Legacy News

Legacy Deluxe now offers 92 additional features not available in the standard edition

from Alice in Texas:

I've been using the free, standard edition of Legacy for quite some time now. I can't believe how much your company "gives away." Thanks so much.

I recently watched your What's New in Legacy 6.0 video and was thrilled to learn about the new Publishing Center and the Historical Timelines. As a long-time genealogist, I understand the value of timelines and history. You've now combined the two!

Then I reviewed your Legacy 6.0 Deluxe Edition Features article, and I can't believe how much more there really is in the Deluxe edition. (You should really make this article more "prominent" on your home page though.) I've been using the Deluxe edition now for about a week and am so happy to see new features that were hidden before. Thanks so much!

Alice - love your enthusiasm! Thanks for the note. We'll let our users know about the Deluxe Edition features article in an upcoming news article.

------------

She's right. The Deluxe edition now has 92 features that are not included in the Standard edition. For a complete list, visit http://legacyfamilytree.com/DeluxeEdition.asp.

Important Dates

from Dollarhide's Rules For Genealogy:

"If you can remember your ancestor's marriage date but not your own, you are probably an addicted genealogist. "

Fortunately, Legacy Family Tree can help. Using the new Marriage Reminders feature, you'll never miss your anniversary again. Click here for the complete article.

Free DNA testing for BSA

For a limited time only, Relative Genetics is offering a Y DNA 26--Family Line Verifier™ test to active Boy Scouts of America members free of charge with participation in the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF), or at a discounted price for those who do not wish to participate.

For more information, click here.

Record DNA in Legacy

New in Legacy 6, Legacy lets you record the results of various DNA marker tests available to anyone.  Comparing the test results of different individuals can often indicate a common ancestor within a predicted number of generations.

To record the results, or just to see what it looks like, in a person's Individual's Information screen, click on the DNA button. There are several different DNA tests from which to choose. You can also click on the More Information button to learn more about how DNA testing can actually help your brick-wall research.

Legacy Database on Flash Drive

The following article is from DearMYRTLE's mailing list and is copyright 2006 by DearMYRTLE. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the mailing list is available at www.dearmyrtle.com.

From: Glen Ballard DearMYRTLE,

While listening to your podcast of 21 Mar 2006 I thought you would like to know the following:

You mentioned converting your genealogy database file to PAF (Personal Ancestral File) to take to the FHL / FHC.

To keep from converting data and wasting time:

1)  I access my genealogy from my Flash drive at the Family History Center. They have Legacy 6 installed on all 6 computers. Millennia Corp gives FREE licensing to FHCs. You might want to mention to your audience that if the FHC they visit doesn't have it installed, they can request that the FHC install it. The FHC just has to contact Millennia and request the License Key for the Deluxe version.

2)  I can also access my website (using TNG - The Best as you already know). I can find anyone in my database and find any facts. If I choose, I can enter the information with my Administrator's account directly in TNG (The Next Generation of Genealogy Site Building.) But I would have to make note of who I modified to add the modifications to Legacy at home. You might want to mention that patrons can access there personal websites at a FHC instead of converting the data.

Keep up the good work.

DearGLEN,

THANKS for the input. I think your first point is very well taken. The bottom line is that the PROGRAM must be installed on whatever computer you are using when you go to a research facility for your database to be read. IF your local LDS Family History Center has installed Legacy Family Tree in addition to PAF, then it will read your Legacy database directly. I wasn't aware of this offer from the Legacy folks. I will look for Legacy on the Family History Library computers next time I go.

As to your second point, accessing our genealogy databases on a webpage only requires that the research facility has access to the internet. This is a much more likely and reliable option, since virtually all facilities will have that access. Also, if that is your primary database, then updating it while at the Family History Library or other research facility would not be a problem.

But as for placing our databases on the web, even in a password-protected area, we just aren't all there YET.

Generally speaking, I'd venture to guess that 95% of the genealogists who read my column don't have their own web pages, since that is about the count when I visit an area and give a class or seminar. I DO think that eventually it will be the norm to keep ALL of our data (genealogy or otherwise) on a website where the web server is backed-up routinely. This would transcend problems when one's personal computer fails. This will also enhance communication among researchers.

But then ol' Myrt here remembers the days when email was a challenge for my readers. So as times change, we need to keep sharing information as to HOW we're managing to do effective research. I think the bottom line is that it isn't wise to go to any research facility without having full access to our genealogy databases. Whether by laptop, flash drive or web pages, we must be able to see our known ancestors in context. I wouldn't dream of printing out my pedigree chart. Last time it was over 250 pages.

NOTE: I mentioned in the podcast that I prefer to do my data entry once I am home. Part of that is a time consideration, but I've also found I am capable of better analysis when not bogged down by keeping to the train schedule for the commute back home, etc. This is particularly true when one takes a research trip to a distant county or country. Getting there and back and living out of a suitcase is fatiguing no matter how much fun it is to travel. As we know, fatigue has a negative affect on one's critical thinking skills.

For instance, when working through cryptic handwriting in a will, one might spot the connection to an heir and make the photocopy. However, when at home, a full transcription of the document can be completed without interruption. This more-detailed study might point to other valuable information. Perhaps the land is described in the distribution of the estate, and this might lead to the original deed where notations about previous generations are listed.

Happy family tree climbing! Myrt     :)
DearMYRTLE, Your friend in genealogy. http://www.DearMYRTLE.com

A new blog from Ancestry - 24/7 Family History Circle

A new genealogy blog has surfaced. After publishing their Ancestry Daily News every day for eight years, Ancestry is moving to the latest method of communication - blogging.

Check it out at http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/

Location Research with Legacy

A Legacy user recently asked,

What I want is to find all the people in my database who lived in a certain location along with name, birth, place, death and place.  How do I do that?

Throughout your research, this is likely something you'll need to do often. For example, suppose you learned about a new collection of records for the city of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. You want to search these records for your ancestors. You know that some of your ancestors lived in Minneapolis, and you want a list of all of them. Follow these simple steps below:

1. Click on the View menu. Click on Master Lists. Click on Location. This opens the Master Location List, which is a list of all locations that have been entered into your family file.
2. Locate the desired location in the list, and click once on it. It will now be highlighted.
3. Finally, click on the Show List button on the right.

The resulting list is a list of all individuals who have that location linked to them in any way (born, christened, died, buried, census, will, land, etc.). From here you could click on the Print button and preview the report. However, this report only lists the names. For a more detailed report where you can choose which fields to display, follow these steps:

1. Instead of printing the list from this screen, TAG everyone in the list. To do this, click on the Tag Everyone in List button. However, be sure to first follow the two rules of tagging as explained in Legacy's Tagging and Searching Made Easy video. If these rules are not followed, you could have a "tagging nightmare."
2. Once everyone in the list is tagged, click Close, and Close.
3. Open the Name List by clicking on its button in the top left.
4. Click on the Search button. Click on Show all Tagged. Then select the tag number you selected in step 1. The resulting list is the same list of individuals you viewed earlier.
5. Click on the Print button at the bottom.
6. Select the fields that you want to include in the report. On these screens, you can give the report a title, adjust the column widths, and customize the report in a variety of ways.
7. When you're ready, either Preview or Print the list.

You have just created a custom report and you're ready to get back to the actual research.

The list we just created contains a list of individuals who lived in a certain location. However, the list includes all time spans. It was not limited to just those who lived in Minneapolis in the 1870s. You can further filter the list to contain just those individuals who match certain conditions such as age, gender, living status, etc. Legacy's Tagging and Searching Made Easy video covers all of these situations. Preview the video by clicking on the Preview button below.

Legacy 6 Video Tour

A recent comment to the online Legacy User Group stated:

Just installed Legacy 6 Deluxe, took the tour and wondered why I had not done that earlier. - Bill

The tour Bill was referring to is the What's New in Legacy 6 video tour. This video demonstrates the following new features of Legacy 6:

• Research Guidance
• Legacy Home
• Publishing Center
• Note Formatting
• DNA
• County Verification
• Timelines

Even if you have been using Legacy 6 for a while, the video may have new insights or offer suggestions on how to use these features. Best of all, the video is free!

Watch the video at http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/Videos.asp. Just click on the View Now button next to the What's New in Legacy 6.0 title.

Now Online and Indexed - Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1945

This just in from Ancestry.com - the Philadelphia Passenger Lists from 1800-1945 are now online and indexed. Ancestry describes the index as follows:

This database is an index to the passenger lists of ships arriving from foreign ports at the port of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1800-1945. In addition, the names found in the index are linked to actual images of the passenger lists, copied from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm M425, rolls 1-108 and microfilm T840, rolls 1-181.

Information contained in the index includes given name, surname, age, gender, ethnicity, nationality or last country of permanent residence, destination, arrival date, port of arrival, port of departure, ship name, and microfilm roll and page number. Other listed information may include the name of a friend or relative whom the individual was going to join or a place of nativity. Many of these items may be used to search the index in the search template above.

It is important to note that the port of departure listed on these passenger lists is not always the original port of departure for these individuals. A ship could make several voyages throughout the year, making several stops along way. Oft times the port of departure found on these lists is the most recent port the ship was located at prior to arriving at the port of Philadelphia. Therefore, if your ancestors immigrated to the United States from Germany, they could be found on a passenger list coming from Liverpool, England (if, in this case, the ship left from Bremen, Germany, then continued on to Liverpool, England, before arriving in Philadelphia).

The microcopies of the passenger lists found at NARA are arranged chronologically by arrival date of vessel. If you do not wish to search this database using the search template, the images may be browsed following the chronological arrangement. To browse the images first select the "Year" in which you would like to search, followed by the "Month," and finally the "Ship Name..

To search the indexes, click here.

Genealogy Myth: The Three Brothers

The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright 2005 by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.

Genealogy newcomers often trip over the "three brothers" story. It has been repeated thousands of times. I have yet to see one instance in which it is accurate.

The story always starts with something like this:

There were three brothers who immigrated to America. One went north, one went south, and one headed west, never to be heard from again.

It is an interesting story, and you might almost believe it. After all, how else can you explain the fact that the same surname pops up in so many places?

What fascinates me is that there are always three brothers, never two or four or five or six. And didn't they have any sisters? Why did they go in three different directions? Couldn't two of them go someplace together while the third struck out on his own? Why does each one take a different trip?

An examination of thousands of immigration and naturalization records shows that brothers usually remained close-knit and usually resided near each other after immigration. The "three brothers" myth apparently was invented and repeated by lazy genealogists who could not be bothered to find the truth. It is a poor excuse for rationalizing why the same surname appears in multiple locations.

When searching for surnames in immigration records, you normally will find more than one immigrant of the name. In many cases, each immigrant did not know the others and moved to wherever he pleased. Later genealogists tried to justify the appearance of one surname in multiple locations and assumed something that is not documented in any records.

Be wary of the three brothers myth. You always want to confirm such claims to establish that indeed there were three brothers instead of three unrelated men with the same last name. Yes, someplace in history there probably were three brothers somewhere who split up and went separate ways. But 99.9% of the "three brothers" stories you will hear are fictitious. Before you accept the "three brothers" story in your family tree, do yourself a favor: find documentation that proves the names of their parents.

Speaking of genealogy myths, in a future newsletter I will write about Cherokee princesses.

New Guide for Mexican Family History

SALT LAKE CITY— FamilySearch™ announced today [10 Mar 2006] the release of a new research product that will help those with Mexican heritage to succeed in their quest to learn more about their ancestors. The research guide, Finding Records of Your Ancestors, Mexico, features easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, colorful graphics and tear-out worksheets. A free copy can be viewed or downloaded below.

Finding Records of Your Ancestors, Mexico, 1859 to Present is the newest addition to a series of popular publications. The guide simplifies the research process for users and clearly explains various genealogical records of interest. It is designed for those who have already gathered some family history information about their Mexican ancestors and are ready to search public and private records. Users will find simple instructions, examples, and removable pedigree and family group worksheets to help them capture what they already know about their families.

To further aid users, the guide is also available in Spanish.

Access the guides here.

Unlocking the Vault: Conversion to Digital Records is Progressing

Members may not have to wonder what lies behind the 14-ton vault door at the Church's Granite Mountain Vault Records (GMVR) facility for much longer. In as little as 10 years, much of its genealogical collection may be at their fingertips.

The billions of names preserved on microfilmed records at the vault are being converted to digital images that can eventually be viewed online at FamilySearch.org and ultimately searched in and linked to an online index. The process of digitizing the microfilm is now faster than ever through a “bleeding edge” technology system called FamilySearch™ Scanning.

Read the complete article here.

Research Discoveries

He gave a researcher $100

To trace his family tree;

Then he gave him $500

To keep quiet his discovery!

How old does Legacy think you are?

Just in case you have forgotten how old you are, and you actually want to be reminded, or if you just want to understand what some of the numbers mean on the Individual's Information screen, read on. . . .

The Individual's Information screen is where you enter the names, dates, places, etc. about an individual. At the far right of the screen, are some numbers. No, they're not just random numbers that Legacy displays.

The number to the right of the birth date and place indicates the years since birth. If the ancestor was born in 1792, then 213 is displayed. He was born 213 years ago.

There may also be numbers corresponding to the Christening, Death, and Burial fields. The number next to the death field displays how old the person was when they died. The number next to the burial field displays how old the person was when they were buried. Hopefully, the death and burial numbers are about the same. :)

If you are looking at your own entry in the Individual's Information screen, and you would rather not be "reminded" of your age, just right-click on the "years since birth" number, and it will disappear.

Control-A

If you want "to-the-day" numbers of your age, or your ancestor's ages, navigate to the Family View. Then press Control-A on your keyboard (or go to the View menu and select Age). The resulting screen will display the exact ages of the husband and wife's birth, christening, marriage, death, and burial events.

Chronology View

Finally, the Chronology View is probably the easiest place to learn how old you were at any event. In the far left column, it will display the age at any event, including births of children, deaths of parents, and any custom events you may have entered such as graduation, military service, immigration, etc. If you are using the historical timelines (new in Legacy 6), the Chronology View will also display the person's age at the time of the historical event.

Understanding the age can help you catch big mistakes. For example, if, in the Chronology View, the age at first marriage is listed as 69, you might have a couple of problems.

1. 69 is quite old for an ancestor to be married for the first time. You may be missing a previous marriage.
2. You may have a typo in the date of the marriage.

Unless you correlated the ages with the ancestor's life events, you may not have picked up on these possibilities.

Free Non-Member Access to the Register Online March 20-22

from Newenglandancestors.org:

As a way to introduce potential members to the wealth of information available to members, NEHGS is pleased to offer free access to one of the thousands of databases on NewEnglandAncestors.org, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Normally available only to NEHGS members, the Register database will be accessible to all from Monday, March 20 through Wednesday, March 22, 2006.

Published quarterly since 1847, the Register is the flagship journal of American genealogy and the oldest journal in the field. The database includes issues from 1847 to 1994. For more information visit www.newenglandancestors.org/research/Database/register/reg_info.asp.

Non-members will be asked to provide contact information, which will not be shared, but will be used to send information about membership to visitors. Visitors will be taken automatically to the Register database after submitting their information.

PLEASE NOTE: Only the extensive Register database will be open for public use. The remainder of the databases continue to be accessible to members only.

We encourage all NEHGS members to spread the word about this offering, but to avoid disappointment, please make sure to mention that this offer is limited only to the Register. Thanks for your help in letting others know about the wealth of significant information offered by NEHGS.

Non-members can use the Register database for free March 20 to March 22.

How a GPS can help your research

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are new technology that can actually be useful to genealogists. Marlo Schuldt, producer of Legacy's add-on Photo Collector & ProMedia Manager Suite, has written an article about some practical uses of these devices.

Click here for the complete story.

British Genealogy Institute announced

The International Society for British Genealogy and Family History (ISBGFH) announces the sixth annual British Institute to be held October 2 - 6, 2006 in Salt Lake City.

The British Institute is a weeklong program combining instruction and practical experience. Each day instructors experienced in British Isles genealogy and research methods conduct classes and seminars in the morning and assist students with their research in the Family History Library in the afternoon. In addition to guidance in the library, each student can take advantage of the opportunity to meet with the course instructor for a one-on-one strategy session.

Accommodations and classrooms for the British Institute are located in the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel; research and most one-on-one sessions take place in the LDS Family History Library. These facilities help make the British Institute an exceptional educational opportunity. The Institute is able to offer everyone expert instruction, small class size, individual attention, and personal research time with assistance. The Institute brings together resources, practical guidance, and the chance to improve skills in a helpful and friendly atmosphere.

Courses offered at this year’s Institute:

Welsh Research
Level: Intermediate
Time Period: 1858 back to early 1600’s
Instructor: Darris Williams
This course is directed at researchers with some exposure to research in Wales or who took the introductory level course in 2005. Students will expand their experience working with fundamental and frequently used records and be introduced to more advanced sources.

Darris Williams: British reference consultant in the Family History Library for thirteen years, currently a reference consultant for World Wide Support in the Family History Department. After completion of a bachelor degree in family and community history at Brigham Young University, he studied at the University of Wales, Aberstwyth in 1996. Darris has lectured at the British Isles Family History Society Conference, UGS Institute, Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference and Federation of Family History Societies Conference. He is a contributor of materials on the Glamorganshire and Carmarthenshire portions of www.Genuki.org.uk and transcriber of monumental inscriptions for chapels and churches in Wales published by the Glamorgan Family history Society. Darris is only the second person to pass the Wales accreditation test administered by ICAPGen.

British Isles Research: Solving Problems, Creating Strategies
Instructor: Sherry Irvine, MSc, CG, FSA (Scot)
Roadblocks in family history are opportunities to pause, re-examine work, review records and make a new start. Further progress is possible provided another approach is found, one arising from careful analysis. This course is for those with some experience in British Isles research (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland) wanting advanced guidance in research planning and strategy.

Sherry Irvine: MSc, CG, FSA Scot, lecturer, writer and online teacher specializing in British Isles methods; faculty member IGHR Samford University since 1996, internationally known speaker and a keynote presenter at the Australasian Congresses in Melbourne and Darwin; author of three books including the award-winning Scottish Ancestry: Research Methods for Family Historians; former president Association of
Professional Genealogists and winner of the Graham T. Smallwood Award for services to genealogy; vice-president of ISBGFH.

An online registration form can be obtained at http://www.isbgfh.org. A brochure on the Institute can be requested by writing to:
The British Institute
P.O. Box 35045
Westminster, CO 80035-0459

The International Society for British Genealogy and Family History (ISBGFH) was established in 1979 to educate individuals searching for their British ancestors. ISBGFH is an educational organization and publishes the award winning quarterly journal, British Connections.

GENViewer for Legacy Version Is Versatile and Fast

GENViewer for Legacy is a remarkable add-on program that works directly with Legacy family files or with GEDCOM files created by other genealogy applications. With GENViewer's powerful File Search capabilities, you can simultaneously search multiple files for individuals or find that critical piece of information you need. Gone is the need to examine files one a time.

GENViewer's intuitive, easy-to-use interfaces provide nine different views of your genealogy information: General, Individual, Family, Pedigree, Descendants, List, Highlighted, Islands, and Sources. Most views of your data can be copied to the clipboard with just a click of the mouse. You can then paste the family information right into an e-mail message, word processing document or another application. Reports can also be created in HTML and PDF formats.

GENViewer is an incredible tool for analyzing your family information. Use GENViewer's highlighting tool to make information stand out in each of the views of your data. There are about 100 easy-to-use highlighting options. It's amazing what you can see using this highlighting tool.

You can also use GENViewer's Internet search to find information about your family on the Web. When you find a Web page with information just right click on it and select Print from the popup menu.

GENViewer can create a self-viewing executable from a GEDCOM file that will display your genealogical information when run. This file can be e-mailed as an attachment or placed on a Web site for downloading. Furthermore the special file can be created on a floppy disk and run on any Windows computer. This is a truly unique and efficient way to share your genealogy with people who don't own a genealogy program but who have a computer.

Use GENViewer to quickly examine and clean up all of those GEDCOM files that are cluttering your computer. Its speed and versatility makes it ideal for previewing GEDCOM files before taking the time and effort of importing them into Legacy.

Because GENViewer uses existing Legacy and GEDCOM files, it doesn't create extra files that fill up the hard drive. This is a great space-saving feature. Furthermore, GENViewer is a read-only application: it doesn't change or modify any files so users don't have to worry about changing any information.

Here's what users are saying:

"I downloaded a GEDCOM from Ancestry.com. I didn't realize how big it was. This GEDCOM had almost 26,000 people in it. When I downloaded GENViewer, this GEDCOM was one of the first things I tried it out on. Here are the results:
    File Size: 18,745,745
    Import Time: 2.240 seconds
    # people: 25,931
    # families: 11,530
    # notes: 390
    # sources: 631.

2.24 seconds is ridiculously fast for this many records!  And with GENViewer, I can see who is in there, how complete the information is, how connected they are and a zillion other things. It makes importing GEDCOMs into my database so much easier. Thanks for a wonderful product."
-- Roger Barnes: GENViewer user

"GENViewer allows you to see a glance exactly what is included in both your own database and in GEDCOMs received from others and to quickly gather lists of your choice of highlighted information from those databases. Its speed and sorting features are unsurpassed. It is an extremely valuable search tool which helps you to better understand and piece together your family tree information. I highly recommend it!" -- Kathi Sittner: Legacy user

GENViewer for Legacy can be used on a free 15-day trial basis, after that you must purchase the program to continue using it. Please go to http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/GENViewerDownload.asp to download the program.

To order GENViewer for Legacy please visit http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/Redirect/Store-AddOns.asp

"Young Family Historian of 2005" awarded

BYU's Center for Family History and Genealogy presented the 2005 Young Family Historian award to Millennia's Geoff Rasmussen.

George Ryskamp, who presented the award at last week's 2006 Computerized Genealogy Conference, recalled Geoff's enthusiasm in class. "He brought to class copies of a pension file he recently received from the National Archives. In it was a copy of the family's bible which listed three generations of ancestry. Geoff could not stay in his seat he was so excited."

We'd like to congratulate Geoff for this recognition. Since graduating with a degree in Genealogy from BYU in 2002, he has served as director and vice-president of the Utah Genealogical Association, was course director and instructor for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, published the East Tennessee Tax Records Index 1778-1850; the Genealogy Daily Calendar; and Plucking, Plotting and Places: a Video Tutorial of AniMap; as well as several Legacy video training CDs.

We're happy to have him as part of our Millennia team.

End of an Era: Taping of Genealogy Presentations at Conferences

The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright 2006 by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.

One of the time-honored traditions at national genealogical conferences has been the audio tapes of the sessions. Those unable to attend in person often later ordered audio tapes of the presentations. While not as good as attending "in person," the audio tapes added a lot of value to those unable to attend the live events. Sadly, the practice is disappearing. The reason apparently is because of dropping sales of the tapes.

For years, most of the tapes at the U.S. National Genealogical Society (NGS) and Federation of Genealogical Societies' (FGS) conferences have been recorded by AudioTapes.com. Yet a search of the company's web site at http://www.audiotapes.com shows no genealogy conference tapes recorded after May 22, 2004. The company is not offering audio tapes recorded at more recent genealogy conferences. To my knowledge, no other recording company has stepped up to make the recordings.

The National Genealogical Society has a blog about the upcoming national conference to be held in June in Chicago. At http://ngs2006.blogspot.com/2006/03/announcement-taping-of-conference.html, that blog states:

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) will not be using a taping company to tape sessions at this year's Chicago conference (June 7-10, 2006). As most of you know, they have done this in previous years and the tapes were offered for sale to attendees at the show and also to the public to purchase after the event.

NGS has made this decision due to lack of demand for conference tapes and cost considerations.

It looks like the NGS announcement is a "sign of the times." Apparently, very few future genealogy conferences will be recorded.

Secondary Source defined

Secondary Source, n.

A derivative record created some time after an event, and easily identified by its repeated use of the phrase, "Near as I recall. . ."

This humor is from The Genealogist's Glossary (& Other Essential Nonsense) by Christopher Dunham and is copyright 2005 by Christopher Dunham. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the book is available at http://genealogue.blogspot.com/

Cyndi's List - Ten Years Old

Cyndi's List, the online "Yellow-pages" of genealogy, is celebrating its tenth year with a new look and feel. Today the site boasts over 251,000 categorized links and is one of the most popular starting points on the Internet.

Cyndi's List began back in 1996 as a six-page article written for her local genealogy society. It went online on March 4, 1996 and was announced as such:

You are cordially invited to visit our new genealogy home page entitled: Mark and Cyndi's Family Tree http://www.oz.net/~cyndihow/

The many resources include:

• a categorized list with over 1,000 links to genealogy Internet sites
• Civil War research articles
• UK research articles
• Genealogy Terms and Phrases

We hope you enjoy our new page and would love to hear from you!

Mark and Cyndi Howells

Click here for the original article.

Isn't it amazing how it has turned out? Take a look at the new design at www.cyndislist.com.

Your Legacy Database - Should You Split It?

At some point, users of any genealogy computer program, including Legacy Family Tree, will ask the question, "Should I split my database?"

The reasons given for wanting to split a database are many:

1. you may want to keep your spouse's genealogy in a separate database
2. you may want a separate database for each line you're working on
3. you may want to share just a portion of your database with another relative/researcher
4. you feel that splitting your database would make more room in your main database

Before making the plunge and splitting your database, consider these cautions:

Intermarriages

Suppose you separated your genealogy from your spouse's, and they are now in two separate family files. As your research progresses, you get further and further back in time. You begin researching a family that seems all too familiar - maybe you've researched it before. In fact, you had previously researched it - on your spouse's side.

The further back you trace, the chances are higher that you and your spouse have common ancestry. Such is the case with my wife and me. Back in the 1580s, we share a common ancestor - Stephen Hopkins is my 12th great-grandfather. He is also my wife's 12th great-grandfather. If I had split my database so that my wife's database was not included in mine, I may not have picked up on the fact that we were 13th cousins. I may have even duplicated our research.

This is one of the reasons why I keep all my genealogy in the same database.

Duplication of data entry

When I first started my research, I had eight separate databases. One for each of my eight great-grandparents. I thought it'd be easier to research this way. The descendants of these great-grandparents number into the thousands. In fact, because I am a descendant of each of these great-grandparents, I entered myself into each database.

The challenge this presented was that every time I needed to update my information, or I became a new dad, or even if I needed to update information on any of my cousins, I had to update the same information in at least two of the databases. If I needed to update my personal information, I would have to update it in all eight. Chances are greater that I would make a typo in at least one of them.

Printing

If my database were separated from my wife's, printing a pedigree chart or other reports becomes challenging. For example, I could not print cascading pedigree charts beginning with my son, Evan, because on the first chart, only his paternal side of the family would appear. If all my genealogy were combined into one family file, this would not be a problem.

But won't it get too big?

We have "test databases" of Legacy where we've linked over a million individuals. There are two potential challenges when working with databases of this magnitude. First, navigation becomes a bit slower. Second, the size of the database is considerably larger than one of just a few thousand. However, we haven't run into too many researchers that claim to have researched a million individuals - I'd love to see their documentation....

It's still okay...

There may still be good reason to split your database. I've created a separate research database to help me in tracking all the different Alanson Browns. Once I have positively identified my Alanson Brown, using Legacy's split screen tool, I can drag and drop him and his family into my personal database.

I've also created a separate database where I indexed the tax lists of Washington County, Tennessee from 1778-1850. Now doesn't that sound like an exciting way to spend a weekend?

So before you go ahead and make your split, carefully consider the above implications.

National Genealogical Society Home Study Course Discounted Bundled Offer

from the National Genealogical Society:

Periodically we all need to refresh our skills in genealogical research or learn new ones.   The National Genealogical Society’s Learning Center is currently offering a special discounted pricing on the NGS research-intensive Home Study Course.  Now exclusively available as a CD, this course is recommended by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG). For more information please visit our website at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/eduhsc.cfm

The revised course, issued in 2005, includes:

• detailed instruction on genealogical subjects,
• evidence analysis,
• source citation examples and explanations,
• bibliographies and reference lists,
• strategies for conducting genealogical research on the Internet, in libraries, and in archives,
• new detailed instructions on newspaper research, censuses, vital records, migrations, and writing short biographies on ancestors,
• self-correcting exams,
• samples of the assignments showing how they should be completed, and
• online mail list for advice and research help.

Issued on three CDs, contents include:

CD #1, issued January 2005

Lesson  1: Introduction
Lesson  2: Family Traditions and Family Records
Lesson  3: Interviews, Correspondence, and Queries
Lesson  4: Library Resources
Lesson  5: Census Records
Lesson  6: Vital Records

CD #2, issued May 2005:

Lesson  7: Church and Cemetery Records
Lesson  8: Probate and Other Court Records
Lesson  9: State and Federal Land Records
Lesson 10: Local Land and Tax Records
Lesson 11: Migration Studies & Resources

CD#3, issued December 2005

Lesson 12: Passenger Arrival Records
Lesson 13: Naturalization Records
Lesson 14: Military and Veterans Benefit Records
Lesson 15: Interpreting and Evaluating Evidence
Lesson 16: What Next? Write The Story 

HomeStudy Course Bundled Special (Buy CD 1, 2 and 3 together and save)

Visit http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/eduhsc.cfm to purchase or for more information.

Top Ten Reasons to Attend the Legacy Genealogy Cruise to Alaska

Reason #9: Food, food, and more food!

Food is included in the cost of the cruise. Have you ever had a 5 course meal - for every meal of the day - breakfast, lunch, and dinner??? If you're not sure if you want the steak or the lobster - order both! Have a sweet tooth? Order the ice cream and the cake. There's also a 24-hour pizza bar, a sandwich bar, and pasta bar. We're not making this up....

Hint: make sure you bring two sizes of clothes. One for the first couple of days, and another for the end of the week after you've enjoyed all the food.

To learn more about this year's Legacy cruise to Alaska, please visit http://legacyfamilytree.com/Cruise2006Info.asp.

Enter the drawing to win a free cruise at http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/FreeTrip.asp

New British Venture - Launch of Online Genealogy Classes

Delving into your family history is fascinating but, as people already hooked on genealogy realize, progress is uneven and some problems bring research to a halt. How do you know there is a way around the problem or there really is a lack of information? There are so many records, so many places to search and so much information appearing online it is difficult to know where to begin planning effective searches. Fortunately, help is at hand.

Sherry Irvine, a Canadian and past President of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and Helen Osborn, of English Researchers, Helen Osborn Research Ltd, have teamed up to launch Pharos Teaching & Tutoring.  Pharos is the first British company to provide online classes aimed specifically at helping researchers with British ancestry.  Students can register and pay on the website at http://www.pharostutors.com  The arrangements for courses are simple and flexible making it easy to get started, study in your own time without having to travel, get help from experienced teachers, and chat about family history with other students. Courses are aimed at beginners and experienced researchers alike.

Emphasis is on online resources, both indexes and images, what you can achieve on the Internet and how to work effectively with what is online and what must be found on site in libraries and archives. The historical, social and geographical context in which our ancestors lived and in which the records were created is an important part of every program.  All Pharos tutors are full-time genealogists and experienced teachers with many years experience searching in British records.

Managing Director, Helen Osborn already runs a successful genealogy and historical research agency from her London home, and was previously an archivist.  She is one of the independent researchers at the National Archives, Kew and has clients from all over the world.  Helen has lectured and written on aspects of local and family history for over 10 years.

Course Director, Sherry Irvine has been teaching family history for over 20 years. In the classroom she has taught at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama and at the British Institute, Salt Lake City, a program of the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History. Since 1996 she has led study tours to England and Scotland for IGHR.

Sherry is the author of Your English Ancestry (2nd ed. 1998) and Scottish Ancestry: Research Methods for Family Historians (2003) both published by Ancestry. In 2005 the Association of Professional Genealogists presented her with the Smallwood Award of Merit for services to the organization and to genealogy.

Sherry says, “we are creating great courses at Pharos because we have definite ideas about good teaching, we enjoy helping others get the most out of family history and we want to give that help at a personal level”.

Special Offer for Legacy users

Meet the instructors and receive a special offer from Pharos. Sherry Irvine and Helen Osborn will hold a free chat session on Monday March 20th at 7PM GMT (London time) which is 2PM EST (New York time). Bring along a British genealogy question. To get your invitation and details of how to take part please send a request to info@pharostutors.com. Space is limited.

For more information on courses at Pharos, email -  info@pharostutors.com

Legacy Update Now Available - 28 February 2006, Version 6.0.0.83

Legacy 6.0 Deluxe Edition Users

If you have Legacy 6.0 Deluxe Edition, connect to the Internet, then start Legacy and click on the "Install and Download Now" on the Legacy Home tab. (If you're reading this from within the Legacy Home tab, you'll first need to click on the Home button in the top left which looks like the following picture:)

Legacy 6.0 Standard Edition Users

Standard Edition users are required to visit our web site in order to download the new update.

http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/DownloadUpdate.asp

New

• Increased the field length of the Marriage User ID to 50 to match the field length of the Individual's User ID

Fixed

• Notes - minor update to fix a problem with notes that a couple of people were running into

Wisconsin Birth Index Now Online

The Wisconsin Historical Society is pleased to announce its Pre-1907 Wisconsin Birth Index (www.wisconsinhistory.org/vitalrecords). The index was made by digitizing a 1970's microfiche index and then expanding it with tens of thousands of delayed births, or births that were filed many years after the event, that were previously indexed separately. The result is free public access to more than 1,000,000 Wisconsin births, dating from the 1840s through 1907.

The index can be searched in a variety of ways - using just a last name or browsing by county and year. Users can try various names and locations to find Wisconsin ancestors. When an ancestor is found, a copy of the birth record can be ordered from the Wisconsin Historical Society online.

The Society plans to add pre-1907 death and marriage indexes in the next few months, creating a comprehensive vital records index that will be entirely free and publicly searchable. Until the death and marriage indexes are available, searches can be requested through our Wisconsin Genealogical Research Service (www.wisconsinhistory.org/genealogy/ogrs).

For further information please email historydocs@whs.wisc.edu