The recording of today's webinar, "The Palatine Immigrants – Tracing and Locating 18th Century German Immigrants Online” by Luana Darby, MLIS, AG is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

Webinar Description

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 33 minute recording of "The Palatine Immigrants – Tracing and Locating 18th Century German Immigrants Online” 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. 

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 710 classes, 950 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 3,157 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)

Print the 2018 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

One of my cousins asked me to look at a will for her because she was having a hard time reading some of the names. Whenever I am presented with a document that I did not personally obtain I try to get a "clean copy" which means going back to where the original document came from and pulling my own copy. Sometimes a document has been photocopied so many times that it is junk to try and read.  I also like to get a clean copy so I can format a proper source citation and to make sure that the document I am looking at is what I think it is.

My cousin sent me a link to someone's Ancestry.com page. That person had uploaded a copy of Anderson Chick's will from Walton County, Georgia.  This was not a document they had linked to on the Ancestry.com website so not a digital image from microfilm. I didn't link to it for you to see since it is attached to someone's tree page which includes their name. I checked FamilySearch to see if they had a digital image of Anderson's will taken from microfilm. They did. You can see Anderson Chick's entire loose probate file HERE which includes his will. The names recorded in the will are clear. A bonus is that my cousin can now see the entire probate file and not just the will. If a digital image taken from microfilm had not been available online, I would have instructed my cousin to contact the Walton County Courthouse to obtain a photocopy or digital image from them.

Beginning of Anderson Chick's Will

Another example, I was asked to transcribe a will from Abbeville County, South Carolina. The document was unreadable so I called the courthouse to get a clean copy. When I received it I found that not only was it very readable but there was a second page. That second page contained some very valuable information. I now had the date the will was proved which gave me a date range for when this man died. The will was proved over  five years after he wrote the will. One of the witnesses was different between who witnessed the will versus who was there to prove the will. It turns out that one of the witnesses had died. The new witness was the original man's sons-in-law. I didn't know that right off but after a little digging I was able to figure it out. These little bits of information make for a clearer picture. This wasn't my family but I wanted to be able to give the person I was doing this for as much information that I could.

It is common to find miscellaneous documents in someone's personal papers. If your great uncle Norman hands you his marriage certificate you will have to cite the certificate as an artifact unless you obtain a clean copy from the agency that created it. This is another reason why it is a good idea to go back to the original creator, if possible.

You can expand this concept to the digital copies available online. A digital image of a document can easily be available on multiple websites. Each website has their own way of "cleaning up" the images so they can look very different from website to website. If you are looking at a document that is hard to read you can try finding it on another website before you try and contact the originating agency.

If you are presented with bad copy of a document don't immediately throw your hands up in despair. Try and get a clean copy and many times you will be rewarded.

Michele Simmons Lewis, CG® is part of the Legacy Family Tree team at MyHeritage. She handles the enhancement suggestions that come in from our users as well as writing for Legacy News. You can usually find her hanging out on the Legacy User Group Facebook page answering questions and posting tips.

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 Relationship Calculator (Beginner) 

In the previous Ahnentafel Numbers article I mentioned the Relationship Calculator and how it can give you the exact relationship path between two people. This is one of my favorite tools in Legacy because it is not only useful, it is fun.

Before you get started, make sure you go to Tools > Set Relationships and set the relationship to yourself.  This will give you a bit of an advantage when you then go to Tools > Relationship to use the calculator.  If you set the relationships first Legacy will automatically put you on the left side of the screen and whoever is highlighted in any of the Views (Family, Pedigree, etc.) on the right side saving you time with having to manually select the two people you want to calculate.

(click image to enlarge)

I have set the relationships to myself and I have navigated to one of my favorite relatives, Keziah Grantham, in the Family View.  Since I have set the relationships you will see Keziah's relationship to me above her name but this is only the beginning. The Relationship Calculator will give you even more information.

(click image to enlarge)

Now I go to Tools > Relationship.  Notice that Legacy automatically put me on the left and Keziah on the right. You can also manually select the left and right persons by using the Select Left/Right Person buttons.

(click image to enlarge)

You can see that Keziah is my first cousin, thrice removed. Our common ancestor is Daniel Grantham Sr. and his wife Sarah Slade. On the left you can see my path up to Daniel and Sarah and you can see Keziah's path to them on the right.

Here is what you will see if you are related to someone in more than one way. To see the paths for each match you will click the matches one at a time.

(click image to enlarge)

Here is what you will see if you are related in some convoluted way by marriage but not by blood (if you have non-blood relationship set to calculate).

(click image to enlarge)

And here is what you will see if the person you are calculating to is in a younger generation than you are. There will be an asterisk next to the relationship.

(click image to enlarge)

We need to talk about the settings a bit.  The default is 999 blood relationships and 10 non blood.

(click image to enlarge)

I don't know of any two people that are related to each other 999 different ways but you never know. Leaving this at the default will be fine for most users, however, if you have a very large file (in the hundreds of thousands), and/or you have a very convoluted file (a lot of pedigree collapse that you see in royal lines or very isolated communities) then you will want to knock this number way down so that Legacy doesn't have to do as many calculations. You can easily put this at 5 and be fine. If you aren't interested in the non-blood relationships then you can just put this at 0.

Ah but we are now just getting to the best part.  You can print really cool charts from here. You can read how HERE. In that article I am focusing on how you can use the Relationship Chart with your DNA matches but you can send these to any distant relative that you make contact with to show them just how the two of you are related. It makes a very nice presentation.

Actually seeing the path to your common ancestor will tell you more than just knowing that you are 4th cousins, twice removed.

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 check out 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, CG^® is part of the Legacy Family Tree team at MyHeritage. She handles the enhancement suggestions that come in from our users as well as writing for Legacy News. You can usually find her hanging out on the Legacy User Group Facebook page answering questions and posting tips.

Discover how to track your Palatine ancestors who traveled from Germany to the colonies in the 1700s, using techniques that will assist you in determining their place of origin. Use migration patterns of their family and friends to help you in your research. Learn more about online sources of original records for this area that you can research from home.

Join us and Luana Darby, MLIS, AG for the live webinar Wednesday, May 30, 2018 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. 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. 

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

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

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 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!

Every Friday we're pleased to offer Legacy Family Tree Webinar subscribers a new bonus webinar just for them!   This Friday enjoy "The Frugal Curator" by Denise May Levenick. If you're not a member, remember the webinar previews are always free.

The Frugal Curator

Archival storage doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Discover practical DIY (Do-It-Yourself) solutions that will save you time and money as you organize and store your family treasures. See how to make a family history time capsule for your next family reunion or event.

About the Presenter

Every so often the developers will sneak a little something in an update. They have been rather generous lately. In A Surprise Easter Egg I told you about one such feature. It got its own article because it was a fairly big feature. I have a couple more I want to tell you about that are a tad smaller but still very cool. They aren't quite big enough to be features so they are featurettes. 

If you go to Reports > Other Reports > Name Tags you will now see that there are options to include Only Living Individuals, Only Dead Individuals, or Living or Dead. Before it was all or nothing. Why is this important? You can restrict it to living individuals for things like name tags for reunions or you can restrict it to dead individuals (or both) if you are wanting to make labels for file folders. The Name Tags report just became more useful.

If you go to View > Master Lists > Surname, highlight a surname, and then click Show List over on the right, you now get a dialog box asking you if you want to Exclude Married Names and/or Exclude AKAs. This is something that will help our One Name Study people tremendously. You can now restrict the list to just those persons born with that surname.

Normally updates are for bug fixes and upgrades are for new features but every so often something slips in.

Michele Simmons Lewis, CG^® is part of the Legacy Family Tree team at MyHeritage. She handles the enhancement suggestions that come in from our users as well as writing for Legacy News. You can usually find her hanging out on the Legacy User Group Facebook page answering questions and posting tips.

The recording of today's webinar, "Quaker Migration into America” by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

Webinar Description

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 30 minute recording of "Quaker Migration into America” 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. 

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 708 classes, 945 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 3,141 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)

Print the 2018 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

The recording of today's webinar, "How to Use the Smart Matches & Record Matches MyHeritage Technologies” by MyHeritage's Shahar Bitton is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free.

Webinar Description

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 29 minute recording of "How to Use the Smart Matches & Record Matches MyHeritage Technologies” is now available to view in our webinar library for free. Or watch it at your convenience with an annual or monthly webinar membership. 

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 707 classes, 944 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 3,141 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 (currently 50% off until August 20, 2017)
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

Print the 2018 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

America was and is a landing place for many ethnic groups and religions. The Quakers were one of those groups, and were among the most influential. Quaker roots begin in England. Soon the Society of Friends found themselves at odds with much of the surrounding area, leading them to other European countries and America. With emphasis on the Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio Quakers, this  presentation will aid you in looking for clues as to whether your ancestors were Friends.

Join us and Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG for the live webinar Wednesday, May 23, 2018 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. 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. 

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

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

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 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!

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

Importing Master Lists (Intermediate)

Did you know you can import Master Lists from one Legacy file to another? This will save you oodles of data entry time. You can import everything from Locations to Events to Sources and more.

Open the Legacy file that you want to import INTO and then open any Master List, for example, View > Master List > Source. Now click Options > Import Lists. 

(click image to enlarge)

Chose the Family File you want to import FROM by using the Browse button. Select the Lists that you want to import. Click Import Lists and NOT Import Defaults.

(click image to enlarge)

 
Easy peasy! There is no reason for you to re-enter all of this information when it is readily available for you to import from file to file. You can even restrict which locations and sources are imported by tagging the pertinent ones in your source file first. 

Legacy has many time saving features built in so that you can spend more time doing actual research.

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 check out 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, CG^® is part of the Legacy Family Tree team at MyHeritage. She handles the enhancement suggestions that come in from our users as well as writing for Legacy News. You can usually find her hanging out on the Legacy User Group Facebook page answering questions and posting tips.