Finding where your ancestor worked can lead to much more than an occupation. An employer or workplace can uncover coworkers, company records, newspaper stories, migration clues, accidents, photographs, and an entire community that surrounded your ancestor. An occupation tells you what your ancestor did. An employer or workplace can tell you where, with whom, and […]
Author: Kenneth R Marks
Kenneth R Marks was born and educated in the San Francisco Bay Area, receiving a BS in Mathematics in 1968. His career was in Information Technology; with the last 20 Years as a software executive with Boeing, Pearson, and NASA. His genealogy career began in 2004. He is an expert in newspaper research for genealogy, as well as additional genealogy topics. He regularly conducts webinars on the subject and has authored three genealogy books. See the About page for more details.
The Ancestor Hunt, founded in 2008, is focused on helping genealogy and family history researchers of all skill levels to achieve their goals, by providing links to free online genealogy collections, and search tips and techniques, largely via easy-to-understand Quick Reference Guides.
Found an “infant” in an old record? Don’t automatically picture a baby. Historically, the word could describe a minor—including someone well into their teens or even approaching adulthood. The Myth If a historical record describes someone as an “infant,” that person must have been a baby or very young child. Today, the word infant almost […]
Are you doing Minnesota genealogy research and looking for Free Online Minnesota Genealogy Records? Click on a link for your desired category’s free collection links: NewspapersYearbooksBirthsMarriagesDeathsBMD RecordsAlumni RecordsCemetery RecordsChurch RecordsCoroner RecordsCriminal RecordsDigital ArchivesDirectoriesDivorce RecordsImmigration RecordsInstitutional RecordsMilitary RecordsMortuary RecordsNaturalizationsObituariesPhotosProbate and WillsSchool RecordsTax RecordsVoter Records Good Luck and Happy Hunting! Want All of the Minnesota’s Genealogy Resources […]
The other people living under your ancestor’s roof may be telling you something. Boarders, lodgers, servants, relatives, and seemingly unrelated household members can reveal family connections, migration patterns, occupations, and relationships you might otherwise miss. When you find an ancestor in a census, directory, or other household record, it is natural to concentrate on the […]
Your ancestor’s neighbors may have been relatives, friends, coworkers, or fellow migrants—and sometimes researching them can tell you more about your ancestor than another search for the ancestor’s name. Neighbors are easy to overlook in genealogy. We find our ancestor in a census, directory, land record, or other source, extract the information we need, and […]
A record made soon after an event may be excellent evidence—but being first does not automatically make it right. The Myth Genealogists are often taught to favor records created close to the time an event occurred. There is good reason for that. Memories can fade, stories can change, and information recorded decades later may be […]
Are you doing Florida genealogy research and looking for Free Online Florida Genealogy Records? Click on a link for your desired category’s free collection links: NewspapersYearbooksBirthsMarriagesDeathsBMD RecordsAlumni RecordsCemetery RecordsChurch RecordsCoroner RecordsCriminal RecordsDigital ArchivesDirectoriesDivorce RecordsImmigration RecordsInstitutional RecordsMilitary RecordsMortuary RecordsNaturalizationsObituariesPhotosProbate and WillsSchool RecordsTax RecordsVoter Records Good Luck and Happy Hunting! Want All of the Florida’s Genealogy Resources […]
An ancestor’s occupation can reveal far more than how they earned a living—it can point to records, relationships, locations, and major changes in their life. Occupation is one of those details genealogists often collect almost automatically. Farmer. Carpenter. Teacher. Miner. Railroad worker. We add the occupation to our family tree and perhaps enjoy knowing a […]
Given Name Abbreviations Historical records, newspapers, and family documents often use abbreviated given names rather than the full name. Understanding common Swedish given name abbreviations can help you locate records that might otherwise be overlooked. Name Abbreviation Anders And. Anna A. Åsa Å. Bengt Bgt. Birgitta Birg. Carina Car. Cecilia Cec. Christer Chr. Daniel Dan. […]
A courthouse fire may have destroyed important records—but “burned courthouse” does not automatically mean “nothing survived.” The Myth Few discoveries discourage a genealogist faster than learning that an ancestor lived in a “burned county.” The courthouse burned. Records were destroyed. Therefore, the records you need no longer exist. Sometimes records truly were lost. Fires, floods, […]