After hanging up the speaking mic in October 2021, Elizabeth Shown Mills, genealogy’s pioneer in problem-solving methodology, returns in 2023 with Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Join us each month as Elizabeth encores her top-12 most beloved classes, teaching us how to break down our genealogy problems and create solutions with innovative strategies and sound methods. The classes are pre-recorded for the live watch parties.
This series is accessible only with a webinar membership. Webinar members have access to the live events, the class replays, and the class syllabus materials.
To attend the live events 1) register for the webinar (must be logged in as a webinar member to register); 2) on the day of the webinar, obtain the password (located at the top of FamilyTreeWebinars.com when logged in as a member); 3) click the Join Webinar link in your confirmation email, and enter the password when prompted.
Genetic testing has taken the genealogical world by storm—but many good genealogists feel lost in that storm; and more than a few family trees have suffered damage. How do we harness the power of genetic genealogy without being swept away in the surge? This session guides genealogists through four areas: (1) converting DNA data into evidence; (2) turning that evidence into proof; (3) crafting citations that include all genetic details needed for proof; and (4) protecting privacy throughout the research and presentation of our conclusions. The session offers simple but solid ground rules—no geek speak!—illustrated by a variety of case studies.
Genetic testing has taken the genealogical world by storm—but many good genealogists feel lost in that storm; and more than a few family trees have suffered damage. How do we harness the power of genetic genealogy without being swept away in the surge? This session guides genealogists through four areas: (1) converting DNA data into evidence; (2) turning that evidence into proof; (3) crafting citations that include all genetic details needed for proof; and (4) protecting privacy throughout the research and presentation of our conclusions. The session offers simple but solid ground rules—no geek speak!—illustrated by a variety of case studies.
Information Overload? Effective Project Planning, Research, Data Management & Analysis
Data management is not just an organizing system. Data management is a critical analytical tool. Research standards tell us that conclusions must be supported by “proof.” Standards insist that “proof” is more than “a document”—rather, it’s a conclusion based on a body of evidence created by reasonably exhaustive research. Meeting this standard creates a paradox: The more data we gather, the more confused we get!—unless we maintain that body of evidence in a way that enables us to digest it, analyze it, and correlate it with everything else we’ve found. This session presents a framework for projects of all types and sizes, building on sound research practices that carry us smoothly from problem analysis to problem resolution.
Data management is not just an organizing system. Data management is a critical analytical tool. Research standards tell us that conclusions must be supported by “proof.” Standards insist that “proof” is more than “a document”—rather, it’s a conclusion based on a body of evidence created by reasonably exhaustive research. Meeting this standard creates a paradox: The more data we gather, the more confused we get!—unless we maintain that body of evidence in a way that enables us to digest it, analyze it, and correlate it with everything else we’ve found. This session presents a framework for projects of all types and sizes, building on sound research practices that carry us smoothly from problem analysis to problem resolution.
Stuck? It happens to everybody. So, how do successful genealogists “prime their pumps” when their research wells seem to go dry? This session offers a slew of sources, methods, fresh ideas, and case studies to recharge your innovation when you think both you and your opportunities are totally exhausted.
Stuck? It happens to everybody. So, how do successful genealogists “prime their pumps” when their research wells seem to go dry? This session offers a slew of sources, methods, fresh ideas, and case studies to recharge your innovation when you think both you and your opportunities are totally exhausted.
Finding Origins & Birth Families: Methods That Work
The most important path an ancestor blazed along the way from his place of birth to where we first find him is usually not a trail that cartographers have conveniently charted for us. Successful researchers learn to recognize and analyze the elements of an ancestor’s life and times, as well as people, that serve as pointers to his path. This session examines the nature and causes of stalemates in our research; ten common traps and ways to avoid them; and innovative methodologies for working smarter, not harder!
The most important path an ancestor blazed along the way from his place of birth to where we first find him is usually not a trail that cartographers have conveniently charted for us. Successful researchers learn to recognize and analyze the elements of an ancestor’s life and times, as well as people, that serve as pointers to his path. This session examines the nature and causes of stalemates in our research; ten common traps and ways to avoid them; and innovative methodologies for working smarter, not harder!
Analyzing Deeds & Wills: I See What It Says—but What Does It Mean?!
Legalese. Boilerplate. Obsolete laws. Ancestral idiosyncrasies. The documents our ancestors created are full of such traps. This session uses two typical documents from different regions to illustrate, line by line, how to sort chaff from wheat, interpret deceptive language, and develop clues.
Legalese. Boilerplate. Obsolete laws. Ancestral idiosyncrasies. The documents our ancestors created are full of such traps. This session uses two typical documents from different regions to illustrate, line by line, how to sort chaff from wheat, interpret deceptive language, and develop clues.
Genealogical Research & Writing: Are You a Saint, Sinner, or Bumfuzzled Soul?
As researchers, family historians, compilers, bloggers, or writers of other ilk, genealogists face legal and ethical perils they often do not anticipate. This crash course offers practical guidance to enhance your skills and keep you safe as you explore history, reconstruct lives, and “write up” your findings. While the issues are serious—from the legal issue of copyright to the ethical issue of plagiarism—the lessons are taught with a light heart and humor.
As researchers, family historians, compilers, bloggers, or writers of other ilk, genealogists face legal and ethical perils they often do not anticipate. This crash course offers practical guidance to enhance your skills and keep you safe as you explore history, reconstruct lives, and “write up” your findings. While the issues are serious—from the legal issue of copyright to the ethical issue of plagiarism—the lessons are taught with a light heart and humor.
Oral history provides the foundation for all family research. Documentary evidence builds structure on that foundation. But documents often conflict with family traditions. How do we determine the core truths that are essential to understanding our own past? This class examines the causes of those conflicts and demonstrates how to peel away generations of confusion to find the real story that underpins family lore. Case studies include both Native American and African American traditions.
Oral history provides the foundation for all family research. Documentary evidence builds structure on that foundation. But documents often conflict with family traditions. How do we determine the core truths that are essential to understanding our own past? This class examines the causes of those conflicts and demonstrates how to peel away generations of confusion to find the real story that underpins family lore. Case studies include both Native American and African American traditions.
Identity Crises: Right Name, Wrong Man? Wrong Name, Right Man?
What do we do with ancestors whose names don’t “match” from one record to the next? Or those who pose the opposite problem: too many men or women of the same name? This session examines a litany of social customs and naming patterns that cause ancestors to be known by different names—then offers techniques and strategies by which we can establish that any two records do or do not apply to the same person. A variety of case studies demonstrate the problems and the methods we can use to overcome them.
What do we do with ancestors whose names don’t “match” from one record to the next? Or those who pose the opposite problem: too many men or women of the same name? This session examines a litany of social customs and naming patterns that cause ancestors to be known by different names—then offers techniques and strategies by which we can establish that any two records do or do not apply to the same person. A variety of case studies demonstrate the problems and the methods we can use to overcome them.
Tax Rolls: Getting Our Money’s Worth from the Taxes Our Ancestors Paid
Tax rolls have traditionally been used as a “census substitute”—a list of names to show that someone of a certain name was in a certain jurisdiction, in this year or that. But tax rolls can be developed into so much more. This session demonstrates how to use tax rolls to separate same-name people, determine ages of men and date their marriages, establish times of death, identify parents and the maiden identity of wives, track migration, document inheritances when probate records are destroyed, and so much more!
Tax rolls have traditionally been used as a “census substitute”—a list of names to show that someone of a certain name was in a certain jurisdiction, in this year or that. But tax rolls can be developed into so much more. This session demonstrates how to use tax rolls to separate same-name people, determine ages of men and date their marriages, establish times of death, identify parents and the maiden identity of wives, track migration, document inheritances when probate records are destroyed, and so much more!
Census Clues: Sweet Potato Simon, White Potato Willie, & Cows that Grow Wool
Census records are the most used—and yet the most underused—of all genealogical resources. Every major provider offers them, along with an index so we can easily find our people. Aside from a year here or there, when a pesky ancestor seems to have eluded the census taker, the use of censuses seems fairly straightforward: We use a search engine to find our person and we copy down the data. There, done!
No. Not at all! Censuses provide “facts,” but in between those “facts” there are a wealth of clues we can mine to solve our worst problems with identity, origin, and parentage. This session is for advanced researchers who think they “already know all about census records” and for newer researchers who want to avoid the mistakes most researchers make.
** This is a members-only webinar **
Census records are the most used—and yet the most underused—of all genealogical resources. Every major provider offers them, along with an index so we can easily find our people. Aside from a year here or there, when a pesky ancestor seems to have eluded the census taker, the use of censuses seems fairly straightforward: We use a search engine to find our person and we copy down the data. There, done!
No. Not at all! Censuses provide “facts,” but in between those “facts” there are a wealth of clues we can mine to solve our worst problems with identity, origin, and parentage. This session is for advanced researchers who think they “already know all about census records” and for newer researchers who want to avoid the mistakes most researchers make.
** This is a members-only webinar **
One of the toughest challenges faced by genealogists is the difficulty of identifying and tracking females. Wives and mothers traditionally have been “supporting characters” to the roles played by their husbands and sons—bearing no known name other than that of the males they married or bore. Historically, social mores and law codes made them second-class citizens, without a legal identity of their own and few rights or opportunities to create the range of records that genealogists customarily use to trace males. This session presents an array of resources—and, more importantly, techniques and strategies backed by case studies—we can use to establish the identities of elusive females.
One of the toughest challenges faced by genealogists is the difficulty of identifying and tracking females. Wives and mothers traditionally have been “supporting characters” to the roles played by their husbands and sons—bearing no known name other than that of the males they married or bore. Historically, social mores and law codes made them second-class citizens, without a legal identity of their own and few rights or opportunities to create the range of records that genealogists customarily use to trace males. This session presents an array of resources—and, more importantly, techniques and strategies backed by case studies—we can use to establish the identities of elusive females.
Finding Fathers: Tracking Males Who “Disappeared” or “Just Showed Up”
The legendary Choctaw Chief Pushmataha swore that he sprang full grown from Mother Earth. As genealogists, we sometimes wonder whether our ancestors did the same. Most elusive men do have traceable origins, once we learn to deal with the issues that thwart us—migration, high mortality rates, and illegitimacy being not the least of them. This hour offers practical suggestions and strategies for extending paternal lines, focusing upon the pre-1850 period when censuses don’t identify children in parental households.
The legendary Choctaw Chief Pushmataha swore that he sprang full grown from Mother Earth. As genealogists, we sometimes wonder whether our ancestors did the same. Most elusive men do have traceable origins, once we learn to deal with the issues that thwart us—migration, high mortality rates, and illegitimacy being not the least of them. This hour offers practical suggestions and strategies for extending paternal lines, focusing upon the pre-1850 period when censuses don’t identify children in parental households.
Join Daniel Horowitz, genealogy expert at MyHeritage, for a detailed review of all the exciting MyHeritage announcements and events that took place at RootsTech! Hear all about the biggest news from the conference and enjoy some behind-the-scenes tidbits from a MyHeritage insider.
Join Daniel Horowitz, genealogy expert at MyHeritage, for a detailed review of all the exciting MyHeritage announcements and events that took place at RootsTech! Hear all about the biggest news from the conference and enjoy some behind-the-scenes tidbits from a MyHeritage insider.
Probate records are a gem for those researching ancestors in Denmark. However, understanding the jurisdictions for these records is very complicated. This webinar will discuss the basics of the Danish Estate system the influence it had on our ancestors’ lives. We will also learn about the county records, finding aids and online resources for successfully navigating Danish probate records.
Probate records are a gem for those researching ancestors in Denmark. However, understanding the jurisdictions for these records is very complicated. This webinar will discuss the basics of the Danish Estate system the influence it had on our ancestors’ lives. We will also learn about the county records, finding aids and online resources for successfully navigating Danish probate records.
The county of Hampshire covers over 1 million acres, bordered to the south by the English Channel and includes the Isle of Wight. As one might expect the ancestral roots of the county are widely represented by agricultural workers, but it also has a strong maritime history. This includes not only coastguards, fishermen, and latterly Merchant Navy seafarers, but also the Royal Navy with its Portsmouth dockyard, now home to Nelsons’s flagship HMS Victory. Join Gill for a user’s guide to online and offline resources, including local archive collections, a guide to boundary changes, and where to search for missing ancestors. Our aim is research enlightenment.
The county of Hampshire covers over 1 million acres, bordered to the south by the English Channel and includes the Isle of Wight. As one might expect the ancestral roots of the county are widely represented by agricultural workers, but it also has a strong maritime history. This includes not only coastguards, fishermen, and latterly Merchant Navy seafarers, but also the Royal Navy with its Portsmouth dockyard, now home to Nelsons’s flagship HMS Victory. Join Gill for a user’s guide to online and offline resources, including local archive collections, a guide to boundary changes, and where to search for missing ancestors. Our aim is research enlightenment.
From the beginning of European settlement in North America, free and inexpensive land has been a tool for enticing settlers to migrate to new areas. The English and Spanish granted large tracts to individuals in return for bringing new people into areas with sparse European populations. Bounty land was granted to soldiers in America’s early wars. The end of the American Revolution led to a number of Federal plans to sell or grant vast acreages of public domain land. Homesteading opportunities attracted Americans and immigrants to the west after the Civil War. The availability of affordable land was a catalyst for the migration of many of our ancestors.
From the beginning of European settlement in North America, free and inexpensive land has been a tool for enticing settlers to migrate to new areas. The English and Spanish granted large tracts to individuals in return for bringing new people into areas with sparse European populations. Bounty land was granted to soldiers in America’s early wars. The end of the American Revolution led to a number of Federal plans to sell or grant vast acreages of public domain land. Homesteading opportunities attracted Americans and immigrants to the west after the Civil War. The availability of affordable land was a catalyst for the migration of many of our ancestors.
Off the Boat: Tracing Your Ancestor back to the Old Country
Wed, March 19 2025: 18:00 UTC
Although most American records do not specify immigrants’ exact places of origin, by doing a wholistic study of an entire family, it’s often possible to determine exactly from where they came. Learn about the different kinds of records that can help determine an immigrant’s exact place of birth, such as parish records, ship manifests, naturalization petitions, social security applications, alien registrations and more!
Although most American records do not specify immigrants’ exact places of origin, by doing a wholistic study of an entire family, it’s often possible to determine exactly from where they came. Learn about the different kinds of records that can help determine an immigrant’s exact place of birth, such as parish records, ship manifests, naturalization petitions, social security applications, alien registrations and more!
Mexican Notarial Records: An Invaluable Source for Reconstructing the Past of Mexican Families
Fri, March 21 2025: 18:00 UTC
Testaments, dowry letters, land sales, cattle leasing, power of attorney letters, and many other types of documents were created by public and royal scribes all over Mexico in the last five centuries. Notarial archives are rich in detail and history. Whenever they are available, they become an essential tool for genealogical research, adding depth to the lives of ancestors, or bridging gaps when church records have been lost. This conference is a basic outline of these records and where to find them both offline and online.
Testaments, dowry letters, land sales, cattle leasing, power of attorney letters, and many other types of documents were created by public and royal scribes all over Mexico in the last five centuries. Notarial archives are rich in detail and history. Whenever they are available, they become an essential tool for genealogical research, adding depth to the lives of ancestors, or bridging gaps when church records have been lost. This conference is a basic outline of these records and where to find them both offline and online.
Start Your Family History Journey for Free with MyHeritage
Tue, March 25 2025: 18:00 UTC
Genealogy doesn’t have to be expensive—MyHeritage offers a range of free tools to get you started. This session will walk you through how to begin your family history journey without spending a dime. Discover how to build a basic family tree, explore free records, and utilize MyHeritage’s free trials and features to uncover your roots.
Genealogy doesn’t have to be expensive—MyHeritage offers a range of free tools to get you started. This session will walk you through how to begin your family history journey without spending a dime. Discover how to build a basic family tree, explore free records, and utilize MyHeritage’s free trials and features to uncover your roots.
Compare and collect the resources that confirm our ancestor’s presence. While adding tax records, non-population schedules, and soil surveys to predict the success while farming or understand the difficulties of adequate production, and how many pigs were really there.
Compare and collect the resources that confirm our ancestor’s presence. While adding tax records, non-population schedules, and soil surveys to predict the success while farming or understand the difficulties of adequate production, and how many pigs were really there.
By registering, you are submitting your information to Legacy Family Tree Webinars and agreeing to let us use it to contact you.
Thank you for registering!
You should receive a confirmation email with a link to the webinar soon.
You’ll also receive a reminder both the day before and one hour before the webinar begins. Didn’t receive a confirmation email?
You successfully registered for %s.
You should receive a confirmation email with a link to the webinar soon.
You’ll also receive a reminder both the day before and one hour before the webinar begins. Didn’t receive a confirmation email?
