Legacy Family Tree

Researching in a native country is hard. Researching in Germany? Even harder. When every family in town shares a surname and all the sons are Johann Christoph or Gerhard, and all the daughters are Maria or Margarethe, how do we distinguish among them? What are the tools we can use to figure out which Johann Christoph is mine?

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.

As a major center of American history and starting point for westward migration, Philadelphia has much more to offer genealogists than just tourist sites. The greater Philadelphia area is home to a variety of underrated libraries and archives that should not be missed by serious family historians.

Do you have ancestors from Buckinghamshire? If so, then this talk is for you. Join Richard Holt for a whistle-stop tour of the key resources available for research in this county. Our journey of discovery will cover the main archive and how to use their catalogue; along with some smaller archives as well. Find out about a number of online resources that will help you track down your ancestors and learn about their lives. Discover how jurisdictional boundaries might impact your research and how to discover the necessary information. Learn about the many societies, including family history societies, which you can turn to for more information and advice. At the end of our journey you will be equipped with the resources that will enable you to have greater success in your research.

This presentation looks at what resources are available in Australia’s national, state and local libraries for family history research. Many state and local history and heritage resources are only available at the library. Find out what you might be missing.

Geoff Rasmussen has never used DNA on his most famous case: John McCall in Tennessee/North Carolina. It’s a SERIOUS brick wall. BUT: his grandmother AND her sister have taken DNA tests, and John is their 2x great grandfather. What light can their DNA test results shed? DNA expert Diahan Southard gives him advice you may be able to apply to your own brick wall, too.

Take the opportunity to ask professional genealogist and publisher, Craig R. Scott, CG, FUGA a question. See if his genealogical and historical knowledge about the United States can help you solve that brick wall problem you can’t seem to get your hands around.

Record Matches on MyHeritage can save you lots of work. Not only do they automatically find historical records for people in your family tree, they can also serve as a kind of roadmap for your research. Lisa Alzo will show you how to use your Record Matches to get organized and approach your research in a systematic way.

Learn how research overcame the misleading records, surname changes, and frequent moves that concealed the identity of a woman whose beauty mesmerized seven men. This talk is based on the winning article of the 2017 National Genealogical Society’s Family History Writing Contest.