Using Cemetery Records to Uncover Unknown Ancestors

Cemetery records, when they exist and you can find them, can reveal a lot about your family history that you never knew. The person who originally purchased a cemetery plot or plots, the trail of ownership of the plot from the original purchaser to the present, and the people buried in the plots (including where they were placed relative to other people in the same plot) can reveal a lot about your ancestors and their lives and relationships with one another.

You may even discover ancestors who were previously unknown to you through this type of research if you can track down the burial records for a particular cemetery. Remember, there are often unmarked graves in cemetery plots, and you may have no idea anyone is there, much less who they are, until you find the written burial records for that plot. If you’ve been looking for the burial place of a particular ancestor and haven’t been able to find it, it could be that it is unmarked, and the burial records of a cemetery will finally reveal its location to you...

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Using Military Records to Construct Family Trees

Do you have an ancestor who is a seeming dead end on your family tree? Most genealogists have at least one of these, and usually more than one. They can be frustrating, because the record trail seems to run dry with them, making it impossible to get around them to the generations behind them. These are your brick wall ancestors. The good news is that most genealogy brick walls can be broken down eventually, with enough time, effort, and determination (as well as a healthy amount of thinking outside of the box). Looking at alternative record sources is one way to move past a brick wall ancestor. Military records are one alternative record source that often yields very valuable information you won’t find anywhere else...

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Irish & British Immigrants to America, 1870-1872 Vol. 2

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This resource contains completely new details for approximately 171,200 immigrants. While this resource primarily references Irish and British passengers, you will also find references to passengers who originated from Austria and Scotland. Search this fully indexed data set, referencing arrivals in various U.S. ports, New York, and Canada between 1870 and 1872.

Notable British Family Histories, 1600s-1900s

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This database is made up of eleven volumes containing detailed lineages of prominent British families (often with connections to the United States).

Few names are as highly regarded in English genealogy as Burke’s. Not only did the Burkes compile authoritative works on English genealogy, they also created a unique genealogical style, specifically, a method of laying out pedigrees in narrative form. Burke’s pedigrees are easy to read, easy to follow, easy to understand. In general, each genealogical study begins with a brief biographical sketch followed by information about that person’s lineage. Often, you’ll learn details of education, service, occupation, honors, collateral families, places of birth, residence, death, and descriptions of arms. Also among the volumes is the single best reference work ever published on British heraldry, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, along with other volumes of equal quality and value.

American Source Records in England, 1600s-1800s

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Span the Atlantic with this essential collection of English will abstracts, church records, and passenger lists. Largely comprised of English will summaries, this resource can tie your American ancestors to their English roots. You will find 141,000 individuals.

English source records can help you research an American settler’s English legacy, closing the gap between generations and continents. Significantly, several volumes found here, as a group, make up a comprehensive resource for American wills proved in London from the early 1600s to the late 1700s. English wills can be an important genealogical resource tool, often providing names and locations of relatives, names of relatives who emigrated to the colonies, address information, and data about the deceased’s life and characteristics. The facts provided by such records can help you establish family connections and determine the economic status of your ancestors.

Increasingly common starting in the mid-1500s, wills initially were validated by the established English church, usually through local courts. In more complex cases, the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) had ultimate jurisdiction. For example, the PCC proved all wills for individuals who died outside of the country while holding property in England. Thus, PCC records are particularly critical for those hoping to make connections between England and America. This resource includes exceptional coverage of PCC documents relating to American wills.

Russians to America, 1850-1896

Americans of Russian or Jewish heritage will find this collection of passenger list information invaluable. “This collection is extremely important to people whose Russian ancestors came to the U.S. in the 19th century,” states Gary Mokotoff, leading expert on Jewish immigration.

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Find: The Women's Army Corps

Did you know that Fold3 has a huge number of documents from World War II about the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), including hundreds of photos? If you’re not already familiar with the WAC, you might be surprised to find out just how versatile this group was during the war.

The WAC was originally formed as the WAAC (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps) in 1942 as an auxiliary to the Army, but in 1943 it was incorporated into that military branch and renamed the WAC. The goal of the WAC was to free up men for WWII combat by replacing them with...

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Simple Tips for Reading Old Genealogy Documents

One of the really exciting things about genealogy research is coming across an ancient document pertaining to your ancestor, especially if it is one that no one else appears to have discovered. There are plenty of places across the country that keep original documents dating back two and three hundred years (and sometimes more!). You can often access these documents directly, or see copies of them on microfilm or microfische, depending on the repository you’re using, their policies, and the condition of the documents. Sometimes, you will come across scans of these documents online. Unless they have been transcribed by others, and a transcription is available, you will need to read them yourself. With some ancient documents, this is easier said than done...

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AF-011: Irish Naming Patterns: Discover Your Irish Origins from Names in a Family

Irish naming patterns were very precise for about two centuries. Here's how you can use the patterns to find your Irish ancestors.
 

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Simple Tips for Reading Old Genealogy Documents

How To Solve The Biggest Problems In Your Genealogy Research

Every genealogist will eventually encounter a particularly troublesome problem in their research. In genealogical circles, this is called the brick wall. It is when you reach a point in your research where you are out of available or known records to search, you’ve made all of the reasonable assumptions about your problem that you can with the information you have available, and you still can’t come up with even a theoretical solution that would pass the genealogical proof standard test. Brick walls are the nemeses of genealogists. However, they can be as challenging and exciting as they are frustrating, because one thing we genealogists love is solving a good mystery. Most genealogists can’t stand to just sit there staring at the brick wall. They’re determined to bring it down one way or the other, even if it takes decades (and sometimes it does!).

If you are facing a genealogy brick wall that seems un-scalable, here are some tips to get you around, over, or through it more quickly than you imagined possible...

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