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Find a Grave: Free Family Tree Resource

Find a Grave is a FREE genealogical resource that every genealogy beginner should visit and bookmark today.

Founded in 1995 by Jim Tipton, a self-proclaimed nerd with the odd hobby of searching out and visiting the grave sites of the famous; Tipton’s goal in the creation of the site was to share his interest with like-minded others.

It was not long before he came to the realization that his hobby had great historical and genealogical significance.

What Does Find a Grave Contain?

Filled with memorials this virtual cemetery has listings for:

• North America (by province and state)
• South America
• Europe
• Asia
• Australia and Oceana
• Africa

Not to be forgotten is the “Famous Graves” section that has a comprehensive search field that allows for numerous search types.

It also has some fun categories such as:

Yearly Necrologies: listings of individuals who died during specific times

Posthumous Reunions: a page that lists movies and TV shows with cast members who have passed away. For example when I clicked on the TV show Star Trek, it listed 46 cast members (both guest starts and original crew).  For each listing, it gave the date and place of birth and death, a biography that contained many details, cause of death, place of burial and special details.

Interesting Epitaphs: This category is self explanatory and indeed does contain some very interesting epitaphs.

Is it Worth My Time?

The best way to tackle this question is by giving it a test run. For this purpose, I will use three of my ancestors, one from the US, one from Canada and one from Scotland using the broadest search category…surname search.

1. U. S. – Undseth: This search did not return any direct line ancestors, however there were a few cousins listed.
2. Canada – McCallum: This search found several of my ancestors graves listed in three provinces.
3. Scotland – Sinclair: This Search was the most successful and returned numerous family lines from the Orkney Islands.

Find a Grave is most definitely worth your time. In fact, you could easily spend hours and hours searching through the site for burial records to flesh out your family history.

How do I Join?

Joining is easy; simply fill out the online registration and you can immediately begin searching for your ancestors.

Find a Grave is a true genealogy treasure that allows you to not only search for your ancestors but also to contribute to the already huge database. Before you get started, be sure to download your complementary Cemetery Visit Tracking Form available with your free 30-day trail membership to Genealogy Beginner.

The Lost Irish: FREE Searchable Database

During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, Irish immigrants flocked to North America in droves. Leaving their homeland, due to poverty, political upheaval and famine; or simply to begin anew, they came in hopes of finding a better life.

Leaving family and friends behind, their only mode of communication with loved ones was by letter. However, the international postal system was just developing and many immigrants lost touch with the folk back home. As a result, many new immigrants were lost to their relatives who remained in Ireland.

Missing Friends

October 1831 marked the birth of a new feature in the Boston Pilot newspaper when an advertisement seeking a Patrick McDermott and his family was published. This advertisement began what later became known as the “Missing Friends” column. The column was an instant success, increasing the newspapers circulation both at home and on an international scale.

A Family Tree Resource

Lasting an amazing ninety years the column ran from 1831 to 1921 and helped countless people find those they had lost. For family history buffs this translates into an amazing FREE resource for finding Irish ancestors. This genealogical treasure contains 40,268 records with text for every advertisement that was placed in the paper.

While the information included varies, it is possible to find some informative facts such as:

• county and parish of birth
• date they left Ireland
• expected port of arrival
• occupation

Using the Database

Although the database has a simple search, the advanced search function allows a great deal of flexibility.

MISSING PERSON’S INFORMATION	Using this search box, I entered the name Patrick O’Brian that returned 452 results. The information returned included:Home County: CorkTownland: Ballydunigan Nr. Bear HavenDeparture date: 1859Port of Departure: England, Liverpool Port of Arrival: MA, Boston
Additionally there was a description of the ad placed for him:Any Info Alive Or Dead. Other: Last May (05/65) He Resided W/His Si = Margaret O Brien For About A Mo.; He + His Br. = Denis Started To Mi, Lake Superior + Lived W/Fa + Mo For 6 Yrs; He Got M. About 2 Yrs Ago; Came To Visit His Mo. A Yr Ago Last 4-Jul To Mn Coppermines, Antaugon Co.
SEEKING PERSON’S INFORMATION	The above search also returned the data for the person seeking Mr. O’Brien.Name: Catherine O BrienRelation to missing: MotherGender: FemaleResidence: OH, Youngstown, Mahoning CountyDate of advertisement:08-25-1866
POINT OF ORIGIN INFORMATION	The advanced search also lets you search for a person by point of origin.For this search, I used Dublin as my point of origin, which only returned five results.
WORK HISTORY	If you know your ancestors trade, searching by occupation can give you a wide field of reference.I tried looking for: Carpenter: 163 hits Soldier:37 hits Farmer: 13 hits Doctor: 14 hits
LOCATION AFTER ARRIVAL	As many American immigrants first came to North America through Canadian ports, I tried a search for Nova Scotia (A common port of entry for many U.S. immigrants).  This search returned 26 results. Under the results was listed  Patrick O Donnell, a  Shoemaker who after arriving in Nova Scotia travelled to Mo, St. Louis (1859) and ended up in LA, New Orleans
The description for Mr. O Donnell reads.M. in Nova Scotia, Halifax (1857); His Wi. = Bridget O Donnell (Borve) in Canada, Quebec Is Anxious To Hear Some Tidings Of Him.  Other: Last Heard He Worked at His Trade in LA, New Orleans; At The Time He Left Ns, Halifax He Had A Npw. = John A. Hearns Studying at The Seminary Of Carondolet Nr. Mo, St. Louis
TRAVEL INFORMATION	Searching by travel information allows you to simply select a year or the intended destination; very handy for researchers who are working with limited information.
Key Word Search	The last search field allows you to do a search of the entire database. You can search by name or by keyword. This is very handy should you have an ancestor with an alias or nickname.For example, a search under “Bessy” (short for Elizabeth) returned 55 results including the information for Elizabeth Daily AKA Bessy Daily.

 

If you are ready to start searching for your missing ancestor, Boston College searchable database can be found at http://infowanted.bc.edu/.

Before you head off remember to get your Genealogy Beginner family tree charts and research tracking forms available with your 30-day free trial.

 

Donating Genealogical Records

Have no doubt that your family tree research has value beyond the current generations of your own family.

Donating your family history to a local historical or genealogy group is an excellent way to make certain all of your hard work is put to good use. Local Historical Societies and Genealogy groups have a stake in preserving your records for future generations.

 

 

How to Donate Your Family Tree

If you are considering donating your family tree research the best place to start is by contacting your local library. Your local library can help you identify the archives that are best geographically suited to receive your family’s story.

Generally, community groups are interested in local reference records. However, they may have ties to other groups with broader interests such as provincial or state archives.

When donating a rather widespread family tree it may be worth considering breaking it into smaller portions focusing on specific locations.

While it is normal in a large family tree to have a significant geographical spread with ancestors coming from all corners of the globe, a local group may have limited space. Therefore, it is reasonable that they may not want to house large documents unless they are completely location specific.

What to Include with Your Donation

Along with your family tree templates or pedigree charts, you should include either originals or copies of:

• Primary and secondary source documents
• Old photos
• Vital Records
• Newspaper clippings
• Maps

Donating your family tree data is one of the best ways of sharing your genealogy and contributing to the preservation of history in your community. Not only does it help preserve your research for future generations it may be key to helping another family history researcher to break down a brick wall.

However, before you donate be sure not to part with any original items you or other members of your family may want to keep.  Lastly, make certain that all of your research conforms to The Big Five Genealogy Standards and Guidelines.

To learn more about genealogical standards sign up today for Genealogy Beginner’s 30-day free trial and receive Eight, Step-by-Step Weekly Lessons You Can Do At Your Own Pace. Starting with Lesson 1: Genealogy Standards And Guidelines.

Forces War Records

If you are searching for ancestors who served in the British Military Forces, you may want to check out Forces War Records; a new genealogy site that looks to be one of the best-organized search sites of its kind on the net.

 

 

 

Forces War Records has over four million records for British Armed Forces personnel.

However, what makes this site special for family tree researchers is its search system.   The records are cross-matched with bases, and regiments as well as Ships of the British Armed Forces, providing a usage that is easy to apply, accurate and time saving.

The Records Include
World War One World War Two Crimean War Databases Boer War Databases African Wars Databases Indian Mutiny Databases Napoleonic Wars Databases Medal Rolls	Individual Battle Data Other Wars Casualty Lists Prisoner of War Records Royal Marines Databases Fighter and Bomber Command Losses Fleet Air Arm Data RFC/RAF List RN Losses
Shot at Dawn Database and more !!!

 

The site has many cool features including:

•   A free search for WWII POWs with information that lists

• Name
• Rank
• Service Number
• Regiment
•  POW number
• Camp type/number and location plus notes.

•      A free medieval search with  search tips
•       A community forum
•       Tutorials
•      A “Memories” section where you can record your own or read stories left by other members.
•      Genes Magazine: an online journal that gives access to How to and historical articles.

Some other aspects of the site include the ability to save your searches and bookmark pages to your profile. Of course, registration is required to use the site and there is a reasonable fee for full access to records. Although the fees are reasonable, prospective users should be aware that they are in pounds sterling.

 Before you get started on your search at Forces War Records, be sure to download Genealogy Beginners Military Research Tracking Form, available with your 30-day free trial membership.

 

Genealogy: Getting to Know Your Ancestors

The Merriam Webster Dictionary gives a definition of genealogy as:

1. an account of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or from older forms
2. the study of family pedigrees

 

 

Strictly speaking, this is true; it is certainly a good definition of the process and an accurate descriptor of the intent with which genealogy is first approached. However, to those of us who have spent any length of time on this addictive hobby, the study of our ancestors begins to take on new meaning.

It is not long after family tree research begins that the dry definitions become inadequate. As we work our way through record after record, learning piecemeal the details of our ancestors lives we begin to feel we are getting to know them as individuals.

For some, the genealogical aspects of family history research are not enough.  We want to get to know our forefathers on a deeper level. Become more familiar with their day-to-day lives.

If you count yourself among those wishing for a deeper understanding of your generations past, there are a number of activities you can participate in; activities that will allow you to experience your family history in a very real way.

Recreationists

Pick almost any period in history and you will find a group of people actively recreating the era. Living history groups include the activities, dress and tools of the eras they portray to give participants the sense of stepping back through time. Recreationists are not re-enactors; they are not scripted nor are they involved in recreating specific events. Member’s interests can include clothing styles, pastimes, cookery and artisanship, everything that would help create a feeling of every day life in bygone days. It is not at all surprising that among their ranks you find many genealogists and family historians.

Living History Groups

From late 20^th century groups like “The 20th Century Revisited” A UK based group recreating scenes and events from various parts of the later 20th Century including WW2 resistance, and 1970 British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) or “Paper Dolls” An international group made up of female members who portray military and civilian life during World War Two. From hometown sweethearts, Women’s Land Army, French Resistance, American Red Cross, Women’s Army Corps. These groups offer an opportunity to learn what it was like for ancestors who lived during the great wars; both on and off the battlefield.

If you are more interested in the events of the 19^th century The Living History Society of Minnesota members can attend workshops and participate in activities designed to increase their knowledge of mid 19^th century life. For those whose Gr,Gr,Gr, Grandfathers heeded the familiar call of “Go West young Man” the Mojave Muleskinners have several branches across the US, Canada  and the UK where you can immerse yourself and learn about life in the old west.

If you can trace your family tree to medieval times, a living history group from the Middle Ages may be more suiting. The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is an international organization with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. One of the best things about this group is that you will find a mix of cultures from Viking to Italian to Middle Eastern. Members attend events such as tournaments, royal courts, feasts, dancing, various classes, workshops and more. The SCA is a group that lets you explore all of the European lines in your family tree.

If you want to know more about how living history groups can help enrich your genealogy and family history or how to find a group near you, just post a question to the Genealogy in General board on the Genealogy Beginner forums.

The Grave Humor of Genealogy

Genealogists have long used cemeteries as a source for finding ancestors in their family trees. Burial grounds are a repository of the history of people, they record lives lived and commemorate deaths.

They are frequently filled with beautiful statuary, touching memorials and every so often …humorous remembrances.

 

 

Genealogy Fun

When doing a graveyard search, humor is not likely the first thing most genealogists and family historians have on their minds; the graveyard is a solemn place. However, if you stick with this hobby long enough you may run across some extremely entertaining memorials such as the following.

• Written on the gravestone for talk show host Merve Griffin:

“I will not be right back after these messages.”

• On the memorial of Mel Blank, famous for the voices of the Cartoon series Looney Tunes.

“That’s All Folks”

• Written on a tombstone in Thurmont MD:

“Here lies an Atheist. All dressed up and no place to go.”

• On the memorial of a certain Mr. Cook:

“Ma loves Pa- Pa loves Women. Ma caught Pa with 2 in swimming. Here lies Pa.”

• On a 1905 Gravestone:

“I told you I was Sick”

• On the grave marker for Robert Clay Allison (1840-1887):

“He never killed a man who did not need killing.”

• On the Grave of Anna Wallace:

“The children of Israel wanted bread, And the Lord sent them manna,
Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife, And the Devil sent him Anna.”

 

• On a stone from Burlington Vt.:

“She lived with her husband fifty years, And died in the confident hope of a better life.”

Another great tool for your cemetery searches is a Cemetery Visit tracking form. Get yours free with a Genealogy Beginner 30 Day Free Trial.

 

Family Tree: Understanding Cousin Relationships

Relationship charts are a great tool for understanding your family tree…when you know how to use them. However, for the genealogy beginner they can be a little confusing.

The purpose of a relationship chart is to help you identify the first common ancestor shared between you and a non-immediate family member such as a cousin.

For example, by looking at the first two rows of a family relationship chart you can see that the first common ancestor you share with a sibling is a parent, you share a grand parent with a niece or nephew and a great-grandparent with a great-niece or nephew.

This all seems straightforward until you start going down the chart and run into “cousins removed”.  So what is a cousin “removed”? The easiest way to understand this is to think of it in terms of how many generations there are between first and second cousins and then go one-step further.

A first cousin is the child of an uncle or aunt and the first common ancestor you share is a grand parent.

Second cousins are separated by another generation. Simply put second cousins are the children of first cousins. Both children are separated by two generations from their common ancestor.

To understand cousins once removed lets go that extra step. Your cousin once removed is a cousin of your parent.

• The common ancestor of you and your first cousin once removed are your great-grandparents
• There are two generations separating you from your great-grandparents (your parents and your grandparents)
• There is one generation separating your first cousin once removed from your great-grandparents (your great-uncle/aunt).

Since your parents cousin (your first cousin once removed) is one generation closer to your common ancestor there is one generation or “degree” of difference between the relationships you and the “cousin” share with the common ancestor.

One rule to help remember “removed” relationships are that there is always an unequal distance (grey squares) between the “removed” cousins and the common ancestor, while cousins that are not removed will have an equal distance (pink squares) between the common ancestor.

Did you know that in over ten generations you could have well over two thousand direct line ancestors?

Two parents + four grandparents + eight great-grandparents + sixteen great-great-grandparents + thirty two great-great-great-grandparents + sixty four great-great-great-great-grandparents + one hundred twenty eight great-great-great-great-great-grandparents + two hundred fifty six great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents + five hundred twelve great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents + 1,024 great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents (2+4+6+8+16+32+64+128+512+1024) = 2046 direct ancestors in ten generations.

Sign up today for a Free Trial membership with Genealogy Beginner and you will receive a Family Relationship Chart as part of your Family Tree Starter Kit.

 

 

Genealogy Death Records: Cause of Death

Records of our ancestor’s deaths can reveal vital clues that help with tracing the family tree. Genealogists have long recognized the importance of the information held in these records such as names, dates and places.

However quite often, family historians want more than the dry facts. We want to get to know our ancestors through the paper trails they have left behind. Even more importantly, we sometimes want to learn more about a family history of disease.

 

Causes of Death in Your Family Tree

While obtaining these records has become easier over the years, understanding the cause of death is often a conundrum.  Whether they are natural or accidental, causes of death can be extremely perplexing.

Even when they seem straight forward, like in the case of P. Sinclair whose death record stated lost at sea.  After a good deal of research went into determining where he was lost at sea it was discovered that the term was often applied to sailors who had celebrated a little too heavily while on leave and drowned from drunkenly falling off the dock.

Making things more difficult are archaic medical terms that seem quite bizarre to our 21^st century minds. It is hard to know what is meant when the cause of death cited is poisoned face.

Not all causes of death on old records are as extreme as the example above however they can still be a challenge. Here is a look at some common and not so common terms you are likely to run across in your research.

The causes of death found in ancestral records are as diverse and numerous…well, as our ancestors.

If you are interested in tracking this fascinating subject in order to research and document possible hereditary diseases, Genealogy Beginner recommends using our Major Milestones Tracking Form. Download yours today with your 30 Day FREE Trial.

 

Family Heirlooms: 19th Century Photographs

Often making a journey across time and continents, family heirlooms are a solid physical connection to a very personal ancestral past that tend to hold memories, which resonate deep within us.

Those who have held their great-grandmothers wedding dress or read the letters written home from a relative who served in a war understands the deep link felt across the generations. One truth shared by all family treasures is that… it is the stories that accompany them that give them the greatest meaning and tie us to our generations past.

 

Sadly, sometimes the objects remain while the stories are lost. Genealogically this can be a great opportunity to discover a new family history story or ancestor. If you have, an heirloom that has become a bit of a mystery an investigation may be in order.  The type of investigation you conduct will likely depend on the object you are investigating. While family heirlooms are made up of every object imaginable, from jewelry to family bibles. Often the photographs pose the most problems…particularly very early ones.

19^th Century Photographs

The first step in solving the puzzle of a mysterious early period photograph is deciding what type of photo you have. A difficult task with these three photo types of the 19^th century.

Daguerreotype:

A good way to decide if it is a Daguerreotype is to hold a piece of paper over the surface and see if the image is reflected in reverse. Additionally, Daguerreotypes are often tarnished around the edges of the picture. If it is a Daguerreotype is will date from 1839-1860.

Ambrotype:

Ambrotypes are often hand tinted. To figure out if what you have is an Ambrotype carefully remove it from the case and hold it up to the light. Ambrotypes were printed on glass so you should be able to see through it. Another clue is to look for any cracks or peeling as another hallmark of the Ambrotype is the black paint used to process the picture. Ambrotypes date from 1854-1865.

Tintype:

It can be hard to tell the difference between a Tintype and an Ambrotype.  The only way to be certain is to hold a magnet near it. Tintypes were made of a very thin iron and should be attracted to the magnet. Tintypes were common during the civil war and date from 1856-1920.After you have determined the type of photograph, you may need to track down its geography. A hint you may find helpful, is through the clothing worn by the people in your photograph. Clothing, accessories and hairstyles may be great hints for women, while uniforms can be a dead give away for men. All can help you to zero in on the country or origin. Once that is determined, the next step is to search for period photographers from that country. Several indexes by country list photographers so you should not have too much trouble once you know the photo type.

Additionally, some early photographers may have developed an identifiable style that can be helpful in tracking them down. For example, there may be preferences in the manner which subjects are posed (seated or standing), or backgrounds and props used may offer some clues. This process can be very time consuming, as it is a matter of searching and comparing your photo to the ones found in your search. Even at that, be cautious about your conclusions.

Solving the mystery of your family heirloom can be fun and rewarding. Better yet, it may help flesh out your family history, add new branches to your family tree and fill out another space on your family template. All good reasons to start your detective work A.S.A.P.

If you have a mystery, post it in the Ask A Genealogist forum, or share with us how you solved a mystery on the Discovery Panel and tell us how you did it. Genealogy Beginner would love to hear about your family treasures and heirloom stories.

Genealogy Quotes: In the Words of our Ancestors

Family name, lineage, bloodline, pedigree, family tree and genealogy are all words that resound with a wish to be remembered and a desire to honor our forebears.

Our desire to celebrate our ancestors has possibly been around as long as we have and so have genealogy quotes, proverbs and sayings.

 

 

From the “begats” of the Christian bible that trace the lineage of Jesus, to the significance of “Word Fame” to the Vikings. The importance placed on our family trees is reflected in proverb, archaic literature and the current popularity of websites dedicated to genealogy quotes. Just type the phrase “Genealogy Quotes” into Google and you will come up with 11,600,000 results.

Wise words such as this ancient Gaelic proverb:

“Follow, thou, closely the fame of thine ancestors” (lean-sa dlùth ri cliù do shìnnsear) is perhaps one of the oldest recorded Western European genealogy quotes and one that continues to inspire family history hunters.

If you are in need of some inspiration or just love to reflect on the words of wisdom left by past generations – about past generations. You are going to love Genealogy Beginner’s list of :

 

Genealogy Quotes: In the Words of our Ancestors

“Distinguished ancestors shed a powerful light on their descendants, and forbid the concealment either of their merits or of their demerits”

Gaius Sallustius Crispus (86 BC – 35 BC)

 

“He who boasts of his ancestry praises the merits of another”

Seneca (4 BC – 65 AD)

 

“It is indeed a desirable thing to be well descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors”

Plutarch (45–120 CE)

 

“To forget one’s ancestor’s is to be a brook without a source, a tree without root”

Chinese Proverb

“The mark of a Scot of all classes [is that] he … remembers and cherishes the memory of his forebears, good or bad; and there burns alive in him a sense of identity with the dead even to the twentieth generation.”

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

 

“Cattle die, kinsmen die, one day you yourself shall die, but the reputation of the dead never dies.”

Havamal

 

“He who has no fools, knaves, or beggars in his family was begot by a flash of lightning”

Old English Proverb

 

“We need to haunt the house of history and listen anew to the ancestors’ wisdom”

Maya Angelou

 

“People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors.”

Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

Feeling inspired?   If you want to learn genealogy start with Genealogy Beginner

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