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

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1500 questions
18
votes
3 answers

Does Ancestry.com have a developer API?

I'd like to access to access data programmatically on Ancestry.com. Other sites provide their own APIs for this: e.g. MyHerigate has the Family Graph API http://www.familygraph.com/. I can't find any indication that such an API exists on the…
Paulo Pinto
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7 answers

What information should or can I publish to a web site?

My aunt has collected a pile of family history going way back. She asked me to help her get it in a form which we can share via the internet. I wrote a Silverlight app which works fine and is restricted to invited persons only. One thing that I am…
paul
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17
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9 answers

Parsing a GEDCOM

I have a need to parse GEDCOM files to extract: For all Individuals: their (primary) surname, given names, plus a unique ID, and life dates (birth/baptism/christening - death/burial) For all mentioned Places: as many comma-delimited fields as…
user104
17
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4 answers

Why are there multiple Parishes listed for Births & Baptisms in Scotlands People?

When searching ScotlandsPeople it sometimes seems to list two parishes together. For example: Urquhart and Glenmoriston Old or West Kilpatrick Ardnamurchan and Strontian or Sunart Why would this be?
Amy
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How can DNA testing aid me in my genealogy research?

My basic understanding of DNA testing is that it can tell you where your ancestors came from. How can just knowing the ethnic breakdown of my ancestors help me? What if I already know where my ancestors came from because I've done my genealogy? Can…
user47
17
votes
4 answers

Commencing local historical society genealogy?

I'm new to all this. My local small-town historical society is interested in capturing the local history genealogy (and tying it to its small artifacts collection). It seems most genealogy software assumes you're researching your own family tree,…
linojon
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17
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4 answers

What details should I be recording during my research?

I have only recently become interested in my family tree. I am using PAF and am aware of GEDCOM. In addition to the details that PAF and GEDCOM support, what other information should I be recording?
Joel
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17
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5 answers

Name selection practices driven by the Napoleonic Code

The Napoleonic code was a consistent body of law adopted in many parts of the Europe (and other places) that were conquered by Napoleon I. These laws covered, among other things, property rights and taxation. Of particular interest to genealogists…
Gene Golovchinsky
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16
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Persistent URLs (web addresses) for online records of genealogical events

Are there any standards, or common usage, for the creation of persistent (long-lived) URLs (web addresses) for genealogy events? (more accurately these would be called IRIs, but URLs are the more well-known term). For example, Familysearch uses…
Rob Hoare
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16
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2 answers

Are there checklists or templates made for visiting the Family History Library in Salt Lake City?

I am on my first research trip to Salt Lake City and my first few days in the FHL has been quite a learning experience. I watched the into video and met a number of very friendly, helpful volunteers and elders. I sat down at a computer and started…
Canadian Girl Scout
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16
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9 answers

Which name should be a person's primary name?

People can have many different names over time. Examine the example of a woman who immigrated to the US from an Eastern European country. She could have three names over time: Katerina Jurkiewicz (Birth Name) Katherine Yurkiewicz (Name used in the…
user47
16
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3 answers

How should a trip be recorded in my family tree software?

I recently took my 89 yo father to his birth town, which he had not been to for 30 years. We spent 2 days driving, visiting and him reminiscing. I use Family Historian and would like to record the trip. What way do I do this? Can it be saved to a…
Very Big Kid
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16
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7 answers

Ephemera as evidence?

Wondering what the status of ephemera is given in genealogy? Like a dance ticket or dance card, Grandma's recipes, Valentine cards stored in a scrapbook, Grandpa's receipt for a carwash, etc. There seems to be a scheme for the quality of…
Canadian Girl Scout
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16
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2 answers

Keeping different software and online trees in synch

PAF is my program of choice, to allow for a consistent GEDCOM export. I also use My Heritage Family Tree Builder to access the Smart matches and record matches. In addition, I publish my data to a TNG site for access by family. To keep each program…
Jean
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16
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8 answers

Finding Scottish parents of Rear Admiral Donald Campbell (1752-1819)?

How do I find my 4th great grandfather's Scottish parents? Rear Admiral Donald Campbell 1752-1819 was a contemporary of Nelson's & also served with the Portuguese Navy. I can trace his career, and death, and there is a memorial to him in the…
Denise Sanford
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