Ancestor Search Blog

Google Introduces Verbatim Search

2011-11-19T08:24:00.000-05:00

Google has just introduced Verbatim Search which can be used when you want an exact search to your query. Doesn't Google already give exact search results? Well, actually, Google may make the following changes to a search query: Make spelling corrections Personalize your search by using information such as sites you’ve visited before Include synonyms of your search terms (matching “

Cached Pages in Google Search Results

2011-10-26T11:25:00.004-04:00

Google has removed the cached page link from the search results page. Until last week, it used to appear with every link in the search results. In its place, if you hover your cursor over a search result, you will notice two arrows in a light gray box appear. Click on the arrows in the box, and you will see a preview thumbnail of the website along the new location for the link for the

Google Removes the + Search Operator

2011-10-25T11:07:00.004-04:00

Google has just recently removed the + search operator and replaced it with quotation marks functionality. Instead of placing the Google + operator before a single word that you want to appear in your search results as-is, you now must add quotation marks around the word. Quotation marks have always worked to give exact results for a phrase, but they now also give exact results for a single

15 Days of Free Databases

2011-10-01T05:10:00.006-04:00

Ancestry.com 15th Anniversary Sweepstakes Starting October 1st, Ancestry.com will celebrate its 15th Anniversary with 15 days of free databases and a sweepstakes giveaway with prizes awarded everyday! Each day for the next 15 days a new database will be opened for free. And each day day a new prize is awarded. The Sweepstakes Grand Prize will be a trip to California to go behind the

Family Tree Maker 2012 About to Ship

2011-09-27T15:07:00.005-04:00

The 20% pre-sale discount for Family Tree Maker 2012 ends Wednesday, September 28, at about 10:00 AM MST and, shortly after, Ancestry will begin shipping the pre-orders. Yes, the much anticipated FTM 2012 with TreeSnyc will start to ship tomorrow. If you are planning to order FTM 2012, you can still get the pre-sale price until the morning of Sept 28. And you can receive an additional 20%

FTM 2012 TreeSync - Differences between Desktop and Online Trees

2011-09-12T10:56:00.011-04:00

Ancestry.com has released the following FAQ about Family Tree Maker 2012 's TreeSync. Differences Between Desktop and Online Trees Most content in trees is uploaded and/or synced seamlessly between Family Tree Maker and Ancestry. However, because Ancestry.com and Family Tree Maker trees are in different formats, there are a few differences you should be aware of. Facts In general fact dates,

Family Tree Maker 2012 List of Improvements

2011-09-10T09:22:00.012-04:00

Family Tree Maker 2012 will be released the last week of September and the new features have been announced. The biggie, the feature that many have been waiting for, is the new TreeSync which links the FTM desktop tree and online Ancestry Member Tree together. But FTM 2012 is also introducing other new features. Here is a list of all: TreeSync™ Now you can work on your family tree anywhere

Family Tree Maker 2012 Now Available for Pre-Sale

2011-09-08T09:03:00.013-04:00

Family Tree Maker 2012, which is now available for pre-sale, includes a most requested and anticipated FTM feature - an automatic synchronize between your Family Tree Maker database on your computer and your Ancestry Online Family Member Tree. Once you link your desktop and online trees together, you can update either tree and then synchronize those changes into the other tree - manually or

Genealogy Webinars

2011-07-18T21:15:00.001-04:00

Webinars (WEB semINARS) are online seminars, and genealogy webinars have become incredibly popular. It's easy to see why. You can learn from some of the biggest names in Genealogy while attending in the comfort of your home. Legacy Family Tree is one of the leading webinar providers. You can attend their FREE live events or view the archived presentations. . Some of the biggest names in

FREE Sons of American Revolution Records for July 4

2011-07-01T10:34:00.002-04:00

In honor of Independence Day, Ancestry.com launched the Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970, a collection of more than one million applications from men with a direct link to either a supporter or participant in the fight for United States independence during the 18th century. This collection is FREE through July 4th. Like its well-known sister organization,

Google's +1 Button

2011-06-02T13:13:00.003-04:00

Google's has just introduced the new "+1" button which is similar to Facebook's "like". You can click on +1 buttons across the web to recommend content, blog posts, web pages, and news articles to others. Google says the +1 will be an element in its search results. Clicking on the +1 when you find good genealogy content in turn could make Google search results even more helpful for

Using Google's Recipe View for Family History

2011-04-23T12:36:00.006-04:00

Google has a new feature to help find recipes online called Recipe View. I don't like to just find names and dates of my ancestors. I like to write about my family history and the various cultures of my ancestors. Cooking, to me, is a big part of culture, and because of this, I've always included family recipes in the stories of my ancestors. Unfortunately, although I know what dishes my

How to Find Easter Dates

2011-04-22T10:22:00.002-04:00

Easter in 2011 falls on April 24, as late in the calendar year as I ever remember. It actually hasn't been this late in my lifetime - the last time it fell on April 24 was 1943. It won't fall on April 24th again until the year 2095; although in the year 2038, Easter will be on April 25. Easter Sunday can come as early as March 22 or as late as April 25. Here are Easter dates from 1999 until

Ashley Judd’s Civil War Ancestor–WDYTYA

2011-04-09T14:21:00.007-04:00

Ashley Judd’s appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? Friday, April 8, the last episode of Season 2. Part of the episode focused on her Civil War ancestor, Elijah Hensley, her great-great-grandfather. Elijah Hensley was just 15 when he joined 39th Kentucky Infantry, Company I, a Union regiment. Ashley Judd scrolled through microfilm at the Kentucky State Archives and found his muster roll pages.

FREE Civil War Records - including census - at Ancestry.com

2011-04-07T11:01:00.008-04:00

Ancestry.com Civil War Records Collection FREE until April 14. Ancestry.com is commemorating 150th Anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. Civil War and will be offering FREE Access to all Civil War records April 7th and running through the following Thursday April 14th. This is a chance to search millions of Civil War era records, including the 1860 and 1870 U.S. censuses, FREE for one week.

New Civil War Record Collection at Ancestry.com

2011-04-06T21:02:00.007-04:00

Just in time for the susquentenial of the Civil War, the National Archives and Ancestry.com are making newly digitized Civil War records available online for the first time, allowing users to trace their ancestors in the Civil War. The nearly 275,000 pages published today are among the most heavily used documents for research in the National Archives Civil War holdings. U.S. Civil War Draft

Gwyneth Paltrow in WDYTYA?

2011-04-02T15:33:00.004-04:00

The Who Do You Think You Are episode starring Gwyneth Paltrow was different from other episodes this season where the focus was on just one ancestor. Gwyneth followed numerous branches of her tree and focused on a number of ancestors. On Gwyneth's mother side of the family, she found her great-great-grandmother Rosamund Isabel Stoute who, along with her older sister, Martha Stoute, had the

Monthly Genealogy File BackUp Day - Using BackupMy Tree

2011-03-31T13:47:00.004-04:00

The first of the month is the time I set aside to do monthly genealogy files backup. Protecting genealogy research that has taken years to gather is a must because, sadly, computers are vulnerable to hard drive crashes, viruses, theft and natural disasters. This month, I am adding a free "in the cloud" backup in addition to my usual backup plan. BackupMyTree finds and creates a remote,

Steve Buscemi and his PA Civil War Ancestor on WDYTYA?

2011-03-26T20:36:00.013-04:00

I watched Steve Buscemi trace his family history on the NBC TV show Who Do You Think You Are? and found his family story interesting. The episode focused on Steve's great-great-grandfather, Ralph B. Montgomery, who was a dentist, then grocer, then Civil War soldier, then dentist again in a different town with a different family. Ralph B. Montgomery, Steve Buscemi's gggrandfather, was a

Who Do You Think You Are? Episode Schedule 2011

2011-03-20T20:54:00.001-04:00

Here is the schedule for the final episodes of WDYTYA? season 2: Steve Buscemi Season 2, Episode 6 March 25, 2011 Actor Steve Buscemi delves into his family tree to unearth information about possible rogues, rebels, and questionable characters in his genealogy. He travels through Philadelphia, New York, and the battlefields of Virginia, as he puts the focus on the secrets of his

Who Do You Think You Are? Episode Schedule 2011

2011-03-15T18:42:00.003-04:00

Rosie O'Donnell Season 2 March 18, 2011 Rosie O'Donnell, who lost her mother at the age of 10, embarks on a journey that takes her from New Jersey to Canada and finally to Ireland as she investigates her ancestry. In Ireland, she uncovers the unbelievable hardships faced by her family. An Irish saga for St. Patrick's Day. Steve Buscemi Season 2, Episode 6 March 25, 2011 Actor Steve

Who Do You Think You Are? Episode Schedule 2011

2011-03-09T08:32:00.001-05:00

This is the schedule for WDYTYA? for the next two weeks: Kim Cattrall Season 2 March 11, 2011 (R) Kim Cattrall searches for information about her grandfather who abandoned her mother and aunts when they were young. Before long, she uncovers the haunting truth. Rosie O'Donnell Season 2 March 18, 2011 (R) Rosie O'Donnell, who lost her mother at a young age, embarks on a journey that takes her

Google Discontinues its Phonebook

2011-02-27T09:50:00.007-05:00

Google has dropped the phonebook: and rphonebook: operators used for finding U.S. phone numbers. The phonebook: operator was for both business and residential phone numbers while the rphonebook: operator was for residential phonebook and focused on home phones. In addition, phonebook results no longer appear among regular Google search results. The Google phonebook operator was a great way

Kim Cattrall on U.S. WDYTYA?

2011-02-25T22:06:00.018-05:00

I watched Kim Cattrall on Who Do You Think You Are?, and found it very emotional, heartbreaking, and moving. But I noticed that this WDYTYA? show had a different feel than the other shows this season. Kim was interested in finding out what happened to her grandfather who walked out on her grandmother and three young children. Her search for her family tree stopped when she solved the mystery

Who Do You Think You Are? Episode Schedule 2011

2011-02-22T20:16:00.003-05:00

This is the Who Do You Think You Are? episode schedule for the next two weeks: Kim Cattrall Season 2, Episode 4 February 25, 2011 Kim Cattrall digs into her family roots, centering her investigation on the mysteries surrounding her grandfather. Before long, she uncovers a haunting truth and forges enriching connections with the women in her family. Lionel Richie Season 2, Episode 5 March 4,