Explore every episode of the podcast The Genealogy Guys Podcast & Genealogy Connection
Dive into the complete episode list for The Genealogy Guys Podcast & Genealogy Connection. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #438
29 Mar 2026
01:04:56
The Guys return after George has been exploring new treatment options for effective management of severe depression. More details can be shared if you email genealogyguys@gmail.com.
The Guys are devastated at the news that the historic courthouse in Rome, Floyd County, Georgia, was destroyed by fire on 23 March 2026. This is the epicenter of George's research into his maternal ancestry.
The Guys are celebrating 20 YEARS of the podcasts!
News You Can Use and Share
WikiTree is one of the biggest collaborative genealogy research sites on the Internet. WikiTree invited George to share his GEDCOM and allow WikiTree volunteers one week to collaborate on his ancestral research. The WikiTree Reveal can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Ea6XxZFRY&t=2402s.
Nathan Dylan Goodman's latest book, The Hop-Picker Murders has been released. Drew reviews the latest installment of the Forensic Genealogist mysteries with Morton Farrier.
MyHeritage has released UK and Ireland incoming and outgoing passenger lists (1678-1960). They also released Nonconformist Births, Deaths & Burials.
MyHeritage has released the Spanish Newspaper Collection on OldNews.com.
MyHeritage has published the England & Wales Probate Index (1858-1995) and the 1890 New York Police Census.
MyHeritage has now expanded its contents and it is now available in 50 languages, perfect for precise research!
MyHeritage is now home to the complete Swedish Births (1850-1920), Marriages (1850-1945), and Deaths (1850-1945).
MyHeritage introduced Scibe AI, a powerful new feature that uses AI to transcribe, translate, and analyze historical documents and photographs.
FamilySearch announces a collaboration with America250 to celebrate the founding of the United States in 1776.
FamilySearch in March added more than 30 million records from 28 countries.
Listener Email
Judy asks about legal obligations to register a name change in the U.S. Drew responds in detail.
Laurie asks about George's deep dive into Scots-Irish records and reference books he has found helpful and instructive.
Drew recaps his experiences at RootsTech 2026 in Salt Lake City.
Drew will be presenting in person for the Sacramento Roots Cellar Spring Seminar on 18 April 2026. Get the details and register online at https://www.rootcellar.org/.
MyHeritage has released a major update to its Theory of Family Relativity with 103 million new theories.
MyHeritage announced that the 1921 England & Wales Census is now available to search online.
MyHeritage has added 95 million marriage records extracted from newspapers using advanced AI on MyHeritage.
Legacy Family Tree Webinars has expanded to offer a new series of webinars in Spanish.
Newspapers.com and Gannett Co., Inc., are partnering to make hundreds of newspapers available online. [Gannett Co., Inc. has just rebranded as USA Today Co.]
FamilySearch added 21 million new records in October and 18 million new records in November.
Listener Email
Hal Barker writes to encourage people to use the Korean War Project website (https://www.koreanwar.org/) for research on military ancestors and family members involved in this conflict.
Julia writes to inquire about organizing a genealogy society project about the Roe Institute. Drew recommends Trello as a preferred project management software package.
WikiTree will conduct a WikiTree Challenge in which volunteers will deep-dive into George's family tree and hope to break down some walls with new information. You can watch the Kickoff Meeting at 12:00 PM (Eastern Time) at https://wikitree.zoom.us/j/83430757286, and you'll want to watch George's results Reveal on 17 December 2025 at 8:00 PM (Eastern Time) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Ea6XxZFRY.
Shannon Combs-Bennett is a popular genealogy speaker and writer. Her new book, co-authored with Brianne Kirkpatrick, is entitled The DNA Guide for Adoptees: How to Use Genealogy and Genetics to Uncover Your Roots, Connect with Your Biological Family, and Better Understand Your Medical History.
RootsMagic has upgraded and enhanced its Live Chat support at its website. This complements their telephone support and other customer support resources.
Penguin Random House has posted the winning bid to acquire the book publishing rights for F+W Media, which includes Family Tree Books.
American Ancestors, the online site of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, commemorates Juneteenth with the launch of a new website: The GU Memory Project is named for Georgetown University and the 272 enslaved individuals listed on the 1838 bill of sale, and the GU272 Memory Project website (gu272.americanancestors.org) features fully documented genealogies of the families who were sold, along with audio interviews of their modern descendants speaking about a wide range of topics, from personal memories of family members to racism in America.
Findmypast announces new and updated collections including: the Greater London Burial Index; New Jersey Marriage Index, 1901-2016; International Records Update for Sweden, Iceland, and Luxembourg; Lancastershire Baptisms, Marriages and Banns, and Burials; and updates to its British and Irish newspapers.
Ancestry unveiled over 225 new AncestryDNA communities and moved its ThruLines, MyTreeTags, and Improved DNA Matches out of beta and into production.
Drew recaps some major record additions at FamilySearch, including some massive new collections.
Blaine T. Bettinger
This week's discussion between Blaine and Drew focuses on the reasons for Y-DNA testing, how to choose the most appropriate Y-DNA test, and when to upgrade.
Get more from Blaine in the Genetic Genealogy Tips and Techniques group on Facebook, and at Blaine's DNA Central subscription site.
Cyndi Ingle
Cyndi Ingle's "Cyndi Says" segment discusses Using Tabs in Your Browser.
Get more from Cyndi Ingle at Cyndi's List (cyndislist.com).
Our Listeners Talk to Us
Chris wrote about seeking a GEDCOM splitter program for use in breaking his large tree into pieces. He found a program called Splitter at http://www.llenrup.com/.
Petty wants to know if it is still possible to become a professional genealogist and The Guys respond.
Ray is seeking information about early Native American records and other resources that might exist, particularly in North Carolina for Cherokee. The Guys ask our listeners to share information that they might know or suggest.
George and Drew end the episode by discussing some additional ways to improve the use of the physical genealogical workspace.
Thank you to our Patreon supporters! You can also tell your friends or your society about our free podcasts.
Visit The Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com for more news and interesting ideas for your genealogy.
Janet Hovorka, the "Chart Chick", is the co-owner with her husband Kim of Family Chartmasters, a company that produces beautiful printed family trees. She is a popular speaker at genealogy conferences and the author of the Zap the Grandma Gap books.
Thank you to our Patreon supporters! Please tell your genealogy friends or your local genealogy society about our free podcasts.
Visit The Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com for more news and interesting ideas for your genealogy.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #364
17 Jun 2019
01:11:25
Our podcast hosting service, Libsyn, has partnered with Entercom to distribute podcasts on Radio.com. That means that this podcast will be available there.
Drew talks about Apple's announcement that it is discontinuing iTunes in the next version of the macOS, Catalina, and what that means for music, podcast, and television users who upgrade their Mac's operating system this fall.
Findmypast has released Dumfriesshire, Scotland, Death & Burial Index records, Pennsylvania Register of Mine Accidents, Cardiganshire Baptisms, Marriages & Banns, and Burials, Kent Baptisms, Marriages & Banns, and Burials, Phillimore Marriage Registers, and updates to Italian and Danish records.
Drew recaps some major record additions at FamilySearch.
Blaine T. Bettinger's DNA Segment
This week's discussion between Blaine and Drew focuses on creating a DNA testing strategy that will both fit your budget and will get your DNA testing data on as many sites as feasible.
Cyndi Ingle's "Cyndi Says"
Cyndi Ingle's "Cyndi Says" segment discusses how you can use Google to search for specific file types.
Katherine writes to tell us she earlier connected with one of our Unsung Heroes Award winners, Stacy Ashmore Cole.
Scott, Gloria, and Katherine wrote praising the Genealogy Connection interview with Sunny Morton.
Debra wrote about how much she enjoyed the Genealogy Connection interview with Russ Worthington. She also shared two good tips.
Tom wants help and advice about splitting his existing single family tree at Ancestry into multiple trees. Listener suggestions and insights are welcome.
The Guys discuss how they have their home genealogical research workspaces set up, and how George has created lighting under his hutch.
Thank you to our Patreon supporters! You can also tell your friends or your society about our free podcasts.
Visit The Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com for more news and interesting ideas for your genealogy.
Genealogy Connection #056 - Sunny Morton, Writer and Speaker
03 Jun 2019
00:56:44
Sunny Morton is an internationally known and award-winning writer and speaker. In this episode, Sunny shares her thoughts about writing, and discusses her upcoming book about using U.S. church records for genealogical research.
Winners of the Unsung Heroes Awards for 2Q2019 will be announced on Saturday, June 1, 2019, at the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree in Burbank. A special presentation will be made at 1:30 PM in the convention center lobby, followed by the remainder in the Exhibit Hall at the Flip-Pal/Vivid-Pix booth.
The launch of the new Facebook group page, The Genealogy Squad, took place on May 6, 2019. Membership has topped 11,800 in just three weeks and is still growing fast. The principals are Blaine T. Bettinger, Cyndi Ingle, George G. Morgan, and Drew Smith. You can join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogysquad.
News You Can Use and Share
MyHeritage announced the launch of the MyHeritage DNA Health+Ancestry test on May 20, 2019. It includes dozens of personalized and easy-to-understand health reports in addition to the ethnicity results, a chromosome browser, and matching with others in their database. A new kit is $199; an upgrade to your existing DNA kit is $120. Read their announcement at http://blog.genealogyguys.com/search/label/MyHeritage%20Health%20%26%20Ancestry%20Test and learn more at their website.
Ancestry announced that it has surpassed 15 million members in its DNA network.
Findmypast has announced the launch of ancestor sharing for users with family trees online. This is an optional feature.
Findmypast has released Queensland Soldier Portraits (1914-1918), and has announced the launch of over 114 million new birth, christening, marriage, death, and burial records covering 20 European nations (1502-1960).
FamilySearch celebrates 20 years online.
Drew recaps some major record additions at FamilySearch.
Blaine T. Bettinger
This week's discussion between Blaine and Drew focuses on the researcher's problem of confirmation bias, and how it can affect both DNA-based research and traditional genealogical research.
Cyndi Ingle
Cyndi Ingle's "Cyndi Says" segment highlights web resources about archives. She provides links to:
Florence wrote to Vivid-Pix to share her delight with the new software.
John asks about maintaining a source database in MS Word, in Evidentia, or in EndNote. The Guys ask our listeners for their feedback.
Tom and his wife are headed to Washington, DC, in May 2020 and plan to research at NARA. The Guys provide some advice but also ask listeners to share their recommendations for a successful research trip.
Thank you to our Patreon supporters! You can also tell your friends or your society about our free podcasts.
Visit The Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com for more news and interesting ideas for your genealogy.
Russ Worthington may be best known to genealogists as "Cousin Russ," an actual cousin of and friend to DearMyrtle. Russ blogs and speaks online and at conferences about genealogy database software and other technology topics. Russ and Drew talk about the use of online tools and video to educate genealogists, and why Russ doesn't have any brick walls (yet).
Thank you to our Patreon supporters! Please tell your genealogy friends or your local genealogy society about our free podcasts.
Visit The Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com for more news and interesting ideas for your genealogy.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #362
14 May 2019
01:15:08
The Genealogy Guys announced the launch of The Genealogy Squad Facebook Page on May 6, 2019, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogysquad. The principals are Blaine T. Bettinger, Cyndi Ingle, George G. Morgan, and Drew Smith. In the first 7 days, membership has exceeded 8,000 members.
The deadline for nominations for the 2Q2019 Unsung Heroes Awards is midnight Eastern Time, May 15, 2019. Awards will be announced at the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree in Burbank on June 1, 2019. Details and nomination materials are available at https://ahaseminars.com/cpage.php?pt=24.
News You Can Use and Share
The Guys were honored at the Ohio Genealogical Society 2019 Conference in Mason, Ohio, on May 4 with an award acknowledging their exceptional support for the Society and its annual conference.
We are sad to report the passing of Donn Devine, JD, CG Emeritus, of Wilmington, Delaware on May 8, 2019. Donn was a leader in the genealogical community and will be deeply missed.
Vivid-Pix announces a new release of its RESTORE software that includes image metadata creation and Artificial Intelligence image improvement capabilities. A free trial is available for Windows or Mac at https://vivid-pix.com/restore.html. Use code 3GENEALOGYGUYS or 3GENEALOGYGUYSR. Past purchasers receive a free update to RESTORE.
Ancestry posted a blog post describing how the updated Ethnicity Estimate works and how to preserve your older estimate if you so choose (but there's a deadline for that).
MyHeritage recently added the 1940 Denmark Census to its historical database.
The British Newspaper Archive continues to add to its digital titles from Britain and Ireland.
Findmypast has announced the launch of ancestor sharing for users with family trees online. This is an optional feature.
Findmypast has released Queensland Soldier Portraits (1914-1918), Scotland Monumental Inscriptions, Panama Records, new pages for their British and Irish newspapers, British India Office Deaths and burials, an update to the 1939 Register, Bahamas Records, DAR Lineage Books (1890-1921), additions to the Philadelphia Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms and Parish Registers, and Lincolnshire Parish Records.
The Family History Library in Salt Lake City is adding Sunday (main floor only) and longer Monday hours to its schedule.
Drew recaps three weeks of record additions at FamilySearch.
Blaine T. Bettinger
This week's discussion between Blaine and Drew focuses on deciding who to test, how to approach them, and how to manage multiple tests.
Cyndi Ingle
Cyndi Ingle's "Cyndi Says" segment highlights the importance of browsing websites rather than depending solely upon search facilities.
A sampling of major online providers. Browse the collections of records, instead of searching:
George learns that the Girl Scouts also have a genealogy program for its members.
Carol wanted to know how to obtain Vivid-Pix RESTORE directly from the company as opposed to via Amazon.
Marlise talks about how she got involved with her genealogy research during a long illness. She also asked for an interview with an expert on the topic of Jewish DNA.
Jesse detailed his search and brick wall woes for an ancestral line.
Thank you to our Patreon supporters! You can also tell your friends or your society about our free podcasts.
Visit The Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com for more news and interesting ideas for your genealogy.
Genealogy Connection #054 - Crista Cowan, The Barefoot Genealogist
29 Apr 2019
00:50:01
Crista Cowan is Corporate Genealogist at Ancestry.com and known widely as "The Barefoot Genealogist". Crista and Drew discuss the widespread use of video to educate genealogists, and what other directions genealogical education might take going forward.
Thank you to our Patreon supporters! Please tell your genealogy friends or your local genealogy society about our free podcasts.
Visit The Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com for more news and interesting ideas for your genealogy.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #429
09 Sep 2024
00:58:56
News You Can Use and Share!
MyHeritage has acquired MesAieux.com, Quebec's most popular family history service with more than 15 million historical records.
MyHeritage added more than 84 million new records across 16 collections in August 2024.
MyHeritage has added 261 million obituary records to its OldNews facility.
Listener Email
Julie is searching for any Pennsylvania birth records from ca. 1810 and marriage records. The Guys share some suggestions.
Drew talks about his recent participation in WikiTree.com's WikiGames over two weekends.
Drew is currently taking Nathan Dylan Goodwin's online mystery writing class and learning how to develop a compelling genealogical mystery novel.
The Guys discuss U.S. immigration and the naturalization process. They recommend Loretto Dennis Szucs' book, They Became Americans, as a definitive guide to naturalizations.
Thank you to all our Patreon supporting members for their support. Your Patreon support helps us improve our technology and provide even more podcast content to you! You can join us for as little as $1 a month or as much as you'd like to contribute. Visit https://www.patreon.com/genealogyguys to get started.
And don't forget to order Drew's book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, from Genealogical Publishing Company (https://genealogical.com/) or from Amazon.com.
Please let us hear from you at genealogyguys@gmail.com with your experiences with U.S. immigration and naturalizations, and with other questions you have about your genealogical research.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #361
23 Apr 2019
01:10:20
The Genealogy Guys welcome Cyndi Ingle, founder of Cyndi's List, to the podcast for a regular feature called Cyndi Says, beginning with this episode. She joins Blaine T. Bettinger, founder of DNA Central, and his regular featured discussion with Drew about DNA.
We have a big announcement coming on May 1st. Check our blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com that day and our Facebook page.
A reminder that the Genealogy Guys are accepting nominations for the next round of the Unsung Heroes Award. The deadline is midnight on May 15th and winners will be announced on June 1st online and at the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree. Details are at https://ahaseminars.com/cpage.php?pt=24.
News You Can Use and Share
Findmypast has added Poor Law and BMD records for Kent.
Drew recaps free FamilySearch record additions.
Blaine T. Bettinger's DNA Segment
This week's discussion between Blaine and Drew focuses on the Shared cM Project. Blaine operates a subscription-based DNA education service at DNA Central.
Cyndi Ingle's Cyndi Says
Cyndi Ingle's debut of "Cyndi Says" highlights how to use Google to search all the contents of a specific website. You can find more from Cyndi at Cyndi's List!
Our Listeners Talk to Us
Lisa is interested in suggestions for how to engage young people in genealogy. The Guys respond and so can you.
Linda has questions about her second great-grandfather, including whether he might have been indentured to a shipping company, his rapid movement westward, and where she might find his naturalization records.
Thank you to our Patreon supporters! You can also tell your friends or your society about our free podcasts.
Visit The Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com for more news and interesting ideas for your genealogy.
Genealogy Connection #053 - Sue Kaufman, Manager of the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research
16 Apr 2019
00:53:28
Sue Kaufman is the Manager of the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research in Houston, Texas, and has previously worked at the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She has also been active in national and state genealogy societies, and in the American Library Association. She talks with Drew about her path to becoming a genealogy librarian, and how patrons can become better prepared for a visit to a library or other repository.
The Genealogy Guys and Vivid-Pix announce that nominations are being accepted for the next round of the Unsung Heroes Awards. Nominations are due by May 15, 2019, and winners will be announced on June 1, 2019.
The Genealogy Guys announce that Cyndi Ingle, founder of Cyndi's List, will join the podcast for a regular feature called "Cyndi Says".
News You Can Use and Share
Findmypast has added Poor Law and BMD records for Kent.
Drew recaps free FamilySearch record additions.
Book Reviews
George reviews the following books:
Writing a Memoir - from Stuck to Finished! by Karen Dustman
Published: The Proven Path from Blank Page to Published Author by Chandler Bolt
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Families: Baldy, Kerstetter, and Long by Gregory Edwin Price
From the Emerald Isle to the Cream City: A History of the Irish in Milwaukee
The DNA Segment with Blaine T. Bettinger
This week's discussion between Blaine and Drew focuses on DNA testing on ancestral artifacts such as envelopes, stamps, and hair samples, and also covers testing the recently deceased.
Our Listeners Talk to Us
John shares his spreadsheet for comparing families in the early US federal censuses (1790-1840).
Lili let us know that she was successful in getting her lineage society application submitted and approved. Congratulations, Lili!
Neal is trying to obtain a War of 1812 Discharge Certificate for his ancestor from the National Archives and Records Administration.
Daniel's ancestors and family members changed surnames, and he is asking for some reasons why they might have done so.
Ryan is looking for resources about his ancestor who moved from Philadelphia to Nebraska and then back again to help him understand the reasons, the migration route, and more.
Genealogy Connection #052 - Margaret Cheney, Ohio Genealogical Society President
01 Apr 2019
00:52:03
Margaret Cheney is the current president of the Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS), and has served in many roles at the state organization level and as part of her local OGS chapter. She talks about how she first became involved with her local society, about the upcoming OGS conference, about lineage societies, and about why it is important for society members to volunteer.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #359
20 Mar 2019
01:01:10
The Genealogy Guys are using their new sound mixer beginning with this episode. Visit our blog for details about the new equipment. Sincere thanks go out to our sponsors and generous Patreon supporters for making this improvement possible.
The Guys discuss their great experiences at the 2019 Podfest Multimedia Expo.
News You Can Use
MyHeritage has added 7.1 million records of Norwegian Censuses in four collections.
The Canadian Research Knowledge Network has made more than 60 million pages of digitized Canadian heritage documents accessible.
Findmypast has added 23 million new U.S. marriages to its site for searching.
Drew recaps free FamilySearch record additions.
Blaine T. Bettinger and the DNA segment
This week's discussion between Blaine and Drew focuses on recent announcements from MyHeritage regarding their new DNA tools: AutoCluster and the Theory of Family Relativity.
Our Listeners Talk to Us
Listener response to a call for how you use spreadsheets in your research has been strong.
Another Laura tells us she uses spreadsheets when extracting from indexes; to compile each year's data when doing city directory research; and to create a combination timeline/family group sheet/timeline.
Sherry paid for a DNA test for a cousin who has since died. Are there legal questions she should be aware of if she wants to submit the data to GEDmatch?
Bill reports that he has had problems with Ancestry tree data disappearing from RootsMagic. He believes it is an API problem. George heard from another friend on Sunday who has experienced the same problem.
Tom reports that the new Ancestry beta color coding tag system has rendered a Google extension inoperable. Drew tells how to opt out of the Ancestry beta.
Spencer shares two important topics:
Masonic records include applications to join and these can contain much genealogical information.
The librarian at the Webster Memorial Library in Decatur, Van Buren County, Michigan, plans to break up the collections placed there by the Van Buren Regional Genealogical Society. Some materials would be moved to a basement and would no longer be accessible by researchers. Email to the Van Buren Library Board of Directors Chairman, Bruce Cutting, at cutting@ontrakcom.com to complain about this situation is welcome. The Guys make suggestions about written agreements that should be created and signed to clarify such situations.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast and Vivid-Pix announced the first winners of the Unsung Heroes Awards at RootsTech 2019. Visit the blog for details about the winners.
Blaine T. Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., joins us for discussions with Drew about DNA topics on episodes of The Genealogy Guys Podcast starting this week.
The News
MyHeritage made a number of announcements at RootsTech 2019:
Database has doubled since RootsTech 2018.
5 million MyHeritage DNA kits have been sold, the most sales in Europe.
New AutoClusters tool has been introduced to MyHeritage DNA.
Theory of Family Relativity DNA tool has been introduced to MyHeritage DNA to facilitate matching.
MyHeritage has completed digitizing of all of Israel's cemeteries, searchable online with images, locations, and fully transcribed records.
MyHeritage has extended their DNA Quest pro bono initiative to reunite adoptees through free genetic testing.
Ancestry announced 94 new and updated communities for people of African American and Afro-Caribbean descent.
Ancestry announced several new DNA tools, and Blaine and Drew will discuss them later.
Stephen and Tabitha King have donated $1.25 million to the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
Findmypast added over 23 million new U.S. marriage records to their collection.
Findmypast also added Yorkshire Baptisms, Marriage Banns, Marriages, and Burials, and an update to the 1939 Register.
Findmypast has acquired RootsFinder, Inc, a free family tree builder.
Findmypast announced a project to digitize and publish the 1921 Census of England and Wales.
The Archives of Manitoba, Canada, is digitizing over 1,000 reels of microfilm for the Hudson's Bay Company (1670-1870) and placing the records online.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has donated $2 million to the International African American Museum being built in Charleston, South Carolina.
RootsTech London will take place on 24-26 October 2019.
Drew recaps the highlights of the January 2019 record additions and a look at what's coming this year.
A Discussion with Blaine T. Bettinger
This week's discussion between Blaine and Drew focuses on Ancestry.com's newly announced DNA tools. They include a new tool called ThruLines, and a new tool for working with and marking matches (in beta mode), and a Tree Tagging tool (also in beta mode).
Listener Email
Listeners Barb and Vicki also responded to Laura's inquiry in Episode #357 about uses for spreadsheets in genealogy.
Bill reported he had a loss of data between RootsMagic and Ancestry. George referred him ASAP to RootsMagic's Customer Support, and also described how he backs up his RootsMagic data on his computer, on Dropbox, and at an offline storage service.
Tom advises Jewish researchers not to ignore German Catholic records as he has made discoveries of Jewish families' information in those collections.
Tom advises us that he has acquired very old photo albums, and that he in one case reunited it with the descendants. But what about the other one?
The Guys would like to express our sincere gratitude to our Patreon supporters. Your financial contributions are an investment in our ability to provide our services to the genealogical community for free since 5 September 2005.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #357
12 Feb 2019
01:05:19
The Genealogy Guys have returned from their working cruise in the Caribbean on the Norwegian Epic. They want to thank Pat Adams, Annette Burke Lyttle, and Dale Heins of The Villages and Anna Pellegrini of Anchors Aweigh Cruises & Tours for a fabulous trip. You'll find more details on The Genealogy Guys Blog.
Don't forget to get your nomination/submission form in by midnight Eastern Time on 15 February for the first quarterly Unsung Heroes Awards. The Guys and Vivid-Pix RESTORE are sponsoring these awards to sing the praises of individuals, societies, libraries and archives, and young people under age 21 who scan/digitize, index, and transcribe records to make them accessible to researchers worldwide. Nominees need not be huge, prolific producers. You can even nominate yourself. First awards will be made at RootsTech, and we'll select winners every quarter!
The Guys will be announcing another huge revelation of a great new segment on The Genealogy Guys Podcast and can hardly wait! Stay tuned to the podcast, The Genealogy Guys Blog, and our Facebook page.
And don't overlook The Genealogy Guys Blog for more exciting news, commentary, tips and methodologies, and some of our personal research and stories!
The News
MyHeritage added 22.7 million new records during December 2018 and instituted a new DNA upload policy.
MyHeritage will be demonstrating new features and making announcements at their booth at RootsTech. They'll also be live streaming some of their presentations.
MyHeritage has announced that their webinar arm, Legacy Family Tree Webinars, will begin presenting webinars in other languages, starting with one in Spanish, "Cómo explicar los grados de relación familiar" on Feb 13, 2019. Check https://familytreewebinars.com for the schedule as it is announced.
Heather Yvonne McLean of New Zealand has been awarded the Queen's Service Medal for her services to genealogy and historical research. She has invested more than 30 years' service transcribing tombstones.
Genealogy author Nathan Dylan Goodwin has a new short story out, a prequel to one of his characters. It is called The Asylum and is available at Amazon for $.99. However, reader can visit his website at nathandylangoodwin.com for a link where they can download the story for free.
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) has received a wonderful collection of the records and publications from Kinship Books with more to come.
Findmypast has released parish baptisms, marriages, and burial records for Norfolk, Kent, and Middlesex, a new version of the 1939 Register, England Roman Catholic Parish baptisms, marriages, and burial records, Mexico baptisms, marriages, and burial records, Lancashire Wills and Probates, and more newspaper records.
FamilySearch had 5.8 billion records online at the end of 2018 and released a recap of the major additions for the year.
Drew recaps the highlights of the January 2019 record additions and a look at what's coming this year.
Listener Email
Deb is considering purchasing RootsMagic Version 7 but wonders if she should wait until the forthcoming Version 8 is released. RootsMagic tells us that anyone who buys Version 7 now will get Version 8 and its registration key free. Nathan also wrote to let us know he had received the same information.
Traci reminded The Guys that the DNA Doe Project, another non-profit volunteer group working with law enforcement, solved six John/Jane Doe cases. Learn more at http://dnadoeproject.org.
Laura wants to know how people use Excel in genealogy. She is looking for a book on the subject as well. Drew also directed Laura to CyndisList at https://www.cyndislist.com/ where he did a search for "spreadsheet template" where there are many resources listed, including some genealogy templates. Listeners, please email us your ideas and uses to share with Laura!
Keith shared a site called markeverygrave.com where you can purchase small, inexpensive grave markers and permanently affix markers.
Ed wrote with a question about the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) and why it should be an essential part of your research.
Jim wrote about having read a fictional book that mentioned the deaths at the Dozier School for Boys. He recalled Drew's involvement in the real-life research and asked if there has been any updates.
Laura wrote how much she enjoyed the recent interview Drew conducted with Kenyatta Berry. She also explained her emotions at standing at her Revolutionary War ancestors' homes and learning more about them, including their slave ownership.
The Guys would like to express our sincere gratitude to our Patreon supporters. Your financial contributions are an investment in our ability to provide our services to the genealogical community for free since 5 September 2005.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #356
15 Jan 2019
00:38:15
George and Drew welcome their newest podcast sponsor, Vivid-Pix, with an interview with its CEO, Rick Voight. Rick shares his background in the photo industry, and describes his company's RESTORE photo and document restoration software.
George and Drew then announce the partnership between The Genealogy Guys and Vivid-Pix as sponsors of the Unsung Heroes Awards program for individuals and organizations who scan, digitize, index, and/or transcribe photos and documents. Details about the program can be found at vivid-pix.com/unsungheroes, and nominations for the first set of awards are due by February 15, 2019.
Genealogy Connection #051 - Kenyatta Berry, Author of The Family Tree Toolkit
13 Jan 2019
00:51:54
Kenyatta Berry returns to Genealogy Connection to discuss her new book, The Family Tree Toolkit. To learn even more about Kenyatta, also listen to Genealogy Connection #010.
Questions or comments about the show? Email genealogyguys@gmail.com
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #355
06 Jan 2019
01:06:51
The Genealogy Guys take a look back at 2018 and a look ahead at 2019.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #428
30 Jul 2024
00:55:18
News You Can Use and Share!
MyHeritage added 20 million historical records in June.
MyHeritage and Family Tree DNA announced a new partnership to connect DNA tests to family trees.
JewishGen announced a new partnership between its Romania Research Division and the Jewish Federation of Romania to photograph and document Jewish graves.
Drew talks about 19.4 million historical records released by FamilySearch in May 2024.
Book Review
The Guys review the latest book by Nathan Dylan Goodwin, The Deserter's Tale, a new Morton Farrier genealogical crime mystery.
Listener Email
Sam writes about the new RootsMagic 10 update and the book. Drew warns listeners about some fake book entries in Amazon.
Stacy Cole responds to an earlier email about her strategies in researching the James James family in Georgia.
The Guys discuss their experiences at the South Carolina Genealogical Society's summer workshop at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
George shares how Patrick McCawley, the Deputy Director of Archives and Records Management, spent time sharing with him a history of South Carolina's geopolitical organization from colonial times to the present. From parishes to electoral districts to counties and boundary changes, George now has a deeper understanding of South Carolina for his research there.
Thank you to all our Patreon supporting members for their support. Your Patreon support helps us improve our technology and provide even more podcast content to you! You can join us for as little as $1 a month or as much as you'd like to contribute. Visit https://www.patreon.com/genealogyguys to get started.
And don't forget to order Drew's new book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, from Genealogical Publishing Company (https://genealogical.com/) or Amazon.com.
MyHeritage announced that its Family Tree Webinars are now closed-captioned.
The book There is Something About Edgefield is an Award Finalist in the 2018 Best Books Award in the category of History-United States. We reviewed the book in Episode #339. Congratulations!
Findmypast announces a trial of a revolutionary new newspaper search. They also announced records of the Cheshire Diocese of Chester Parish Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials.
Scan-a-Thon, a 72-hour scanning marathon, will take place on 11-14 January 2019. For more information, contact Eowyn Langholf at eowyn@wikitree.com.
FamilySearch was awarded the PRSA Silver Anvil Award for its historic Freedmen's Bureau Project.
Drew recaps the latest in FamilySearch's new images and indexed records.
The Guys describe a great evening with Kenyatta D. Berry at the John F. Germany Public Library in downtown Tampa. A review of her new book, The Family Tree Toolkit: A Comprehensive Guide to Uncovering Your Ancestry and Researching Genealogy, can be viewed on the Genealogy Guys Blog 15 December post.
Listener email includes:
Kudos to George on his post at the Genealogy Guys Blog titled My Parents Married Twice! on 13 December 2018.
Thomas commented on the discussion about DNA beneficiaries in Episode #352.
Hugh asked questions about RootsMagic's interface with Ancestry.com called TreeShare.
Lisa had questions about managing media in Family Tree Maker for Mac.
Lili is working on lineage society applications and wants to know specifically how many sources for each fact are required and/or acceptable.
Roger asks about DNA testing on a lock of hair from his great-great-grandmother.
Betsy is seeking resources about people who went west in the early 1860s to participate in the gold rushes there.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #353
03 Dec 2018
01:11:34
The news includes:
MyHeritage announced Shared Ancestral Places, a new facility in its MyHeritage DNA.
MyHeritage announced that artifact testing is on its way.
MyHeritage held a very successful conference, MyHeritage LIVE, in Oslo, Norway, and videos of the keynote by Gilad Japhet and 23 other presentations are available for free at https://familytreewebinars.com/MHLIVE2018.
Findmypast has added 106K Pennsylvania Cemetery & Burial records, and a variety of English and Scotland military records.
Findmypast has partnered with Living DNA to launch a new discovery experience with a breakdown of 80 global regions, including 21 across Britain and Ireland.
FamilySearch is partnering with the Dallas Public Library to digitize the library's extensive family history book collection.
FamilySearch announced free access to more than 150 million Italian historical genealogical records.
Drew summarizes the new and updated collections at FamilySearch.
Drew reviews two new books:
Nathan Dylan Goodwin has published a new book, Ghost Swifts, Blue Poppies, and the Red Star. It introduces a new character, Mrs. Harriett Agnes McDougall, who investigates the circumstances surrounding her son's death during the Great War.
Family Tree Books has published a new edition of Nancy Hendrickson's book, The Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com. The new book provides great advice for maximizing your use and searches of Ancestry.com and features new chapters about AncestryDNA.
Drew explains what the recent announcement means that in rare instances a male can pass mitochondrial DNA to his offspring.
Listener email includes:
Susie thanks George for his recent presentations in Roswell, New Mexico, and says she has already been applying new techniques she learned in a recent research trip to Vermont.
Statch thanks The Guys for a recent blog post about money used in colonial America. They remind people to read the blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com where they will find that post and recent posts about:
Using a perpetual calendar
School records
Online library reference resources
African Americans and Native Americans
Hispanic resources
Jewish resources
Linda thanks The Guys for explaining why the Castle Garden website and Stephen Morse's One-Step searches reveal different results. She also recommends Amy Johnson Crow's Generations Café podcast and specifically her episode on Overlooked Things on FamilySearch.
John shared his experience with searching census records for his family surname, how the enumerators butchered it, and how he used various keywords for his ancestor's medical profession to locate misspelled and mis-indexed records.
Laura turned on FamilySearch WebHints in her RootsMagic database and found many new records. In particular, she describes three marriage records that provided new insights for her family.
Van is caught up with listening to all of our podcasts! He writes about research into South Carolina records and discusses questions about family groups found. Included are the used of DNA in this research.
Joseph wrote in response to Beth's Mennonite research in Episode #352, and provided some reference sites to help with Pennsylvania Mennonite research:
Daniel responded from Spain about Laura's DNA "mess" and raised the issue of financial impacts of sharing the stories.
Kelvin wrote about DNA artifact testing and comments on how helpful he is finding discussions on the Genetic Genealogy Tips & Techniques Facebook group. Interested listeners may want to join.
Tedi asked about genealogical software that can be used on both a desktop and iPad.
The Guys discussed a brand-new DNA tool, Genetic Affairs, which can currently be used with your AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and Family Tree DNA results in order to cluster results. The tool's website is at http://geneticaffairs.com and has a 12-page manual available for download.
Genealogy Connection #050 - Ari Wilkins, Speaker, Researcher, and Library Associate
19 Nov 2018
00:52:43
Ari Wilkins is a popular speaker at genealogy conferences and a faculty member at IGHR. She is on the genealogy staff of the Dallas Public Library, and has an expertise in African-American research.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #352
11 Nov 2018
01:10:05
The news includes:
MyHeritage recently held a very successful conference, MyHeritage LIVE, in Oslo, Norway. There were a number of announcements about their DNA testing, including a forthcoming ability to test envelopes and stamps for DNA. More details about all their announcements will be posted on The Genealogy Guys Blog.
Drew summarizes the new and updated collections at FamilySearch.
Listener email includes:
Ron sends a follow-up from the Wilson-Cobb Library Genealogy Workshop at which George presented in Roswell, New Mexico. He discusses state-level veterans' compensation records and the rich personal and genealogical information they can contain.
Linda asks about records of the Castle Garden immigration processing site in New York, and wonders why she gets different results from the Castle Garden website (http://www.castlegarden.org/) than from Stephen P. Morse's One-Step search facility (https://stevemorse.org/).
Jennifer tells us about the Android smartphone app for listening to podcasts called Podcast Addicts.
Jennifer asks for advice concerning research on her Mennonite ancestors in the Saucon, Pennsylvania, area. The Guys ask for information and suggestions from our listeners.
Tom asks for online sources for Scottish Military Records. George suggests:
One listener discusses uploading DNA results to multiple sites to maximize matches and contacts.
Jim shares the details of some of his DNA test results that revealed some Non-Paternal Events (NPEs). He describes his attempts to contact his newly-discovered half-brother and some reactions from him and another family member.
The Guys share where they have recently presented and upcoming events through December.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #351
23 Oct 2018
01:03:10
The Guys celebrate the publication of their 400th episode (of the two podcasts taken together)!
MyHeritage has become a Presenting Partner with Eurovision for its 2019 Eurovision Song Contest.
RootsTech 2019 registration has opened for the annual Salt Lake City conference on February 27-March 2, 2019
Church of Ireland records will be digitized with the award of a €100,000 government grant.
200 million records for the Netherlands are now accessible at the multi-lingual website Open Archives – http://www.openarch.nl.
Fans of Nathan Dylan Goodwin can preorder his new book, Ghost Swifts, Blue Poppies and the Red Star, in Kindle version at all Amazon websites.
The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) has announced the opening of the Richard E. Lackey Scholarship to support attendance at Gen-Fed 2019. Details and application are available at http://www.gen-fed.org/.
Findmypast has released new records for Welsh Parish Records, Kent Parish Records, Northumberland and Durham Burials, Middlesex Baptisms, the 939 Register, and more.
Drew summarizes the new and updated collections at FamilySearch.
Listener email includes:
Jean writes about a Long Island library conference and the inclusion of The Guys' books as recommended buys.
Ed writes about a cousin who is beginning her search for birth parents.
Brad asks for advice on getting started on preparations for his family's upcoming 300th anniversary, including recommendations for what software or websites to use to collaborate with relatives.
Robin is looking for a free GEDCOM viewer.
Kelly follows up on her earlier email about mega-trees.
Nikki poses questions about:
Mega-trees
Ancestors in psychiatric hospitals and suicides
What to expect at a local genealogical society meeting
Resources for researching slave ancestors
What kind of education might be pursued so she can help others with their genealogy
Richard asks Drew for more information about researching manuscript collections.
Drew discusses GEDmatch, a tool for extending your research reach with your autosomal DNA test results and matching others who have tested.
Genealogy Connection #049 - Angela Walton-Raji, Speaker, Writer, and Podcaster
08 Oct 2018
01:10:21
Angela Walton-Raji is a popular genealogy speaker, writer, blogger, and podcaster, with a focus on African-American and Native American research. You can learn more about Angela and her podcast at her website, African Roots Podcast.
Genealogy Connection #048 - Lisa Alzo, Writer and Speaker
01 Oct 2018
00:53:41
Lisa Alzo is a popular genealogy writer and speaker, and the author of the book The Family Tree Polish, Czech and Slovak Genealogy Guide: How to Trace Your Family Tree in Eastern Europe. You can learn more about Lisa at lisaalzo.com.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #350
22 Sep 2018
01:06:53
The news includes:
AncestryDNA released new ethnicity estimates for all its DNA users.
MyHeritage now supports uploads of 23andMe v5 and Living DNA data files.
MyHeritage has partnered with British retailer WHSmith to sell DNA kits in their stores in Europe.
RootsTech announces plans for an international RootsTech in London, England, 24-26 October 2019 at the ExCel London Convention Centre.
David Rencher, Chief Genealogy Officer at FamilySearch, has been appointed Director of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
The Federation of Genealogical Societies announces leadership changes.
The Association of Professional Genealogists announces the three winners of the 2018 Young Professional Scholarships.
Findmypast has released new Irish records, Wiltshire registers and records, Westmorland registers and records, Nebraska births, Electoral Registers, Jersey German Occupation Identity Cards, and Jersey German Occupation Prosecutions.
Drew summarizes the new and updated collections at FamilySearch.
As follow-up to the discussion about organizing browser bookmarks on Episode #345, George announces publication of his article, "Use Bookmarks to Cluster Your Resources", in the September 2018 issue of the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly.
Listener email includes:
Julienne wrote to express how much she enjoyed Drew's interview of Amy Johnson Crow (Genealogy Connection episode #46).
Linda replied to Kelly (Episode #349) on the subject of why someone would have a massive online family tree. She explains her extensive research of family from the 1600s and the links she has made to build and successfully research her lines.
Teresa asks about genealogy software programs, Family Tree Maker and RootsMagic.
Hugh discusses finding vintage photos and secondhand postcards at flea markets and other venues.
Judy provides two very important tips for researchers:
Don't assume the ethnicity of people who settled an area as you might miss excellent documentary sources.
The Library of Virginia has made indices and images of Chancery Court records for many counties available online at http://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/.
Laura wrote to describe the "mess" she found as a result of DNA testing, particularly with people whose fathers were revealed as not their fathers. She asks about the ethical issues involved with revealing such findings. Listeners are encouraged to share their opinions and experiences.
Genealogy Connection #047 - Diahan Southard, DNA Expert, Speaker, and Writer
08 Sep 2018
00:56:11
Diahan Southard is a very popular speaker and writer on the topic of DNA testing. Learn more about Diahan at her website Your DNA Guide.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #349
24 Aug 2018
01:02:05
The Guys ask that you visit iTunes and leave a review for The Genealogy Guys Podcast. This will help support our efforts that have been going on for nearly 13 years, making us the longest-running genealogy podcast.
MyHeritage will host MyHeritage Live, an international conference in Oslo, Norway, on 2-4 November 2018. Full details about the event are at https://live2018.myheritage.com/.
FamilySearch has released an expanded, indexed collection of the Ellis Island Immigrant Records 1820-1957. The records are accessible at their website and at the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation site.
Listener email includes:
Two of our listeners named Jim shared news that a new genealogical mystery by Steve Robinson in the Jefferson Tayte series, Letters from the Dead, has been published.
Andrew asks about when to trust other people's family trees.
Kelly asks how reliable the mega-trees are on Ancestry.
Kathleen shared that Texas residents can obtain a free library card from the Houston Public Library that will provide remote access to many online databases, including genealogical ones.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #427
30 Jun 2024
00:52:53
News You Can Use and Share!
MyHeritage added 123 million historical records in April and May.
MyHeritage added millions of Nordic newspaper pages to OldNews.com.
RootsMagic has released Version 10 of its award-winning software.
Listener Email
Jean-Daniel wrote to share an update about his research into Blaise Farny.
Karin educates us about names for Austrian 'sailors'.
Lisa wrote to compliment Cathleen from New Hampshire's research of her mother's paternal grandfather, Georg Sokop. She was inspired to research a friend's Jewish ancestry using DNA.
Ray has been researching his third great-grandfather, James James, and located two people of that name in close proximity. The county courthouse burned, and he is asking for other records to distinguish between the two men.
Drew discusses the upcoming South Carolina Genealogical Society's upcoming conference at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History on 12-13 July 2024. He is presenting, and George will be there observing and conducting personal research in the archive.
George shares how he is preparing for his genealogical research at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, at the Newberry County courthouse, and in the upstate South Carolina environs.
Drew discusses new features of AncestryDNA tools.
Thank you to all our Patreon supporting members for their support. Your Patreon support helps us improve our technology and provide even more podcast content to you! You can join us for as little as $1 a month or as much as you'd like to contribute. Visit https://www.patreon.com/genealogyguys to get started.
And don't forget to order Drew's new book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, from Genealogical Publishing Company (https://genealogical.com/) or Amazon.com.
The Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com has published many new articles since the last podcast. Expand your experiences with our postings there.
Construction of the International African-American Museum (IAAM) will begin in 2019 in Charleston, South Carolina, after a new $11M pledge was received.
Join The Genealogy Guys, C. Ann Staley, and Blaine Bettinger on a Caribbean genealogy cruise in February. Sponsored by the Villages Genealogical Society, full details are available at https://vgsfl.org/cpage.php?pt=167.
MyHeritage has released a new and extensive filtering system for DNA Matches.
MyHeritage has opened registration for its "MyHeritage LIVE" International Users Conference, to be held 2-4 November 2018 in Oslo, Norway. Full details and registration can be found at https://live2018.myheritage.com/.
Findmypast and Living DNA have announced a partnership for DNA testing for ancestral origins in England and Ireland.
Findmypast has released new records for Lancashire, England; Queensland, Australia; and extensive Scotland marriages, testaments, and apprentices.
FamilySearch has added 29 million Netherlands records.
Drew shares highlights of many new and expanded FamilySearch collections.
Listener email includes:
Linda reminds listeners that there is a wealth of excellent genealogy information in our podcasts going back all the way to the beginning.
Juliet in the UK thanks us for the podcasts, and especially Drew's discussion of setting goals to focus research. Drew is also posting articles on this topic at the blog.
Linda shared a great resource for learning how to read old Scottish documents at ScottishHandwriting.com (http://www.scottishhandwriting.com/).
Mary Ann located a book about slave ancestors and their names at the free Project Gutenberg website at https://www.gutenberg.org/. The book is The Underground Railroad by William Still.
John shared some great thoughts about recording data on transgender family members.
David Mann, founder of Heirloom Software (https://heirloomsoftware.com/), shared information about their forthcoming release of Origins (https://heirloomsoftware.com/origins/). The software is in beta testing now, but includes extensive DNA management tools, the ability to record details about any person (male, female, transgender), any relationship information, and more.
Sara shared information about a US naturalization document, the Declaration of Intention, for her great-great-grandfather, Joseph Winzer. George and Drew delved into this person and his family and discovered a lot of documents that provided new information. We will be publishing our research, along with document images, maps, and more in the blog over the next couple of weeks. You're going to want to follow along!
Susan shared information about another Boddie person to Drew.
Steve shares information about a letter to the editor from the Lincoln [Nebraska} Star from 10 April 1918 concerning German-Americans caught up in the anti-German hysteria during World War I.
Genealogy Connection #046 - Amy Johnson Crow, Speaker and Blogger
30 Jul 2018
00:53:23
Amy Johnson Crow is a popular speaker and blogger on a wide variety of genealogical topics. Learn more about Amy at her website amyjohnsoncrow.com
Genealogy Connection #045 - Randy Whited, Speaker and Volunteer
23 Jul 2018
01:01:25
Randy Whited is a popular genealogy speaker on such topics as DNA and technology, as well as genealogy society management. He is the current president of the Texas State Genealogical Society.
The Society of Genealogists in London (http://www.sog.org.uk) has accorded to Cyndi Ingle the prestigious Prince Michael Of Kent Award for services to genealogy for many years of dedication with Cyndi's List (https://www.cyndislist.com).
Blaine Bettinger has announced that DNA Central (www.DNA-Central.com), the world's first and largest membership website dedicated entirely to DNA and genetic genealogy education, has issued a request for webinar proposals for its 2018-2019 webinar schedule.
Findmypast has released new Berkshire registers and records, Scotland Jacobite Histories, and 109K additions to the Greater London Burial Index.
Drew shares highlights of new and expanded FamilySearch collections.
Listener email includes:
In response to the topic of the slave bill of sale discussed in Episode #346, we obtained permission to post the document images. We received several listener and reader comments almost immediately:
Sharon advises us that the images are actually two separate documents: the bill of sale for the slave named Jack, and one page from the estate inventory of Major Joseph Ryan.
Laura asks for advice about how to enter data on transgender family members since their gender and name changes.
Nick discussed the Family Historian program and alternatives.
Linda is a longtime genealogist and is feeling overwhelmed with many new areas and features of genealogy. Drew provides some methods for becoming savvier over time and setting goals for yourself.
Steve writes about locating World War II Draft Cards for the younger men's draft at FamilySearch.
Debra Dudek has written a book, World War I Genealogy Research Guide, and is sending a copy for The Guys to review. Stay tuned for this and other reviews!
The Guys discuss the importance of setting research goals to avoid getting distracted by the BSOs (Bright Shiny Objects) or going down the genealogy rabbit hole. There are some great ideas for you, and Drew has posted about Goals at The Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com. Let us hear your best ways to set goals and focus your research.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #346
04 Jul 2018
01:01:29
The news includes:
MyHeritage has launched a new filtering system for DNA matches, making it easy to view subsets that match the criteria you enter.
MyHeritage has opened a European distribution center for DNA kits to meet the high demand in the region, and it will expedite both delivery of kits to users and will aggregate and accelerate shipments to the processing lab in the U.S.
MyHeritage has expanded its pro bono DNA Quest to include an additional 5,000 kits to help reunite separated migrant children in the U.S. with their parents.
The New England Historic Genealogical Society announced the release of its new database, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880, at their AmericanAncestrors.com website.
Findmypast has released new Canada Obituaries, and Wiltshire Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials collections.
Drew shares highlights of new and expanded FamilySearch collections.
Listener email includes:
Bill tells Drew that his book Organize Your Genealogy has shot down all his excuses for not making great progress.
Lawrence asks for suggestions about tracing his 2X great-grandfather, John William Jeffery, who is a brick wall. The Guys provide a number of suggestions.
George has a new article in the July/August issued of Your Genealogy Today Magazine titled "Circular Genealogy" that might also give Lawrence and other researchers some help with brick walls.
Kathy applauds Drew's response in Episode #344 to Mike's email about Resistance Genealogy.
Kathy sent a slave bill of sale and estate inventory that a friend found and asks about where the documents might be donated.
The Guys discuss the launch of their new Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com/. They talk about the reasons for publishing the blog and the kinds of information that are being included there. George highlights some topics recently posted, and The Guys talk about how their own research strategies will be published as examples of methods.
Drew then discusses how to access and subscribe to the Genealogy Guys Blog and others using Feedly. Feedly (https://feedly.com/) is a news aggregator application for various web browsers and mobile devices running iOS and Android, also available as a cloud-based service. It allows you to subscribe to blogs and then to easily access and read them.
The Guys remind everyone that The Villages Genealogical Society is hosting a genealogy cruise in the Caribbean from February 2nd to 9th, and there are details at https://vgsfl.org/cpage.php?pt=167. The Guys will be speakers along with Blaine Bettinger and Ann Staley. It promises to be a great time combining a winter getaway and genealogy on the beautiful Norwegian Cruise Line Epic. Join us for a fabulous getaway!
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #345
14 Jun 2018
01:00:56
The news includes:
MyHeritage announced the addition in May of another 1 billion records, bringing the total to over 9 billion records. They just added 11 new collections with another 9.8 million records.
MyHeritage has moved the Pedigree View of family trees from View Only Mode to full Edit Mode, allowing the addition, deletion, and editing of records while viewing the tree.
Findmypast has added Chicago Roman Catholic baptisms, marriages, and burial records, as well as parish records. New Irish National School Registers have also been added.
Drew shares highlights of new and expanded FamilySearch collections.
Drew discusses the recent security hack of MyHeritage user email addresses and hashed (encrypted) passwords. In addition, he discusses MyHeritage's release of its new Two-Factor Authentication facility, which provides stronger security if you choose to use it.
Listener email includes:
Judy asks about Mindy Jacox's Online research log.
Barbara tells us about libraries' use of RBDigital's service that provides library patrons with free access to magazine titles.
George reminds everyone that public libraries provide online access to people with library cards to databases, newspapers, magazines, and digital collections with a simple login.
Ralph wants to know more about the New York records that are being focused on by Reclaim the Records (reclaimtherecords.org).
Margie discusses Drew's interview with Tim Pinnick and his mention of Roslyn, Washington. She talks about the many diverse cemeteries there and its historical past.
Jim provides insights into Kristopher's search for ancestors in Poland (Episode 341) and suggests some excellent free resources at JewishGen (jewishgen.org).
The Guys extensively discuss how to get the most out of bookmarks in your browser. George discusses how to organize bookmarks, and the fact that you can bookmark more than just webpages. Drew provides some insights from his experience.
Genealogy Connection #044 - Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, Speaker
05 Jun 2018
00:52:30
Peggy Clemens Lauritzen is a popular speaker at national and state conferences and in webinars. Her numerous speaking topics include those about Southern U.S. research. You can find out more about her expertise at https://misspeggy55.weebly.com/
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #344
29 May 2018
01:00:22
The news includes:
The New England Historic Genealogical Society and the Ontario [Canada] Genealogical Society have announced a collaboration of membership and other services.
Findmypast has updated its 1939 Register collection with 64K newly opened records. It also announced it will begin publishing Kent County Original Parish Registers later this year.
Drew shares highlights of expanded FamilySearch collections.
The Guys discuss the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) issued by the European Union (EU). These affect privacy of personal information. Learn what impact GDPR has on genealogists, and why you are being inundated with emails about new privacy rules.
Listener email includes:
Corrine expresses thanks for the announcement about the new book, Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards, edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
Mike writes to ask about #resistancegenealogy.
Margaret shares her experiences working with the Library of Congress Digital Collections.
Matt writes a follow-up to his question in Episode #340 about his DNA ethnicity reporting.
Tom writes about his research into the ancestry of his WWI ancestors. He shares several helpful resources he used as alternatives to the service records destroyed/damaged in the fire at the National Personnel Records Center on 12 July 1973.
Genealogy Connection #043 - Timothy Pinnick, Speaker, Writer, and Bookseller
21 May 2018
00:59:52
Timothy Pinnick is a popular speaker at genealogy conferences as well as a noted author. His company History and Genealogy Spotlight specializes in African-American history and genealogy books. You can find out more about Tim's books and other activities at www.blackcoalminerheritage.net
The Genealogy Guys #343
14 May 2018
01:04:14
The news includes:
MyHeritage announced release of a Pedigree View mode for MyHeritage family trees.
MyHeritage added 27 million new historical records in March. They also have added Inbox and Scanner features to their mobile app.
Parabon NanoLabs announced the general availability of its Snapshot Genetic Genealogy Service, which provides investigators with a new tool for solving crimes with evidence from an unknown DNA source. (See https://snapshot.parabon-nanolabs.com) for additional information. CeCe Moore is leading this new unit.
Findmypast has added Scots-Irish in North America Histories, Surrey Baptisms, more Yorkshire Burials, and new images and articles in PERSI.
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society has begun work on a guide to New York State Archives. It is expected to be released in 2019.
FamilySearch has added its 2 billionth image of genealogy records.
A new book, Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards, edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills, with 26 chapters written by 22 experts, has just been published by Genealogical Publishing Company.
George reviews the latest book by Nathan Dylan Goodwin, author of the Forensic Genealogist crime mysteries. It consists of two publications. The Wicked Trade is a book about smuggling on the coast of southeastern England in the 1820s and an investigation into a woman associated with smugglers. The Suffagette's Secret is a novella about the British women's suffrage movement in the early 1900s and about the women who made it happen. Both works are based on well-researched, historically accurate events, and include composite characters investigated by Morton Farrier, the Forensic Genealogist. George gives an enthusiastic thumbs-up to these installments in Goodwin's impressive series.
Listener email includes:
Joseph writes about the reenactment of the wedding at Pennsbury Manor, William Penn's home.
Tom wrote again to review his work with Tropy at https://tropy.org/, the document management tool
Tom asks for suggestions about equipment/hardware for capturing digital oral interviews.
Mahlon Erickson wrote with an update of his Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index, which now contains over 650,000 entries.
Larry wrote to discuss the AncestryDNA testing service and issues about access to family trees for non-subscribers.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast #426
21 May 2024
01:08:09
News You Can Use and Share!
MyHeritage added 71 million historical records in March, including French censuses!
MyHeritage added three important New York City historical records collections, including indices and images.
MyHeritage has added a multi-photo scanner to the MH mobile app.
The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in College Park, Maryland, has unveiled a new Mass Digitization Center. It will address digitizing records in various formats up to 10 times faster yearly.
American Ancestors has announced the appointment of Ryan J. Woods as its new President and CEO.
Ancestry announced its largest partnership with the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to date. As part of the project, Ancestry will invest over the next five years to digitize tens of millions of records that will be added to Ancestry.com.
Ancestry has made a new record collection available to honor the 125,000 persons of Japanese descent who were unjustly imprisoned in the U.S. between December 1942 and January 1948.
FindMyPast has added more recent new records to its collections of Scotland Deaths (1855-2024), England and Wales Deaths (2007-2024), and Northern Ireland Deaths (1980-2024).
Listener Email
Cathleen describes her research into her mother's paternal grandfather, Georg Sokop, including traditional and DNA investigations. She is looking for advice to extend her research.
Don writes about Swedish research, including Swedish churches and membership lists, and the resources at Ancestry and ArchivDigital.
Jean-Daniel wrote to thank us for sharing an email about Blaise Farny. He now has a great to-do list. He has located an Ivoryette photo of Farny from 1892, and is investigating to locate the original among family members so that he can see if anything is written on the back.
Tom wrote to follow up on slide scanning, and to suggest resources for scanning long panorama photos. He also discusses the Stories Behind the Stars Project, which seeks to preserve and expand the information about the more than 421,000 Americans who lost their lives in WWII. Check the STARS website at https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/.
Nick let us know about his efforts to organize thousands of notes in Evernote, doing several each day.
Drew discusses attending his 50th high school reunion, what a wonderful time we had, and how important it was.
Drew will be presenting at the South Carolina Genealogical Society Conference on 12-13 July at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia. George will also be attending and conducting personal research.
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Genealogy Connection #042 - Brooke Schreier Ganz, Founder and President of Reclaim the Records
30 Apr 2018
01:04:32
Brooke Schreier Ganz is the founder and president of Reclaim the Records, a not-for-profit group dedicated to obtaining access to important genealogical records held by state and local government agencies under the relevant state freedom of information laws. Learn more about Brooke and Reclaim the Records by visiting www.reclaimtherecords.org
The Genealogy Guys #342
23 Apr 2018
00:59:02
The news includes:
MyHeritage announced the expansion of DNA Quest, its pro bono initiative to help adoptees and their birth families through genetic testing. DNA Quest is extended worldwide, with the deadline for applications being received through the end of April. Learn more at http://dnaquest.org.
Ancestry has announced that Margo Georgiadis, formerly of Mattel, will become its new CEO on 10 May 2018.
Findmypast has added a new collection, the England & Wales Electoral Registers 1920. They have also begun beta testing of their new world FindMyPast family tree. See https://www.findmypast.co.uk/worldtree for more details.
Drew shares updates from FamilySearch.
The Guys share some interviews with attendees at the 2018 Ohio Genealogical Society Conference, held in Columbus, Ohio, on 11-14 April 2018.
Actionable Information You Can Use: Your new challenge is to spend one hour going through the Library of Congress Digital Collections at https://www.loc.gov/collections/ to locate items that can help you put your ancestral family into historical context. Send your interesting finds to The Guys at genealogyguys@gmail.com.
Listener email includes:
Ed writes about using JewishGen (https://www.jewishgen.org/) as a resource for locating Russian villages, especially prior to WWII.
Genealogy Connection #041 - James M. Beidler, Speaker and Writer
09 Apr 2018
01:01:04
James M. Beidler speaks and writes on a number of genealogy topics, with a focus on German and Pennsylvania research. He is the author of several genealogy books, including his newest book about historical newspaper research. To learn more about Jim, visit his website at http://jamesmbeidler.com/