Do you want to start a DNA research project to confirm an ancestral relationship? Have you been wanting to learn more about genetic genealogy but are not sure where to start? Maybe you're interested in joining our Research Like a Pro with DNA study group in the fall and are curious about the prerequisites. Diana, Robin, and I have been talking about what basic DNA education would be helpful before doing a DNA research project. Some of our top choices include The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine T. Bettinger and Genetic Genealogy in Practice by...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about United States Homestead Records. Do you have anyone in your family who took advantage of the Homestead Law of 1862? It is estimated that 2 million individuals applied for up to 320 acres of free land and your ancestor might be among them. We talk about two applicants for 320 acres in New Mexico about 1906 and 1911 and the details we learned about their family from the case files obtained from the National Archives. Links BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy - conference website Those Valuable Homestead Records article...
Have you wondered how you can figure out which of your genetic cousins descend from a particular line on your family tree? Or maybe you have hit a brick wall in your genetic genealogy and are wondering what else you can try. In this post, I will explain the importance of identifying a familial cluster to solve your research objective and hopefully break through that brick wall. I will also continue the story of how I found my grandma's biological father. I hope that you are beginning to feel more comfortable with your DNA research skills By this point you...
Have you ever traipsed through a cemetery and wondered if you're discovering all the clues for your ancestor? We are understandably most interested in the names and dates on the headstones, but what else should we be considering? In part 1 of this series, you learned about the various types of U.S. cemeteries and how to find the cemetery for your ancestor's burial. In part 2 you discovered a variety of cemetery records such as sexton's records, plat maps, and cemetery deeds. This article will show you how to use all of the information on the headstone or memorial to...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about what you should do with your autosomal DNA results. If you have a huge match list and no idea what to do with it, this episode is for you. We'll go over four steps to help you get started with contacting cousins, noting your relationship, and preparing to use your DNA as evidence for future research projects. Links Understanding and Using Your DNA Results – 4 Simple Steps - by Robin at Family Locket; includes Robin's template for contacting cousin matches The Shared cM Project The Shared cM Project 3.0 tool...
Do you feel overwhelmed by your long list of genetic matches? How do you know how you're related to them? In this post, I will explain the steps you should take after you receive the test results for the person that you decided to test, whether it is yourself or a family member, and how you can discover the relationships. In my last post, I explained the first steps that you should take for a DNA research project. As a review, you should first make a research objective, decide which type of DNA test to use, and decide who the...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about is all about the different types of DNA tests. Robin Wirthlin, our genetic genealogist, tells about the basics of DNA testing, which tests might help answer certain questions, and how to know which company to test with. Links Which DNA Test Should I Take? blog post by Robin at Family Locket DNA-Recommended Testing Strategy blog post by Robin at Family Locket The Shared cM Project 3.0 tool v4 at DNA Painter Buy a DNA Test: Ancestry DNA Test - affiliate link 23andMe DNA Test - affiliate link How to Transfer DNA...
What does locality research have to do with DNA research? Turns out a lot. As I'm working through a research project using documentary sources in tandem with DNA sources, I'm following the Research Like a Pro process to make progress. This portion of the process is all about discovering the locality of my research subject. What records are available to search? Do the localities of my DNA matches match? Taking a look at the place and time is key in our research. The first step in my research project was creating an objective based on my research question: Is Benjamin...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about how land grants and patents were received from the federal government. Diana tells about the process for our ancestors who applied for a land patent in federal land states and the papers that were created in the process. She ordered the Land Entry Case File from the National Archives for Thomas B. Royston and tells all about each paper contained in the file and its genealogical use. We also discuss headright grants in the Virginia Colony and George Land Lottery records. Links Back to the Basics with Land Records: Part 3...
If you're wondering how to use DNA to help an adoptee find biological relatives, you'll want to follow this case study series written by Hazel, our FamilyLocket intern. Nicole and I met Hazel at the RootsTech 2019 media dinner. We were impressed with her background in research and jumped at the chance to offer her an internship - the last step in receiving her degree in Family History-Genealogy through Brigham Young University. During her studies, Hazel did a research project using DNA to find her grandmother's biological father. This summer she'll be sharing how she did it in this case...
