My Most Used Ancestry.com Tricks (SOME YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT)
TLDRThe video script offers a wealth of tips for effectively using Ancestry.com to build and enhance family trees. It emphasizes the importance of not solely relying on hints provided by the platform, as there may be more records available than initially suggested. The speaker shares strategies for refining searches with filters, modifying search parameters, and using the catalog for more in-depth research. They also discuss the value of examining original records and images for a fuller understanding and accuracy in information. Additionally, the script covers techniques for managing family tree settings, attaching media and sources to facts, and merging duplicate entries. The video concludes with advice on conducting census searches to gather a comprehensive picture of relatives in a specific area, which is particularly useful for professional genealogists and those looking to deepen their family history research.
Takeaways
- 🔍 **Search Beyond Hints**: Don't rely solely on Ancestry hints; perform manual searches to find more records not suggested by hints.
- 📚 **Catalog Searches**: Use the card catalog for more targeted searches by location or record type to uncover additional resources.
- 🔄 **Modify Active Records**: Inactive records allow Ancestry to continue searching for more records in that category, which can be useful for ensuring accuracy.
- 🧐 **Fine-Tune Your Search**: Experiment with different search parameters, including locations and names, to refine your results.
- 📈 **Use Filters**: Utilize filters to narrow down search results, especially useful for census, military, and land records.
- 🔗 **Open Hints for Details**: Always open hints to view the full record and verify information before attaching it to your tree.
- 📝 **Add to Facts**: Include extra details when saving records to your tree, such as addresses or relationships, for more comprehensive information.
- 👪 **Merge Duplicates**: Quickly fix issues with unknown parents by merging duplicate entries in the tree.
- 🖼️ **Attach Media to Facts**: Attach photos or documents directly to specific facts in your tree for better organization and easier access.
- 🔗 **Attach Sources**: Link sources to facts for a more robust and verifiable family tree.
- ⚙️ **Tree Settings**: Customize tree settings for privacy and sharing options to protect client information and manage access.
- 🔎 **Census Evaluation**: Conduct thorough census searches to understand the demographics and history of a specific area or family.
Q & A
What is the first tip provided for using Ancestry effectively?
-The first tip is to not solely rely on hints. Even if a record doesn't show up as a hint, it doesn't mean it's not in the database. Conducting a manual search can reveal more records.
How can you find more records for an individual on Ancestry beyond the hints provided?
-You can perform a new search by using the search bar at the top right of the Ancestry page. This can reveal additional records such as city directories and census records that were not included in the hints.
What is the catalog feature in Ancestry and how can it help in the search process?
-The catalog, accessed via the card catalog option, allows users to search for specific types of records or keywords related to their ancestors. This can help find additional records that do not show up in the regular search or hint system.
Why might you want to unclick the 'active' button for certain records on Ancestry?
-Unclicking 'active' marks records as inactive, which means Ancestry will not exclude them from future searches. This is useful if you want to ensure you have the correct individual or if you suspect there might be another person with the same name in the area.
How can modifying your searches help in finding more accurate results on Ancestry?
-By adding more specific details such as locations or changing names (maiden names for women, for example), you can refine your search and potentially get more accurate results. Removing irrelevant filters like photos or family trees can also help.
What is the importance of using filters when conducting a search on Ancestry?
-Filters can narrow down search results to specific types of records like census lists, military records, or probate records. This makes the search process more efficient and can help in finding specific documents more quickly.
Why is it recommended to open a hint for more information before attaching it to your tree?
-Opening a hint allows you to view the full record, which can provide additional context and details. This ensures that the record is accurate and relevant before you attach it to your family tree.
How can adding a photograph to a fact on Ancestry help in your research?
-Adding a photograph to a fact, such as a marriage certificate or a wedding party picture, can provide visual evidence and context. It also helps to remember which facts have associated images and which ones you might still need to find.
What is the purpose of merging records with an unknown parent in Ancestry?
-Merging records with an unknown parent can help clean up your family tree by correctly associating children with their parents. This is particularly useful when Ancestry automatically adds children with an unknown parent based on census records.
How can exporting your tree as a GEDCOM file be useful?
-A GEDCOM file is a standard for genealogy data and can be used in any genealogy program. Exporting your tree as a GEDCOM file allows you to back up your data and also share or transfer it between different genealogy platforms.
What is a census evaluation and how can it be conducted on Ancestry?
-A census evaluation is a thorough search aimed at finding all individuals with a particular surname in a specific area and time period. It can be conducted by using the census and voter list search feature, specifying the county and time period, and then narrowing down the results to the desired census records.
Outlines
🔍 Enhancing Ancestry Searches with Advanced Techniques
The speaker shares their top seven tips for using Ancestry more effectively to build detailed family trees. They emphasize the importance of not solely relying on hints provided by the platform, as there may be more information available through direct searches. They illustrate this with an example using George E. Paston's profile, showing how to use the search function to find additional records that hints might miss. The speaker also discusses the value of using the catalog to search for specific types of records, such as city directories, and the importance of modifying search parameters to refine results. They highlight the option to unclick 'active' search filters to include records that Ancestry might have previously excluded, and the utility of changing the last names used in searches to improve accuracy. The speaker also promotes their genealogy coaching services for those needing personalized assistance.
📚 Deep Dive into Ancestry's Search Filters and Record Review
The speaker continues with their tips for refining searches on Ancestry, focusing on the use of filters to narrow down results, such as census lists or specific types of records like military records or newspapers. They stress the importance of reviewing hints in detail and examining the original images of records for a more comprehensive understanding, which can provide additional context and clues. The speaker also explains how to save records to a family tree while adding extra information, which can be time-saving and beneficial for future reference. They discuss the process of attaching photos to facts, adding a source to a fact, and using tree settings for privacy and sharing options, which are all part of optimizing the use of Ancestry for genealogical research.
👪 Managing Family Trees and Dealing with Unknown Relations
The speaker addresses the common issue of dealing with children listed under an unknown parent on Ancestry. They recommend a method to correct this by adding the known father's name to the child's profile and then merging any duplicate father profiles to maintain accuracy. This approach is particularly useful when dealing with multiple children. The speaker also shares a trick for adding photographs to facts on Ancestry, which can be a marriage photo or any other relevant image, and how to attach a source to a fact, which is a useful feature for keeping track of documentation. They discuss navigating tree settings to export a tree as a JEDCOM file, change privacy settings, and invite others to collaborate on the tree.
🏡 Conducting a Thorough Census Evaluation
The speaker shares their final tip on performing a census evaluation to understand who is living in a specific area during a particular time. They demonstrate how to use the census and voter list search feature to find all individuals with a specific surname in a given county and adjacent counties for a certain year. This method is useful for getting a clear picture of the distribution and demographics of a family name in a certain area. The speaker acknowledges that sometimes records may be incorrectly indexed but asserts that this approach is their preferred method for conducting a comprehensive census evaluation.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ancestry
💡Hints
💡Search
💡Filters
💡Census Records
💡City Directories
💡Catalog
💡Coaching Sessions
💡Family Tree
💡Privacy Settings
💡Exporting Tree
Highlights
The importance of not solely relying on hints when searching for records on Ancestry, as there may be more information available beyond what the hints reveal.
Illustration of how to perform a manual search for George E. Paston, highlighting the additional records found beyond the hints.
Announcement of genealogy coaching sessions available for individuals and groups starting at $35 to assist with research challenges.
The use of Ancestry's card catalog to search for records by titles or keywords, which can uncover information not found through other search methods.
How to unclick 'active' on saved records to allow Ancestry to search for additional records in that category.
The strategy of modifying search parameters, such as locations or names, to refine results and uncover more records.
The recommendation to play with search filters to narrow down census lists and other record types for more effective research.
The practice of opening hints for more information before attaching them to the family tree for a better understanding of the record's context.
The method of saving records from the full-screen view to capture additional details that may not be available when saving through the side panel.
Adding extra information such as addresses or occupations when saving records to the tree for more comprehensive family history documentation.
Quick fix for dealing with children under an unknown parent in the tree by adding the known parent's name and then merging duplicates.
The ease of adding photographs to facts within the tree, which can include wedding photos, certificates, and other media.
Attaching a source to a fact within the tree for added credibility and citation, which is particularly useful for marriage, birth, and death records.
Exporting the family tree as a GEDCOM file for use in other genealogy programs or as a backup.
Adjusting tree settings to change privacy settings, prevent the tree from being found in searches, and invite others to collaborate on the tree.
Conducting a census search to evaluate a particular area and surname, which can provide insights into the community and family dynamics of the time.
Tips for dealing with common issues such as children being added under an unknown mother or father and how to efficiently correct these in the tree.
The importance of thoroughly evaluating census records and using the full image view to understand the context and details of the records.
Transcripts
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