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1500 questions
10
votes
2 answers
Do photocopiers deteriorate photos and documents worse than scanners?
I think that both deteriorate the originals, but is photocopying worse than scanning? Both use lights (and flashes on cameras are said to be bad) in the process. Can anyone explain the difference between the duplication processes? It seems like this…
Canadian Girl Scout
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1 answer
Understanding marriage certificate (transfer?) in Nordrhein-Westfalen Archive?
This record is in the Nordrhein-Westfalen Archive (www.archive.nrw.de).
The players:
My GG Grandfather was Karl Theodor Brenner (CT Brenner), born near or in Overath on November 27th, 1811 . His father was Friedrich Wilhelm Brenner (FW Brenner), of…
richbrenner
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10
votes
4 answers
Why would the ages on a 1877 Marriage Certificate be so wrong?
I wasn't expecting to find this when I received a marriage certificate in the post today.
The year of marriage is 1877 in the registration district of Exeter.
Mary Ann Vickery, age 22 which make her year of birth 1855 approx.
William Brown, age 21,…
Andrew Truckle
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10
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3 answers
England - what are some possible reasons that my ancestor only listed his daughters in his will and none of his sons?
I found the will of my 3x great-grandfather.
Robert Fowler
BIRTH ABT. 1767 • Thorganby, Yorkshire, England
DEATH ABT FEB 1833 • Thorganby, Yorkshire, England
He had several children:
Ann Fowler 1794–
Mary Fowler 1796–
Thomas Fowler 1798–
Robert…
user1261710
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votes
4 answers
England - What are some possible reasons an ancestor would name his accountant in his will as a beneficiary?
I found my 2x great-grandfather's probate record on Ancestry:
https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/19716606?h=660803&utm_campaign=bandido-webparts&utm_source=post-share-modal&utm_medium=copy-url
Robert Edward Fowler
BIRTH 18 FEB 1871 • Leeds,…
user1261710
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10
votes
5 answers
Merchant marine - how to research people who worked on ships?
I am researching a relative who disappears from conventional genealogical records. He married and fathered children regularly until his wife died but does not appear in census records with his family nor in city directories.
Family lore says that he…
Colleen
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10
votes
8 answers
Why would a family misspell their surname?
I found a family on the 1861 England census that I could be related to.
However, when I look at the New GRO Index I find a different situation. It seems like the family said that their name was Brien but on their marriage certificate is says…
user1261710
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10
votes
5 answers
How should I record unsuccessful searches (that may constitute negative evidence)?
How should I record the fact that I have performed a search in a certain dataset and came up empty-handed?
As an example:
I search for Person X in the New Hampshire Marriages index on Family Search, but get no results. I have other clues that…
bstpierre
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10
votes
3 answers
With generations of multiple marriages and step children, how is this family relationship described?
I'm not sure is this is the right SE to ask but I'll ask non the less.
I'm trying to define a family relationship. I think the person is my step step first cousin once removed.
My my Grand-Father is his Step-Great-Grand-Father. My Mother and his…
Justin808
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10
votes
5 answers
Finding pre-1900 German records?
I've searched the internet quite a bit, but I'm still unable to usefully find any information on my German relatives - mostly due to the language barrier. I'm looking for records around the early 1900's and back.
In the English speaking world there…
BenOfTheNorth
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10
votes
6 answers
Confirming parentage of Mary (1771? - 1851) wife of John James in Llanfair Nant Y Gof, Pembrokeshire, Wales?
Llanfair Nant Y Gof is a rural parish in Pembrokeshire, consisting of scattered farms and a single mill, plus a couple of "big houses". There is no village as such. The population in 1800-1820 was just over 200 according to…
user104
10
votes
4 answers
How to narrow down the best DNA donors in a large family?
I've been doing genealogy for quite a while, but am new to DNA, having purchased six tests for Christmas. Not all results are in yet, but I have a few good matches. I'd like to get four more kits in the next year, but my wife and I have lots of…
Rusty Erpenbeck
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10
votes
2 answers
Recording same person as foster and adoption parent in Ancestry.com tree?
The Mildner couple in my tree became foster parents of a young girl in the early 1900s. In 1912, they were sued by the birth mother of the girl for custody, but the judge ruled that the girl could stay with the foster family, after which she was…
Gene Golovchinsky
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10
votes
5 answers
What is a "double date"?
What is a "double date"?
Why do I sometimes see dates written as January 13, 1718/1719?
See also: How do I write the year with a double date?
bstpierre
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10
votes
2 answers
Encoding Surnames with Gender Variations (Greek, Czech, Russian, etc) in Gramps?
Background:
In some cultures, such as Greek, Bulgarian, Russian, Slovak, Czech, etc. surnames change form depending on the gender of the bearer. For example, ...in Slovakia and Czech Republic alike, if a man is called Novák, the wife adds a…
CarvedBlock
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