Top 40 Genealogy Blogs for 2013

The year 2013 is not even over and Family Tree Magazine has come up with its list of the top 40 genealogy blogs for the year.

It may be nice to find your favorite blog in the list…sort of affirming. But the real value of the list may well be revealing blogs you did not know about.

And another thought…is the 41st blog any less valuable? I think not. So keep your own list in your “Feeds” and “Favorites.”

Check out the list at:

Top 40 Genealogy Blogs for 2013 - Family Tree Magazine

Knowing Naming Conventions Can Help Your Research

Knowing how different groups name their children by convention can often help in your research. There is no guarantee, of course, that the convention will be followed by any specific family, but there is the chance when all else fails that a valuable research hint may be uncovered.

Michael Leclerc, writing in the Mocavo Genealogy Blog, tells us some of those naming conventions, and gives examples of how they can possibly get us past some research roadblocks.

Check out his article at:
A Rose by Any Other Name: 5 Tips for Using Onomastics in Your Research » Mocavo Blog - News, Announcements & More from the World's Largest Free Genealogy Search Engine

Desktop Genealogy Program vs. Internet

A frequently asked question in our society meetings and classes is whether a person should keep his genealogy information on his computer (using a genealogy software program), or keep it in an online tree.

James Tanner, writing in his blog Genealogy’s Star, gives us his thoughts on the answer to that question. He raises some really good points to consider, among them that the question in becoming increasingly difficult to answer.

This is a great read, and you can find his article at:

Genealogy's Star: Do you still need a desktop (local) genealogy program?

Top 40 Genealogy Blogs for 2013

Family Tree Magazine has released its list of top forty genealogy blogs for 2013. New or experienced genealogists will find this worthwhile. Cruise the list to see what you may be missing out on.

You can find the list at:

Top 40 Genealogy Blogs for 2013 - Family Tree Magazine

Only Children With No Descendants

Only children with no descendants can leave an unexpected treasure trove of information about some of those “hard to find” ancestors.

Michael Neill explains this in his Genealogy Tip of the Day blog which can be found at:

Genealogy Tip of the Day: Only Children With No Descendants

Copy Pedigrees At Your Own Risk

We have probably all experienced the excitement of finding a pedigree online that intersects with ours. The temptation to incorporate those new relationships into our family is over-powering.

But I trust that you are aware of the dangers of doing just that. There is the possibility that the information is incorrect, and it may be that it is not information about your line at all.

James Tanner, writing in his blog Genealogy’s Star, gives some examples of the trouble one can get into when accepting the research results of others without question.

His article is one that gives cautions as well as a balanced view of how such information could be used. Check out his article at:

Genealogy's Star: The Danger of Copying Pedigrees

Which Location To Use…Modern or Historic

We have probably all faced the decision of whether to enter in our genealogy databases the historic or modern location associated with an ancestor’s life event. You know the situation I’m talking about: the town where the event occurred in say 1840 is not the same name it goes by today, or the county of that day didn’t even exist back then. The question is…which location do you use?

James Tanner, writing in his blog Genealogy’s Star, gives us several examples of that issue as well as some good advice on how to make the recording decision.

You can read James’ article at:

Genealogy's Star: The Location Quandry

Just What Is The Surrogate…Legally?

If you are puzzled by the term “surrogate” that you run across in your research of wills and probate files, an article by Judy Russell in The Legal Genealogist blog will be of help to you.

Judy explains the origins of the term and the role the surrogate played in the legal system.

Check it out at:
The surrogate | The Legal Genealogist

Using Your Local FamilySearch Center

Recently I ran across a very helpful article by Diane Boumenot in the One Rhode Island Family blog on using your local FamilySearch Center.

Diane takes you through the entire process from making use of the FamilySearch.org catalog search to find applicable microfilm, through the ordering process, to using the film when it is delivered.

If you are not familiar with the process, this article if for you. And even if you are, her tips on using the catalog search is reason enough to read the piece.

Check it out at:

Using Your Local FamilySearch Center | One Rhode Island Family

An “Act of Congress”

If you have done research for military pension applications, you may have noticed that the Act (passed by Congress) that authorized the pension is listed in the documents. That Act specifies the criteria that a veteran (or survivor) must meet in order to be eligible for the pension.

Michael John Neill in his Genealogy Tip of the Day blog, recently encouraged readers to do some reading of the Act listed.  The criteria listed in the Act may reveal some hints about your ancestor that could promote your research.

You can find Michael’s tip at:

Genealogy Tip of the Day: Under What Act

Names–Why Can’t They Be Spelled Right!

James Tanner, writing in his Genealogy’s Star blog, gives us a great run-down on why names can be found with various spellings, and more importantly, why we should not get overly frustrated because of it.

Whether you are a beginning genealogist or an experienced one, the article will be helpful. It puts reliance on names into perspective.

You can find the article at:

Genealogy's Star: Names -- A Blessing or a Curse

Censuses compared

Audrey Collins, writing in The National Archives (UK) Blog recently, gives us an revealing comparison between the US and UK censuses.

The article is “must” reading if your research takes you to both sides of the pond. Knowing the differences and similarities between the two sets of documents will alert you to research problems and possible solutions. Besides that, it is just down right interesting.

You can find her article at:

Censuses compared