Genealogy and Family History Stack Exchange
Genealogy and Family History Stack Exchange

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What does it mean if a probate index lists a person's record as "Insanity of", instead of "Estate of"?

I found my ancestor listed in a probate index for McLeod County, Minnesota, USA around the year 1882. His record is in the format "Last Name, First Name, Insanity of", instead of "Last Name, First Name, Estate of", like many of the others. What's…
maguidhir
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Who are the individuals silhouetted in this image?

(Note: I have more questions about this image than answers, so anything you see in it that is of note to you, please call it out!) Johan Bauer and his wife Anna Hagen had three children, a son and two daughters. The silhouettes depict two men and a…
fbrereto
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Is there a way to store data in software programs that will minimize losses when exporting to GEDCOM?

I am looking to circumvent a possible problem when I start to share my information with relatives. I see that while GEDCOM is supported to some fashion by most programs, there are shortfalls in each. The way places, names etc are recorded seem very…
Greg
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If my Ancestry subscription lapses will my links to premium data still be valid?

I have an Ancestry.com tree with links to content that can only be accessed with a subscription. If I let the subscription lapse I realize I won't be able to see that content anymore. Will the links be valid again if I were to re-subscribe at a…
fbrereto
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9 answers

Benefiting from another's tree without copying and pasting?

Once one gets so far back in their tree, one finds ancestors in common with other researchers. It is all too tempting to collect information by copy and paste information from another researcher's tree, but this becomes a problem if you find the…
Mat
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What proves a marriage?

My grandmother (deceased 1931) married in 1919 in Victoria, Australia. My mother tells how her mother forgot to register her marriage and when she remembered about it, it was decided they would not do so, as they were scared of any fines. I have the…
Jean
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Church Censuses a one off?

I have photocopies of clerical censuses from 1828 & 1838 from a parish in Herefordshire, England. In fact the details given offer more information than state censuses. Have researchers found these in their area of research or is it a one off? I…
Kevin
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What is the correct location for a person born at sea?

I have an individual recorded as having been born aboard a ship while travelling from Norway to the United States. As far as location goes what is the correct way to document this birth?
fbrereto
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Uncovering residents of cemetery when headstones are losing legibility?

My relatives are in a cemetery where the gravestones are losing their readability. The hamlet office does not know who is buried in some of the graves anymore and they have asked our family for help. We only realized the extent of the deterioration…
Canadian Girl Scout
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How should I record sex change/gender reassignment?

My tree includes a living relative who was born male and is now legally and otherwise female. My only record of the change, at this point, is an alternate name (I use GRAMPS). I have recorded her birth name and gender as male--it's perhaps worth…
theshinyairship
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What is required to prove who I am?

When recording myself in my family tree, what is required for proof of who I am? I have my mother telling me my name is George XXXXX, I have obtained a birth certificate for a George XXXXX born on the day and the location my mother says. Is this…
George
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Where else might I find a ship going from New York to London in Spring/Summer, 1911?

I am looking for the ship on which the following party traveled from New York to London in Spring or Summer, 1911: Charles Jay Foster Minna Cramer Foster Marie-Louise Foster Enid Foster Minna Van Bergen Ancestry.com and Google are only turning up…
fbrereto
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Of a death certificate and a gravestone, which record should be trusted more in determining birth date?

I have an ancestor for whom I have very little information for. I am trying to identify the exact birth date for this person. I have a death certificate which lists the birth date as "May 1st", however the gravestone for this person lists "May 4".…
dotnetengineer
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What standards exist for the exchange of genealogical information?

I've used GEDCOM to transfer data between desktop software and websites, but it all seems a bit old hat. Is there anything better that will mangle* my data less. * For example, GEDCOM can lose some data where the two ends of the system understand a…
Mat
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How should I distinguish siblings named identically?

At times when infant mortality was high, families might give a child the same name as a deceased brother or sister. For example Aurelius and Ann MEDWELL had two daughters named Cornelia. They were born April 1850 and June 1851 and died May 1850 and…
Fortiter
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