Probate cases offer some of the most important information for family historians. The settling of an estate, assignment of guardianship, and cases of spendthrift can establish family relationships, provide maiden names, confirm origins and occupations, expand your ancestors’ FAN network, and may just be the key to breaking down a genealogical brick wall. In this lecture, we will provide an overview of these essential court records.
There are a variety of records available that can help you research land ownership of your Atlantic Canadian ancestors, including land board records, land grants, land petitions, land patents from the Indian and Inuit Affairs Program, maps, and more. This lecture will help you understand how to navigate the many record sets available and how to apply them to your research.
Canadian baptisms, burials, and marriage records date back to the early 17th century for some parishes, though there is no central repository for these records making it difficult to know where to look. This lecture will help you understand where to find these church records as well as civil vital records which have been recorded since the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Substitutes for these church and vital records, such as newspaper records, will also be discussed.
Understand how to locate and best utilize Revolutionary War muster rolls and service records for your ancestor. An overview of using local, state and federal source to determine whether your ancestor served during the war will be reviewed.
Many loyalists fled to areas firmly under British control including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. Still others crossed the Atlantic to the Mother Country, England. Some would stay for the duration of the war and eventually return to the U.S.; others would put down roots and stay for generations. This lecture will discuss the many resources available for learning about your ancestor’s lives in Canada, England, and other areas of the British Empire.
Irish immigrants were one of the largest groups that headed west. Explore the history and key resources to research your Irish pioneers. This lecture will cover the California Gold Rush, Oregon Donation Land Claims, Homesteading, Railroad Workers, as well as online resources.
An American Ancestors DNA consultation can help you make the most of using DNA in your family history research! Have you taken a DNA test and need help deciphering results? Interested in learning techniques on breaking down one of your genealogical brick walls? Or maybe you want to learn about some of the many third-party tools available. This webinar will review our DNA consultation service and discuss the types of scenarios you may consult with an expert genealogist about, and we’ll also review a case study from one of our past clients.
Ethnicity estimates are just a small part of your DNA results—and they aren’t always accurate or as precise as you’d like them to be. This lecture will discuss how to triangulate ancestral origins by reviewing your matches carefully and by combing your DNA results with traditional genealogical research.
Adoption as a legal process in America is a relatively new invention. This lecture will provide an overview of adoption in America, the types of records that document adoption and guardianship (including aid societies and maternity homes), general access restrictions, and other considerations when researching adopted ancestors.
Newspapers were the first form of "social media" and captured more than just obituaries. From birth announcements to crime reports to land sales, this lecture will delve into the wealth of information that can be found in newspapers. This lecture will show you how to discover your ancestors' stories using various newspaper collections.
