Category: Records

United States Social Security NUMIDENT Records Added to FamilySearch

Note: This article appeared previously in the Genealogy’s Star blog site. This is one of the collections of 63,700,494 records on the FamilySearch.org website that has only been available for a relatively short time. Here is the description of the files from the FamilySearch.org entry shown above. The Social Security Administration created these records to track the earnings of US workers and...

New QRB Videos on Our YouTube Channel

Recently we posted eight new QRB (Quick Research Basics) videos on The Family History Guide YouTube Channel. These include A three-part series on Adding Social History to Your Family History, by Miles Meyer A three-part series on Mapping Your Way to Genealogical Success, by James Tanner A two-part series on U.S. Census Records, by Miles Meyer We have also included...

Afro-American Research in The Family History Guide

On this holiday in the United States, we pay tribute to a great leader for human rights: Dr. Martin Luther King. His legacy is still being felt in the lives of countless people around the world. On a separate note, many Black people in the United States and abroad have discovered the power of family history to connect generations and...

Access – The Real Genealogical Challenge

Note: This article was published previously in the Genealogy’s Star blog site.   During the last two years or so, I had online consultations through the FamilySearch Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. These consultations last twenty minutes and I usually schedule eight a week. The FamilySearch Family History Library has a link to get Research Help. Here...

What Are the Oldest Reliable Genealogical Records?

Note: This article was previously published on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. The oldest records that can be reliably used for genealogical research depend entirely on the place where the records may have been kept. Some Chinese records go back more than 2000 years, but English parish records begin in 1538. If you live in Utah, the first genealogical records...

FamilySearch Update: Reverse Hints

If you have been on the FamilySearch site for a while, you’re likely familiar with those blue record hint icons that pop up in the Family Tree view. They point you to possible record sources for the ancestor with the icon, and they have long been a valuable part of the FamilySearch experience. Now, after years of waiting, the circle...

Understanding Jurisdictions for Genealogists

James Tanner has created a new video for the BYU Family History Library: Understanding Jurisdictions for Genealogists. In the video, James defines and explains jurisdictions and what types of genealogical records can be found in different jurisdictions. You can watch the video below or on YouTube. Enjoy!  

New BYU FHL Video: Research with The Family History Guide

On Thursday, July 7 we recorded a new webinar video for the BYU Family History Library, titled Research with The Family History Guide. It covers the following important areas of research: Research Intro—How to use the collector page for research in The Family History Guide Sources—Introducing genealogy sources and their importance Research Basics—Getting organized, basic research concepts, and strategies to...

The Sixth Rule of Genealogy

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. Rule Number Six is “Records Move.”  Upon reflection, it is quite easy for even experienced genealogical researchers to find themselves in a situation where they ignore and are trapped by one of these basic rules of genealogy.  One common situation addressed by Rule Six while researching in the...