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.
A detailed look at the origin and development of the American Genealogical and Biographical Index, along with detailed instructions on how to access it today.
A detailed look at the origin and development of the American Genealogical and Biographical Index, along with detailed instructions on how to access it today.
Was your ancestor listed in a School Census? Count yourself lucky if they were because you may just find their full names, birthdates, and the answers to family mysteries that have eluded you. Learn what they covered and the purpose, when they were made, and where to find those that still exist.
Was your ancestor listed in a School Census? Count yourself lucky if they were because you may just find their full names, birthdates, and the answers to family mysteries that have eluded you. Learn what they covered and the purpose, when they were made, and where to find those that still exist.
Whether researching a Depression-era ancestor or looking for historical context, there’s likely to be something of interest to you in the records of the Works Progress Administration. This lecture explores a wide range of WPA projects that have special interest to genealogists and researchers including historical records surveys and some of the most comprehensive studies of American life that have ever been conducted. Also covered is how to access the WPA’s published works as well as those that remain as unpublished manuscripts.
Whether researching a Depression-era ancestor or looking for historical context, there’s likely to be something of interest to you in the records of the Works Progress Administration. This lecture explores a wide range of WPA projects that have special interest to genealogists and researchers including historical records surveys and some of the most comprehensive studies of American life that have ever been conducted. Also covered is how to access the WPA’s published works as well as those that remain as unpublished manuscripts.
Discovering Old Land Surveys in Deeds and Probates
Wed, September 24 2025: 18:00 UTC
Early surveys can often resolve issues of burned or unindexed records. Learn how to follow a specific property and the individuals involved, while building a more complete story of that land.
Early surveys can often resolve issues of burned or unindexed records. Learn how to follow a specific property and the individuals involved, while building a more complete story of that land.
12 Ways to Use Gravestone Clues to Grow Your Family Tree
Wed, September 24 2025: 19:30 UTC
Using gravestone clues to grow your family tree may be one of genealogy’s best-kept secrets! Gravestones function as a journal of sorts – one written in stone. Do you have some brick walls in your family tree? A trip to the cemetery may be just the thing to help you break through! In this webinar, you will learn 12 ways to use gravestone clues to grow your family tree.
Using gravestone clues to grow your family tree may be one of genealogy’s best-kept secrets! Gravestones function as a journal of sorts – one written in stone. Do you have some brick walls in your family tree? A trip to the cemetery may be just the thing to help you break through! In this webinar, you will learn 12 ways to use gravestone clues to grow your family tree.
Removing the Rebels: Peter Robinson’s settlement of Irish immigrants to Upper Canada
Fri, September 26 2025: 16:00 UTC
The South of Ireland was in dire straits at the end of the 18th century and on several occasions was on the verge of civil war. The Whiteboys developed as a secret oath-bound society among the poor. Their operations were chiefly in the counties of Waterford, Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary and were not directed against the government, but rather against local landlords. No amount of legislation seemed to tame the anger which had led to many “disturbances”. As a means of removing some of the rebels, offering them a new life and free land in Upper Canada, and hopefully settling the anger back home in Ireland, the government decide to pay for families to be resettled at the expense of the government. Peter Robinson, brother of John Beverley Robinson, was tasked with finding and settling the emigrants. In this presentation we will look at the history and politics that led to what has become known as the Peter Robinson’s Settlement Scheme. We will also take an in-depth look at the various resources available for researching your Peter Robinson Settler ancestors.
The South of Ireland was in dire straits at the end of the 18th century and on several occasions was on the verge of civil war. The Whiteboys developed as a secret oath-bound society among the poor. Their operations were chiefly in the counties of Waterford, Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary and were not directed against the government, but rather against local landlords. No amount of legislation seemed to tame the anger which had led to many “disturbances”. As a means of removing some of the rebels, offering them a new life and free land in Upper Canada, and hopefully settling the anger back home in Ireland, the government decide to pay for families to be resettled at the expense of the government. Peter Robinson, brother of John Beverley Robinson, was tasked with finding and settling the emigrants. In this presentation we will look at the history and politics that led to what has become known as the Peter Robinson’s Settlement Scheme. We will also take an in-depth look at the various resources available for researching your Peter Robinson Settler ancestors.
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