We have another great new update for our Legacy Family Tree 8 users (free) for you to download. It provides 305 brand new and updated Research Guidance suggestions, and includes fixes to some minor issues you have reported to us, so download the update to get the best Legacy ever!

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

What's New

Research Guidance. Legacy's exclusive, built-in Research Guidance, takes a look at what you already know about an ancestor, then gives you a prioritized list of research links and suggestions - all based on when and where your ancestor lived. Beginners love the guidance; experienced researchers love the checklist as a way to not overlook potential sources. Below is the list of new and updated Research Guidance sources added in this update. Click here for an overview of using Research Guidance.

New / updated (305)

Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1940
Michigan, Crew Lists for various ports, 1929-1966
Missouri State and Territorial Census Records, 1732-1933
Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991
Pennsylvania, Civil Marriages, 1677-1950
South Dakota, Department of Health, Birth and Marriage Indexes, 1843-2014
Tennessee, Births and Christenings, 1828-1939
Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865
Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865
Tennessee, Cocke County Records, 1860-1930
Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965
Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950
Tennessee, Death Records, 1914-1955
Tennessee, Deaths and Burials, 1874-1955
Tennessee, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872
Tennessee, Marriages, 1796-1950
Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927
Tennessee, Probate Court Files, 1795-1955
Tennessee, Putnam County Marriages, 1930-1961
Tennessee, Putnam County Records, 1842-1955
Tennessee, State Marriage Index, 1780-2002
Tennessee, White County Records, 1809-1975
Texas and Arizona Arrivals, 1903-1910
Texas, Bexar County, San Antonio Cemetery Records, 1893-2007
Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935
Texas, Birth Index, 1903-1997
Texas, Births and Christenings, 1840-1981
Texas, Brownsville Passenger and Crew List of Airplanes, 1943-1964
Texas, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865
Texas, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865
Texas, Coleman County Records, 1849-2008
Texas, Comanche County Records, 1858-1955
Texas, Concho County Records, 1849-2008
Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977
Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1977
Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910
Texas, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Membership Applications, 1892-2010
Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000
Texas, Death Index, 1964-1998
Texas, Deaths and Burials, 1903-1973
Texas, Deaths, 1890-1976
Texas, Deaths, 1977-1986
Texas, Divorce Index, 1968-2010
Texas, Eagle Pass Arrival Manifests and Indexes, 1905-1954
Texas, Eastland County Records, 1868-1949
Texas, El Paso Manifests of Arrivals at the Port of El Paso, 1905-1927
Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870
Texas, Gonzalez de la Garza Genealogy Collection
Texas, Houston Arrival Manifests of Airplanes, 1946-1954
Texas, Houston, Historic Hollywood Cemetery Records, 1895-2008
Texas, Indexes and Manifests of Arrivals at the Port of Del Rio, 1906-1953
Texas, Laredo Arrival Manifests, 1903-1955
Texas, Manifests of Aliens Granted Temporary Admission at El Paso, ca. July 1924-1954
Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973
Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010
Texas, Matagorda County, School Census Records, 1923-1946
Texas, Mills County Clerk Records, 1841-1985
Texas, Naturalization Records, 1906-1989
Texas, Nolan County, Civil Court Minutes and Case Files, 1881-1938
Texas, Probate Records, 1800-1990
Texas, San Antonio, Alien Arrivals, May 1944-March 1952
Texas, Swisher County Records, 1879-2012
Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920
Mormon Migration Database, 1840-1932
ObitsUtah Obituary Index
Utah Applications Indian War Service Medals, 1905-1912
Utah Death Certificates, 1904-1956
Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database, 1847-1868
Utah Naturalization Records, 1906-1930
Utah, Births and Christenings, 1892-1941
Utah, Box Elder County Records, 1856-1960
Utah, Cache County Records, 1861-1955
Utah, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865
Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1937
Utah, Davis County Records, 1869-1953
Utah, Deaths and Burials, 1888-1946
Utah, Eureka and Payson, Births and Deaths, 1898-1903
Utah, FamilySearch, Early Church Information File, 1830-1900
Utah, George Edward Anderson Photo Collection, 1860-1928
Utah, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1879-1934
Utah, Indian War Service Affidavits, 1909-1917
Utah, Juab County Records, 1847-1948
Utah, Marriages, 1887-1966
Utah, Obituaries from Utah Newspapers, 1850-2005
Utah, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, 1847-1868
Utah, Probate Records, 1851-1961
Utah, Salt Lake City Cemetery Records, 1847-1976
Utah, Salt Lake County Birth Records, 1890-1915
Utah, Salt Lake County Death Records, 1849-1949
Utah, State Archives Records, 1848-2001
Utah, Territorial Case Files of the U.S. District Courts, 1870-1896
Utah, Territorial Militia Records, 1849-1877
Utah, Tooele County Records, 1855-1956
Utah, Uintah County Land and Property Records, 1888-2004
Utah, Uintah County Marriage Records, 1888-1939
Utah, Uintah County Military Discharge Records, 1893-2009
Utah, Uintah County Naturalization and Citizenship Records, 1888-1929
Utah, Utah County Records, 1850-1962
Utah, Veterans with Federal Service Buried in Utah, Territorial to 1966
Utah, Weber County Marriages, 1887-1938
Vermont, Addison County and District Probate Files, 1845-1915
Vermont, Bennington County, Manchester District Estate Files, 1779-1935
Vermont, Births and Christenings, 1765-1908
Vermont, Deaths and Burials, 1871-1965
Vermont, Enrolled Militia Records, 1861-1867
Vermont, Franklin County Probate Records, 1796-1921
Vermont, Land Records, Early to 1900
Vermont, Marriages, 1791-1974 15,363
Vermont, Orange County, Bradford District Estate Files, 1780-1915
Vermont, Orange County, Randolph District Probate Records, 1790-1935
Vermont, Probate Files, 1800-1921
Vermont, St. Albans Canadian Border Crossings, 1895-1924
Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005
Vermont, Town Records, 1850-2005
Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954
Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-2008
Vermont, Washington County, Probate Estate Files, 1862-1915
Vermont, Windham County, Westminster District, Probate Records, 1781-1921
Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009
Virginia, Alexandria Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels, 1946-1957
Virginia, Births and Christenings, 1853-1917
Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865
Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865
Virginia, Danville City Cemetery Records, 1833-2006
Virginia, Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912
Virginia, Fluvanna County Colbert Funeral Home Records, 1929-1976
Virginia, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872
Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007
Virginia, Isle of Wight County Records, 1634-1951
Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940
Virginia, Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1929
Virginia, Orange County Marriage Records, 1757-1938
Virginia, Richmond City Birth Index, 1870-1912
Virginia, Surry County Marriage Records, 1735-1950
Virginia, Winchester, Evening Star Obituaries, 1899-1909
Washington, County Deaths, 1891-1907
Washington, County Divorce Records, 1852-1950
Washington, County Land Records, 1850-1954
Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008
Washington, County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982
Washington, County Probate Case Files, 1832-1950
Washington, County Probate Records, 1853-1929
Washington, County Records, 1803-2010
Washington, Cowlitz County Civil Court Dockets, 1876-1951
Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960
Washington, King County Delayed Births, 1941-1942
Washington, King County Probate Records, 1854-1927
Washington, Pierce County Marriage Returns, 1891-1950
Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965
Washington, Seattle, Passenger Lists, 1890-1957
Washington, Seattle, Passenger and Crew Lists of Airplanes, 1947-1954
Washington, Soldier Home Records, 1891-1945
Washington, Western District, Naturalization Records, 1853-1957
West Virginia Births and Christenings, 1853-1928
West Virginia Births, 1853-1930
West Virginia Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865
West Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1854-1932
West Virginia Deaths, 1804-1999
West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970
West Virginia Marriages, 1854-1932
West Virginia Naturalization Records, 1814-1991
West Virginia Will Books, 1756-1971
Minnesota, Duluth and Wisconsin, Superior Crew Lists, 1922-1958
Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Office of Vital Records (Repository)
Wisconsin, Birth Index, 1820-1907
Wisconsin, Birth Records, 1907-present
Wisconsin, Births and Christenings, 1826-1926
Wisconsin, Calumet County, New Holstein Public Library Records, 1900-2001
Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911
Wisconsin, County Naturalization Records, 1807-1992
Wisconsin, Crew Lists of Ship Arrivals, 1925-1956
Wisconsin, Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Manitowoc, 1925-1956
Wisconsin, Dane County Naturalization Records, 1887-1945
Wisconsin, Death Index, 1820-1907
Wisconsin, Death Index, 1959-1997
Wisconsin, Death Records, 1867-1907
Wisconsin Death Records, 1907 to present
Wisconsin, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968
Wisconsin, Divorce Index, 1965-1984
Wisconsin, Fond du Lac Public Library Records, 1848-1980
Wisconsin, Marriage Index, 1973-1997
Wisconsin, Marriages, 1836-1930
Wisconsin, Milwaukee Naturalization Index, 1848-1990
Wisconsin, Milwaukee Passenger and Crew Lists, 1922-1963
Wisconsin, Milwaukee Petitions to Naturalization, 1848-1991
Wisconsin, Outagamie County Records, 1825-1980
Wisconsin, Probate Estate Files, 1848-1948
Wisconsin, Shawano and Oconto Counties, Indexes and Records, 1850-2007
Wisconsin, State Census, 1855
Wisconsin, State Census, 1865
Wisconsin, State Census, 1875
Wisconsin, State Census, 1885
Wisconsin, State Census, 1895
Wisconsin, State Census, 1905
Currentobituary.com index, 2001-2014
United States American Prisoners of War During the Korean War, 1950-1953
United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
United States Border Crossings from Canada to United States, 1895-1956
United States Border Crossings from Mexico to United States, 1903-1957
United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1820-1908
United States Casualties of Army Personnel, Dependents and Civilian Employees, 1961-1981
United States Casualties of the Vietnam War, 1956-1998
United States Census (Mortality Schedule), 1850
United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850
United States Census of Merchant Seamen, 1930
United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890
United States Census, 1790
United States Census, 1800
United States Census, 1810
United States Census, 1820
United States Census, 1830
United States Census, 1840
United States Census, 1850
United States Census, 1860
United States Census, 1870
United States Census, 1880
United States Census, 1890
United States Census, 1900
United States Census, 1910
United States Census, 1920
United States Census, 1930
United States Census, 1940
United States Civil War Confederate Applications for Pardons, 1865-1867
United States Civil War Confederate Papers of Citizens or Businesses, 1861-1865
United States Civil War Records of Confederate Nonregiment Soldiers, 1861-1865
United States Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865
United States Civil War Service Records of Union Colored Troops, 1863-1865
United States Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1864-1866
United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865
United States Civil War Unfiled Papers of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865
United States Civil War Widows and Other Dependents Pension Files, 1861-1934
United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917
United States Confederate Navy and Marine Service Records, 1861-1865
United States Confederate Officers Card Index, 1861-1865
United States Deaths and Burials, 1867-1961
United States Deceased Physician File (AMA), 1864-1968
United States Enumeration District Maps for the Twelfth through the Sixteenth US Censuses, 1900-1940
United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934
United States Germans to America Index, 1850-1897
United States Headstone Applications for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1949
United States Index to General Correspondence of the Pension Office, 1889-1904
United States Index to Indian Wars Pension Files, 1892-1926
United States Index to Naturalizations of World War I Soldiers, 1918
United States Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports, 1820-1874
United States Index to Service Records, War with Spain, 1898
United States Internal Revenue Assessment Lists, 1862-1874
United States Italians to America Index, 1855-1900
United States Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II, 1942-1946
United States Korean War Battle Deaths, 1950-1957
United States Korean War Dead and Army Wounded, 1950-1953
United States Korean War Repatriated Prisoners of War, 1950-1954
United States Marriages, 1733-1990
United States Mexican War Index and Service Records, 1846-1848
United States Mexican War Pension Index, 1887-1926
United States Military Personnel who Died During the Vietnam War, 1956-2003
United States Mormon Battalion Pension Applications, 1846-1923
United States Muster Rolls of the Marine Corps, 1798-1937
United States National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938
United States National Register of Scientific and Technical Personnel Files, 1954-1970
United States Naval Enlistment Rendezvous, 1855-1891
United States Navy Widows' Certificates, 1861-1910
United States Old War Pension Index, 1815-1926
United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925
United States Public Records, 1970-2009
United States Records of Confederate Prisoners of War, 1861-1865
United States Records of Headstones of Deceased Union Veterans, 1879-1903
United States Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914
United States Remarried Widows Index to Pension Applications, 1887-1942
United States Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783
United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872
United States Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications, 1800-1900
United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783
United States Revolutionary War, Virginia Pension Application Files, 1830-1875
United States Russians to America Index, 1834-1897
United States Social Security Death Index
United States Union Provost Marshal Files of Individual Civilians, 1861-1866
United States Union Provost Marshal Files of Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866
United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933
United States War of 1812 Index to Pension Application Files, 1812-1910
United States War of 1812 Index to Service Records, 1812-1815
United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 index
United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 images
United States World War II Prisoners of War of the Japanese, 1941-1945
United States, Burial Registers for Military Posts, Camps, and Stations,1768-1921
United States, Cancelled, Relinquished, or Rejected Land Entry Case Files, 1861-1932
United States, Freedmen's Bank Records, 1865-1874
United States, Freedmen's Branch Records, 1872-1878
United States, Freedmen's Bureau Hospital and Medical Records, 1865-1872
United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1815-1869
United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Assistant Commissioner, 1865-1872
United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Commissioner, 1865-1872
United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872
United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014
United States, Index to Alien Case Files, 1940-2003
United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906
United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012
United States, Panama Canal Zone, Employment Records and Sailing lists, 1905-1937
United States, Panama Canal Zone, Index to the Gorgas Hospital Mortuary Registers, 1906-1991
United States, Register of Confederates and Civilians Who Died in the North,1861-1865
United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012
Quebec, Quebec Federation of Genealogical Societies, Family Origins, 1621-1865
France, Dordogne, Censuses, 1876
France, Haute-Garonne, Toulouse, Censuses, 1830-1831

What's Been Fixed

View the October 23 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.

My husband and I are very different genealogists. I love research. I love the challenge of the hunt, the mystery waiting to be solved. I'll research anyone's ancestry just to have the thrill of following the clues. I just love solving the puzzle. Of course I also love finding my own ancestors!

My husband however dislikes research. He finds it tedious and a lot of work.  He loves finding an ancestor, or better yet, having someone else find that ancestor for him. He's passionate about his ancestry, but avoids the actual research whenever possible. Family lore is enough for him and he feels no need to find sources to verify that lore. If it's important enough to him, he'll force himself to push through the research but he'd rather I did it for him. He always says that if he were rich, he'd hire someone to do all the research for him.

I'd hate that, and in fact I often feel bad that I'm doing so much that I'm not leaving my grandchildren the fun of the hunt!

It seems to me that there are several types of genealogists -

The Hunter or Detective: This genealogist loves the research. While they want to find their own ancestors, they'll research anyone's ancestry just for the thrill of the hunt. They are easily sidetracked from their own ancestral research by the challenge of solving a stranger's brick wall.

The Gatherer or Ancestor Collector: This genealogist loves to know about their ancestors but doesn't really enjoy the hunt. He/she is happy to have others share what they have found.

The Ancestor Finder: This genealogist loves it all - doing the actual research and finding that elusive ancestor but they only enjoy researching their own family tree, not the ancestry of strangers.

The Hoarder: This genealogist does lots of research, finds new things about their ancestors but refuses to share any of the information.

The Junkyard Collector: This genealogist gets excited over online Family Trees and merges them with his/her own. He/she never verifies anything or checks their facts. Before long they have a mess of unsourced information, conflicting data and facts that don't make sense. They'll have female ancestors having children at the age of 100, or men born 50 years after their spouse or children born before their parents.

The Scholar: This genealogist lives and breathes source citations.  Accuracy is everything to this research. You'll often find this person submitting articles to scholarly journals as the New York Genealogial and Biographical Record. Page after page of red edit marks from the editors don't intimidate them. They'll plow through their article drafts, refining and revising and making each more accurate than the last.

The Analyzer: This genealogist finds a new fact, then studies it and analyzes it carefully before moving on to the next bit of research. They use each fact as a stepping stone to more research. They verify every piece of information they find and they view it critically, thinking about what it actually means and what other clues might be gleaned from it.

The Planner: This genealogist is a faithful keeper of research logs. He/she creates research plans and follows them. They are extremely organized in their research and meticulous about planning before they go on a research trip

The Writer: This is the genealogist who is driven to write the stories of the ancestors. Some publish the books they write and offer them for sale, others write only for their family.

I'm not judging any specific type as the best or the worst except the junkyard collectors who make me shudder and shake my head in bewilderment.

Some of us may fit more than one category. I am definitely a Hunter-Detective and a Writer but I'm also a little bit of a Scholar. I don't live and breathe source citations but I have submitted articles to scholarly journals and I've faced the red editing pen with determination. I'm also an Analyzer.  My husband on the other hand is a Gatherer. He doesn't seem to fit any other categories.

Where do you fit in?

Lorine McGinnis Schulze is a Canadian genealogist who has been involved with genealogy and history for more than thirty years. In 1996 Lorine created the Olive Tree Genealogy website and its companion blog. Lorine is the author of many published genealogical and historical articles and books.

Credit: Images are from Pixabay with License: CC0 Public Domain

Take a virtual trip around the world by diving into FamilySearch's 2044 free online historic record collections. Some of this week's additions include Brazil São Paulo Immigration Cards 1902-1980, Czech Republic Land Records 1450-1889, Montana County Births and Deaths 1840-2004, and Ukraine Kyiv Orthodox Consistory Church Book Duplicates 1840-1896.

The recording of today's webinar, "Complex Evidence: What Is It? How Does It Work? And Why Does It Matter?" by Warren Bittner PLUS the after-webinar party is now available to view for free at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com.

A genealogist’s goal is to establish identity and prove relationships; complex evidence is the ONLY way to do this. Follow a case study of clues from multiple sources to solve a problem.

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 42 minute recording of "Complex Evidence: What Is It? How Does It Work? And Why Does It Matter?" PLUS the after-webinar party is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time. Or watch it at your convenience with an annual or monthly webinar membership.

Coupon code

Use webinar coupon code - evidence5 - for 10% off anything at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com or www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com, valid through Monday, November 2, 2015.

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 275 classes, 412 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 1,206 pages)
• On-demand access to the live webinars' chat logs
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar
• Access to register for bonus members-only webinars
• Ability to view which webinars you are registered for
• Use of the playlist, resume watching, and jump-to features

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Researching with Karen! by Karen Clifford. November 4.
• Organizing Your Genetic Genealogy by Diahan Southard. November 11.
• Bringing it All Together and Leaving a Permanent Record by Tom Kemp. November 13.
• Mapping Madness by Ron Arons. November 18.
• Stories in Stone - Cemetery Research by Gail Blankenau. December 2.
• Thinking about Becoming an Accredited Genealogist? by Apryl Cox and Kelly Summers. December 9.
• Pointing Fingers at Ancestors' Siblings - Breaking Down Brick Walls with Collateral Research by Marian Pierre-Louis. December 16.
• What Happened to the State of Frankland - Using Tennessee's Pre-Statehood Records by Mark Lowe. December 18.

Click here to register.

Print the 2015 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

Tuesday's Tips provide brief how-to's to help you learn to use the Legacy Family Tree software with new tricks and techniques.

The FamilySearch Screen

You can search the FamilySearch website right from within Legacy!

You'll find it on the MyToolbar tab:

 
The first time you use the FamilySearch button it will ask you to login to FamilySearch. If you don't already have a free FamilySearch account, you'll need to register.

The FamilySearch screen in Legacy is a standalone program. 

What that means is, if you are on the FamilySearch screen and you see something amiss that you need to fix in Legacy all you have to do is minimize FamilySearch and go back to Legacy. Make your changes, and then when you bring FamilySearch back up, if the person you were working on in Legacy is on the FamilySearch screen simply click the Refresh button at the top and you will see your changes. Having said that, when you go back to Legacy you can work on anyone you want, it doesn't have to be the person on the FamilySearch screen.

Real life example, I was right in the middle of something in FamilySearch when I noticed that I had two people with the exact same name over on the left side. If this had been males I wouldn't have been so suspicious but this was two females. I stopped what I was doing in FamilySearch to go back to Legacy to take a look at these two. I found two women in two different generations that couldn't be the same person so no problem. I then just clicked the FS icon in the taskbar and went right back to what I was doing.

The stand-alone FamilySearch screen in Legacy. This screen shows your
Legacy info on the left and the FamilySearch info on the right

Find tech tips every day in the Facebook Legacy User Group. The group is free and is available to anyone with a Facebook account.

For video tech tips checkout the Legacy Quick Tips page.  These short videos will make it easy for you to learn all sort of fun and interesting ways to look at your genealogy research.

Michele Simmons Lewis is part of the technical support team at Millennia, the makers of the Legacy Family Tree software program. With over 20 years of research experience, Michele’s passion is helping new genealogists get started on the right foot through her writings, classes and lectures. She is the former staff genealogist and weekly columnist for the McDuffie Mirror and now authors Ancestoring, a blog geared toward the beginner/intermediate researcher.

New mobile-responsive site with new playlist, searching, browsing, and indexed jump-to features now available for all 275 genealogy courses

SURPRISE, Arizona; October 27, 2015—Millennia Corporation, a leader in family history software, today announced the release of a brand new responsive, mobile-friendly website for FamilyTreeWebinars.com, the leading source for online genealogy education. The new site makes it easy to find topics of interest among the now-275 courses in the library. Genealogists will now be able to watch courses on their smartphones, tablets or other mobile devices.

See what's new in the quick video tour

Visit http://familytreewebinars.com/video-detail.php?video_id=75 for a quick video tour.

Other new features

Search for your topic or speaker and the related upcoming webinars, courses, presenters or products instantly appear.

Every course is now indexed so you can look ahead or quickly jump to the topic of interest (new for subscribers).

Real life get in the way? The new Resume Watching feature lets you pick up where you left off (new for subscribers).

See something you don't want to miss? Add it to your playlist and watch when you're ready (new for subscribers).

The site is now mobile-responsive. Watch in your browser, your smart phone, or tablet. No need to re-size, we've done it for you.

Not a member yet?

Legacy Family Tree Webinars provides genealogy education where-you-are through live and recorded online webinars and videos. Learn from the best instructors in genealogy including Thomas MacEntee, Judy Russell, J. Mark Lowe, Lisa Louise Cooke, Megan Smolenyak, Tom Jones, and many more. Learn at your convenience. On-demand classes are available 24 hours a day! All you need is a computer or mobile device with an Internet connection.

Subscribe today and get access to all this:

• All 275 courses in the library (410 hours of quality genealogy education)
• New courses added every month 
• 1,197 pages of instructors' handouts
• Chat logs from the live webinars
• Additional 5% off anything at FamilyTreeWebinars.com
• Chance for a bonus subscribers-only door prize during each live webinar
• Additional members-only courses
• Playlist, resume watching, and jump-to features

It's just $49.95/year or $9.95/month.

Click here to subscribe.

Free Webinars

Our public live webinars are all free. Click here to see what's on the schedule.

A genealogist’s goal is to establish identity and prove relationships; complex evidence is the ONLY way to do this. Follow a case study of clues from multiple sources to solve a problem.

Join us and Warren Bittner for the live webinar Wednesday, October 28, 2015 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. 

Not sure if you already registered?

Login to view your registration status for this webinar (available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers).

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 a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

F. Warren Bittner, CG^SM, is a genealogical researcher and lecturer, with thirty years of research experience. He holds a Master of Science degree in history from Utah State University, and a Bachelors of Science degree in Business from Brigham Young University. His master’s thesis looked at the social factors affecting illegitimacy in nineteenth-century Bavaria. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and in 1989-1990 he studied Chinese at a graduate level at the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies in Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. 

He is the owner of Ancestors Lost and Found, a small genealogical research firm. For six years he was the German Collection Manager for the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, where he coordinated contracts to microfilm and index records at 102 archives in seven countries and where he planned the German book acquisitions and internet publications. Before that he worked for four years in the extraction unit of the Family History Library, where he was coordinator of third-party indexing projects and where he developed and trained volunteers in Spanish indexing projects. He has also worked as a Reference Consultant at the Family History Library on both the U.S. and International reference counters. He has done research in more than fifty German archives and in more than forty U.S. archives and record repositories. 

In 2010 he was assistant director of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and he is a former member of the board of directors for Utah Genealogical Association. He made several appearances on the PBS television series, Ancestors 2. He is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, the National Genealogical Society, Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society, and the Palatines to America, Colorado Chapter, and the Sacrament German Society. He is married to Nancy Ruth Christensen and is the father of three children.

Click here to view Warren's other webinars.

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Another genealogy tragedy averted.

While I am deeply thankful for published genealogies and compiled online family trees, I am also thankful for my knowledge of and application of the these five elements of the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) (from Genealogy Standards):

• We conduct a reasonably exhaustive search for all information that is or may be pertinent to the identity, relationship, event, or situation in question;
• We collect and include in our compilation a complete, accurate citation to the source or sources of each item of information we use;
• We analyze and correlate the collected information to assess its quality as evidence;
• We resolve any conflicts caused by items of evidence that contradict each other or are contrary to a proposed (hypothetical) solution to the question; and
• We arrive at a soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion.

This week as I applied these elements to the research of my Swedish ancestor, Eric Ersson, I avoided the genealogy tragedy associated with the I-found-it-online-and-quickly-added-it-to-my-own-tree-as-truth mistake.

My 15-year-old son asked the perfect question, and I was so thankful for what happened next. While introducing him to the basics of Swedish research we reviewed what was published in FamilySearch's Family Tree about our Eric Ersson. 

I then recommended that we continue to search for and document his life using the original vital and census records as found at ArkivDigital. As we began to search for and cite our findings he asked,

"Dad, shouldn't we just use what's at FamilySearch?"

I understood where he was coming from. FamilySearch already had the exact dates and places for Eric's birth, marriage, and death events. We then had a discussion about the value of a "reasonably exhaustive search". As we continued searching Sweden's household records (a year-by-year census of the family - wow!) we were surprised when Eric appeared in the records - alive - even after he was supposed to have died in 1866.

Here he is, accounted for in 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, and 1870.

And again in 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1875.

He's there even in the 1901-1912 register where it finally listed his death as March 5, 1909.

Because these Swedish household records listed the exact date and place of each person's birth, it was clear that we had the right Eric Ersson. This Eric's birth was consistently listed as 19 May 1821 in Norrby parish.

Since FamilySearch had a death date of 26 May 1866, we took a look at its original record. Sure enough, an Eric Ersson died on this date in Norrby parish.

But was it my Eric Ersson, who was born on 19 May 1821? This death record shows that this Eric Ersson died at the age of 45 years, 7 months, and 14 days. Using Legacy Family Tree's Date Calculator (View > Calendar), we plugged in the information.

And pressed the Calculate button. Legacy calculated this Eric Ersson's birth date to be 12 Oct 1820 which was different than our Eric Ersson's birth date of 19 May 1821.

To further clarify, we searched for and located the birth record of this Eric. The Eric Ersson who died on 26 May 1866, and who was born on 12 Oct 1820 was the son of Eric Ersson and Anna Ersdotter.

Our Eric Ersson was born on 19 May 1821 to Eric Ersson and Brita Andersdotter.

And so without a reasonably exhaustive search it is easy to see how these same names were mixed up by a previous researcher. But a consequence to publishing information that hasn't been thoroughly researched is that others can mistakenly accept the errors as truth. Thankfully FamilySearch permits us to correct the inaccurate information, and add the citation and even the digitized records to the individuals. The next step I'll take is to do this for both Eric Erssons.

So, should we continue to use these online compiled genealogies? Absolutely! They may have missing pieces to our puzzles, but we must apply the genealogical proof standard to make sure we are working with the right puzzle.

Genealogical Proof Standard Resources

Genealogy Standards: 50th Anniversary Edition by the Board for Certification of Genealogists

Genealogical Proof Standard: Building a Solid Case by Christine Rose

Mastering Genealogical Proof by Thomas W. Jones

Webinar - Evidence: Guidelines for Evaluating Genealogical Evidence

Webinar - What is a Reasonably Exhaustive Search?

Legacy Family Tree's Quick Access Toolbar gives you quick access to your favorite Legacy shortcut. Whether you're viewing the Index View or looking around at the Reports tab, these shortcuts are always visible.

With one click, you have access to these four shortcuts:

• Navigate backwards
• Open a new family file
• Backup your family file
• Display the last report

You can select from 55 different shortcuts to include on this toolbar including:

• Search the Internet
• Relationship Calculator
• Create a CD
• Mapping
• and more

Follow these steps to add your favorite shortcut:

1. In the upper right, go to Design > Toolbars > Quick Access Toolbar

2. Drag and drop the desired shortcut to the Quick Access Toolbar area and click OK.

I added the Search Internet shortcut. Here is what my Quick Access toolbar looks like now:

Give it a try, and tell us in the comments below which shortcuts you added.

History has had its fair share of adventurous spirits who ventured out into the world for various reasons. Travel abroad became much easier in the 19^th century with newer and faster ships, while cultural factors motivated people to believe that there were new opportunities in other countries. Therefore, travel to and from countries became more frequent. Perhaps your ancestor was born to be a traveler, fell in love abroad, or sought business opportunities. We must also consider the fact that with traveling came the risk of disease, violence, and many other day-to-day threats depending on the circumstances.

Records of deaths overseas are very useful if you knew your ancestor traveled abroad often and are having trouble locating any evidence of when they died. They can sometimes be the only acceptable documentation on an individual’s death, which might be difficult to obtain in another form. Knowing the original date of death from these reports can lead us to finding obituaries and death certificates.

I. United States

In the United States, deaths abroad are reported to the U.S. Consul, which is a function of the Department of the State. The United States appoints consuls to handle relationships between their own government and foreign countries. Records of Civilian Deaths Overseas are in Record Group 59, General Records of the Department of the State and are on microfilm at the National Archives from 1789-1974. Modern records from 1975 on are still held by the Department of the State. These records contain a phenomenal amount of information and prove to be an exciting find for any genealogist. Through the consul’s report, you can find the full name of the deceased, occupation, naturalization information, age, date and place of death, cause of death, and the disposition of the remains. The consul also indicates the names and addresses of any family members or friends that were informed of the death.

You may need to visit Archives II in College Park, Maryland to find an ancestor who died overseas, but I would recommend trying first “Reports of Deaths of American Citizens Abroad, 1835-1974,” available at Ancestry.com. Through a search of this database, I was able to obtain the consul's report of my great-grand aunt Helen Oliver, born 5 July 1891 in San Francisco, California to Bartholomew Patrick and Kate (Connor) Oliver. After she married Albert Campbell Cornish and the couple relocated to China, the reason, to my knowledge, being because Albert Cornish worked for an oil company. The consulate reported that she died from giving birth the evening of 5 Sep 1922 in Tientsin, China. The document lists five next of kin who received the report and indicated how they were related to Helen. Two slides earlier, I was able to find that the U.S. Consul had indeed also filed a report of the unnamed stillborn. Without these two documents, I would not be able to know that Helen survived her child more than a day. These documents do bring to the surface tragic events in our family history, but there is a staggering amount of evidence to be gathered from the consul's report.  

Death Report for Helen Oliver Cornish, 6 Sep 1922.

 II. United Kingdom

Records of deaths overseas date back to 1627 in the United Kingdom, but are much more thorough beginning around the mid 19^th century when it became the law. Before the creation of the General Register Office (GRO) in 1837, there was no obligation to record events overseas and was only made possible by the goodwill of someone.  The National Archives (UK) holds records of overseas deaths from consul reports as well as deaths of mariners and military personnel. According to their online guide, these records and indexes are incomplete . Records of death at sea or in foreign countries have also been recorded in the GRO. Events that occurred beyond the shores of England are considered ‘non-parochial’, meaning not recorded within a parish jurisdiction, and available in the following GRO Registers:

• RG 32 – General Registrar Office Overseas, 1831-1969
• RG 33 - General Register Office Overseas, 1627-1960
• RG 35 – General Register Office, Miscellaneous Foreign Death Returns, 1791-1921
• RG 36 – Registers in the Protectorates, Etc. of Africa, 1895 -1965

Overseas deaths recorded in the GRO Registers can be searched free at BMD Registers but you will need to pay to view the original record from the National Archives Collection. If you do find a British ancestor in an overseas death record, you will be able to learn part or all of the following information:

• Name and surname of deceased
• Date of death
• Place of death
• Gender, age
• Rank, profession, occupation
• Nationality
• Last place of abode (last residence)
• Cause of death
• Ship name
• Indicates whether passenger or member of crew

Return of Deaths at Sea (BT 159/8), Apr 1877, page 68. Accessed at BMD Register.com

For those with access to the National Archives (UK), you can pull the correct fiche number for the index by using the Family Search Wiki for reference. 

I would also recommend trying findmypast.com because they have two great databases for civilian deaths overseas in the U.K., British Nationals Died Overseas, 1818-2005 and British Nationals Armed Forces Deaths, 1796-2005, which compiled the index books from the different overseas death registers. Through a subscription, you can access the original page from the index, which includes their full name, age, name of vessel or consulate, and page number for the original death return.

Marine GRO Indices, 1854-1906, page 45. Accessed at findmypast.com,
British Nationals Died Overseas (database).

Moving north to Scotland, you can find a large collection at the National Archives of Scotland called The Minor Records. These are registers of births, marriages, and deaths outside of Scotland collected from different departments. They are mostly related to military casualties and deaths at sea. The earliest date back to 1855 in the Marine Registers, but the majority is concentrated on late 19^th and 20^th centuries.

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 Jake Fletcher is a genealogist and blogger. He received his Bachelor Degree for History in 2013 and is now researching genealogy professionally. Jake has been researching and writing about genealogy  since high school using his blog page Travelogues of a Genealogist.