exhibits…