Another Ancestry DNA change just hit the street

The other night I told Gayle (those of you who do not know that is my lovely spouse) that I knew Ancestry was fixing to make another change/upgrade. And I was right. Must b getting pretty good at predicting these things now.

They have added a new feature (aka another DNA diagnostic tool) to the Ancestry DNA match page.

Now when you open a match you will get the total amount of shared DNA with your matches in centimorgans (cM) and how many segments that DNA occupies. So again they are slowly advancing the ball towards a chromosome browser IMHO.

Below is a screen capture of what I saw for my dad's match with me.

This feature works on every match on your pages including private trees, unlinked trees, no linked trees, leaf matches, etc.

Now how accurate is it, that remains to be seen.  CU you all in class Tuesday night and hope to have more in the pre class show.

Here is the information page from Ancestry on this feature which is tied to the match confidence level.

What does the match confidence score mean?

When we compare your DNA to the DNA of one of your matches, we calculate a confidence score for you. This score lets you know how much DNA evidence there is for you and your match actually being related.
But, just because you and another member have identical DNA doesn’t mean that you both inherited that DNA from a recent genealogical ancestor. (Learn how you can have identical DNA and not be related.) That’s where the confidence score comes in, and how we calculate the likelihood that you and your DNA match are actually related. A high confidence score means that we’re pretty sure that your DNA is identical because it was inherited from a recent ancestor. A lower score means that your identical DNA might be because you’re related, but it might also be because you have similar ethnic or regional backgrounds.

The confidence score is based on the amount and location of the DNA that you share with your match. We show the shared amount using centimorgans (cM), a unit used to measure the length of DNA. The higher the number, the higher the confidence, and in general, the closer the relationship. Since you can share DNA with your match on one or more segments in different locations in the genome, we show you how many. Note that the number of segments and number of centimorgans that we show reflects only those segments that we believe were inherited from a recent common ancestor (in other words, segments that are likely to be identical by descent).

When you’re exploring your list of DNA matches, look for these confidence scores and let them help you focus your research.

Confidence Score / Details

Extremely High  - Approximate amount of sharing: More than 30 centimorgans
Likelihood you and your match share a single recent common ancestor (within 5 or 6 generations):  Virtually 100%
You and your match share enough DNA to prove that you’re both descendants of a common ancestor (or couple)--and the connection is recent enough to be conclusive.

Very High  - Approximate amount of sharing: 20—30 centimorgans
Likelihood you and your match share a single recent common ancestor (within 5 or 6 generations):  99%
You and your match share enough DNA that we are almost certain you’re both descendants of a recent common ancestor (or couple).

High  - Approximate amount of sharing: 12—20 centimorgans
Likelihood you and your match share a single recent common ancestor (within 5 or 6 generations):  95%
You and your match share enough DNA that it is likely you’re both descendants of the same common ancestor or couple, but there’s a small chance the common ancestor(s) are quite distant and difficult to identify.

Good  - Approximate amount of sharing: 6—12 centimorgans
Likelihood you and your match share a single recent common ancestor (within 5 or 6 generations):  More than 50%
You and your match share some DNA, probably from a recent common ancestor or couple, but the DNA may be from distant ancestors that are difficult to identify.

Moderate  - Approximate amount of sharing: 6 centimorgans or less
Likelihood you and your match share a single recent common ancestor (within 5 or 6 generations):  20—50%
You and your match might share DNA because of a recent common ancestor or couple, share DNA from very distant ancestors, or you may not be related.

It’s important to note that the confidence score is related only to your match and not to the relationship range we’ve assigned. The confidence score should not be interpreted as our confidence that you are specifically 4th cousins, for example. Instead, it lets you know how confident you should be that you and your DNA match are related through a recent common ancestor.

Setting the Record Straight on Province and Colony Names

While entering states into your genealogy databases - have you ever wondered what the correct name for Georgia or the other twelve, before they became a state ? While most researchers opt for listing these as they are now known, during colonial days, Delaware, Maryland and the others were not states, but instead were known as  a colony or a province. Virginia during colonial days was known as Colony and Dominion of Virginia. The following list can assist your research as well as keeping a concise and correct name for those once known as the Thirteen Colonies.

Thirteen Colonies

The chart below lists the 13 original colonies in alphabetical order, along with information about when each colony was founded and when each colony became a state:
 

	Founded				Statehood
Connecticut	1636				January 9, 1788
Delaware	1638				December 7, 1787
Georgia	1732				January 2, 1788
Maryland	1633				April 28, 1788
Massachusetts	1620				February 6, 1788
New Hampshire	1638				June 21, 1788
New Jersey	1664				December 18, 1787
New York	1626				July 26, 1788
North Carolina	1653				November 21, 1789
Pennsylvania	1682				December 12, 1787
Rhode Island	1636				May 29, 1790
South Carolina	1663				May 23, 1788
Virginia	1607				June 25, 1788

Contemporary documents usually list the thirteen colonies of British North America in geographical order, from the north to the south.

New England colonies 

·         Province of New Hampshire, later New Hampshire, a crown colony

·         Province of Massachusetts Bay, later Massachusetts and Maine, a crown colony

·         Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, later Rhode Island, a crown colony

·         Connecticut Colony, later Connecticut, a crown colony

Middle colonies 

·         Province of New York, later New York and Vermont,^[3] a crown colony

·         Province of New Jersey, later New Jersey, a crown colony

·         Province of Pennsylvania, later Pennsylvania, a proprietary colony

·         Delaware Colony (before 1776, the Lower Counties on Delaware), later Delaware, a proprietary colony

Southern colonies 

(Virginia and Maryland comprised the Chesapeake Colonies)

·        Province of Maryland, later Maryland, a proprietary colony

·        Colony and Dominion of Virginia, later Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia, a crown colony

·        Province of North Carolina, later North Carolina and Tennessee, a crown colony

·        Province of South Carolina, later South Carolina, a crown colony

·        Province of Georgia, later Georgia, northern sections of Alabama and Mississippi, a crown colony

Other divisions prior to 1730

Dominion of New England

Created in 1685 by a decree from King James II that consolidated Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, Rhode Island, Connecticut,Province of New York, East Jersey, and West Jersey into a single larger colony. The experiment collapsed afterthe Glorious Revolution of 1688–89, and the nine former colonies re-established their separate identities in 1689.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Settled in 1630 by Puritans from England. The colonial charter was revoked in 1684, and a new charter establishing an enlarged Province of Massachusetts Bay was issued in 1691.

Province of Maine

Settled in 1622 (An earlier attempt to settle the Popham Colony in Sagadahoc, Maine (near present-day Phippsburg and Popham Beach State Park) in 1607 was abandoned after only one year). The Massachusetts Bay Colony claimed the Maine territory (then limited to present-day southernmost Maine) in the 1650s. Parts of Maine east of the Kennebec River were also part of New York in the second half of the 17th century. These areas were formally made part of the Province of Massachusetts Bay in the charter of 1691.

Plymouth Colony

Settled in 1620 by the Pilgrims. Plymouth was merged into the Province of Massachusetts Bay in the charter of 1691.

Saybrook Colony

Founded in 1635 and merged with Connecticut Colony in 1644.

New Haven Colony

Settled in late 1637. New Haven was absorbed by Connecticut Colony with the issuance of the Connecticut Charter in 1662, partly as royal punishment by King Charles II for harboring the regicide judges who sentenced King Charles I to death.

East Jersey and West Jersey

Settled as part of New Netherland in the 1610s, New Jersey was captured (along with New York) by English forces in 1664. New Jersey was divided into two separate colonies in 1674, which were reunited in 1702.

Province of Carolina

Founded in 1663. Carolina colony was divided into two colonies, North Carolina and South Carolina, in 1712. Both colonies became royal colonies in 1729.

Ancestry Launches Largest Online Collection of Wills and Probate Records in United States

Just remember where you heard about this first, here on the Family Roots and Branches blog on Monday. ;-)

Ancestry.com Operations Inc Press Release. 8:30 am EDT

PROVO, UT--(Marketwired - September 02, 2015) - More than 170 million pages from the largest collection of wills and probate records in the United States is now available online exclusively on Ancestry. With searchable records included from all 50 states spread over 337 years (1668-2005), this unprecedented collection launches a new category of records for family history research never before available online at this scale the United States.

Until now, these records have only been available offline. Ancestry spent more than two years bringing this collection online, working with hundreds of different archives from individual state and local courts across the country and making a $10M investment to license and digitize the records. The documents cover well over 100 million people, including the deceased as well as their family, friends and others involved in the probate process. Ancestry expects to continue to grow the collection, with additional records available over the next several years.

"Ancestry has worked hard over the past decade, to make available a variety of collections that can help the most seasoned family history expert and novices alike learn more about their ancestors," said Todd Godfrey, Vice President of Global Content. "Ancestry's vast collection of billions of unique historic records makes it the only place online that can give people such a comprehensive view into their family's unique history."

Today, state and federal census records are the most commonly searched collections in family history research, offering a variety of information that is important for building out your family tree. Wills however are one of the most desired types of records, as they can be a treasure trove of information that provides insight into your ancestors' lives, loves, land, and possessions.

"Wills can offer an incredible view into the lives of your ancestors, going beyond names and dates, and providing insight into their personality, character, achievements, relationships, and more," said Godfrey. "Reading these records you will find a deeper level of understanding about who your ancestors were, who they cared about, what they treasured, and how they lived."

There is something for everyone in the new U.S. Wills and Probate collection on Ancestry, whether you are an experienced family historian or new to the pursuit. Some examples of what can be found in the collection include:

• Rich Stories -- A deeper level of understanding is possible when you learn about the more intricate details of your ancestors' lives through their eyes; details that can tell new or more compelling stories of their everyday existence, and perhaps, shed light on their character and personality, as well as important subtext that can reflect the type of lifestyle, education, and status an ancestor may have had through language or possessions.
• New Discoveries -- Whether valuable heirlooms, sizable estates, or meager but treasured belongings to pass down, the riches of your ancestor's lives can be found in a will. Family research can be fun when you "follow the money" and see who wound up with what or even, to which charities or organizations a person's estate was entrusted.
• Friends and Family Members -- Many additional names can be found in a will in addition to the deceased. Wills can reveal new family members you didn't know about, and identify new connections, and tell more about the relationships between people mentioned in the will. Intriguing controversies can be seen as you read about those close to them who were included in the will, and those who were cut out.

With a collection that begins with wills from the mid 17^th century running through the early 21^st, last wishes and estates of notables citizens that helped shape the nation over the past three hundred years can be found in this new collection of Wills and Probates, including past Presidents, businessmen, entrepreneurs, sports legends, famous entertainers, artists and writers, scientists, and much, much more.

Here are the records available as of today:

Alabama, Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999
Alaska, Wills and Probate Records, 1883-1978
Arizona, Wills and Probate Records, 1803-1995
Arkansas, Wills and Probate Records, 1783-1998
California, Wills and Probate Records, 1782-1999
Colorado, Wills and Probate Records, 1875-1974
Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 
Delaware, Wills and Probate Records, 1676-1971  
Florida, Wills and Probate Records, 1810-1974
Georgia, Wills and Probate Records, 1742-1992  
Hawaii, Wills and Probate Records, 1822-1962  
Idaho, Wills and Probate Records, 1857-1989
Illinois, Wills and Probate Records, 1772-1999
Indiana, Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999
Iowa, Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997
Kansas, Wills and Probate Records, 1803-1987
Kentucky, Wills and Probate Records, 1774-1989
Louisiana, Wills and Probate Records, 1756-1984
Maine, Wills and Probate Records, 1584-1999
Maryland, Wills and Probate Records, 1604-1878
Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991
Michigan, Wills and Probate Records, 1784-1980
Minnesota, Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1999
Mississippi, Wills and Probate Records, 1780-1982
Missouri, Wills and Probate Records, 1766-1988
Montana, Wills and Probate Records, 1831-1952
Nebraska, Wills and Probate Records, 1806-1989
Nevada, Wills and Probate Records, 1906-1925
New Hampshire, Wills and Probate Records, 1643-1982
New Jersey, Wills and Probate Records, 1656-1999
New Mexico, Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1993
New York County, New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1658-1880 (NYSA) 
New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999
North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998
North Dakota and South Dakota, Wills and Probate Records, 1800-1985
Oklahoma, Wills and Probate Records, 1801-2008
Oregon, Wills and Probate Records, 1833-1963
Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993
Rhode Island, Wills and Probate Records, 1582-1932
South Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980
Tennessee, Wills and Probate Records, 1727-2008
Texas, Wills and Probate Records, 1800-2000
Utah, Wills and Probate Records, 1800-1985
Vermont, Wills and Probate Records, 1749-1999
Washington, D.C., Wills and Probate Records, 1737-1952
Washington, Wills and Probate Records, 1807-1997
West Virginia, Wills and Probate Records, 1724-1978
Wisconsin, Wills and Probate Records, 1800-1987
To celebrate the launch of the new U.S. Wills and Probates collection on Ancestry, the collection along with all U.S. birth, marriage and death records, will be available to explore for FREE, September 2 (12pm MT) through September 7 (10pm MT).
 

Ancestry Releasing a Treasure Trove of Probate Records This Week

 

At the 2013 Rootstech in Salt Lake, Ancestry CEO Tim Sullivan announced that Ancestry.com and FamilySearch will work together to capture 140 million pages of U.S. probate records. That would include images and indexes. It would create a national registry of wills, letters of administration and other probate records that would span from 1800-1930. It was announced that it would be a 3 year project.

Fast forward to this morning and I heard a commercial on the news-talk radio station in Washington DC - WMAL, for a free availability starting Wednesday of Ancestry's new probate collection.

I am reporting on this all that I can find on the subject (nothing yet on any of the Ancestry websites I can find) indicates that they will be releasing more than 170 million name-searchable images of probate and wills records. The most comprehensive collections of its kind, these records will provide access to almost all wills probated in the United States from the mid 19th century to 2000 – an unprecedented treasure trove of information.

I have been waiting for this release for a long time. Those of you who have taken my beginner classes know the emphasis I place on finding and using these important genealogical records, especially when you are researching in "dark territory" (you would have to attend a class to get the full meaning of that Larry-ism term). This is some pretty exciting stuff.

AncestryDNA FINALLY introduces new "In Common With" feature, SHARED MATCHES

I opened up my AncestryDNA pages this morning and found a new feature that I have not seen before -- Shared Matches Tool.

Instead of wasting some time here typing something up (I have to teach tonight and work up my weekly genealogy columns today). I will defer to the Ancestry blog announcement at http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2015/08/26/see-your-dna-matches-in-a-whole-new-way/.

There is a secondary article on this by TL Dixon on the Roots and Recombination blog at http://www.rootsandrecombinantdna.com/2015/08/ancestrydna-finally-introduces-new-in.html. I have also posted the introductory video by Anne Gillespie Mitchell to a post below this one on this blog.

Introducing AncestryDNA New 'Shared Matches' Feature

What is wrong with all these pictures?

Oh boy, He is at it again. Picking on those poor people at Ancestry and FamilySearch. Ah heck, why not. Need to do a good rant every now and then. Besides I start my Fall genealogy classes tomorrow night and I want my students to have something to talk about before I arrive in class.

First, let me say I have over the years discovered trees at Ancestry.com that have some darn good stuff -- well put together and well sourced. Then there are . . . well let me illustrate.

This is a test. What is wrong with the screen capture below? Unfortunately over half of the trees at Ancestry for the family below had this configuration.

Unfortunately, IMHO opinion, FamilySearch.org trees are even worse. In the case of FamilySearch not only are the participants doing this type of stuff, but the computers at FamilySearch make these types of changes all on their own, no prompting, they just do it.

At least at Ancestry, I have the option to ignore this insanity and I control my own tree. At FamilySearch, not only do some of the "genealogists" think they are smarter than me and my research, the computer thinks it is smarter than all of us and just makes changes even after I put correct sourced information into "MY TREE."

For the folks at FamilySearch, that is why I refuse to spend even one more millisecond messing around within your trees, and I refuse to teach my genealogy students your tree system.

And when you approach these people in Salt Lake about these issues, they say they do not have a problem or when confronted with evidence they ignore you and will not answer queries. I get an airdale salute (you Navy guys know what that is)!

This new trees system is every bit the mess you had with the Ancestral File and other tree ventures you have tried in the past. When is someone at FS going to figure out that the computer can't be trusted to take control and link up people in these online trees.

But enough of my ramblings I just pulled just three examples from my "tree" at FamilySearch. There are many, many more I assure you.

In each of these examples these are entries to "MY TREE" I did not even make. I do not have the time to sit here and go through their convoluted menu system to get this stuff out. Even if I did have then, it still continues to come back unannounced anyway.

In this first case, when the computer inserted Mary Mason I took her out of my tree as it has been positive proven she was not Elizabeth Dancy's mother (child birth at age 9) and the computer came back and inserted her back in again this time without a date of her birth. (click on image to enlarge).

 

In the screen shot below, I put none of these people in my tree. Didn't ask for them to be put in there. In fact, I have not even gotten that far out in the tree. Again the computer decided what was best for my tree, not me. (click on image to enlarge)

In another random act of genealogy this third example shows why this system is no better than the trees at Ancestry (at least I have control over that one).

Please notice the families on the far left and compare then closely with the rest of the chart. Again I wasn't this far out in building the tree, didn't enter these people and the computer system at FS has messed this tree up entirely.

I could keep this up for the rest of the day but to what point? They won't listen to legitimate concerns out at Salt Lake and I don't have time to keep correcting the record only to have some computer system come back and make more changes I did not ask for or want.

Genealogy trees you either love'em or hate them. But I would suggest a third alternative and you can do what I do. Nothing goes to my online tree unless the preponderance of the evidence says I am right. You can use trees but verify the information.

Bottom line, once that genie is out of the bottle, if it isn't right, good luck getting it back in the bottle.

To bad I can't get some of these Ancestry tree people, including the FamilySearch tree people in Salt Lake in some of my classes. We would have to spend some time realigning their thinking. ;-)

I'm posting this piece to my main genealogy blog as well, maybe this will get some attention, especially out at FamilySearch. Are you folks listening or will this fall on deaf ears like everything relating to this computerized tree system. Only time will tell.

More DNA Testing in the VH Household

Well, surprise, surprise, I just ordered another DNA test kit. As most my students know I am eaten up by all this DNA stuff.  More about that kit in a minute.

So let's review what we have here. I started things when I ordered my first test, a 37-marker Y DNA test in January 2007 from FTDNA. I later upgraded that to a 67-marker Y-DNA test at FTDNA in Feb 2012.

In June 2012 I ordered and took a HSV1 mtDNA test from FTDNA.

In the meantime Gayle ordered and took a HSV2 mtDNA test in Feb 2012. In April 2012 we had Gayle's 2nd cousin take a 37-marker Y-DNA at FTDNA. Three months later we had his nephew also take a 37-marker test to verify and support the test taken by Gayle's cousin.

In May 2012, I was honored to be one of the original AncestryDNA autosomal Beta testers. On the heels of my test I had Gayle also take an AncestryDNA autosomal test. When AncestryDNA test raw results were finally released for download in June 2013 I sent both Gayle and my results to FTDNA and their atDNA database (much cheaper than taking two more test at their site).

In short order I also had my Dad, Mother and my Dad's 1st Cousin test at Ancestry and Gayle had her 2nd cousin also take an AncestryDNA test. All those results were also uploaded to GEDMatch (another large database with a chromosome browser capability).

So I admit that I have been a very busy guy managing all these test, but recently got a nifty great idea. Since neither Gayle or I have tested at 23andMe, the third major atDNA test site/database, we are going to have our son test there to get our DNA in their database with only one test for $99. Of course, I will upload his results to GEDMatch and phase his test with ours to see who gave him the most DNA.

That will get our autosomal DNA across all three major atDNA databases. So I hope that before my Fall DNA class a TCCC is over, I can provide a report to my students on how our 23andMe experience has been.

All this testing has been a wonderful tool in genealogy research. Some brick walls have fallen, leads have been pursued, and ancestral paper research lines have verified.  We maximized our testing by doing our initial test at Ancestry and uploading results to FTDNA and GEDMatch. We have truly gotten the most bang for the buck.

It has been a lot of fun working with our DNA test results and everyday is a new adventure thanks to it our genetic genealogy research.

If you have not tested and you are working on your family history, you are missing the boat. I especially encourage those who have parents living (or in their place siblings of those parents) to test them as well and soon before they are gone. You don't want to lose that precious resource and family genealogy record.

Bottom line, each of us has a genetic genealogy history book inside us and now we have the ability to read that book. It is time for you to turn those pages and discover your family history.

We Are All Cousins says Elizabeth Shown Mills

One of my favorite authors and genealogy persons Elizabeth Shown Mills discusses how people are connected in surprising ways. Lot's of food for thought here and worth the 5:37 to watch it. Elizabeth is arguably the most influential genealogist of our time.

Don't Confuse AncestryByDNA with AncestryDNA Autosomal Test

From Richard Hill, DNA Testing Advisor and his blog/Facebook page:

"Buyer Beware. Something came up in the discussion of my last post that needs to be made clear. There are two DNA tests with similar names that are not at all similar. The AncestryByDNA test is an old technology test that checks less than 200 locations in your DNA. The AncestryDNA test, on the other hand, checks about 700,000. Furthermore, AncestryByDNA does not report matches with other users, so it has no genealogical value. Finally, only AncestryDNA results can be transferred to Family Finder or uploaded to GEDmatch."

Fall 2015 Genealogy Classes at Tri-County Community College

Registration for genealogy classes at Tri-County Community College during the Fall 2015 semester is now open. We are offering a wide variety of genealogy classes on either Tuesday night (short courses) or our most popular course on doing genealogy on the Internet (Thursday nights). You can get more details by calling Lisa Long at TCCC at 828-835-4241 during normal business hours.

Genealogy: How to Research Your Family History on the Internet

The Internet offers a wonderful array of databases, records, and other resources for researching your family tree online. Knowing how and where to search online is a must for any genealogist using the Internet. In the past few years there have been major changes to nearly all the major online genealogy research websites and record repositories. This course will teach you how to search like a pro, find genealogy databases, and discover your family history on the Web. All the top sites such as Ancestry, FamilySearch, Fold3, GenealogyBank, National Archives, Google, Mocavo and many more will be covered. Students will learn tips and tricks on using these resources, and how to put them to use in their family research plans. While our beginner genealogy class is not required to take this course, a basic understanding of genealogy research principles is strongly recommended. We also recommend a laptop or tablet capable of wireless internet access to be brought to this class. This is the most popular genealogy class available at TCCC and seating for this class is limited.

August 27 - November 19          6:30pm - 9:00pm      Thursday, 13 weeks

 

Genealogy: DNA - Using Genetic DNA Testing in Family History Research

Science can help you with your genealogy research, but you will have to take a test first. That test is a low cost autosomal DNA test available at Ancestry, Family Tree DNA and 23andMe. This course will cover the new and expanding field of genetic genealogy basics and is designed for DNA newbies and advanced genetic genealogists who want to get the most from their DNA testing. Some of the topics to be covered include an introduction to DNA testing and technical terms, the different types of autosomal DNA tests available, how DNA testing will help your genealogy research, what are your ethnic origins and how to interpret and document your results. Special emphasis will be given to the AncestryDNA autosomal test. If you want to demystify genetic genealogy, and you want to use this new and exciting research tool in your family history study, then this course is for you.

August 25 - September 22       6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m            Tuesday, 4 weeks

 

Genealogy: Cemetery Research - Introduction to Cemetery Research

Digging up family history isn't always easy, but the key to making a breakthrough may be as close as your ancestor's final resting place. This new genealogy course will cover the fascinating practice of cemetery research. You will learn to determine where and when a person died, locate the cemetery where they are interred, how to analyze headstones and markers, and a whole lot more. In this course you discover a whole new way to unearth your family history in the cemetery.

September 29 - October 13     6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.           Tuesday, 3 weeks

 

Genealogy: Using Probate Records in Genealogy Research

The passing of a loved one is a trying time in any family, but the death of that ancestor can provide a wealth of valuable information to the family historian. Probate records exist in places and for time periods when few other records are available. These records are essential for research genealogy research because they often pre-date the birth and death records kept by civil authorities. Even if your ancestor didn't leave a will, he or she may have been a beneficiary, witness or trustee in someone else's will. In this new genealogy course we will cover where to find probate records, what records should you be looking for, what is included in the probate package, the steps involved in probate, and estate inventories -  how to use them. This course will help you uncover genealogy information in these potentially intimidating (and often, underused) records.

October 20 - October 27        6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.           Tuesday, 2 weeks

 

Genealogy: This Land Is Your Land - Introduction to Using Land Records in Genealogy Research

Do you have an ancestor's deed or land patent? Were your ancestors among the millions who claimed federal lands under the Homestead Act of 1862? Want to do find your ancestor's land records? In the real estate world they say it’s all about Location, Location, Location! And the same holds true in the world of genealogy. Location is a key element in understanding the context of our ancestor’s lives and obtaining coveted genealogical documents. To get closer to our ancestors, we need to get closer to their land. This is a new introductory course on land records and genealogy research that will cover locating documents of ownership in the courthouse or online, accurately interpreting and recording what you find, and use maps, atlases, and gazetteers to focus your efforts in the right area.

November 3 November 17      6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.           Tuesday, 3 weeks