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...
If your ancestor emigrated to the United States after 1820, there is a good chance there may be a record detailing the ship, date of arrival, port of departure, fellow passengers, and more. The challenge comes in uniquely identifying our ancestors among those of the same name. Record availability in the 19th and 20th centuries is fairly good, so we can research the ancestors thoroughly, looking for important clues. In part 1 of this series,...
Knowing the history of U.S. immigration and the types of immigration records created when our ancestors arrived is key when considering finding their origins. Did they arrive as part of one of the original colonies or emigrate during the 19th or 20th century? Each era varies in record availability. In part 1 of this series, we looked at getting started with the research by examining the ancestor’s records in the United States for clues to...
Have you encountered the challenge of finding immigration records for your ancestors? In our United States research, we may discover our ancestor’s home country and wonder how to find the original ship passenger lists or other immigration records. Whether they hailed from the British Isles, Europe, Scandinavia, or any other country, we hope for that exact date and place of entry. Difficulties come with the multitude of locations they could have entered the U.S. –...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about our ancestor, Mariah (Brockhouse) Beddoes who left her parents in England with her husband and two young daughters to join with other Latter-day Saints in Utah Territory. Mariah was born in Willinghall, England, and her father was a locksmith. She married William Beddoes, a miner, and they eventually had a family of 13 children. The stories about Mariah’s departure from England are heart-breaking. She left her...
If you have an ancestor who became a United States citizen in the 20th century, you will have a rich source of information about their origins, emigration, residence, family, and more. The changes made to the naturalization process in 1906 by the U.S. Congress resulted in standardized forms that requested detailed information and specific requirements for citizenship. Before 1906, little identifying information was included in the naturalization forms. In part 1 of this series, we...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Peter McCracken, founder of ShipIndex.org. Peter is an electronic resources librarian at Cornell University. Shipindex is a database to assist researchers finding material about vessels. Peter tells us about ShipIndex and how it can be useful for genealogists. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a Pro episode 260 Ship Index with Peter McCracken Welcome to research Like a Pro a genealogy podcast about...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the emigration of Pennsylvania Germans from their homeland. We talk with Alice Childs, Accredited Genealogist Professional, about the steps required for a German emigrant to leave Germany. We also talk about the voyage and ship records. This episode also includes a discussion of the guiding principles to follow when researching Pennsylvania Germans, like employing FAN methodology and identifying the proper jurisdiction. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an answer to a listener’s question about an immigrant ancestor who came from Norway to North Dakota in the 1880s. We invited Jenny Hansen, AG, who is an expert in Scandinavian research to come help us answer this question. We discuss name changes, sources to consult in the U.S., what to expect when looking at immigration records, and records to consult in Scandinavia. Transcript Nicole (1s): This...
Do you have an immigrant ancestor that you would like to trace to their hometown? Although this sounds difficult, and it can be, having a plan of attack makes all the difference. Good methodology and knowledge of useful resources can help you succeed in your goal of discovering your ancestry across the pond. In this guest post, Kimball G. Carter, CG® shares a resource he created to aid researchers in this very goal. Kimball is...
