Curiosity killed the cat, as they say. Genealogical curiosity can kill your budget and bank account. An earlier post discussed Soundex cards to Baltimore passenger lists in the 19th century. The cards located were for several members of my family. I’ve seen the actual passenger lists for this family so locating the cards for me […]

An affidavit from 17 June 1915 made out by C. W. Smith of Marceline, Missouri, addresses the family bible of the parents of Civil War pensioner William Lake. The affidavit indicated that the bible contained the family record of the claimant’s father–who is not named. It does not use the word “mother” in the statement. […]

The testee in “Missing Shared Matches” (using the autosomal DNA test at  AncestryDNA) had two close maternal relatives that also tested: the grandson (referred to as A) of his mother’s sister the grandson (referred to as B) of his mother’s mother’s brother The testee obviously will have shared DNA matches with both A and B. The testee, […]

Pre-1850 US census records tell you nothing. They can provide some information about general members of the household, but the analysis is not as easy as with census records 1850 and after. Tax records can be a good census substitute. Tax records can be used as part of an extensive research plan and they are helpful […]

This is the only signature we have of Andrew Trask, born ca. 1814 Mass. died in Mercer County, Illinois in the 1880s. It comes from his land purchase in Clinton County, Illinois, in 1845. Cash land sale files (available from the National Archives in Washington, DC) typically contain little in the way of identifying information. […]

Confusion often results from a lack of knowledge. Years ago, I located a relative in the “Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database” on the Illinois State Archives website as shown below. Andrew Trask acquired property first in Clinton County, Illinois, and then in Mercer County, Illinois. Records in Mercer County clearly indicate the entries are for […]

There are reasons to sort out your DNA matches for those families that you have no desire to work on and who were not the “reason you took the test.” That’s not just because you may change your mind about one of those families. Sorting out the families you “weren’t going to work on” may […]

This list is not by any means comprehensive, but here are some ways to save money on genealogical expenses: utilize local genealogical societies–through the mail, their website, their Facebook page, etc. utilize local libraries where your ancestor lived use FamilySearch to access the record images they have on their site use your local Family History Center […]

The will of William Newman of was admitted to probate in December of 1840 in Bath County, Kentucky and states in part: My negro man Sam I give him his freedom & an axe my negro woman Hannah I give her her freedom one ten gallon kettle a large oven a pair of Smoothing irons […]

A significant number of World War II US draft registration cards from what is referred to as the “young men’s draft” have been published on FamilySearch. A list of the currently available states has been published on our Genealogy Search Tip of the Day and a few quick tips to using these cards has been posted on Genealogy Tip […]