Genealogy Articles

Family » Genealogy | By MIKE SELVON @ Thursday, 16th August 2007 @ 11:17 AM

Genealogy is a popular pastime. It is natural to be curious about one's roots and family history, and genealogy allows all of the information to be compiled and passed along to future generations. The internet has proved to be a powerful tool for genealogists, allowing easier searches of records as well as the sharing of information between genealogists who share a common line. This article will discuss some of the common questions surrounding genealogy and family history that may h... more...

Family » Genealogy | By MIKE SELVON @ Wednesday, 15th August 2007 @ 2:05 PM

Vital records provide many details for those seeking to complete a family tree. A vital record provides birth, marriage, and death record information, allowing individuals to fill in missing areas of a family tree with a more complete portrait of the life of an past family member with accurate dates and locations. Therefore, it is important to understand how to access and use vital records. A major advantage of official vital records is that they are both complete and accurate. The inform... more...

Family » Genealogy | By MIKE SELVON @ Wednesday, 15th August 2007 @ 12:54 PM

In today's society, surnames are generally known as last names or even family names. Except for those who choose to drop them, such as Madonna or Cher, virtually everyone in the modern world has one. In some cultures, they are written before given names (what we would call a "first name"). While surnames are now taken for granted, there was a time when they were not common. In some more remote areas, they're still not. People were identified from those who shared the gi... more...

Family » Genealogy | By MIKE SELVON @ Wednesday, 15th August 2007 @ 12:44 PM

Building a family tree involves trying to locate as many marriage records, birth records, and death records as possible as these three types of documents are integral to genealogical searches. Generally, these three events are commonly included in a family tree. They are important to follow a woman's paths through time as she usually changed names to use the surname of their husband after marriage. Since marriage records are vital to compiling an accurate family tree, these r... more...

Family » Genealogy | By MIKE SELVON @ Tuesday, 14th August 2007 @ 5:24 PM

Genealogy satisfies the curiosity of those interested in knowing more about their past and history. Compiling a family tree that depicts much of one's lineage and ancestors' personal information, such as birth dates, marriages, children, and all sorts of other types of data can be a wonderful hobby to take on, and it is very popular as a pastime. In order to obtain the information for a family history record, you will need to do extensive research. How extensive your research wi... more...

Family » Genealogy | By MIKE SELVON @ Tuesday, 14th August 2007 @ 5:21 PM

Researching family history is something that many people dabble in, wanting to know more about where they came from and maybe even try to see where their family line might end up in the future. An interesting thought of some is that family history can divulge much information about our personalities. Some are simply curious. A family tree gives a detailed lineage for finding how history affects us currently. Many people begin genealogical research following a major event in their l... more...

Family » Genealogy | By MIKE SELVON @ Tuesday, 14th August 2007 @ 3:04 PM

Researching family history is something that many people dabble in because they want to know more about where they come from and perhaps even try to see where their family line might end up in the future. An interesting thought of some is that it can divulge much information about our personalities. Some are simply curious. Many people begin genealogy research following a major event in their lives. A birth or death in the family, marriage, or other major turning point can spawn an intere... more...

Family » Genealogy | By MIKE SELVON @ Tuesday, 14th August 2007 @ 3:03 PM

There is a bit of confusion amongst the public concerning the term "family crest." Duped by unscrupulous salespeople, many people believe that a particular family crest belongs to everyone who happens to share a surname. Additionally, the terms family crest and family coat of arms are often used interchangeably even though the two are actually very different. A crest is actually one portion of a larger heraldic achievement. The crest is worn atop the helmet and can be like... more...

Family » Genealogy | By MIKE SELVON @ Tuesday, 14th August 2007 @ 3:02 PM

Death records can provide vital clues to create a family tree. Using these documents and others such as birth or marriage records, you can trace much of the path of an ancestor through history. Genealogy should include accurate information on birth and death dates, unions, children, as well as the locations of each event. Death records can give the answers to many questions. Modern death records for the United States can be located through the Social Security Death Index. This Ind... more...

Family » Genealogy | By MIKE SELVON @ Tuesday, 14th August 2007 @ 2:44 PM

Birth records can provide a wealth of information about an individual. For those performing genealogical research, this information can be invaluable. Hitting a wall in your genealogy search can be frustrating and sometimes new birth records are all you need to get the ball rolling again. Birth records document an individual's full birth name, the exact date and time of birth and their parents' full names. Depending on the time and location in which they were filed, you may also... more...

Family » Genealogy | By Glenda Logan-Glover @ Friday, 20th July 2007 @ 8:37 PM

Many of us are diligently taking the family photos but how many of our memories will be sent forward to enrich future generations? Leave a lasting family legacy and debunk the following myths... 1. Your Memories WILL make it across the generations Although taking pictures has become easier with the advent of digital photography, making sure they are preserved and make it to the next generation isn't always so easy. According to a national Harris Poll survey commissione... more...

Family » Genealogy | By Jim Brown @ Friday, 13th July 2007 @ 2:54 PM

Some people become quite bewildered when they realize how much information can be found for the history of their family name. The decisions made on which family genealogy records to use will have a dramatic effect on the quality of the information that is contained in the family history when it is considered to be finished. Family histories are never complete, however, because there is always a new addition to the family. In determining which family genealogy records to use, it is only ... more...

Family » Genealogy | By Jim Brown @ Wednesday, 27th June 2007 @ 7:20 PM

There are many sources at your disposal if you want to find out about your family history and construct a family tree from the information that you find along the way. The techniques for tracing family genealogy backgrounds might take you to places that you never knew existed but are great places to find when you know what to look for. The techniques for tracing family genealogy might start with the immediate family, and the eldest person in the family could lend a great deal to the trail... more...

Family » Genealogy | By David Fishman @ Saturday, 28th April 2007 @ 11:49 PM

Family Tree provides detailed information on the families past history. To organize your research you need to create a worksheet of your family tree. There are many tools to use to help start the process of your family tree, they are not expensive and widely available, and they are great tools for organizing. Studying genealogy will give you the knowledge you will need to understand your ancestry, and it will help in creating the family tree. The family tree is a graphical representation of ho... more...

Family » Genealogy | By Jimmy Cox @ Thursday, 19th April 2007 @ 11:26 AM

Before beginning a study of one's ancestry, it is important to know one's terminology. Here then are a few key terms that one would do best to know. Ancestral Charts An Ancestral Chart is a picture or diagram of a descendant and his ancestors. It is the framework or skeleton on which a Family History is built. It may be arranged in any one of a multitude of ways, sometimes resembling an open fan, but more often shown by a plain diagram on one or more sheets of paper ruled... more...

Family » Genealogy | By Jimmy Cox @ Tuesday, 20th March 2007 @ 1:44 PM

There is no more fascinating subject in which a person may become occupied than an examination into the history of his ancestry. The study of human beings is an interesting one, especially when they are the particular human beings from whom the student has derived his existence, his character, his likes and dislikes, and those elements which differentiate him from every other human being and constitute him an entity with individuality. A large number of people are becoming increasingly in... more...

Family » Genealogy | By Jerry Cahill @ Tuesday, 6th February 2007 @ 6:20 PM

A civil war hero, a pirate, an African tribe, or an Indian Princess all of these people of the past could be in your family tree. For those who know all about where their family comes from or has a written history, you are very lucky. The truth is, that most people only have an idea of where their ancestors came from and don't know much about any of them. Knowing where your ancestors came from and who they were is a great way to help you learn more about your family tree and some of the ... more...

Family » Genealogy | By Amit Mehta @ Wednesday, 15th November 2006 @ 12:36 AM

Considered as vital records, birth certificates are documents containing information about the birth of an individual, including the name at birth, the date, time and place of birth, a birth registration number and the name of the birth parents. All newborn children are required to get a birth certificate, but this is usually obtained after the doctor handling the childbirth submits the forms to the proper government agency. Aside from recording live births, birth documents also record still bir... more...

Family » Genealogy | By Amit Mehta @ Friday, 10th November 2006 @ 12:32 AM

Birth records pertain to documents that are created at the time of birth of a person. You can find the date of birth, the place of birth, and the names of the parents as well as the doctor who handled the birth of the child. Birth certificates are usually issued within a span of six months after the birth. The county clerk's office or the health department is usually the government institution that will keep copies of birth documents in a given location. People primarily acc... more...

Family » Genealogy | By Heather Colman @ Thursday, 2nd November 2006 @ 3:23 AM

In the United States today, genealogy is rapidly becoming an interest for many families. Genealogy and ancestry sites are popping up everyday. Genealogy can be made into a family activity. Children as young as five years old can participate. Genealogy can be a fun way for children to learn about their heritage. Once your children have started creating a family tree, they will want to continue finding out more about their family. To start out, have your children create fact sheets o... more...