Free Civil War Records: Find Your Ancestors with These 4 No-Cost Resources | Family History Daily May 9th, 2017 marks 152 years since the U.S. Civil War ended, but the numerous records created by the War Between the States still provide a glimpse into the lives of those who served. If you had family in the US in the mid-19th century than there is a very good likelihood that some of your own ancestors served in this pivotal conflict. In this article we’ve outlined several free online databases that will help you discover their stories. Before searching for a Civil War ancestor in the following free record collections, ask yourself: –What do I know about the Civil War? –What age would my ancestor have been when the Civil War started in 1861? –What was my ancestor’s full name (not a nickname)? Advertisement –Are there common misspellings of the first name or surname I should search for (ie Anderson, Andersen or John, Jon)? –What state did my ancestor live in? –Could I have had a female family member who served in some way? –Do I have any other information that could help me? 1. 2. 3. 4.
Family Trees Searched at Ten Sites | Family Tree Searcher Documenting the Lineage for Eligibility in DAR or SAR The FamilySearch.org collection includes hundreds of free databases for the United States containing vital records, census records, probate records, military records, and court records. Many of these databases are linked in this tutorial under Vital Records and Probate Records. It is usually best to search specific databases based on where and when your ancestors lived. Usually, the best way to find a record is to search using a first name, a last name, and a place of residence (county and state OR just a state). If you cannot locate a record by searching on a name and place of residence, the next strategy is to remove the place of residence and search using a first name, a last name, father’s first name, and mother’s first name. Next, try searching on a first name, a last name, wife’s first name, and wife’s maiden name. If your ancestor’s name is common, each of the above strategies can result in a large number of returns. Click here for a demonstration of the above 3 strategies.
Google Power Search: How to Search by a Date Range and Why You Might Want To | Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter There’s a lot more you can do with Google than just searching the entire Internet. For instance, you can search for web pages added to Google’s indexes within a range of dates. The most common use for this is to look for pages added within the past 30 days or perhaps within the past week. For instance, I have an elusive “brickwall ancestor” that I have been trying to identify for years: Washington Harvey Eastman. Since I have already searched for him before, I have already seen all the “hits” that have been available for some time. Method #1: Search from the main Google search page Go to and enter the words or phrase that you wish to search for. “Washington Harvey Eastman” The quotes indicate that I want to search for those exact words in that exact order. When the results appear, look slightly above the results and click on “Search Tools.” Next, look just above the first “hit” and notice the words “Any time.” Method #2: Use Google’s Advanced Search Page Like this:
Archives Summary Guide to Local Records--Introduction From its inception as a state, South Carolina has generated local government records that are among its most valuable historical resources. Records of local governments and the courts make up the department's second largest collection of records and are among the most heavily used materials at the South Carolina Archives. Local records serve as a rich source for genealogical research; local history; the court system; and the history, development, and activities of South Carolina county and municipal governments. Local records comprise 28 percent of the department's paper records, mostly original documents and volumes, as well as transcripts of original records. Large portions of local records are on microfilm and represent 59 percent of the total microfilm holdings of the department. Original or microfilm copies of pre-1950 records of historical value that complement our holdings continue to be transferred on a regular basis.
Ask Ancestry Anne: 5 Tips for Researching the Females in Your Tree With Mother’s Day right around the corner, it might be a good time to focus on the female side of your tree. But let’s face it, women can be harder to track because they didn’t leave as many records behind. I have a few things I try with every female in my tree when I get stuck on maiden names and finding parents: Search for her married name in other people’s obituaries. You might find her in a sibling’s obituary that has that maiden name you are looking for. Do you have a question that you would like to see answered? Happy searching! Anne Gillespie Mitchell is a Senior Product Manager at Ancestry.com.
Millions of Free Records on FamilySearch Can't Be Found via Search: Here's How to Access Them | Family History Daily It’s an often overlooked fact that a vast amount of FamilySearch’s collections cannot be found via the search on their site. Millions of free family history records are waiting to be discovered but have not yet been indexed and are, therefore, somewhat hard to find. These records are invaluable tools for genealogists and cover a wide range of locales and time periods so we thought we’d offer a quick rundown on how to access them. But first a note about searching collections individually. One of the most commonly overlooked tactics for successfully locating ancestors in online databases is to search collections individually. So, whether you’re searching through records on FamilySearch or another large site, we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the additional details you can uncover by searching collections individually. Luckily, FamilySearch makes the process pretty painless. Here’s one: Or perhaps you’re looking for immigration information for your ancestor James Marshall.
Can't Find Your Ancestor? 6 Tips for More Effective Genealogy Searches | Family History Daily There are few things more frustrating or discouraging than spending days, weeks or even years looking for a specific detail about an ancestor and coming up with nothing. And while it is certainly possible that what you are looking for simply does not exist, it’s also possible that a few changes to the way you search may turn up surprising results. Whether you’re using a huge family history resource like FamilySearch or Ancestry, or digging around on smaller research sites, here are 6 tips that have helped us locate records. 1. While it is certainly convenient that the large sites allow you to search all of their records at one time, it may not be the best way to find what you’re looking for. On most large research sites, such as FamilySearch or Ancestry, the easiest way to search specific collections is to type in your search and then use the left sidebar to filter the results by type, location, or date. 2. Do not get sidetracked. 3. Example: Mary Sweft OR Swaft born 1847 NOT Swift 4. 5.
5 Online Places to Start Your Southern Genealogy Research - Legacy News Research in the South can be both challenging and rewarding. Historically, the southern states’ culture and economy have been deeply rooted in agriculture. As an agrarian society, many areas were not meticulous in keeping records. When living on farms any significant distance from the courthouse, taking care of business at home took precedence over a lengthy trip to the courthouse. Another challenge for the Southern researcher is burned counties. Don’t despair! Daniel T. 5 Online Places to Find Your Southern Ancestors The State Archives – More and more records are becoming available online for the genealogy researcher. Remember: For all the excellent records available online, there are many more that are not. Now…. You can learn more about southern genealogy research in these Legacy webinars:
Missing Birth Record? Here's What You Can Do To Track It Down Have you ever had a case of a missing birth record, in a time and place where you know there should be one? It’s so frustrating! Recently Michelle shared her missing birth record dilemma on our Genealogy Gems Facebook page: “I am having a problem with my grandfather’s birth certificate. Everyone in the family says he was born in Tupelo, MS yet when I requested his BC they did not locate it. Without knowing the specifics of her family, and without knowing the Tupelo area or Mississippi records well, it’s hard to give the perfect answer. In that time and place, many births were still home births with midwives in attendance. Learn more about family history sleuthing strategies like these in the free Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast, which takes listeners step-by-step into the world of genealogy research.
Indexed Family History Records Now Available Through the DAR Genealogical Research System The following announcement was written by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution: WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is excited to announce a new resource has been added to its Genealogical Research System (GRS). The new resource is an index of over 40,000 digitized family Bible records, and each day more records are digitized and added to the Index. This is one of the largest known collections of such genealogical materials in existence. “The DAR is committed to making family research materials more readily available to the public,” said DAR President General Lynn Forney Young. Genealogists often rely on vital records, among other resources, to aid in their research, but sometimes these records may be difficult to find or are non-existent, which is why these Bible records are such important research tools. The GRS Bible Records Index can be found at www.dar.org/grs/bibleindex. Like this: Like Loading...
5 Time-Saving Tips for Finding Maiden Names ~ Genealogists.com Discover Your Female Ancestors Using These Smart Research Tactics If you’re deep into your family history research and have not yet been able to find some of your female ancestors, you’re not alone. There are actually good reasons as to why you and many others can’t seem to locate these elusive ladies from your familial past. For one, if you’re looking for journals, letters, or important documents written by your female ancestors who lived as early American settlers, you could be wasting your time. This is due to the fact that most women were illiterate during that time period and written communications were mostly created by men. Secondly, federal census records dated before 1850 were only required to list the male heads of household. The good news is that there are some time-saving research tactics to uncovering the maiden names of your ancestors that can help you finally discover a new branch on your family tree — and some new surnames! Research Tips for Finding Ancestors’ Maiden Names
Using Google Image Search in Your Research - Lisa Lisson Have you ever used Google Image Search to search images (ie photos, postcards, etc) in your genealogical research? Like most everyone these days, I search the internet using a search engine like Google. I search using keywords and phrases. Think of the potential…. My ancestors photos could be in someone else’s closet. Back to Google Image Search….. Below are the steps to search for an image on Google. 1. 2. 3. I uploaded a photograph of Esther Lee Richardson taken in the late 1910′s. Search results for where this photograph appears on the web appear. I have a set of “unknown” photographs that I perform a Google Image Search on regularly. Have you had interesting results from a Google Image Search?