The next linking pattern is related to our previous one of geography. This time we will discuss property linkage. We talked about our ancestors living out their lives in a small geographic region. They also had ties to the farms and villages where they were born. Property claims were passed Read more…
The fourth linking pattern is based on geography. For this one it helps to remember the rule that “The past is a foreign country,” because our ancestors lived in the same basic area their entire lives. In fact, they often stayed in the same small area for generations. This is Read more…
The third linking pattern we will discuss is one of the biggest—chronology. I also like to refer to this as “common sense.” And yet, it surprises me how often this gets thrown out the window for the sake of a convenient match. I’m a big proponent of using timelines for Read more…
The next level of linking patterns we will discuss are Sibling Links. The big key to the sibling links relates to the names of the children. When children are born today, many new parents select a name for the child based solely on personal preference. The same does not hold Read more…
The first major linking pattern to understand in Scandinavian genealogy is Nominal Linking. This refers to an individual’s surname. There are a few types of surnames used in Scandinavia. The most common surname type is Patronymics. Patronymics in Scandinavia refers to the practice of using the father’s given name and Read more…
Research in Scandinavia has a few unique challenges. The biggest challenge is keeping everyone organized into the correct families because the names are all so similar! Our ancestors had a small number of given names for men and for women that were in extremely high rotation. Combined with patronymics, it Read more…
Last night I was helping my 13-year-old son look at a few things on his FamilySearch family tree. He was interested to see how far back some of our family lines have been traced. One line of my dad’s family is very Danish, and I’ve researched it extensively. It’s one Read more…
Naming patterns are an excellent tool to support our family groups and feel confident that they are complete and correct. When children are born today, many new parents select a name for the child based solely on personal preference. The same does not hold true for our ancestors. Throughout Protestant Read more…
I thought I would write about Feast Days this week. Every Sunday of the liturgical calendar is associated with some type of feast or “church holiday.” This may be something like Easter or it may be the 15th Sunday after Trinity. Feast Days are used in most churches that have Read more…
I participate in an NSGQ Study Group. I have a group of genealogist friends who meet online once a month to discuss an article from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly journal. It’s a rewarding activity, and I highly recommend finding study groups like this to improve your skills. The most Read more…