FamilySearch has added more than 2.9 million indexed records and images to collections from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Peru, Spain, and the United States. Notable collection updates include the 609,536 indexed images from the new Canada, Quebec, Notarial Records, 1800–1920, collection; the 240,983 images from the New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1848–1991, collection; and the 464,001 indexed records from U.S., New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925–1957, collection. See the table below for the full list of updates. Search these diverse collections and more than 3.5 billion other records for free at FamilySearch.org.

Searchable historic records are made available on FamilySearch.org through the help of thousands of volunteers from around the world. These volunteers transcribe (index) information from digital copies of handwritten records to make them easily searchable online. More volunteers are needed (particularly those who can read foreign languages) to keep pace with the large number of digital images being published online at FamilySearch.org. Learn more about volunteering to help provide free access to the worldís historic genealogical records online at FamilySearch.org.

FamilySearch is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources for free at FamilySearch.org or through more than 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The recording of today's excellent webinar, "Using Tax Lists to Solve Genealogical Problems" by Linda Woodward Geiger is now online to view for free for a limited time at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com. A few comments from our viewers:

• Another whole new area to go exploring.
• One of the top three webinars. Wonderful information.
• Very interesting about a topic that often is overlooked - but can yield some great info.
• I am amazed each time I watch a Webinar. You just open new doors for me to search. These are things I never dreamed of.

Watch Linda's other webinars here.

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 27 minute recording of "Using Tax Lists to Solve Genealogical Problems" is now available to view in our webinar archives for free for a limited time. It is also available to our monthly or annual Webinar Members for the duration of your membership. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch. The 3 pages of supplemental syllabus materials are also available for annual/monthly webinar subscribers to download/print/save. Login or subscribe.

Special Discount Coupon

The special discount coupon of taxes that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Monday, June 2, 2014.

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 247 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 647 pages)
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout, and yes, you can also use the 10% off webinar coupon above for a total of 15% off)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year (that's about the cost of 5 webinar CDs)
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• German Internet Research: A Launching Place for Your Research by James M. Beidler. June 11.
• 10 Ways to Jumpstart Your Family History Narrative by Lisa Alzo. June 13.
• Copyright Mythconceptions by Judy Russell. June 18.
• Documenting Native American Families in 19th and 20th Century Records by Angela Walton-Raji. June 25.
• Thinking About Becoming a Board-certified Genealogist? by Elissa Scalise Powell. July 9.
• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. July 11.
• When Freedom Came - Documenting the Family's Freedom Story by Angela Walton-Raji. July 16.
• Researching Your Illinois Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. July 23.
• Researching Your Tennessee Ancestors by J. Mark Lowe. August 6.
• Research Recharge - Turning Old Clues into New Leads by Lisa Alzo. August 8.
• Find A Grave - The World's Largest Cemetery Database by Russ Worthington. August 20.
• Researching Your Italian Ancestors by Ruth Merriman. August 27.
• Researching Your Jewish Ancestors by Jennifer Alford. September 3.
• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. September 5.
• Success with Manuscript Sources by Barbara Renick. September 10.
• A Library at Your Fingertips - the Internet Archive by Maureen Taylor. September 24.
• The Fair Court: Records of Chancery Courts by Judy Russell. October 1.
• Overcoming Destroyed or Missing Records by Karen Clifford. October 3.
• Welcome to FamilySearch Indexing! by Devin Ashby. October 8.
• Researching Your War of 1812 Ancestor by Thomas MacEntee. October 15.
• Tracking Migration Using the Draper Manuscripts by Mary Hill. October 22.
• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. November 14.
• Using Evernote for Genealogy by Lisa Louise Cooke. November 19.
• Family History for Kids by Devin Ashby. December 3.
• Look Ma, No Hands! Using Dragon Naturally Speaking for Your Genealogy by Ivan Baugh. December 5.
• Researching Your North Carolina Ancestors by J. Mark Lowe. December 10.
• Bagging a Live One - Connecting with Cousins You Never Knew You Had by Mary Kircher Roddy. December 17.

Click here to register. Or click here register for multiple webinars at the same time.

Print the 2014 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

Nancy asked a great question on our Legacy mailing list today:

"Is it possible to add a child without indicating gender? I know this couple had a child but that is all I know right now. I would like to add the child to the database but it looks like I must choose male or female."

Yes! It is easiest to add the child with the unknown gender from the Family View's list of children. Click where it says "Click to Add a Child" and select the "Add a New Child (unknown gender)" option. Click on the image below for a larger picture.

In the Child's Information screen, as shown below, the unknown gender will be indicated by the question mark.

Hope that answers your question Nancy!

The LegacyUserGroup mailing list is a great place to ask a Legacy question. Before subscribing, you can also browse the archives to see if your question has already been asked and answered.

Benjamin Franklin is said to have stated, “The only things certain in life are death and taxes.” Taxation can take (and has taken) many forms. The mission of this presentation is to discuss some of they ways in which our ancestors were taxed, the records that were created, and where we might find those records. Additionally you’ll learn how those tax records may help you solve some of your genealogical questions.

Join us for the live webinar Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

Download the syllabus

In preparation for the webinar, download Linda's 3 pages of supplemental syllabus materials here. The syllabus is available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers. Log in here or subscribe here.

The syllabus contains:

• Types of taxes
• Jurisdiction of tax records
• Selected taxables
• What you may learn from tax records
• Selected resources and lots of links

Or register for multiple webinars at once by clicking here.

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for free indefinitely. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

Linda Woodward Geiger is an associate of the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG), holding credentials as a Certified Genealogist^sm and as a Certified Genealogical Lecturer^sm. She is a nationally-known speaker, author, and historical researcher. She has spoken at genealogy conferences and seminars in over twenty-five states, and has served as a coordinator and staff member of a variety of courses at the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR). She currently serves as president of Friends of the National Archives Southeast Region (FNAS); as hostess for webinars sponsored by FNAS and serves as their webmaster.

Linda specializes in federal records; Georgia's state and county records; and training researchers in methodology standards. She is also recognized for her work documenting Cherokee Heritage.

Watch Linda's previous webinars here.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific
• 6pm GMT

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
7. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

The 12th annual Legacy Genealogy Cruise, to be held June 20-27, 2015, departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida aboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Sea ship and will feature top genealogy speakers including members of the Legacy Family Tree staff. We're a little early to be talking about 2015 when we haven't left for our 2014 cruise to Asia yet, but pricing is so good right now. We will visit the following ports:

• Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Labadee, Haiti
• Falmouth, Jamaica
• Cozumel, Mexico

Genealogy Classes at Sea
While at sea attend classes taught by some of genealogy's finest educators, Legacy Family Tree webinar speakers, and Legacy developers. In addition to the classes, you will benefit from the small-group sessions and lots of time to learn from each other.

The Ship

Royal Caribbean International innovation and imagination rule supreme on the groundbreaking Oasis of the Sea. A new adventure waits around every corner on this Deluxe world-class cruise ship. Featuring seven incredible neighborhoods, packed with first-at-sea experiences. Also enjoy the Oceanside Aqua Theater, Starbucks, Broadway hit musical Hairspray, 3D movie theater, a daring zip line that passes over the fun below, a real carrousel, Johnny Rockets old fashioned hamburgers, handmade milk shakes and bottomless fries, giant rock climbing walls, Surf Rider, putt putt golf, designer shopping at COACH and GUESS stores, and much, much more. This is truly the most awe-inspiring and award-winning cruise ship in the world.

Reservations or questions
Prices begin at $943 per person, based on double occupancy. The price includes:

• Genealogy classes
• Shipboard accommodations
• Ocean transportation
• Meals
• Some beverages
• Most onboard entertainment

Airfare, port charges, gratuities, government fees/taxes, and optional tours are extra.

Click here to securely book your cruise online.

To reserve a cabin, or ask questions, contact our travel coordinator, Christy, at 1-800-557-8601 or send an email to LegacyFamilyTreeCruise@gmail.com.

More Information

For class descriptions, frequently asked questions, descriptions of the places we'll visit, or pictures of our past cruises, visit http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/CruiseInfo_2015.asp.

The recording of today's webinar, "I Had My DNA Tested - Now What?" by Ugo Perego is now online to view for free for a limited time at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com. A few comments from our viewers:

• Great webinar for going the next step in understanding what can be done with that DNA data!! Another great Ugo webinar!!
• Finally know what to do with my dna results!
• I'm a newcomer to DNA & genealogy. This presentation was just what I needed to get started.

If you are new to DNA, watch Ugo's other webinar recordings in the archives here.

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 36 minute recording of "I Had My DNA Tested - Now What?" is now available to view in our webinar archives for free for a limited time. It is also available to our monthly or annual Webinar Members for the duration of your membership. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch.

Special Discount Coupon

The special discount coupon of dna14 that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Monday, May 26, 2014.

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 245 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 644 pages)
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout, and yes, you can also use the 10% off webinar coupon above for a total of 15% off)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year (that's about the cost of 5 webinar CDs)
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Using Tax Lists to Solve Genealogical Problems by Linda Woodward Geiger. May 28.
• German Internet Research: A Launching Place for Your Research by James M. Beidler. June 11.
• 10 Ways to Jumpstart Your Family History Narrative by Lisa Alzo. June 13.
• Copyright Mythconceptions by Judy Russell. June 18.
• Documenting Native American Families in 19th and 20th Century Records by Angela Walton-Raji. June 25.
• Thinking About Becoming a Board-certified Genealogist? by Elissa Scalise Powell. July 9.
• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. July 11.
• When Freedom Came - Documenting the Family's Freedom Story by Angela Walton-Raji. July 16.
• Researching Your Illinois Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. July 23.
• Researching Your Tennessee Ancestors by J. Mark Lowe. August 6.
• Research Recharge - Turning Old Clues into New Leads by Lisa Alzo. August 8.
• Find A Grave - The World's Largest Cemetery Database by Russ Worthington. August 20.
• Researching Your Italian Ancestors by Ruth Merriman. August 27.
• Researching Your Jewish Ancestors by Jennifer Alford. September 3.
• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. September 5.
• Success with Manuscript Sources by Barbara Renick. September 10.
• A Library at Your Fingertips - the Internet Archive by Maureen Taylor. September 24.
• The Fair Court: Records of Chancery Courts by Judy Russell. October 1.
• Overcoming Destroyed or Missing Records by Karen Clifford. October 3.
• Welcome to FamilySearch Indexing! by Devin Ashby. October 8.
• Researching Your War of 1812 Ancestor by Thomas MacEntee. October 15.
• Tracking Migration Using the Draper Manuscripts by Mary Hill. October 22.
• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. November 14.
• Using Evernote for Genealogy by Lisa Louise Cooke. November 19.
• Family History for Kids by Devin Ashby. December 3.
• Look Ma, No Hands! Using Dragon Naturally Speaking for Your Genealogy by Ivan Baugh. December 5.
• Researching Your North Carolina Ancestors by J. Mark Lowe. December 10.
• Bagging a Live One - Connecting with Cousins You Never Knew You Had by Mary Kircher Roddy. December 17.

Click here to register. Or click here register for multiple webinars at the same time.

Print the 2014 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

This July my mother's grandparents' family will hold their first family reunion in twenty years. I've been asked to come up with a wall chart so everyone can see how they fit in. Using Legacy Family Tree's charting software, this should be pretty simple, but I've got some ideas on how to make it really pop. I've included the step-by-step instructions below.

First, in Legacy, from the My Toolbar tab, click on Legacy Charting.

Next, select the Standard Descendant chart.

Zoomed so I can see the entire chart on the screen, it looks like this (click to enlarge...). I like the default colors in the Descendancy Chart. Notice how each child's descendancy of the main couple has their own color. This makes it easier to separate the families.

Here I've zoomed in on my family's part of the chart (personal info blurred):

Looking good!

My favorite "theme" is the mug shot theme. Select it by clicking on Appearance > Themes > Mug Shot. Pretty small here, but it makes it easy to see who I'm missing pictures of.

Here's a close-up of my family:

Notice the larger pictures? Also the names and lifespan are shown beneath the pictures.

So...I'm missing a lot of pictures. I'm beginning to use the Publish > Email tool to email a PDF of this chart to all families. Once they send me their digital image, here's how to add it:

1. In Legacy, navigate to the desired person and click on their Media Gallery button.
2. Click on Add Media > Picture, browse to the location where you saved their picture, click on it, and click Open.
3. Type a caption if desired, and click the Close button. The picture will now appear on the chart the next time you launch Charting.

If someone sends me an updated photo, here's how to replace the older one:

1. Do everything as described above to add the picture.
2. With the newly-added picture selected in the Media Gallery, click on Options > Set as Preferred. The new picture will now how an asterisk next to its assigned number.
3. Launch Charting to see the changes.

My daughter is growing up way too fast. Today was her pre-school graduation day.

In addition to contacting my cousins and "pleading" for pictures, I need to take updated pictures of the rest of my children. Too bad my digital camera was stolen recently...I had to get a new one this week (how sad was I, really, about my camera being stolen? it forced me to replace it...). Now I get to learn how to use my Nikon D5300. I've never had a DSLR digital camera before but it is beginning to take amazing pictures.

When I am ready to print the chart for the reunion, I have these four choices. 1) Print - print to my printer and tape the forty 8.5x11" pages together. 2) Export to File - take the PDF or JPG into my local printing store. 3) Email - just send everyone the finished electronic copy. 4) Order Chart - this is the one I will choose. Legacy's chart printing service will send me the chart on a continuous roll of paper.

At 14 feet wide and 2 feet tall, $28 isn't bad at all.

We have another great new update for our Legacy Family Tree 8 users (free) for you to download. This update is mostly a maintenance update, addressing and adjusting minor issues you have reported to us.

See the download instructions below for step-by-step instructions on installing this update.

What's New

• Ancestor Colors on Reports - can now choose from group 1 or 2 and 4 or 8 generations
• Cause of Death - the secondary cause of death is now included in reports
• Event information - name and description can now have embedded print codes
• Notes - added warning message if notes are edited and then cancel or X is clicked

What's Been Fixed

View the May 13 release notes here. 

How to Update

For our Deluxe Edition users, all you have to do is connect to the Internet, start Legacy 8, and click on the "Install and Download Now" link on the Legacy Home tab. (If you're reading this from within the Legacy Home tab inside of Legacy 8, you'll first need to click on the Home button in the top left of the Legacy Home tab which looks like the following picture:

If you are a Standard Edition Legacy user, you will need to visit our website. Go to http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/DownloadUpdate.asp and follow the instructions.

One of my favorite technology gurus, Kim Komando (nick-named "America's Digital Goddess") plugged our Legacy Family Tree software this week! So exciting! Click here to read her review. And thanks to another of my favorite technology gurus, Thomas MacEntee, for pointing me to her article.

About Kim

Kim Komando’s passion for all things digital – and decades of experience in the tech and computer industry – has made her the go-to guide for living in the digital world. Her weekly radio show and daily “Digital Minute” are heard on nearly 500 stations; millions more get tech guidance and advice at Komando.com, read her weekly column on USAToday.com, and receive her email newsletters.

The recording of today's fun webinar, "Photo Apps for Android, iPhones or iPads" by Maureen Taylor is now online to view for free for a limited time at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com. A few comments from our viewers:

• A wonderful array of tips and tricks applicable to nearly everything a family historian might need when working with digital images.
• Excellent lecture. The more I hear i'm convinced, I'll have to trade my simple little cell phone in for an Iphone, Ipad, etc.  Ha! Ha!
• I had no idea of the many photo apps available. It's nice to have Maureen review the top ones and describe some features she liked.

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 26 minute recording of "Photo Apps for Android, iPhones or iPads" is now available to view in our webinar archives for free for a limited time. It is also available to our monthly or annual Webinar Members for the duration of your membership. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch.

Special Discount Coupon

The special discount coupon of photo1 that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Monday, May 19, 2014.

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 244 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 641 pages)
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout, and yes, you can also use the 10% off webinar coupon above for a total of 15% off)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year (that's about the cost of 5 webinar CDs)
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• I Had My DNA Tested - Now What? by Ugo Perego. May 21.
• Using Tax Lists to Solve Genealogical Problems by Linda Woodward Geiger. May 28.
• German Internet Research: A Launching Place for Your Research by James M. Beidler. June 11.
• 10 Ways to Jumpstart Your Family History Narrative by Lisa Alzo. June 13.
• Copyright Mythconceptions by Judy Russell. June 18.
• Documenting Native American Families in 19th and 20th Century Records by Angela Walton-Raji. June 25.
• Thinking About Becoming a Board-certified Genealogist? by Elissa Scalise Powell. July 9.
• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. July 11.
• When Freedom Came - Documenting the Family's Freedom Story by Angela Walton-Raji. July 16.
• Researching Your Illinois Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. July 23.
• Researching Your Tennessee Ancestors by J. Mark Lowe. August 6.
• Research Recharge - Turning Old Clues into New Leads by Lisa Alzo. August 8.
• Find A Grave - The World's Largest Cemetery Database by Russ Worthington. August 20.
• Researching Your Italian Ancestors by Ruth Merriman. August 27.
• Researching Your Jewish Ancestors by Jennifer Alford. September 3.
• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. September 5.
• Success with Manuscript Sources by Barbara Renick. September 10.
• A Library at Your Fingertips - the Internet Archive by Maureen Taylor. September 24.
• The Fair Court: Records of Chancery Courts by Judy Russell. October 1.
• Overcoming Destroyed or Missing Records by Karen Clifford. October 3.
• Welcome to FamilySearch Indexing! by Devin Ashby. October 8.
• Researching Your War of 1812 Ancestor by Thomas MacEntee. October 15.
• Tracking Migration Using the Draper Manuscripts by Mary Hill. October 22.
• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. November 14.
• Using Evernote for Genealogy by Lisa Louise Cooke. November 19.
• Family History for Kids by Devin Ashby. December 3.
• Look Ma, No Hands! Using Dragon Naturally Speaking for Your Genealogy by Ivan Baugh. December 5.
• Researching Your North Carolina Ancestors by J. Mark Lowe. December 10.
• Bagging a Live One - Connecting with Cousins You Never Knew You Had by Mary Kircher Roddy. December 17.

Click here to register. Or click here register for multiple webinars at the same time.

Print the 2014 webinar brochure here.

See you online!