I found on tracing my ancestry that one of my relatives was a clergyman in the Parish of Liverpool during the latter half of the 19th Century. The discovery was accidental as I was browsing Baptismal registers looking for another relative, but I was in no way disappointed! Rather than find the Baptismal record of the ancestor I was searching, I noticed that another person of the same surname was actually performing baptisms in the area. Needless to say, I was excited to find a new ancestor to investigate; the only thing was where to begin looking for the records I required for verification. The baptismal records I had found my ancestor in were secular ones and not attached to any denomination, nor did they give one for him.

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I previously wrote about some of the methods one could use to estimate the time of an ancestors birth, but times of death can also lead to other genealogical leads. As with birth records, times of death were not recorded until after Civil Registration was enacted, and records of those occurring before such time can be hard to find. As with birth times, times of death can also be estimated, and Probate Records can be especially useful in doing so.

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Hopefully my previous two blogs were helpful in assisting you to get a handle on estimating birth and death dates. If not, I apologize and I officially owe you a beer or glass of wine, or if you prefer a cup of tea or coffee! Hmm…I better do some shopping! Nevertheless, in this blog I’ll talk about marriage dates and clues that can be used to determine the occurrence of holy matrimony. There are many methods that professional researchers use, and they have been proven effective in a number of various circumstances. As with the estimation of birth dates, Probate records are generally the first point of investigation for many of the pros. Let’s take a look at them and some other indicators that will first confirm that a marriage even existed.

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Finding dates for births, deaths and marriages before Civil Registration was enacted can be a tedious and time consuming endeavour. Most Civil Registration wasn’t enforced until the mid 19th century, and often researchers are left scratching their heads as to what to do or where to look next when tracing ancestors who were born, married or died before those times. True there are Parish Registers, Census Reports, and Newspaper Archives to look through, Military Records and Ship Passenger lists and the like, but if you have no idea of the subject’s birth date or even age, it is impossible to know what time frame to look for those records in. In such cases it may be necessary to estimate the time of the particular event you’re searching for. As each event has its own particular complexities, we’ll designate a unique Blog to each, beginning with in this one; Birth Dates.

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International Jewish Genealogy Month began on October 29th, and runs to November 26th this year. It is always celebrated during Cheshvan, the eight month of the Hebrew ecclesiastical year. The promotion of genealogy in general and the awareness of local Jewish genealogical societies is the core purpose of the celebration, as of course is an appreciation of Jewish heritage. While reading about the background of International Jewish Genealogy Month, I came across an organization that I found really interesting, and think you may as well. That organization is the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS), and they not only promote and support the study and pursuit Jewish ancestry, but are actively fighting for the rights of genealogists around the world.

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This article is not about genealogy records, though they will at some point in the future be affected by the event, it is about a terrible crime. I couldn’t help but be deeply moved by this story, and not in a pleasant way.

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It doesn’t take much to become a genealogist, you simply have to say that wish to become one and begin tracing your family’s history. If you have already begun to search your ancestors you’re a bona fide genealogist, and as such you may want to consider joining a genealogical society. There are many benefits to becoming a member; besides meeting potential new friends (even relatives) with similar interests, they are a great place to learn research methods and to gain access to unique historical collections. I first joined a society last year, and the benefits are fantastic. Besides holding seminars and providing research materials, I’m often the first to know about the release of new records. There are several different types of society, each having its own particular interests and aims, so let’s review their various forms in order for you to best decide which is best for you.

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Saturday October 15, 2011 saw the National Archives formally dedicating their new National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Mo. In celebration of that dedication, the Archives have released three new videos that take you behind the scenes of various departments within the Archives that are both interesting and educational. The videos are available at the National Archives YouTube Channel, which also features links to their many valuable online exhibits

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