Enduring Legacy Genealogy: November 2018

28 November 2018

Recommended genealogy books: Germany and Mexico

Here are some recommendations for German and Mexican genealogy books. These are my main European and Latin American specialties.

Germany

There are so many books out there as general guides to German genealogy. I have not been able to pick one of them as a stand-out superb guide, but have a few on my shelf.

The German Research Companion ($90+)

https://amzn.to/2TNcDzB

The Family Tree German Genealogy Guide ($10-25)

https://amzn.to/2FIrUyy

Finding Your German Ancestors ($5-15)

https://amzn.to/2FLKE0b

Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents: Analyzing German, Latin, and French in Historical Manuscripts ($28+)

https://amzn.to/2DIQHjD

German handwriting is one of the first challenges someone faces when they become determined to trace their German ancestry. With hours of determined practice the handwriting can become a non-issue. Books like this one help a researcher learn to decipher it.

German Church Books: Beyond the Basics ($25+)

https://amzn.to/2FJAtcF

This book is under the radar for most German genealogists, in part because most learn about German church books by experience. This is the most used record type for German genealogy. Those who want to understand the records well, to use them to their fullest extent, can get a jump start by studying this guide.

German Census Records 1816-1916 ($28-35)

https://amzn.to/2DZzaVm

This guide brings to light the usefulness and availability of German census records for research, a resource typically underutilized in German genealogy. Some German genealogists have even said that census records are not available. This book sets that myth straight, though access to these records remains challenging.

German – English Genealogical Dictionary ($32)

https://amzn.to/2Qkkvtu

This is an important guide for expanding your genealogical vocabulary far beyond the German Word List at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/German_Genealogical_Word_List

German Names: A Practical Guide ($6+)

https://amzn.to/2SdggNO

This is a great reference to flip through any time you see a name in a record and cannot quite make it out because it is unfamiliar to you. It is also useful for determining if a name that seems unusual is a variant of a more common name. The number of unique German names is impressive.

Spelling variations in German names: Solving family history problems through applications of German and English phonetics ($40+)

https://amzn.to/2TOFEuD

An issue of German genealogy that quickly becomes apparent to those who do this type of research is that names are often spelled quite differently from one record to the next even within the original church registers. In a family where several children were listed in a baptismal register, it is common to see given names or surnames spelled at least three different ways. When a family settles in America, often new spelling variations appear. These variations sometimes are related to German phonetics that are unclear to the average English speaker.

Mexico

There is not as much English literature on the field of Mexican genealogy as there is on the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.

Finding Your Mexican Ancestors: A Beginner's Guide ($6-20)

https://amzn.to/2FKWvLV

Like with any topic, having a general guide is a great way to make sure you do not overlook important research techniques or records. This is the newest of the three guides I will recommend, but does not include all the examples or details of the other guides.

Finding Your Hispanic Roots ($10-28)

https://amzn.to/2E1BEm2

Tracing Your Hispanic Heritage ($45+)

https://amzn.to/2E3REUy

This is the largest of the three guides, but the oldest of these three guides.

Genealogical Historical Guide to Latin America (~$50)

https://amzn.to/2zwvMgF

This guide is relatively small, and older, though it does contain some useful information.

Hispanic Surnames and Family History ($12-20)

https://amzn.to/2Rju49a

When working in any language or culture, having a good list of names will help the genealogist to properly recognize names in records.

Census Records for Latin America and the Hispanic United States ($15-25)

https://amzn.to/2DKPtEt

Like almost every place except the United States, genealogists researching Mexico will find that most research is done using only a couple record types: church records and civil registration. This is not because other records do not exist, but they are much less available. It is good to have guidance on the availability and usefulness of other records.

Disclaimer: It is my hope that this list helps you. That said, it takes time and expertise to provide these useful resource lists. Please use the provided links to make any purchases, as Amazon will send me a small percentage somewhere around 5% and it wont affect the price you pay. Opinions are not influenced by this arrangement.

Recommended genealogy books: Britain and Ireland

This post on my series of recommended books covers Britain and Ireland.

Britain

Ancestral Trails ($38-60)

https://amzn.to/2TNusP9

I was impressed with my reading of the book as a stand-out general guide for Britain, as well as impressed with the endorsements or reviews it received.

The Parish Chest ($20-43)

https://amzn.to/2TNvCtZ

This book on my shelf was recommended to me in my genealogy master’s program from the University of Strathclyde and I appreciate it for the lengths it goes to in discussing parish chest records. Any lengthy and well-done guide on one specific type of records always draws my interest as it treats that record in much greater depth than a general guide can.

Manorial Records ($17-55)

https://amzn.to/2Qn3xKZ

Like The Parish Chest, it is enlightening to have a full book dedicated to manorial records. Such records are touched on in more general guides. Due to land ownership differences, these records are foreign to those familiar with United States research, but are a valuable record set for early British, Scottish, or Irish families.

Understanding Documents for Genealogy and Local History ($28-45)

https://amzn.to/2KzQvEH

This book on my shelf has an impressive coverage of many various documents a genealogist researching in Britain would come across, including treatments of numerous lesser known or ancient document types.

Referencing for Genealogists: Sources and Citation ($12-27)

https://amzn.to/2Bzbkxg

Buyer beware, this guide contradicts what you are taught about citing sources in educational programs in the United States. The author speaks out against using Evidence Explained and Chicago style which is the accepted standard in the United States. However, I list it because I believe the very best genealogists will make themselves aware of any conflicts in methods used by genealogists worldwide. I list it with British books because it comes from a citation tradition springing out of Scotland’s University of Strathclyde.

Genealogy: Essential Research Methods ($13-20)

https://amzn.to/2QhkCGl

This one on my shelf is one I recommend just if you want to get a flavor for how a more general guide focuses on genealogy methodology in general, written from the perspective of a British genealogist. As I said, I am a fan of understanding multiple perspectives.

Tracing Your Ancestors from 1066 to 1837 Kindle Edition ($9)

https://amzn.to/2DMRdgz

It is of interest to have guides that focus solely on the earlier period when the research gets harder pre-civil registration.

Ireland

Tracing Your Irish Ancestors: The Complete Guide 4th Edition ($23-42)

https://amzn.to/2DZ2E5s

This is my top recommendation for a general guide on Irish genealogy.

Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The essential genealogical guide to early modern Ulster, 1600-1800 2nd Edition ($10-30)

https://amzn.to/2TNFIe8

I’ve been reading this one over the past month or so, and really enjoying the detailed dive into research in this specific region during this difficult period. The author is insightful and details an impressive number of various record types. He recommends some more books as well in his book.

One of my favorite Irish genealogy bloggers Claire Santry is a stand-out expert in the field who keeps on top of all new developments. Her blog IrishGenealogyNews.com is well worth adding to your RSS feeds. She has a book on Irish genealogy called The Family Tree Irish Genealogy Guide: How to Trace Your Ancestors in Ireland. ($13-19) https://amzn.to/2TNo0Yo

Recommended genealogy books: United States

In this list in the series I will highlight some books about record types or regions within the United States. There are books that exist for just about every state and just about every type of record, so this list does not aim to be comprehensive. The idea is to suggest some that impacted me, and for the reader to understand the value of these types of books.

The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. 4th Edition ($50)

https://amzn.to/2FG4ES0

This is my favorite general guide to United States research. It gives great insight into many different record types, and how they are used in research. Other general topics are covered as well.

Your Guide to the Federal Census ($7-45)

https://amzn.to/2ztiamd

Digging for Genealogical Treasure in New England Town Records ($27+)

https://amzn.to/2r5AUUn

These guides are examples of books on a specific record type. Such guides, like the following types of guides, can be more than worth the investment of money and time to read them. Specialized guides typically contain insights about specific records or regions that even a genealogist who has some experience will not have gleaned from their own experience.

New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer ($90) https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/publications/nyfhrgg

This is an exemplary example of textbook-sized guides that give an in-depth view of genealogy research in a specific state. Guides this large on specific states are rare, but almost all states have genealogical guides available of a more moderate length. Your favorite guides will of course depend on which state you are most interested in. If you want to earn the Accredited Genealogist® credential from ICAPGen, it is advisable to obtain such guides for all the states in your intended region of specialty. Many state guides can be found as part of the National Genealogical Society’s research in the states series at https://ngsmembers.ngsgenealogy.org/books/ngs-books…
FamilyTree Magazine also sells short guides on each state. Click here for the list of available guides.

New York City Municipal Archives: An Authorized Guide for Family Historians ($35) https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/publications/muni

Another type of useful genealogical book is the type that focuses on a single archive. This type is less common, but well worth considering when you have a brick-wall problem in a certain area. This guide to the New York City Municipal Archives is a stand-out example.

New York Probate Records, A Genealogist's Guide to Testate and Intestate Records ($28-30) https://amzn.to/2E0N1L3

Pennsylvania Land Records: A History and Guide for Research ($40+)

https://amzn.to/2RhkZxM

These are examples of another category of book: those that discuss a specific record type within a specific state or smaller location. Like guides on specific archives, a researcher seeking advanced specialization should keep an eye out for guides like these.

Click through one of the links and search Amazon for other record types or states that have a genealogy guide. Try the name of the state or topic plus the word genealogy.

Disclaimer: It is my hope that this list helps you. That said, it takes time and expertise to provide these useful resource lists. Please use the provided links to make any purchases, as Amazon or FamilyTree Magazine will send me a small percentage and it wont affect the price you pay. Opinions are not influenced by this arrangement.

Recommended genealogy books: The profession, writing, and analysis

This is part 1 in a series of posts on genealogy books I recommend. Each post categorizes books into larger topic categories, so you can easily look for books on topics that interest you.

The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy ($3-20)

https://amzn.to/2DW3tMC (Kindle)

DNA is clearly a popular topic, and this guide is written by one of the top respected genetic genealogy educators in the field. It is an important topic for the professional to understand.

Evidence Explained: History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace 3rd Edition Revised ($60)

https://amzn.to/2DKsCcf

This has a couple great chapters on understanding evidence in sources, with the remainder being a reference that I frequently use to ensure my citations are to standard.

Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards ($60)

https://amzn.to/2SafBg4

This is a long-awaited companion book to the earlier publication: Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians.

Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians ($50)

https://amzn.to/2Sd4KBJ

This book inspired the long-running and highly acclaimed ProGen study groups. It is a textbook-sized tome that includes helpful examples that I personally found useful as a reference in learning to write better reports.

The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual, Millenium Edition ($7-$28)

https://amzn.to/2DWpWZN

This manual includes useful examples of written reports. These examples are not included in more recent versions, so this edition retains value for those examples. This can be useful doing writing projects.

ICAPGen’s Becoming an Excellent Genealogist: Essays on Professional Research Skills ($10 Kindle) https://amzn.to/2P1lsC5

This underrated book is a brilliant compilation of articles written by true experts on many important topics. Perhaps it has trouble standing out because it has no single focus, or the value is not obvious from the title alone. There are great articles on writing, analysis, DNA, the history of ICAPGen, and many other interesting topics.

Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide Kindle Edition ($5)

https://amzn.to/2TSY8u5

Any book on being a genealogy professional is interesting to me, and this one is a modern, understandable take on the subject published earlier this year.

The Family Tree Problem Solver: Tried-and-True Tactics for Tracing Elusive Ancestors ($20+) https://amzn.to/2S6Leae

This was one of the first genealogical guides I read that really opened my eyes about techniques I could use to break down my ancestral brick walls, and always retains a special place on my list for that reason.

Elements of Genealogical Analysis ($30)

https://amzn.to/2ReGmQg

Most books that get exposure these days in our genealogical community about analysis talk about the 3x3 evidence analysis classification system popularized by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Robert Charles Anderson provides an interesting perspective on analysis that purposefully sidesteps the more regimented system. I’m a fan of well-reasoned books that give another perspective on issues of our profession. This is one such book.

Genealogical Research Standards ($3-8)

https://amzn.to/2DZll9d

Genealogical Research Essentials ($4-27)

https://amzn.to/2ScVJJ1

Genealogy as Pastime and Profession ($6+)

https://amzn.to/2S9fqBm

These are each classic books published between the 1930s and 1960s on the methods and profession of a genealogist. It is enlightening to see the underlying principles come across that are still practiced today, though often different wording was used to express these ideas. It really gives you a sense of the profession over time.

Using Y-DNA and other tests at FamilyTreeDNA

Recently I received a question specifically about Y-DNA.

Ancestry. com's DNA test, 23andMe, MyHeritage, and LivingDNA/Findmypast, all offer one type of DNA test you can buy. The scientific term for that test is an autosomal DNA test. They all have different features and ways they look at that DNA (like 23andMe looking at it for health information). However, they are all the same kind of test, testing the same kind of DNA.

Years ago when I started taking DNA tests the only big company in the business was Family Tree DNA. They were the first to offer the autosomal test, which they now market as the Family Finder test. I remember taking it from them before the others released.

Prior to that, they offered more focused tests that remain useful: Y-DNA, and mtDNA. They also offer some more niche tests like X-DNA, BigY, or specific markers. None of the other big genetic genealogy companies offer any of these. Some like 23andMe will tell you your Y-DNA haplogroup if you are a male as part of their testing, but they do not look at the Y-DNA in the helpful detail that Family Tree DNA can.

There was an old rumor going around that only males could do DNA tests. That rumor is based on the Y-DNA test. Y-DNA is for the male line only and only males inherit any Y-DNA at all. Female=XX. Male=XY. Don't worry if you do not get those letters, but just know only males have Y-DNA. The main value of it over the general (autosomal) DNA test everyone else sells is that Y-DNA is strictly on the straight male line so that it remains largely unchanged for many generations and focuses on one line. Autosomal tests are awesome at finding close family as distant as 4th cousins with very good accuracy. Relatives more distant have an increasing chance of not appearing as cousin matches because you may possibly not share enough DNA. To put it simply if you begin with yourself having 50% mom and 50% dad, then your kids only have 25% of each grandparent, and so on. So several generations down you only get such a small amount of DNA from an ancestor that autosomal testing gives the clearest results for recent family. Y-DNA remains largely unchanged for many more generations, so two solid Y-DNA matches can estimate a relationship many, many generations earlier. Sadly it can only be done on the male line.

If you have a specific issue like proving two Smith families have the same male Smith ancestor then having descendants from both lines test could prove it for you or disprove it. If you had your brother Mr. Smith test and had another Mr. Smith person test--or people you do not know randomly test someday and appear as matches--then you can determine those two lines have the same paternal ancestor if the match is strong enough. Sometimes genealogists use this to prove their Smith line had the same common ancestor as a well documented Smith line, even if they could not document their line that well with paper records. You often get a lot of Y-DNA matches that are not very strong and those matches mean little, except perhaps that most of them come from the same region of the world and have a prehistoric common ancestor. To take a match seriously within meaningfully recent history you typically want to match almost exactly on 30+ Y-DNA points. You may be able to see who you match at 12 or 25 points, but these matches mean much less.

So the unfortunate truth is that Y-DNA does little practically for a genealogist unless they have a second person test that they can compare too (or someone randomly tested who appears as a match).

That being said, you can also loosely determine a region of origin from Y-DNA too without any close matches. For example, I had my uncle Mr. Schilling tested (a German surname) and the majority of his matches had Irish/Scottish surnames. This scientifically supported a hypothesis I had previously developed that his great grandfather was the biological son of a man surnamed Callaham(?) and raised by a Schilling family whose name he took. In this case the Y-DNA provided useful evidence of something without even needing to have a close match.

In summary, Y-DNA can be a powerful tool, though it is generally only worth doing if you understand what it will do for you and need to solve a problem like what I discussed above.

mtDNA is similar. It passes through women, opposite of Y-DNA. Think of your tree like a triangle starting with you as the tiny point like this <. The top line is what Y-DNA tracks and the bottom like is what mtDNA tracks. It tends to be used less often for genealogical applications, but you could use it to prove or disprove a person's descent from the same direct maternal woman. It would have to be the direct maternal ancestor of both parties though (not on a different line). Males can do this as well as females because they do get the DNA from their moms, but they do not pass it down, so if their kids test the DNA that shows up will be the mom's DNA. There was news going around lately that challenges this, but last I checked a well known genetic genealogist had said that the news does not change how this works. The other tests are even less useful so I wont discuss them right here right now (X-DNA, etc.).

The current holiday sale prices for these tests are as follows:

Y-DNA: $99

Family Finder (autosomal): $49

mtDNA: $139

If you do decide to buy please go to the website using my affiliate link so that I will make 5% from your purchase. It is not much, but it motivates me to take the extra time to share this extra knowledge. You can also have your friends or family members go to the site through my link if they intend to buy, and this article was helpful.

https://affiliate.familytreedna.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=2159

I would love to talk with you more about these tests in the comments.

One resource I love to learn more about these tests is their own learning center. It explains the results you get and how to determine how many generations apart you may be from a Y-DNA match on your list.

FTDNA Learning Center – Paternal Lineages Tests

You can also access that page of the site directly through this custom link to ensure that if you end up purchasing a kit it will count for me too, but this way you can start on this help page and read all about it.

https://affiliate.familytreedna.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=2159&url=260