But it doesn’t have to be so hard.

The Internet has made it so easy to collaborate family tree information and share that information.

Now, there are tools that can help to automatically expand links in your family tree, saving you tons of time searching, and the headache of running into roadblocks.

OneGreatFamily is a genealogy site that helps expand what you know of your family tree.

Of course there are lots of resources out there that can help with that, but what makes OneGreatFamily different is that it can automatically add thousands of matches into your tree with a few simple clicks.

In other words, it searches for matches while you sleep and lets you know if there are matches.

You have the option to review the matches for accuracy, and if it’s a fit, you might be able to add literally thousands of names to your family tree (that’s if there’s a good match).

Famous Folks have used it

Advertising for the site mentions that, “See how Donny Osmond added 38 generations to his family tree using OneGreatFamily!”

That’s pretty amazing. Maybe Donny didn’t have any genealogy work done, but I kind of doubt it.

There are other success stories that you can read on their site:

“We have had fabulous experiences with OneGreatFamily.com. We went from a few hundred people in our PAF program to over 10,000 each in OneGreatFamily.com.”
—Mark & Betty Stilwell

Are making the automatic connections easy?

They have millions of names in their database. The strength comes from their unique approach to organizing that information and the algorithms they use to plug it all together so that when a match is made, it’s easy to connect the dots and import the information in just a few clicks of the mouse.

How much does the site cost?

Of course there is a subscription fee to use the site, but there is a Free Trial that they offer.

You can try out the service, and if it doesn’t work out, you can cancel within the trial period without a problem.

Check out the site for more details and if they’re running any promotions.

To make the most of the service…

1. Collect your family history records (dates, names, etc.)
2. Start with the free trial and enter your dates and names to see if there’s a match at OneGreatFamily)
3. Record what you find.

Pretty easy!

Use this site in conjunction with other resources you have. You never know what might turn up!

The site has a relationship calculator that can be used to find famous connections as well which is pretty neat.

You can visit the site and read more about it here: OneGreatFamily

Hopefully, the quick review below will help you decide if giving Ancestry.com a try can help you in your research.

Free Services at Ancestry.com

First, lets get started with the free services provided by Ancestry.com.

Ancestry offers a membership through subscription to access much of it’s mult-billion genealogy records database. However, the site provides some awesome tools for free. They do hope that you’ll eventually sign up for a membership, but it’s not required to use the free tools.

The greatest free resource available through ancestry.com is the Online Family Tree Program. You can use this portion of their website to create your family tree record from scratch or to upload a Gedcom file with the information you’ve already collected.

Creating your family tree with the Ancestry service keeps your information private asking you to create a username and password to keep your information safe.

Returning to the site later, you can pick up where you left off.

What’s neat about the family tree tool:

• Collaborate with other family members – Share family history information with only those whom you want to see it. You can give free accounts to your family members across the world, and they’ll be able to upload information that they have about the ancestors in your tree. No more losing information in the mail or having to send lots of email attachments with records. Now, you can share all your research with the whole family. Leave a legacy of research that won’t be lost in a box in the attic!
• Easy to use – Export a Gedcom file from your computer and upload it to populate your tree. You can also enter information by hand as you go.
• Looks great compared to other programs – The tree has a very professional look to it and the colors used are easy on the eyes (compared to others out there I’ve used).
• You can upload rich multi-media content – Don’t be satisfied with just looking at dates and names on your tree, upload pictures, records, and stories. You can add oral histories over the phone. It couldn’t be easier.
• Researches your genealogy for you while you sleep – The family tree makes record searches in the background for each individual. That means that you can take a break while the system researches if your ancestors are included in certain censuses in the US or England, if they’re included in war records or old newspapers. A little green leaf will appear next to the persons in your family tree for whom the site has found possible records matches (to view/download many of the records, you’ll need a subscription to the site).
• Ability to make gifts – For a fee, you can have your tree and the stories you uploaded organized into a very classy looking book that you can give to family or friends.

The ad form below can get you started with the free Pedigree Chart portion of the Ancestry site.

Searching for records

If you’re ready to jump right in searching for records, then you’ll want to consider a trial membership of the Ancestry site.

The site generally offers two main memberships: US Deluxe and Worldwide Deluxe.

The US plan gives you access to US records while the Worldwide plan gives you access to US AND records from other countries such as the UK, Canada, Ireland and many other countries.

If you sign up for their annual plan, you’ll save $$ as opposed to going with the monthly plan.

The great thing about the site is that new information is added each week. Ancestry is obsessed with adding new databases to its collection on a weekly basis, so the chances of finding more matches to your family tree and ancestors increase each week.

Scope of records at Ancestry.com

Ancestry has over 5 billion records that you can search through (that’s a lot of records). You’ll find:

• Census records
• Newspaper articles
• Birth records
• Death records & obituaries
• Marriage records
• Immigration records
• Military records
• Criminal records
• Written histories

What’s great is that in most cases, you’ll be able to see a scan of the original record and download it for your own records. Information found in the censuses is extremely interesting. Depending on the census, you’ll see if your ancestors could read/write, what their occupation was, and the people living in their households.

Ancestry also offers services such as DNA testing to discover where your ancestral heritage hails from (different DNA experts may interpret the same results in different ways, but it is interesting stuff).

You can get a taste by searching some of their records by clicking the ad below:

Is Ancestry.com right for you?

I’ve personally found Ancestry helpful in finding valuable census records for family members, and the family tree program online has proved very valuable. You can always try it to see if it works for you or use it for a defined time.

For a specific ancestor search, fill in the information into the ad below and click the search button. You never know what might turn up!

Below are a few ideas on how to keep going and to find what you’re looking for

1. Take a break - Believe it or not, but taking a break can be one of the best things to keep you moving forward.  Returning back after a break can help you with new insight and approach your research in new ways.
2. Enlist help – Getting the help of others when you’ve come to a dead end can be a crucial step to finding what you’re looking for.  Obviously, the easiest people to get help from are your immediate family; however, it’s possible that their information is similar to you own.  Go to the oldest living relative in the line and see what they know.  They may have old records in the home that they forgot about.  You can also go to your local family history library and ask for help.  Another method is to try to get help from people across the Internet.  There are plenty of sites such as genealogy.com and ancestry.com where you can connect with other researchers. 
3. Use online tools and databases – You’ve probably already done this in your search, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it.  If you cant find your records at ancestry.com or familysearch.org, try doing Google searches.  Search for the name of the person, put quotes around the first and last name as an option to find records on the Internet with an exact match.  Try including any dates or approximate dates you may have.  Many individuals have posted their family records online; they may have posted something about a common ancestor that you share too.
4. Go wide - It’s possible that the record you have isn’t the name that the person used or it is spelled differently.  Try widening your research to include a wider date range and various spellings of the name.
5. Visit the location where the records may be – Lots of towns have records but are not posted online.  If you’re up for a trip, try locating cemeteries, churches, and state buildings in the city where you think your ancestor lived.  Ask all over for places to get records.  Find the family history library in the vicinity (helps to do this in advance) and ask for help there.

Whether you’re a veteran researcher or a newbie, taking different and unique approaches can sometimes pay off big.  Good luck, and happy searching.

Many people have wondered where they can search the genealogy information found in the Indexing Project. As of this writing, the information can be found at the “Labs” section of FamilySearch.org.

Create an account for free to view and search the records. Among many types of records, you’ll be able to search are:

• Census Records
• Court Records
• Vital Records
• Military Records

Information has been indexed from various countries including the United States, England, Mexico, Canada, and many others. Search the indexed information or even browse the images of the original documents.

The interface is fairly intuitive and is not cluttered by too many links or instructions. The site appears to be using some sort of AJAX or AJAX-like programing which means the web page doesn’t need to be refreshed each time you click on a link or enter information. This saves a lot of time if you’re on a slower Internet connection and it makes for a better look-and-feel for the website.

This search site will probably graduation from the Labs section at some point, but it’s great to have access to the records even while the project is still in its beginnings.

Occupations such as yeoman, wright, longshoreman, cooper, whig, yatman, and more are probably going to be pretty hard to find on someone’s business card today.  However, in the past, and on ship and census records, you may come across terms like these more often.  It’s fascinating to see the definitions of the various occupations.

To help you out in finding and defining occupational terms, choose from the links below which detail many “old” occupations and their definitions (perhaps you’ll find an old term that you would like to adopt for yourself):

• http://www.familyhistory101.com/encyclopedia/job-A.html
• http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgwkidz/oldjobs.htm
• http://genealogyfix.tripod.com/jobdesc.html
• http://www.genealogy-quest.com/glossaries/occupations1.html

If you find a job title that you can’t understand in your research, you can also visit Dictionary.com to look up the definition. Another source for discovering more about a certain type of occupation is Wikipedia.

Ancestor occupations can provide tremendous insight into the life of your ancestor. A coal miner is going to have a much different life experience than an ancestor that worked in an accounting office.

Take special note if your ancestors left their country of origin to seek a new life and switched occupations.  In today’s world, people change occupations quite frequently.  A few hundred years ago, it might take several generations worth of the same occupation until a change was brought about.  Consider the hardships that an ancestor may have had in changing occupations and you’ll appreciate even more the struggles they went through to build a better life and future for their family.

Finding Meaning

Have some fun finding out what your first name means, and where it comes from. But why not take it a step further, find out what your family and ancestors names mean? Create a chart showing the different names and their history.

A number of sites on the Internet will tell you what your name means. A few good resources are listed below:

First and Last Name Searches

The first and last name meaning and origin search page from Ancestry.com is a great place to find the meaning of both your first and last name and has good collection of names.

First Name Searches

Behind the Name will tell you the different languages the name is used in, other scripts such as Greek, pronunciation in different languages and a history of the name. You can also view the popularity of names throughout the decades.

Namespedia is another resource you can use as well, and of course, you can try one of the Baby Name sites such as http://www.babynamesworld.com.

What to Do With the Information

There are some fun things that you can do with the information you find about names:

Idea #1: Surname Meanings

Find out what the various surnames in your family tree mean, and write a short description about how the surname relates to the family. Were your family members smiths, miners, farmers, etc. and is that how they received their surnames? Did your ancestors take on as a surname the place that they hailed from?

Idea #2: List of Name Meanings in the Family

Create a list of your direct ancestry line and write the names and the meaning of the names. You even might want to add the year the name was given to your ancestor (most likely the year of birth) and note if the name and meaning have any connection with the year or the times.

For example, does your ancestor’s name mean “born in adversity” and was it really so based on what you know of the era in which he or she was born?

Idea #3: Meanings by Family Member

Write the origin of the names and include each meaning in the file or history about your ancestor. Write a paragraph or two about your ancestor and the name given to them. Was the name a family name handed down? Was the name unique or new to the family, and how does the meaning of the name relate to the ancestor’s life or the life of his or her parents at the time the name was given.

Idea #4: Create a Family Name Chart

Create a family tree chart with the meanings of your names. Some names lend themselves to having short meanings, while others have long definitions. You can probably find a short one or two word description/meaning statement for each name. Put those on a chart for the family. Below is a chart for the Harry Potter family.

If you would like to download free family name templates, click here.

Idea #5: Find out Why a Specific Name was Given

It is fun to find out the meanings of names, but what may be even more interesting (if you can get the information) is why a certain name was given.

Start with yourself and ask your parents, or family who might know, the reason why you were given the name you have. Research your family tree and try to find why your ancestors were given the names they have. Perhaps they were named after an uncle or an aunt, a grandpa or grandma. Sometimes one name was used in a family more than once if a child died as an infant, the name given to that child may have been used for another child.

Is there a particular story around why the name was given? Some can be quite funny, so check and see if you can find out why you and your family members were given certain names.

So What’s in Your Name?

When an author names his or her book, a considerable amount of work and thought go into selecting a title that will be appropriate. Your name (and the name of your ancestors) may have been selected for no other reason than that the names sounded nice, but don’t be too disappointed because it’s more important what you do with your name than why it was given or what it means. That’s your thought for the day.

We learn family history and genealogy here and there as we go along, we discover at some point (most often, far too late in the process) how important it is to cite resources, and we read a few books here and there about researching.  Wouldn’t it be fantastic now that you have a love of genealogy to go back to college and receive a more organized family history education?

Free University Courses on Family History 

You guessed it; you can, and you can do it for free online.  Now the resource isn’t one of those “get your degree in 10 clicks of your mouse” sites.  The courses are offered by the Independent Study program by Brigham Young University (BYU), you won’t receive a degree at the end of the free courses, but you will learn a lot.

Quality Education 

Why not take an online course from a different institution you might ask?   BYU is a university owned and supported by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church).  The LDS Church has one of the largest collections of genealogy information in the entire world and is host to the largest family history library in the world.  BYU houses the second largest family history library in the world.  So, you’ll be able to learn a thing or two from them.

What You Can Learn 

There are over twenty courses that you can enroll in.  For starters:

• Learn about Starting your researching, discovering ancestors, and helping family members get involved with family history.
• For members of the LDS Church, take a course about providing temple ordinances for your ancestors.
• Learn about different types of records.
• Go deeper and take courses specific to research in countries such as France, Germany and more.

You can view the course listing for free courses at: http://ce.byu.edu/is/site/courses/freecourses.cfmIf you’re interested, there are other free courses you can take such as bowling and organ performance, but that’s up to you.  Have fun learning for free!

Today, you can type your ancestor’s name into a computer and search from the comfort of your own home. But guess what? Someone had to take the scans and the microfilm and type into a computer the information found on the scans or microfilm.

There are still a large number of records that need to be “indexed” which means the records need to have someone look at them and type into the computer the records that have been written on the page.

So if you’ve benefited by the work someone else has done indexing records, perhaps you could return the favor in a way by indexing a few records yourself. If everyone did a little, a lot of progress can be made.

FamilySearch.org now has an indexing program that you can volunteer your time to help index records.

To get started indexing, go to: http://www.familysearchindexing.org

1. Click the “Volunteer” button to register.
2. Fill out your information to create a user name and password. After you have entered your information, you will be asked to “Install Now” or “Start Indexing”
3. You can click the “Start Indexing” button and you’ll be prompted to download the Java Application. The program may take a few minutes to download, so be patient.
4. Once the program is finished downloading, you’ll be asked to “Run” the program. Click run, and enter your username and password you created a few moments ago.
5. Click to agree to the terms (that is, if you agree), and you’re in!

You should now have the indexing program open on your computer. Now that you have the program installed, you’re almost ready to start indexing.

1. Click the “Download Indexing Batch” to receive records.
2. Click on the Project Information tab to see instructions for your project you’ve downloaded. There will be specific instructions for your project and notes on how to enter information. It’s important to view the instructions.

Make sure to also check out the tutorials provided, and the current projects page, and you’re ready to go. Have fun!

When your done indexing, close the program. When you want to start again where you left off, go back to http://familysearchindexing.org and click the “Start Indexing” button. You’ll then be connected to the server to continue where you left off.

With the advances in technology, many people have shared their family history online, and a number of people of people have asked, “Why should I post my family history information on the Internet?” To others, the question hasn’t crossed their minds.

Below are some common questions asked when considering sharing genealogy information online.

• Why should I post my genealogy and family history online?
  
• What sort of information should I post online?
• What should I not post online
• Is it safe to post online?
  
• What does “post online” mean?
• Where should I post online?
• Do I need to pay to post online?
• Do I need to know how to program to put family history on the Internet?

Why should I post my genealogy and family history online?

Have you ever been looking for something, say your car keys for example, and spent forever looking for them? What if someone knew where your keys were and also knew that you probably were looking for them? Would you want that person to let you know they found your keys? Of course you would, and it’s the same for family history. There have been many family lines I’ve researched and have come up against walls. Every once in a while, I’ll stumble upon a new website that a distant relative has created that gives me exactly the information I need, or at least the contact info so I can ask the distant relation some questions. It’s doubtful that I would have ever found a number of stories and records if the information if it hadn’t been posted online by a fellow descendant.

You might think that the information you have isn’t all that important, but I’ve made contact with distant relatives who are searching similar lines that I am searching simply because I’ve posted what little I have online. We can now share information and better our genealogy search.

What sort of information should I post online?

This is up to you. I try to post all the genealogy I have online. The articles and information that I guard and am cautious about sharing is information about living family members. Many genealogy software programs that let you post online have a safety feature or option to let you protect information on the living from being viewed. Here’s some information that you might want to consider posting:

• Pictures, old and new (writing descriptions help)
• Stories about your ancestors
• Records of deceased ancestors for which you hold the copyright (if you do not hold the copyright information to post online, you could at least post that you have access to the information or source)
• Links to websites created by other family members

Just remember to cite the reference of how you obtained your information. It’s great to post a story about a great-grandparent, but it’s better to post the story and indicate that the story is based on a personal memory you have of your ancestor.

What should I not post online?

There are a few things that you might want to think twice about posting online.

• Your home address or home addresses of family
• Your phone number (if you want someone to contact you, post your email address)
• Personal records for living individuals (don’t post your own birth certificate online for example)
• Media for which you do not have permission from the copyright holder.

What does “post online” mean?

Some have raised questions about privacy wondering if they want their family pictures shared online. Well, I hate to break it to you, but it’s actually quite a lot of work to get people to find and come to your site, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about privacy issues. Just don’t post your address, or bank account information. There are millions upon millions upon millions of people posting pictures of themselves, their family, the family pet, etc. I wouldn’t be too concerned if I were you to post family history information.
What does “post online” mean?

No harm in asking the question. “Post online” means to place information you have on the Internet. It’s akin to posting an article in the newspaper, except for the newspaper is kept on computer, and a larger audience has access to it.

Where should I post online?

This is a great question. There are lots of different ways for you to share your genealogy. It depends on what you want to accomplish. You can read a past article here for a more comprehensive explanation; however, I’ve listed below a few highlights:

• To post a family tree with pictures and stories, try Ancestry.com
• To create a personal website where you can easily post your thoughts, family history stories, and pictures, try wordpress.com or blogger.com.
• To create a family website that keeps the rest of the world out, and only lets your family in, try myfamily.com.

Do I need to pay to post online?

There are plenty of places that will “host” or display your pictures and stories you want to share for free. So, no, you don’t to have to pay to post online. There are some great services out there that are free, and there are some that require a subscription. The list above is a great place to start looking for sharing your genealogy and family stories online.

Do I need to know how to program to put family history on the Internet?

Absolutely not. In some cases, it might be helpful to know; however, the few websites listed above do not require you to have a knowledge of web programming.

The final question is: Will you post online? I certainly hope so. Everyone has something to share, many are looking for information but can’t find it. The web makes it so easy to share what we have and help those that are searching find what they need. You can also benefit your own family by keeping your family history information organized. You’ll be able to better stay in touch with your family. The benefits go on and on, and it’s never been easier to share online. So let’s stop yappin’ and get started! Take a look at some of the sites we’ve recommended, and start making your family history more accessible to your family.

And then, your computer beeps. You realize you’ve just received an email. You’ve been daydreaming. You were taking just a minute to research your family’s coat of arms and got carried away in thoughts of history.

What is a Coat of Arms?

Older traditions indicate that the coat of arms was held by one individual within the family at a time and could be passed on to the heir. The symbols and insignia would be created to refer to the owner’s life, location, family, or achievements. In today’s world, many people refer to a “family coat of arms” relating to their family name. However, in the past, the coat of arms was a personal marker and could be passed on to family by modifying the the color or other emblems. The motto in the coat of arms would often relate specifically to the person for which the armorial bearings (coat of arms) were designed. The motto is usually located beneath the compartment for English coat of arms and above the crest for Scottish coat of arms.

What is a Crest?

Often the terms “crest” and “coat of arms” are used interchangeably in the vernacular, yet a crest is not a coat of arms. A crest is an emblem or symbol worn upon a helmet or crown.

Does my Family Have a Coat of Arms?

The answer is probably yes and probably no. No in the sense that having an original family coat of arms specific to your surname and handed down from father to son is unlikely. Yes in the sense that you can find a family connection to a coat of arms, and as described above, modify it to fit your family. You can also find coat of arms on the Internet that incorporate elements from your family’s origins. One of the encouraging facts is that certain armorial bearings (doesn’t that just sound cool?) were changed when passed on to other family members, so feel free to even create your own from scratch. Include elements particular to your family history and pass them on.

Where Can I Find Resources to Build/Find a Coat of Arms?

We’ve listed below certain sites that can help you find or design your armorial bearings.

Get your Bearings Straight (caveat emptor when visiting external sites. I’ve found a couple different armorial bearings for my surname, so do your research):

• To find out if your family has a coat of arms, you can try searching House of Names. They provide history about the surname and location and dates when a coat of arms for your surname was first used.

  • Visit House of Names at http://www.houseofnames.com

• For specifics on design, Fleur de Lis has suggestions as to the meanings of colors used in the coat of arms, patterns, designs, animals and more. They can do a custom design for you, your family, or even businesses.

  • Visit Fleur de Lis at http://www.fleurdelis.com/meanings.htm

• For putting your family coat of arms on plaques, rings, cups, plates, mounted, etc. visit Coat of Arms. They have coat of arms related to specific geographic areas, and you can customize the motto. You can purchase a digital copy of your coat of arms as well as order an armorial history.

  • Visit Coat of Arms at http://www.coatofarms.com

Reference:

Coat of arms. (2007, October 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:50, October 10, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coat_of_arms&oldid=163472494

Crest (heraldry). (2007, September 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:42, October 10, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crest_%28heraldry%29&oldid=160025161