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...
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 land and what it was like. Links Back to the Basics with Land Records: Part 2 – Deeds - blog post by Diana Back to...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss several reasons to research land. A land record may reveal the following: a family relationship, clues to past or present residence, associates, evidence of migration, and more. We also explain the differences between “state land states” and “federal land states” in the United States system of land distribution. We look at the metes and bounds system of land measurement as well as the grid system (township and range). Links Back to the Basics with Land Records Part 1 - blog post by Diana Diltsgd, a FamilySearch Research Wiki user, “Federal Land...
When is the last time you went outside of your genealogical comfort zone and learned something unrelated to your usual research area? One of my favorite sayings is, "you don't know what you don't know." That statement especially holds true for genealogy. Attending the BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy last week, I decided to try out some classes in areas where I’m not a specialist and find out what I didn't know. I attended classes by experts Peggy Lauritzen, Curt Witcher, Paul Woodbury, and Dan Poffenberger. Topics included Ohio Land, Native American research, Best Practices for DNA, and...
