First off, I’m not really convinced that “match” is the right word to use when a search is performed in a specific database for an individual. The results that are returned matched your search query–that’s true. But there’s never a guarantee that a “match” is your actual person of interest. But there are some things […]

I’m thinking that the phrase “genealogy matches” should be replaced with “genealogy possibilities.” The word “matches” suggests to some that you’ve automatically got the right person in a different record. Sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t. You possibly have the right person. It’s up to you to analyze and interpret to be as certain […]

Researching Female Ancestors This presentation has already been held–you can order an immediate download below. This presentation discusses approaches and techniques for determining an ancestor’s maiden name and locating “missing” females. Geared towards the advanced beginner or intermediate researcher, it focuses on American records and sources before World War I. The content is not specific […]

There are many clues in this “private act” by the Illinois General Assembly to “restore William Kile to citizenship” that was passed in March of 1867. It references his criminal act and May 1859 conviction in Mercer County, Illinois. He was pardoned by the Illinois governor and later served in an Iowa unit in the […]

I’ve been working on the murder of a slave in Bedford County, Virginia, in the 1810/1811 time frame off and on for some time. Newspaper accounts only indicate the last name of the man involved and I’m working on determining exactly who he is. We’ve mentioned the case before, but it’s been on my genealogical […]

Searching the trees of matches at AncestryDNA for specific places of birth is a great feature–if it works. As of 10 October 2019, this feature appeared to have some functionality issues–translation: it’s not working. I searched my own matches for Tioga, Hancock County, Illinois. Given my ancestral background, I should get results. It’s where three […]

Desertion during the American Civil War was not uncommon. Many who deserted went back home for one reason or another without being immediately punished for the act. The reasons for desertion varied and for many the desertion did not present any future problems. Until they applied for a pension. That’s what I’m suspecting happened in […]

I’ve used a version of this discrepancy chart in several lectures and presentations over the years. Only once has it gotten a strong negative reaction when a gentleman approached me and said: You should not be suggesting people use secondary details in their search. You should be looking for this woman’s birth certificate. Having issued […]

We are working on a more detailed analysis of this file for a future post, but are going ahead and publishing the images we received so that readers have an idea of what could be in a file of this type. At the very least, the records document Goldenstein’s probable residence in the area in […]

We’ve set the dates for my annual trip to the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana: 3-6 August 2020. There is more information on our announcement page.