Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about United States Homestead Records. Do you have anyone in your family who took advantage of the Homestead Law of 1862? It is estimated that 2 million individuals applied for up to 320 acres of free land and your ancestor might be among them. We talk about two applicants for 320 acres in New Mexico about 1906 and 1911 and the details we learned about their family from the case files obtained from the National Archives. Links BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy - conference website Those Valuable Homestead Records article...
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 Simple Steps - by Robin at Family Locket; includes Robin's template for contacting cousin matches The Shared cM Project The Shared cM Project 3.0 tool...
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 tool v4 at DNA Painter Buy a DNA Test: Ancestry DNA Test - affiliate link 23andMe DNA Test - affiliate link How to Transfer DNA...
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...
The Research Like a Pro process created by Diana and Nicole is a brilliant method that has helped me break down some brick walls in my research. I have become a much better researcher by participating in their study group. The skills I have learned have helped me understand how to really analyze my existing research and then dig in and find elusive records that I had previously been unaware of in my attempts at pushing beyond dead ends in my family tree. However, not all family history research involves breaking down brick walls. In many cases, records are readily...
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...
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 research on one familial line, and identify the DNA that you inherited from the common ancestor(s). The groups of related people are sometimes called “Clusters” or “Genetic Networks.” Goals...
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...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Susan Modzelewski, a graduate of our Research Like a Pro study group. Susan is a member of the Pima County Genealogy Society, where she met Nicole. She has been doing family history for over 20 years. She said that at the beginning, "genealogy was fun, quick and easy. I thought researching my family was going to be a breeze. Then the research became more difficult as I tackled other lines, so I began taking classes; each class had a lot to offer but the information seemed disjointed and...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about Scandinavian Research. We talk to Jenny Hansen, AG, who has been an accredited genealogy professional for 20 years. She tells us tips for researching relatives in the Scandinavian countries. We ask her all of our questions and learn more about researching our ancestors from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Her wealth of knowledge and experience is evident as she speaks. We're so glad we got to talk with Jenny and we know you will enjoy the discussion. Links My Favorite Ancestor - website and blog of Jenny Hansen, Accredited Genealogist. On the...
