Search Results for: blog documenting your ancestors home

Breaking Down Genenalogical Walls With Cluster Research

Many genealogists are only interested in researching their direct descendancy, which stands to reason. We often begin genealogy with the hopes of locating our ancestors, and not all the other relatives involved. I also recommend researching this way in the beginning to avoid overwhelming yourself with too many names, dates, and places. However, eventually you will hit a brick wall in your research. To me, this is where genealogy gets really interesting. I love a good mystery! One way to break through these walls is by performing cluster research. This form of research involves looking at the siblings, aunts, uncles, … Continue reading →

Who Do You Think You Are

OK, so I wanna know why is it only now that I am hearing about the new NBC show, Who Do You Think You Are? I came across it last week and have it set to record each week on my DVR. I saw my first episode this past Friday, although it’s not the first time the show has aired. Heck, it wasn’t even the first time that particular episode had aired. But despite me being late to discovering it, I am glad I did! Basically the show helps celebrities (one each episode) discover their genealogy. The episode I watched … Continue reading →

Digitage Heritage Scrapbooks

A few weeks ago I posted about scrapbooking your old family photos and memorabilia. Today I want to also mention the idea of creating a digital heritage scrapbook (also called a digital family tree or digital genealogy scrapbook). A digital scrapbook is made on a computer using an image editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop or Coral Paint Shop. Items that can be made into a digital scrapbook include vintage family photographs, old letters, vital records, and heirlooms. Before you begin, you will need to convert your photos and memorabilia into a digital format by scanning them into your computer. … Continue reading →

Religion in Genealogy Part 5: Buddhists

Buddhists are followers of a variety of practices and beliefs known as Buddhism. Whether Buddhism is a religion or philosophy is controversial. Some sources say that to be a religion, there must be a belief and worship of a supernatural entity, which Buddhists do not have. Other sources describe religion as an organization that practices beliefs based on a higher power or ultimate truth. Buddhism is based on the latter. Buddhism can be traced back to circa 563 to 460 BCE (or BC) in what is now called Nepal. Siddhartha Gautama, who is more commonly referred to as the Buddha, … Continue reading →

Sexton’s Records

A sexton is a caretaker of a cemetery whose role it is to oversee the maintenance and care of the cemetery, including the buildings and grounds. They may also be responsible for digging new graves. Sextons typically do not perform the actual maintenance, but they do ensure that the job gets done. Sextons are also responsible for keeping diligent records of those buried in the cemetery. These are called sexton’s records, and are kept by both public and private cemeteries. These records can provide valuable information to genealogists. Information that may be found on sexton’s records includes the name of … Continue reading →

Religion in Genealogy Part 3: Huguenots and Doukhobors

Through history, many religious groups have dealt with persecution, sometimes being forced to flee their countries. Two of these groups where the Huguenots and Doukhobors. Huguenots Prior to starting my genealogy research, I never heard the word Huguenot, much less knew what it meant. However, while researching my great-grandmother’s family, I discovered that some of my ancestors fled from France during the mid-17th century to escape religious persecution (discrimination/mistreatment). They were Huguenots-members of the Protestant Reformed Church, inspired by the writings of John Calvin, a 16th-century pastor. Calvin’s writings reject religions, such as Roman Catholicism, and believe that God has … Continue reading →