Genealogist Q&A
Whether you're a seasoned genealogy enthusiast or just starting, our Q&A section addresses the most frequently asked questions in family history research.
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Genealogy Product Director Tom Kemp has spent over fifty years as a genealogist, writer, librarian, and archivist. His experience has helped countless others craft a search for family records, historical documentation, and ancestral combinations.
This Q&A session covers the most frequently asked questions about genealogy: tips for locating lost records and verifying historical details. Don't forget to download our free guide, Getting Started Climbing Your Family Tree, for more tips and resources. Click on the genealogy questions below to see answers or download our free Search Tips Guide for further assistance.
A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y
I am often asked: Do you have Canadian newspapers in GenealogyBank?
Well, no we don't - but that's not the question you want to ask.
Tip: I have been researching my family tree for 45 years and I can tell you that you'll find the information on your family where you least expect to find it. Here's a wedding announcement for Alexander James Ross of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Mary Moore McArthur of Picton, Nova Scotia - they were married in Chicago 6 March 1882. (Inter Ocean 14 March 1882).GenealogyBank has over 3,800 newspapers - all of them published in the United States - but it has several million articles, records and documents on Canadians.Newspapers were published - every day.And everyday editors had to fill the next day's paper & they wanted to sell papers.So they pulled "news" from a wide circle of influence. Birth announcements, marriage announcements, and obituaries from small towns and big cities were included.Just like CNN or Fox News - the daily newspapers had to fill their pages with hard news. News that people wanted to read and that would sell subscriptions.If you are researching Canadian genealogy then GenealogyBank is an essential online tool.
Eastport, Maine is a small town on the Maine coast right on the border with New Brunswick, Canada.As you would expect this newspaper regularly carried birth, death and marriage announcements from the Canadian side of the border.Look at this example of marriage notices published in the 29 March 1828 Eastport ME) Sentinnel. Look at the places mentioned "Lubec" - "Dennysville" - "St. Andrews" - "Antigua" - "St. Stephens" and "Charlotte". Towns on both sides of the border and "Antigua" refers to the island nation of Antigua.
Nothing unusual here - just a typical day with a newspaper editor packing his paper with the information his readers wanted to read.
Just like GenealogyBank - everyday we pack in more resources that genealogists need and rely on. You're not finished with your research until you've searched the newspapers in GenealogyBank.