In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Nicole Dyer and Diana Elder speak with Sam Howes, an archivist at Bates College in Maine. They discuss his work managing the official records of the college, including administrative documents, student records, yearbooks, and special collections. Sam explains what types of materials college archives typically maintain, like trustee meeting minutes, presidential records, alumni newsletters, student government documents, and more. He notes that confidentiality restrictions can limit access...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about our ancestor, Selina (Beddoes) Kelsey. Selina lived until age 97, and was regularly featured in Utah newspapers due to being one of the last pioneers to arrive in Utah by wagon (before the railroad). Selina was only 4 years old when she crossed from Nebraska to Salt Lake City by covered wagon. Diana organized the newspaper clippings into a timeline in Airtable to keep track of...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Diana’s visit to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History to learn more about William Keaton, our ancestor. William Keaton received a land grant in the late 1700s in Pendleton District, which became Anderson County. Diana shares what she learned in her visit to the archives and we discuss the land grant. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a Pro episode 282, finding William...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about civil marriage records and where to find them. We discuss examples from the U.S. and England and give a tutorial for how to make citations for marriage records from a bound volume at the county courthouse viewed as images online. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a Pro episode 281 Civil Marriage Records Welcome to research Like a Pro a genealogy podcast about taking your...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about our distant ancestor, Thomas Royston, who settled in Gloucester County, Virginia. Thomas was granted thousands of acres in the late 1600s, and Diana got to visit Gloucester County and see where he probably lived. Join us as we discuss the historical context and records that make up the story of Thomas Royston’s life. We discuss challenges like record loss and review Virginia’s colonial history, focusing on...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to unmerge profiles on the FamilySearch Family Tree. When there are many people of the same name who lived in an area, it’s common for the profiles to get accidentally merged. When you notice an issue where multiple people have been merged into one person, there are several steps to follow to unmerge the people while preserving the original profiles. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the “other relationships” option in the FamilySearch Family Tree. After the vitals, other information, and family members sections, you will see the other relationships section of the profile page. If you click “add other relationship,” you’ll see a popup with a dropdown list allowing you to select certain relationships from a list. Many of these are friend, family, associates, and neighbor (FAN) type of relationships. Join...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to create a family history blog to help you share family stories. Whether you want to write family stories, recruit DNA test-takers to help with a particular research problem, or connect with distant cousins to collaborate on research, a free blog can help you. Learn about free blog platforms, how to organize your blog posts, setting a schedule, and reading other family history blogs. Transcript...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the psychological benefits of family history research for young adults. We discuss ideas for celebrating family history month by sharing family history with young people as well as the findings of the study by Brigham Young University professors. The study found that students engaged in family history research had an increase in self-esteem and a decrease in anxiety. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Lillian Wingate about researching in courthouses. Lillian is the president of the Bulloch County [Georgia] Genealogical Society, Education Director for the Georgia Genealogical Society, and the Genealogy & Local History Coordinator at the Statesboro Library. Lillian actively works with GSU interns on various projects. She is also in partnership with the local courthouses and community projects. Join us as we learn what resources might...