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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about United States land records, specifically deeds. We talk about how to use the deed index and how important it is to learn how the index is organized. Whether it’s a direct, indirect, russell, or other index, you will want to know how to find your relative’s name in it. We also talk about our ancestor, Edward Raymond Kelsey, and how we found a deed for his...
Updated 22 February 2021 A great way to get the most out of the list of your DNA matches is to separate the people into groups that cluster around one of your ancestral lines. If you can divide your match list into groups, you can focus on finding the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) that you share with that cluster of people. Once that common ancestor or ancestral couple is identified, you can focus your...