Original Record – Family Locket

RLP 22: How to Find the Original Record

Dec 10, 2018

In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss what to do when you find an indexed record entry on FamilySearch with no image attached. If there is a microfilm number in the citation, you can use that to find the digitized images of the microfilm and locate the original image of that baptism record or marriage bond. We’ll discuss some of our tips for using the image viewer and finding the right page among...

Back to Basics with U.S. Church Records – Part 1

Sep 22, 2018

Have you used church records in your genealogy yet? If not, you might be interested to know how helpful a church record can be in researching your family. Because birth and death certificates were not required by most states in the U.S. until after 1900, church records can be a substitute for vital records. They can also help establish an ancestor’s status in the community, reveal associates, and point to previous or subsequent residences. In...

Clueing In To Census Records

Jul 21, 2016

Are you sure you’ve found all of the clues in the census records for your family? After you look at the names, ages, and birthplaces, do you pay attention to the rest of the questions and answers? Census records are one of the most valuable tools for a researcher, not only for the information reported, but for the clues to other records. I recently revisited the 1910 census looking for clues on my great, great...

Original or Derivative Sources: What’s the Big Deal?

Jul 7, 2016

Have you ever found a marriage listing of an ancestor in an online index or in a book of marriage abstracts and been so excited you didn’t question it? Just added the information to your database, researched the couple and their children and went merrily on your way? I did this a few years ago, but unfortunately I connected the wrong marriage record to my ancestor. Essentially I married her to the wrong man. How...