One of the most commonly used sources for Scandinavian research is church records. The church was the governing power on the local level in Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. They kept track of when people were born, married, and died. Since the priest knew “everybody” in their parish, they often recorded who needed to pay tax in the earlier tax days and might even help with census records, especially the Swedish household examinations....
In today’s episode of Research Like a Pro, we explore the life of Nancy Briscoe Fraser during the Civil War. We focus on the often overlooked experiences of women in this era, specifically examining Nancy’s life in the Ozarks. We discuss her marriage to a Confederate soldier amidst the conflict and her life after the war. This conversation emphasizes the resilience of women like Nancy during the Civil War and highlights the importance of uncovering...
Have you ever discovered an important clue while reviewing the sources you already have for a research subject? It’s somewhat common for those following the research like a pro process to discover a vital piece of information during the timeline creation and analysis. This is exactly what happened to me as I reviewed the sources I had on Sally (Keaton) Reeves and her family. Timeline Creation The third part of the 14-day Research Like a...
Uniquely identifying a person who is only mentioned in three records can be challenging. The creation of a research objective requires that you identify the person uniquely in time and place. How then, do you define the research project? I encountered this challenge when beginning a project to study Sally Keaton. The only records I have for her include a court order printed in a newspaper and two documents in William Keaton’s estate packet. The...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the new DNA tools at LivingDNA. Initially, we discuss our personal projects and thoughts on time management, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing life goals and projects. We then shift to the main topic: our experience with LivingDNA’s new tools, specifically the chromosome browser and the Matchbox. We explain how these tools help in organizing DNA match lists and provide insights into ancestral connections. LivingDNA’s unique feature...
Welcome to Part 3 of our six-part series, “Key Records and Repositories.” In this section, we’ll thoroughly inspect land and property records, emphasizing this region’s Spanish land grants. This module is particularly beneficial for genealogists researching family histories in the American Southwest. These records are a valuable resource, offering insights into land ownership, family linkages, and key aspects of migration, economic development, and legal structures that have influenced the region. After our discussion on the...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about conflicts encountered while researching our ancestor Harriet Huggett Kelsey and updating her profile on FamilySearch. Diana found conflicting information about Harriet’s birth year, with possible years of 1823, 1825, and 1826 from different sources. We discuss a conflict regarding the name and identity of Harriet’s twin sister Hester/Esther, with records using both spellings and even an indexed baptism record combining the two sisters’ names into “Esther...
In the second post of our six-part series, “Key Records and Repositories,” we focus on church and cemetery records in the Southwestern United States. Today, we’re exploring the unique aspects of church and cemetery records in states like Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. These records are not only vital links to the past but also gateways to understanding the diverse cultural heritage of this region. The Role of Church Records in Southwestern...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about our ancestor Harriett Huggett (Nicole’s 3rd great-grandmother and Diana’s 2nd great-grandmother). Diana researched records for Harriett’s early life in England. She enjoyed finding a personal history written by Harriett’s granddaughter which provided wonderful details about Harriett’s decision to leave her wealthy situation. The history describes their difficult journey and Harriett’s adjustment to poverty in the Utah desert after being used to fine things in England. We...
Have you ever felt like you’ve been working on a research question for years, and are not even sure what progress you’ve made? To combat this feeling, we recommend breaking up complex research projects into phases. For instance, researching the mother of a female ancestor born in the early 1800s is unlikely to be completed within 20 hours. It will likely require several phases, each with its own objective. As professional genealogists, this is how...
