I became a genealogist completely by accident.
In my latest YouTube video, I share my story and reflect on why people get hooked on genealogy.
I’d also love to hear your story: what first pulled you into family history research?
You can watch the video here: youtu.be/m-AR6vlyE1s
#GenHour
Join @davelifelines.bsky.social for Charles Darwin: A Life in the Archives—a fresh look at Darwin through original records, with insights for family historians.
9 April 2026, 15:30–16:30 (in person or online). £10
Book: portal.sog.org.uk/Event/view/2...
#GenHour
#GenHour New to my Ancestry account this week: Full Text Search.
3. Yesterda, started making a research plan abt reconstructing my mat GF’s childhood family … but I think I have 50-75% of the documents already, haha.
#GenHour
2/2
1. Last wk did a bit of ArchiveGrid searching.
2. On Monday got a notice from NYC saying that here’s your mat GM’s death cert you sent us & your order‘s now being processed (6 wks aft I sent it in).
#GenHour
1/2
For #GenHour. Please read the whole 2-part thread.
Additionally, I started writing up a research plan about reconstructing my mat GF’s childhood family. (I think I already have 50-75% of the documents on my research plan from my “grab documents“ era! 😆)
#GenHour The exciting news of the week.
Greetings #GenHour friends! I'm in the middle of watching figure skating at the moment. I'll have to catch up with the chat later.
Nothing much to report for #GenHour. Still plugging away at rechecking and transferring my main tree. No further 'aha' moments as yet.
Unexpected DNA results can reveal family secrets & surprising connections #GenHour
Join genetic genealogist @genealogylass.bsky.social THIS SATURDAY for a full-day course on how to identify & investigate unexpected DNA discoveries.
28 March 2026 | 14:00–20:30
Book: portal.sog.org.uk/Event/view/1...
Hi #GenHour, how has your week been?
I'm excited to release my next YouTube video tomorrow. It'll be about how I got started with #genealogy.
The video is narrative-driven and should appeal to a wide audience. I hope it leads to a broader discussion about what draws people into genealogy.
📢 Call for speakers: NextGEN 2026
#GenHour - Are you aged 16–35 with a genealogy story or idea to share?
🎤 20-min talks
🌍 Online conference (14 Nov 2026)
🗓️ Deadline: 12 July
Theme: “New Connections”
Find out more: sog.org.uk/nextgen2026/
Join us now #GenHour 👇
‘I Can’t ... Yet’. How a Collaborative Family Narrative
Transformed Understanding of Childhood Institutionalisation. 1 of many presentations. 'Narratives of Impact: Connection & Belonging' is a free conference 2 April, in person + online. tinyurl.com/mw54jnjs #GenHour #FamilyHistory #AncestryHour
Logo for the Alan Ball Award 2025 featuring the large overlapping letters “ABA” in gold with a prominent grey “B” in the centre, the text “ALAN BALL AWARD” in grey beneath the initials, and “2025” in large grey numerals below, all on a white background. The object of the Awards is to encourage the production of high quality publicly or locally funded local history publications. They are open to all heritage and community organisations; and individuals that have self-published. Our criteria for assessing the award are not just about the quality and content of a publication, but its whole journey i.e. how it was conceived, who is involved and how it was funded.
Before antibiotics, thousands of British children vanished into hospitals for years. Cold wards. No toys. No parents. Their suffering was policy.
'Yet' tells their story.
🔵 tinyurl.com/2794f9zw
#GenHour #DisabilityHistory #AncestryHour #FamilyHistory #Genealogy
A #OnePlaceWednesday reminder. Can you share your expertise on the role of place in #FamilyHistory research, through a ten minute live or recorded presentation?
#AATP26 #Genealogy #GenHour #AncestryHour #OnePlaceStudies
#GenHour is 8 PM GMT Thursdays.
I haven't taken a native MyHeritage test yet (it's on the shelf unspat upon) so we'll see what delightful nonsense comes of it in due course. In the meantime, I would love to hear what hilarious things have been suggested in your DNA. #GeneticGenealogy #AncestryHour #GenHour
#GenHour So: the sibling who died in the 1920s wouldn't have been alive when the others were applying for birth certificates in the 1940s. It would have helped people to see the big picture if they had put a note on the About the Database page.
#GenHour The "About the Database" says: "It also contains approximately 55,000 delayed birth records (applications for birth certificates) from throughout the state, covering the years 1766-1900." But it doesn't say when the records were created.
www.ancestry.com/search/colle...
#GenHour I can't remember what the date range is for the images on the NYC historical records site. One of the Ancestry databases is glitched so their index doesn't match up with the NYC site but I can't recall which one it is.
I found them on the Ancestry version of this list. It gives names, date of birth, which borough, and file number. #GenHour
#GenHour There's a tool to help with searching births from 1910 to 1965 in one of the Ancestry databases.
stevemorse.org/vital/nybirt...
#GenHour Yes, so many times these late records were created because people needed a birth certificate in order to get some benefit. The SC records are from the 1940s. It may be that she applied but not during the time frame captured by this particular record set.
Dang it. It only goes ‘till 1910. I need 1917 (maternal grandma) and 1921 (her younger sister). I think my family didn’t immigrate to NYC until about 1910. #GenHour
Okay, I may not have *all* her siblings. I'm reviewing that now. But I've found about half of them.
The applications are filmed and filed by birth date and not the date they were applied for. So annoying because it will take work to see if they visited the clerk at the same time. #GenHour
screenshot showing drop-down box Focus with United States selected so I can look at USA records next line is a checkbox Unreviewed results only and a green label Pro
#Genealogy #GenHour #AncestryHour
New feature seen on AncestryUSA: a filter on the left-hand side to display records you haven't viewed yet. Part of ProTools.
Ugh, that is frustrating. According to Mom’s cousin, his mother (my great-aunt) was born in 1913 in Detroit & had a delayed birth cert issued by a doctor (her older brother who would’ve been ~6 when she was born) & signed by a notary (older brother’s wife) so she could get a passport! #GenHour
