The recording of today's webinar (our 301st), "7 Unique Technologies for Genealogy Discoveries at MyHeritage" by Mike Mansfield PLUS the after-webinar party is now available to view for free for a limited time at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com.

In this webinar Mike presented 7 of MyHeritage’s key technologies, show the challenges they solve, and how to use them to get ahead in family history research.

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 "7 Unique Technologies for Genealogy Discoveries at MyHeritage" PLUS the after-webinar party is now available to view in our webinar library for free. Or watch it at your convenience with an annual or monthly webinar membership.

Coupon code

Use webinar coupon code - myheritage - for 10% off anything at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com or www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com, valid through Monday, February 1, 2016. 

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 301 classes, 451 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 1,334 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)

• The Scots-Irish in America by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen. February 10.
• Getting Started with Microsoft Word by Thomas MacEntee. February 17.
• Problem Solving with FANs by Beth Foulk. February 19.
• A Guided Tour of Cyndi's List 2.0 by Cyndi Ingle. February 24.
• The War of 1812 Records - Preserving the Pensions by Michael Hall. March 2.
• Making YDNA and mtDNA Part of Your Family History by Diahan Southard. March 4.
• How Do I Know That's My Ancestor? by Amy Johnson Crow. March 9.
• The Private Laws of the Federal and State Governments by Judy Russell. March 16.
• Introduction to German Parish Records by Gail Blankenau. March 23.
• Proof Arguments - How to Write Them and Why They Matter by Warren Bittner. March 30.
• Getting to Know Findmypast - Your Source for British and Irish Genealogy by Jen Baldwin. April 6.
• Confirming Enslaved Ancestors Utilizing DNA by Melvin Collier. April 8.
• U.S. Land Records - State Land States by Mary Hill. April 13.
• Fire Insurance Maps - The Google Maps of Their Day by Jill Morelli. April 20.
• England and Wales - Rummaging in the Parish Chests by Kirsty Gray. April 27.
• Google Drive for Genealogists by Thomas MacEntee. May 4.
• Dirty Pictures - Save Your Family Photos from Ruin by Denise Levenick. May 11.
• Messages from the Grave - Listening to Your Ancestor's Tombstone by Elissa Scalise Powell. May 13.
• Mining the Über-sites for German Ancestors by Jim Beidler. May 18.
• Discover American Ancestors (NEHGS) by Lindsay Fulton. May 25.
• Get the Most from AmericanAncestors.org by Claire Vail. June 1.
• Researching Your Washington State Ancestors by Mary Roddy. June 8.
• Introduction to the Freedmen's Bureau by Angela Walton-Raji. June 10.
• Ticked Off! Those Pesky Pre-1850 Census Tic Marks by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen. June 15.
• Digging Deeper in German Parish Records by Gail Blankenau. June 22.
• Circles or Triangles? What Shape is Your DNA? by Diahan Southard. June 29.
• Navigating Naturalization Records by Lisa Alzo. July 6.
• A Genealogist's Guide to Heraldry by Shannon Combs-Bennett. July 13.
• Finding French Ancestors by Luana Darby. July 15.
• Organize Your Online Life by Lisa Louise Cooke. July 20.
• Researching Women - Community Cookbooks and What They Tell Us About Our Ancestors by Gena Philibert-Ortega. July 27.
• The Germanic French - Researching Alsatian and Lorrainian Families by John Philip Colletta. July 30.
• Solutions for Missing and Scarce Records by Tom Jones. July 30.
• Getting Started with Microsoft PowerPoint by Thomas MacEntee. August 3.
• The Battle for Bounty Land - War of 1812 and Mexican-American Wars by Beth Foulk. August 10.
• Homestead Act of 1862 - Following the Witnesses by Bernice Bennett. August 12.
• Successfully Applying to a Lineage Society by Amy Johnson Crow. August 17.
• Using Findmypast to Unlock Your Irish Ancestry by Brian Donovan. August 24.
• The Treasure Trove in Legislative Petitions by Judy Russell. September 14.
• Clooz - A Document-Based Software Companion by Richard Thomas. September 16.
• How to Use FamilySearch.org for Beginners by Devin Ashby. September 21.
• Beginning Polish Genealogy by Lisa Alzo and Jonathan Shea. September 28.
• AHA! Analysis of Handwriting for Genealogical Research by Ron Arons. October 5.
• Time and Place - Using Genealogy's Cross-Hairs by Jim Beidler. October 12.
• Finding Your Ancestors' German Hometown by Ursula Krause. October 14.
• Social History Websites That Bring Your Ancestor's Story to Life by Gena Philibert-Ortega. October 19.
• Flip for Flickr - Share, Store and Save Your Family Photos by Maureen Taylor. October 26.
• Analysis and Correlation - Two Keys to Sound Conclusions by Chris Staats. November 2.
• Publishing a Genealogy E-Book by Thomas MacEntee. November 9.
• Dating Family Photographs by Jane Neff Rollins. November 16.
• Nature & Nurture - Family History for Adoptees by Janet Hovorka and Amy Slade. November 18.
• Multi-Media Story Telling by Devin Ashby. November 30.
• Becoming a Genealogy Detective by Sharon Atkins. December 7.
• From the Heartland - Utilizing Online Resources in Midwest Research by Luana Darby. December 14.
• Tracing Your European Ancestors by Julie Goucher. December 16.
• An Introduction to BillionGraves by Garth Fitzner. December 21.

Click here to register.

Print the 2016 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

How can a man with the surname Mackelyck have sons with the surname Woglom? Because of Dutch patronymics, it’s not only possible, it happened. The most common Dutch naming custom in New Netherland (present day New York) pre 1687 was that of patronymics, or identification of an individual based on the father's name. In 17^th century New Netherland Pieter Adrianszen (using the patronymic Adrianszen meaning son of Adrian) had the nickname of Soo Gemackelyck (translation: so easy-going). But he was also known as Pieter Van Waggelen with variant spelling Van Woggelum. When patronymics ended in 1687 under English rule his children adopted different surnames. Some took Mackelyck, based on his nickname) and others took Woglom (based on his place of origin name).

Graphic by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

But what are patronymics and how are they formed? Jan Albertszen as an example, is named after his father Albert. Albertszen means son of a man named Albert. The patronymic was formed by adding -se, -sen, or -szen. Daughters would very often have the ending -x or -dr. added. For example, Geesjie Barentsdr. (Barentsdochter) is named after her father Barent.

An individual could also be known by his place of origin. For example, Cornelis Antoniszen, my ninth great- grandfather, was known in some records as 'van Breuckelen', meaning 'from Breuckelen' (Breuckelen being a town in the Netherlands). The place-origin name could be a nationality, as in the case of Albert Andriessen from Norway and my ninth great-grandfather, originator of the Bradt and Vanderzee families. He is found in many records as Albert Andriessen de Noorman, meaning the Norseman.

An individual might be known by a personal characteristic: e.g. Vrooman means a pious or wise man; Krom means bent or crippled; De Witt means the white one.

Sometimes an occupation became an individual’s surname. Smit=Smith; Schenck= cupbearer, Metsalaer= mason. An individual might be known by many different 'surnames' and entered in official records under these different names, making research difficult unless you're aware of the names in use.

For example, Cornelis Antoniszen Van Slyke mentioned above, was recorded in documents under the following names:

• Cornelis Antoniszen
• Cornelis Teuniszen (Teunis being the diminuitive of Antony)
• Cornelis Antoniszen/Teuniszen van Breuckelen
• Cornelis Antoniszen/Teuniszen Van Slicht (this is how he signed his name and might have been a hereditary family name based on an old place of origin)
• Broer Cornelis (name given him by Mohawks)

There are tremendous variations in spelling of these names, and changes from Dutch to to English record keeping in the New World affected the spelling even more. The English found the Dutch naming system of patronymics confusing and could not easily identify one family unit. Thus they ordered that all inhabitants must choose one surname to be used by everyone in that family. The use of patronymics in New York ended theoretically under English rule in 1687 with the advent of surnames, but not everyone followed the new guidelines.

For example, Albert Andriessen de Noorman's sons and daughters took the surname Bradt except for his son Storm. Storm was born on the Atlantic Ocean during the family's sailing to the New World and he adopted the surname Van Der Zee (from the sea) which is the surname his descendants carry.

Image by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

Another thing to look for in searching the early records is to be aware of the different ways names might be pronounced in different areas, or how clerks might write them down. For example, a boy might be registered as Jan "Kiek in 't Veld", and his father would sign with "Kijk in het Veld". "Kiek in't Veld" is how it is said in the eastern dialect, "Kijk in het Veld" is how it is said in proper Dutch. The father could write down it properly, but he couldn't say it properly. The clerk at that time may have come from the West and just wrote down what he heard without translating it. If you were searching such a family, you would have to look for both lines.

You also have to be aware of the diminutives of regular first names, because the patronymic might be formed from the normal name or its diminutive. For example:

• Antonis=Theunis/Teunis (patronymic of Antonisz or Theunisz)
• Matthys=Thys/Tice (patronymic of Thyssen)
• Harmanus=Harman or Manus
• Jacobus=Cobus
• Nicolas=Claes (patronymic of Claessen)
• Denys=Nys (patronymic of Dennysen or Nyssen)
• Bartolomeus=Bartol or Meese/Meus (patronymic of Meesen)
• Cornelis=Krelis

Two articles that are excellent if you are trapped in the confusion of Dutch patronymics are:

• Dutch Systems in Family Naming New York-New Jersey by Rosalie Fellows Bailey in Genealogical Publications of the NGS May 1954 No. 12,
  
  
• New Netherland Naming Systems and Customs, by Kenn Stryker-Rodda, published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, volume 126, number 1, January 1995, pages 35-45. NOTE: A footnote states that the text is a talk that Dr. Stryker-Rodda gave at thye World Conference on Records and Genealogical Seminar held in Salt Lake City 5-8 August 1969, and it was originally published in the papers of that Conference, Area 1-27. The original talk was copyrighted in 1969 by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 Learn more about doing Dutch genealogy by watching "Researching Your Dutch Ancestors" in the Legacy Family Tree Webinar library.

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.

The biggest in-person genealogy event of the year begins next week - and Legacy Family Tree will be there front and center! RootsTech 2016 is scheduled for February 3-6, 2016 in the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah. Read all about it at www.rootstech.org.

Meet us in person in booths 314 and 316

We'd love to meet as many of our software users and webinar viewers as possible. Come shake hands with (even get your picture with):

• Geoff Rasmussen, Legacy developer, author of Legacy Unlocked, and host of FamilyTreeWebinars.com
• Dave Berdan, President of Millennia, Legacy co-founder
• Ken McGinnis, Vice-President of Millennia, Legacy co-founder
• Leonard Plaizier, Legacy trainer and user
• Thomas MacEntee (more below)
• and more...

Oh, and we'll have our conference-special pricing on Legacy products too!

Prizes - choose a free webinar CD

For as long as they last, everyone who stops by our booth can take home a free webinar CD from our library (one per attendee please). Come quickly to pick up your favorite class before it's gone.

Thomas MacEntee

Meet Thomas MacEntee - in person! at our booth Saturday morning from 10-11am. This is your chance to have your book or webinar CD signed, take a picture, or just mingle with one of your favorite genealogy gurus. 

Geoff's Class

Geoff (that's me!) will be presenting a brand new class: Navigating the New Google Photos on Thursday, February 4 at 4:30pm in room 255A. Here's the class description:

Got digital images? Get an in-depth look into Google's new photo service - Google Photos. Learn best practices for managing, sharing, searching, enhancing, and preserving your digital photos. Learn how to access your collections via your computer, smart phone, or tablet.

Right around the corner is the world's biggest family history library so if you don't see me at the booth, in class, or at lunch - guess where I'll be? Hope to see you all there!

If you research North Carolina or Virginia ancestors, you will not find it unusual to track your ancestors to Tennessee.  Do you know the best resources and sites to research your Tennessee ancestors?

Original Photo Source: Library of Congress

First Things First

Just as you would with any other new location you are researching, learn about the county and state where your ancestors lived. Research the county and state lines and any boundary changes that may have occurred during the pertinent time period. Refer to this interactive map of Tennessee’s evolving county borders.

Source: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division

Tennessee State Library and Archives

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a natural place to start your Tennessee genealogy research. You will find a variety of resource guides and online digital collections. Examples include Searching for Your Ancestors at the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Early NC/Tennessee Land Grants, and African American Genealogical Resources.  Be sure and check the Family Bible project and the historic Tennessee map collection, too.  Take time to explore the Tennessee State Library and Archive’s website as you begin researching your Tennessee ancestors.

Another great resource for Tennessee residents is the genealogy tab at the  Tennessee Electronic Library.  You will need to provide Tennessee zip code and phone number to gain access.

Tennessee Records in the State Archives of North Carolina

Initially, part of today’s Tennessee’s eastern counties were part of North Carolina.  In 1784, North Carolina ceded part of their western lands to the federal government, but set aside land for land grants to Revolutionary War veterans. Land grants for these counties can be found in the State Archives of North Carolina. 

Once Tennessee became the 16^th state, the county records for those previously North Carolina counties stayed with the county seats. A few early records for these counties were retained in North Carolina.  Refer to the Records relating to Tennessee in the North Carolina State Archives document for a listing of these records.

For a more detailed explanation of the formation of modern day Tennessee including the State of Franklin, go to the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Lookout Mountain, TN Source: Library of Congress

Tennessee Genealogy Databases around the Web

Sometimes in genealogy research, the researcher needs to think “outside the box.” In other words, get creative in the search for records and resources to further your research and break down those brick walls.   Examples of good resources for the Tennessee genealogist include:

• The Tennessee GenWeb Project
• The Tennessee Genealogical Society
• Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society
• East Tennessee Historical Society
• Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives
• Be sure to visit individual counties genealogical and historical societies.

This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but a starting point for the researcher with Tennessee ancestors.

You can also start your Tennessee research by watching these webinars by J. Mark Lowe in the Legacy Family Tree Webinars library:

• What happened to the state of Frankland - Using Tennessee's Pre-Statehood Records
• Researching your Tennessee Ancestors

What are YOUR  favorite Tennessee genealogy resources? Tell us in the comments!

Lisa Lisson is a genealogist, blogger and Etsy-prenuer who writes about her never-ending pursuit of ancestors, the “how” of genealogy research and the importance of sharing genealogy research with our families. Specializing in North Carolina and southern Virginia research, she also provides genealogical research services to clients. In researching her own family history, Lisa discovered a passion for oral history and its role in genealogy research. You can find Lisa online at Lisa Lisson.com.

In the last decade, technology has revitalized genealogy, opening many frontiers for research while maintaining the thrill of the detective hunt. In this webinar Mike Mansfield will present 7 of MyHeritage’s key technologies, show the challenges they solve, and how to use them to get ahead in family history research.

Join us and MyHeritage's Mike Mansfield for the live webinar Friday, January 29, 2016 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 the supplemental syllabus materials here. The syllabus is available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers. Log in here or subscribe here.

Or register for multiple webinars at once by clicking here.

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

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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

Mike Mansfield is ​Director of Content Operations at MyHeritage since 2013. In this role he is responsible for defining the company's strategy for growing its collection of 6.3 billion historical records, and supervising all operations of content acquisition. Previously, Mike held a Senior Product Manager role at FamilySearch. Mike’s professional career has been heavily focused in electronic publishing, search and retrieval, and content acquisition and strategy. After completing his B.S. in Computer Science at Brigham Young University in 1994 he worked for Folio Corporation, a Provo, Utah based technology company which developed cutting edge CD- ROM publication and search technology. Mike joined Ancestry in 1999 and held key rolls in its development of the search engine and publication platform still in use today. As the Senior Director of Search and Content he led the team that created the record Hinting system which helped to revolutionize the way in which users interact with online genealogical records. Mike continued to develop his expertise in his roles in FamilySearch and MyHeritage.

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Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Friday, January 29, 2016 at:

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

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 recording of today's webinar, "The Paper-Less Genealogist" by Denise May Levenick PLUS the after-webinar party is now available to view for free for a limited time at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com.

You will learn simple strategies to:

• Break the paper habit,
• File less paper,
• And organize what you keep.

You will also learn about:

• The best scanner for your needs,
• Basic scanner settings for genealogists.
• File-naming for easy retrieval,
• And baby steps to help you move toward managing less paper.

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 48 minute recording of "The Paper-Less Genealogist" 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 - paper - for 10% off anything at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com or www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com, valid through Monday, February 1, 2016. 

Legacy QuickGuide: Organizing and Digitizing Family Photos - 2.95

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 300 classes, 450 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 1,334 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)

• 7 Unique Technologies for Genealogy Discoveries at MyHeritage by Mike Mansfield. 1/29.
• The Scots-Irish in America by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen. February 10.
• Getting Started with Microsoft Word by Thomas MacEntee. February 17.
• Problem Solving with FANs by Beth Foulk. February 19.
• A Guided Tour of Cyndi's List 2.0 by Cyndi Ingle. February 24.
• The War of 1812 Records - Preserving the Pensions by Michael Hall. March 2.
• Making YDNA and mtDNA Part of Your Family History by Diahan Southard. March 4.
• How Do I Know That's My Ancestor? by Amy Johnson Crow. March 9.
• The Private Laws of the Federal and State Governments by Judy Russell. March 16.
• Introduction to German Parish Records by Gail Blankenau. March 23.
• Proof Arguments - How to Write Them and Why They Matter by Warren Bittner. March 30.
• Getting to Know Findmypast - Your Source for British and Irish Genealogy by Jen Baldwin. April 6.
• Confirming Enslaved Ancestors Utilizing DNA by Melvin Collier. April 8.
• U.S. Land Records - State Land States by Mary Hill. April 13.
• Fire Insurance Maps - The Google Maps of Their Day by Jill Morelli. April 20.
• England and Wales - Rummaging in the Parish Chests by Kirsty Gray. April 27.
• Google Drive for Genealogists by Thomas MacEntee. May 4.
• Dirty Pictures - Save Your Family Photos from Ruin by Denise Levenick. May 11.
• Messages from the Grave - Listening to Your Ancestor's Tombstone by Elissa Scalise Powell. May 13.
• Mining the Über-sites for German Ancestors by Jim Beidler. May 18.
• Discover American Ancestors (NEHGS) by Lindsay Fulton. May 25.
• Get the Most from AmericanAncestors.org by Claire Vail. June 1.
• Researching Your Washington State Ancestors by Mary Roddy. June 8.
• Introduction to the Freedmen's Bureau by Angela Walton-Raji. June 10.
• Ticked Off! Those Pesky Pre-1850 Census Tic Marks by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen. June 15.
• Digging Deeper in German Parish Records by Gail Blankenau. June 22.
• Circles or Triangles? What Shape is Your DNA? by Diahan Southard. June 29.
• Navigating Naturalization Records by Lisa Alzo. July 6.
• A Genealogist's Guide to Heraldry by Shannon Combs-Bennett. July 13.
• Finding French Ancestors by Luana Darby. July 15.
• Organize Your Online Life by Lisa Louise Cooke. July 20.
• Researching Women - Community Cookbooks and What They Tell Us About Our Ancestors by Gena Philibert-Ortega. July 27.
• The Germanic French - Researching Alsatian and Lorrainian Families by John Philip Colletta. July 30.
• Solutions for Missing and Scarce Records by Tom Jones. July 30.
• Getting Started with Microsoft PowerPoint by Thomas MacEntee. August 3.
• The Battle for Bounty Land - War of 1812 and Mexican-American Wars by Beth Foulk. August 10.
• Homestead Act of 1862 - Following the Witnesses by Bernice Bennett. August 12.
• Successfully Applying to a Lineage Society by Amy Johnson Crow. August 17.
• Using Findmypast to Unlock Your Irish Ancestry by Brian Donovan. August 24.
• The Treasure Trove in Legislative Petitions by Judy Russell. September 14.
• Clooz - A Document-Based Software Companion by Richard Thomas. September 16.
• How to Use FamilySearch.org for Beginners by Devin Ashby. September 21.
• Beginning Polish Genealogy by Lisa Alzo and Jonathan Shea. September 28.
• AHA! Analysis of Handwriting for Genealogical Research by Ron Arons. October 5.
• Time and Place - Using Genealogy's Cross-Hairs by Jim Beidler. October 12.
• Finding Your Ancestors' German Hometown by Ursula Krause. October 14.
• Social History Websites That Bring Your Ancestor's Story to Life by Gena Philibert-Ortega. October 19.
• Flip for Flickr - Share, Store and Save Your Family Photos by Maureen Taylor. October 26.
• Analysis and Correlation - Two Keys to Sound Conclusions by Chris Staats. November 2.
• Publishing a Genealogy E-Book by Thomas MacEntee. November 9.
• Dating Family Photographs by Jane Neff Rollins. November 16.
• Nature & Nurture - Family History for Adoptees by Janet Hovorka and Amy Slade. November 18.
• Multi-Media Story Telling by Devin Ashby. November 30.
• Becoming a Genealogy Detective by Sharon Atkins. December 7.
• From the Heartland - Utilizing Online Resources in Midwest Research by Luana Darby. December 14.
• Tracing Your European Ancestors by Julie Goucher. December 16.
• An Introduction to BillionGraves by Garth Fitzner. December 21.

Click here to register.

Print the 2016 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

Register for and help us celebrate webinar #300 this Wednesday. Denise May Levenick will present "The Paper-Less Genealogist". You will learn simple strategies to:

• Break the paper habit,
• File less paper,
• And organize what you keep.

You will also learn about:

• The best scanner for your needs,
• Basic scanner settings for genealogists.
• File-naming for easy retrieval,
• And baby steps to help you move toward managing less paper.

Join us and Denise May Levenick for the live webinar Wednesday, January 27, 2016 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 the supplemental syllabus materials here. The syllabus is available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers. Log in here or subscribe here.

Or register for multiple webinars at once by clicking here.

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

In every family, someone ends up with “the stuff.” Denise May Levenick is a writer, researcher, and speaker with a passion for preserving and sharing family treasures of all kinds. She is the creator of the award-winning family history blog, The Family Curator and author of two books on preserving family treasures, How to Archive Family Photos (Family Tree Books, 2015), and How to Archive Family Keepsakes: Learn How to Preserve Family Photos, Memorabilia and Genealogy Records, (Family Tree Books, 2012).

Denise inherited her first family archive from her grandmother – a trunk filled with photos, letters, documents, and lots of “miscellaneous stuff” and is now the caretaker of several family collections. She has adapted professional archival techniques to the family archive situation and shares her experiences at her website, and in her books and articles.

Denise is a frequent contributor to family history magazines and online publications, and presenter for webinars and workshops. She is a former high school English and Journalism teacher, and a holds a Master’s Degree in English Literature.

How to Archive Family Keepsakes helps family historians use professional archival techniques with their own family treasures.  Numerous charts and checklists and Denise’s practical guidance offer step-by-step advice for organizing, preserving, and digitizing heirlooms, and genealogy research.

Denise is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Southern California Genealogical Society, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and The Phi Beta Kappa Society. She heads the grant committee for the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Student Genealogy Grant founded in 2010 to assist young genealogists seeking to advance their genealogical education. She lives in Pasadena, California.

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, January 27, 2016 at:

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

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!

I entered the blogging world well before it had entered the mainstream lexicon. Back then, I only had a vague idea of what blogs were and certainly no idea as to their usefulness as a tool in our  social network. For me, it was a way to demonstrate to myself and my teachers, what I had done as a product. As a senior in high school, we were required to complete a year-long independent project and I set out to learn about my family history and the world of genealogy. At the same time, I learned about the world of blogging and would like to offer some reasons blogging about your family history can enhance your overall experience in genealogy, no matter what level of involvement in the field you decide to take.

Blogging allows you to tell your story in your way 

I’m always impressed by the diversity of blogs I encounter and can truly say that having a blog can make family history a lot more fun. It allows you to be creative and to bring the stories of your ancestors to life. Often times, genealogy blogs are focused around one’s family tree or themes like technology or study projects related to a historical community. One of my favorite parts of posting is to add pictures of ancestors, historical buildings, and more as an aid for blogging about events in my ancestor’s lives or to capture my reflections on experiences like research trips.   

Bring your own perspective to the table

I wouldn’t say it’s permissible to be opinionated to the point of being offensive, but it is valuable, if not equally important to  share how you perceive the events and decisions of your ancestors.  After finding a clue, you might realize that it relates to something you heard from relative long ago. Research skills and knowledge are essential, but equally important is allowing our minds to open up and think about the research in a new, perhaps more person way.

World map showing breakdown of visitors to my blog by country. "Stats for 2016 < Travelogues of a Genealogist," Wordpress.com. Accessed 20 Jan 2016.

Having a web presence brings in great connections, distant cousins, and more

It’s always a treat when a relative you never knew before writes to you with new genealogical evidence to corroborate with yours. That’s happened quite a few times over the years because having my blog allowed them to connect with me. I’ve received e-mails from cousins living California to Galway, Ireland and more. By keeping a blog about certain lines of your family that you are pursuing, there is likely someone out there researching the same line. Bloggers can tag their posts with different subjects such as locations and surnames which can help blogs reach the desired audience based on their content Admittedly, I do feel bad when individuals researching Fletcher e-mail me. My connection to Fletcher resulted in a paternal name change by my grandfather, so I have nothing to offer.

Better your research process and your skills

You can use your blog to document your research process. In my own blog, I devote posts to clues or several clues found simultaneously in a case study. I then talk about the sources, their origin and purpose, and then I talk about how does the source corroborate with other evidence I have previously collected. As I blog consistently about my ancestors, I simultaneously am creating the backbone of content like articles and presentations.   

Turn your blog into a book; save the stories for future generations

I knew that after seven years of posting on my genealogy blog, I’d be devastated to lose all that information. All blog hosts offer a backup service, but you might also consider having your blog turned into a book. The process is quite simple if you convert your blog into a pdf. Blog2print.com offers this conversion for a small charge. To print the actual book, I placed my order through lulu.com for the same price. Having a print copy of my book, I have re-purposed my blog as a reference source on my bookshelf so I can utilize in ongoing case studies for my own family. It also offers a new way to share my work with other family members.

If you haven’t already started blogging about your family history, consider trying it. The most popular hosts are Blogger and WordPress, both of which are free. Blogging is very accessible and can be done at your leisure, but you find yourself posting more than you thought.  Blogs are an invaluable asset for genealogical research!

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Jake Fletcher is a genealogist and blogger. Jake has been researching and writing about genealogy since 2008 on his research blog Travelogues of a Genealogist. He currently volunteers as a research assistant at the National Archives in Waltham, Massachusetts and is Vice President of the New England Association of Professional Genealogists (NEAPG). 

We have another great new update for our Legacy Family Tree 8 users (free) for you to download. It provides:

• 177 brand new and updated Research Guidance suggestions,
• 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 (177)

Argentina Baptisms, 1645-1930
Argentina Marriages, 1722-1911
Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981
Argentina, Capital Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1737-1977
Argentina, Capital Federal, Census, 1855
Argentina, Catamarca, Catholic Church Records, 1724-1971
Argentina, Chaco, Catholic Church Records, 1882-1955
Argentina, Chubut, Catholic Church Records, 1884-1974
Argentina, Corrientes, Catholic Church Records, 1734-1977
Argentina, Córdoba, Catholic Church Records, 1557-1974
Argentina, Córdoba, Miscellaneous Records, 1574-1925
Argentina, Entre Ríos, Catholic Church Records, 1764-1983
Argentina, Jujuy, Catholic Church Records, 1662-1975
Argentina, La Pampa, Catholic Church Records, 1882-1976
Argentina, La Rioja, Catholic Church Records, 1714-1970
Argentina, Mendoza, Catholic Church Records, 1665-1975
Argentina, Misiones, Catholic Church Records, 1874-1975
Argentina, National Census, 1869
Argentina, National Census, 1895
Argentina, Neuquén, Catholic Church Records, 1883-1977
Argentina, Río Negro, Catholic Church Records, 1880-1977
Argentina, Salta, Catholic Church Records, 1634-1972
Argentina, San Juan, Catholic Church Records, 1655-1975
Argentina, Santa Cruz, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1964
Argentina, Santa Fe, Catholic Church Records, 1634-1975
Argentina, Santiago del Estero, Catholic Church Records, 1581-1961
Argentina, Tierra del Fuego, Catholic Church Records, 1894-1950
Argentina, Tucumán, Catholic Church Records, 1727-1955
Bolivia Baptisms, 1560-1938
Bolivia Catholic Church Records, 1566-1996
Bolivia Deaths, 1750-1920
Bolivia Marriages, 1630-1940
Brazil Baptisms, 1688-1935
Brazil Deaths, 1750-1890
Brazil Marriages, 1730-1955
Brazil, Bahia, Passenger Lists, 1855-1964
Brazil, Bahía, Catholic Church Records, 1598-2007
Brazil, Ceará, Catholic Church Records, 1725-1971
Brazil, Maranhão, Catholic Church Records, 1673-1962
Brazil, Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Cemetery Records, 1897-2012
Brazil, Minas Gerais, Catholic Church Records, 1706-1999
Brazil, Paraná, Catholic Church Records, 1704-2008
Brazil, Paraná, Civil Registration, 1852-1996
Brazil, Paraíba, Catholic Church Records, 1731-2013
Brazil, Paraíba, Civil Registration, 1879-2007
Brazil, Pará, Catholic Church Records, 1930-1976
Brazil, Pernambuco, Catholic Church Records, 1762-2002
Brazil, Pernambuco, Civil Registration, 1804-2014
Brazil, Piauí, Civil Registration, 1875-2013
Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte, Catholic Church Records, 1788-1967
Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Catholic Church Records, 1738-1952
Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Miscellaneous Records, 1748-1998
Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Catholic Church Records, 1616-1980
Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Civil Registration, 1829-2012
Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Immigration Cards, 1900-1965
Brazil, Santa Catarina, Catholic Church Records, 1714-1977
Brazil, Santa Catarina, Civil Registration, 1850-1999
Brazil, Sergipe, Catholic Church Records, 1785-1994
Brazil, São Paulo, Catholic Church Records, 1640-2012
Brazil, São Paulo, Immigrant Hostelry Records, 1882-1925
Brazil, São Paulo, Immigration Cards, 1902-1980
Brazil, São Paulo, Port of Santos, Passenger and Immigrant Lists, 1960-1982
Brazil, São Paulo, São Paulo, Burial Records, 1858-1977
Chile Baptisms, 1585-1932
Chile Cemetery Records, 1821-2013
Chile Civil Registration, 1885-1903
Chile Deaths, 1700-1920
Chile Marriages, 1579-1930
Colombia Baptisms, 1630-1950
Colombia Deaths, 1770-1930
Colombia Marriages, 1750-1960
Colombia, Catholic Church Records, 1576-2014
Colombia, Military Records, 1809-1958
Colombia, Valle del Cauca, Miscellaneous Records, 1549-1955
Ecuador Baptisms, 1680-1930
Ecuador Deaths, 1800-1920
Ecuador Marriages, 1680-1930
Ecuador, Catholic Church Records, 1565-2011
Paraguay Baptisms, 1800-1930
Paraguay Marriages, 1800-1900
Paraguay Miscellaneous Records, 1509-1977
Paraguay, Asunción, Cemetery Records, 1842-2011
Paraguay, Catholic Church Records, 1754-1981
Peru Baptisms, 1556-1930
Peru Deaths, 1750-1930
Peru Marriages, 1600-1940
Peru, Amazonas, Civil Registration, 1939-1998
Peru, Arequipa, Civil Registration, 1860-1976
Peru, Cajamarca, Civil Registration, 1938-1996
Peru, Callao, Civil Registration, 1874-1996
Peru, Catholic Church Records, 1603-1992
Peru, Cusco, Civil Registration, 1889-1997
Peru, Huánuco, Civil Registration, 1889-1997
Peru, Junín, Civil Registration, 1881-2005
Peru, La Libertad, Civil Registration, 1903-1998
Peru, Lambayeque, Civil Registration, 1873-1998
Peru, Lima, Civil Registration, 1874-1996
Peru, Moquegua, Civil Registration, 1850-1996
Peru, Municipal Census, 1831-1866
Peru, Puno, Civil Registration, 1890-2005
Peru, San Martín, Civil Registration, 1850-1999
Peru, Tacna, Civil Registration, 1850-1998
Peru, Áncash, Civil Registration, 1888-2005
Uruguay, Baptisms, 1750-1900
Uruguay, Civil Registration, 1879-1930
Uruguay, Marriages, 1840-1900
Venezuela, Archdiocese of Mérida, Catholic Church Records, 1654-2013
Venezuela, Archdiocese of Valencia, Catholic Church Records, 1760, 1905-2013
Venezuela, Catholic Church Records, 1577-1995
Venezuela, Civil Registration, 1873-2003
Bahamas Births, 1850-1891
Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959
Barbados Baptisms, 1739-1891
Barbados Burials, 1854-1885
Barbados Church Records, 1637-1887
Barbados Marriages, 1854-1879
Central America, Colonial Records, 1607-1902
Costa Rica Baptisms, 1700-1915
Costa Rica Civil Registration, 1860-1975
Costa Rica Deaths, 1787-1900
Costa Rica Marriages, 1750-1920
Costa Rica, Catholic Church Records, 1595-1992
Dominican Republic Baptisms, 1726-1924
Dominican Republic Births, 1801-2006
Dominican Republic Civil Registration,
Dominican Republic Deaths, 1666-1862
Dominican Republic Marriages, 1743-1929
Dominican Republic Miscellaneous Records, 1921-1980
Dominican Republic, Catholic Church Records, 1590-1955
El Salvador Baptisms, 1750-1940
El Salvador Catholic Church Records, 1655-1977
El Salvador Civil Registration, 1704-1977
El Salvador Marriages, 1810-1930
Grenada Births and Baptisms, 1866-1891
Guatemala Baptisms, 1730-1917
Guatemala Civil Registration, 1877-2008
Guatemala Deaths, 1760-1880
Guatemala Marriages, 1750-1930
Guatemala, Alta Verapaz, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Baja Verapaz, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Catholic Church Records, 1581-1977
Guatemala, Chimaltenango, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Ciudad de Guatemala, Census, 1877
Guatemala, El Progreso, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Escuintla, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Guatemala, Civil Registration, 1877-2006
Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Izabal, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Jalapa, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Jutiapa, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Petén, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Quetzaltenango, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Quiché, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Retalhuleu, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Sacatepéquez, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, San Marcos, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Santa Rosa, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Sololá, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Suchitepéquez, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Guatemala, Zacapa, Civil Registration, 1877-1994
Haiti, Port-au-Prince, Civil Registration, 1794-2012
Honduras Baptisms, 1730-1930
Honduras Marriages, 1800-1910
Honduras, Catholic Church Records, 1633-1978
Honduras, Civil Registration, 1841-1968
Jamaica Births and Baptisms, 1752-1920
Jamaica, Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880
Jamaica, Civil Registration, 1880-1999
Nicaragua Civil Registration, 1809-2013
Nicaragua, Diocese of Managua, Catholic Church Records, 1740-1960
Panama Baptisms, 1750-1938
Panama Deaths, 1840-1930
Panama Marriages, 1800-1950
Panama, Catholic Church Records, 1707-1973
New Zealand, Auckland, Port Albert, Membership Lists and Minutes from the Church of Christ, 1875-1926
Poland, Evangelical Church Books, 1700-2005
Massachusetts, Revolutionary War, Index Cards to Muster Rolls, 1775-1783

What's Been Fixed

View the January 21 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.

Virginia, with its history reaching back to 1607, is one of the most important states for genealogical research! In recognition of that Legacy Family Tree Webinars has released two new Bonus webinars for family historians with Virginia ancestry. These join the Basics of Virginia Genealogy Research which is already in the Legacy Library.

The new webinars include:

• Online and Offline Resources for Virginia Genealogy by Shannon Combs-Bennett
• Tips and Tricks for Using the Library of Virginia Website by Shannon Combs-Bennett

We're working hard to give our webinar subscribers the educational classes they need to maximize their genealogical research! Both of these new classes are bonus webinars in the Legacy library. The webinar previews are always free.

Online and Offline Resources for Virginia Genealogy

The Old Dominion state of Virginia has many hidden gems for your research needs. Learn about a few of them and how they can aid in your ancestral quest.

Tips and Tricks for Using the Library of Virginia Website

The Library of Virginia is an amazing resource for researches. Learn how to use the website, what it contains, and strategies for success.

These webinars join another excellent Virginia webinar already in the library:

If you are new to Virginia research, or simply need a refresher of the Old Dominion State, this is the webinar for you. Learn about its history, records and repositories as well as learning some valuable tips for researching there. Yes, there will be suggestions on how to work around those pesky burned counties in addition to African and Native American research.  *** This webinar is currently FREE to watch until January 27, 2016 * Click either link to watch.

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 this BONUS members-only webinar AND all of this:

• All 298 classes in the library (443 hours of quality genealogy education)
• 1,312 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 webinars

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

 We've got a brand new line up of speakers for 2016! All live webinars are free to watch.

Print the 2016 webinar brochure here.