Is your filing up-to-date? Can you find that essential census record when you need it?

Family tree research uncovers lots of terms that are no longer part of our contemporary lexicon. Researching and understanding these terms brings our ancestor's stories to life. The phrase "Paying for window-light" is a fine example of a term that was commonly used in the 1700s but is relatively unheard of today.

In 1754 in White-Chapel, England, a man named William Briley had three piglets stolen from a room in his house. The thieves were tried and sentenced (to death!) for breaking and entering and theft. In the Old Bailey (London's court building) trial transcript there is a sentence that really confuses me. Briley said he nailed boards over a window "because I would not pay window-light."

I've been telling my story these past few blogs and now it's your turn to tell us your story. Why are you researching your family tree? What successes have you had? What road blocks have you encountered? We'd love to hear from you!

Well it's springtime and thoughts are drifting towards long summer days, picnics, trips and maybe even family reunions. As with anything worthwhile planning is the key. The more notice people are given, the more likely they are to be able to attend. And the more people that attend, the better chance you have of hosting a successful reunion.

I thought that this might be a good time to review all of the family tree forms that are available on this website. We all see forms every day. Forms for government, banks, sign-up forms, questionnaires, they are everywhere.

We ignore most of them. However, forms add important structure to our research efforts. The forms themselves will never uncover our ancestor's vital statistics and their stories. But they will help us make sure that we are asking the right questions and carefully recording that information for future use.

I was reviewing my grandmother's scrapbook a while ago and realized that it needs a lot of tender loving care. The book doesn't get opened much, but it does contain valuable photographs and newspaper clippings that can't be replaced. Perhaps you have one just like it?

There are a number of things that we can do to try to preserve these valuable historic documents for future generations to enjoy for years to come. I did a little research and here's what I found:

I was following some leads on the internet the other day and came across a few tools that sparked some interest. One of them was an online service that helps you build your ancestor's timeline. I tried it and found some very interesting facts. You can find the service at http://www.ourtimelines.com. I think you might find it interesting too.

I was reviewing past articles in my Family Tree Magazine© and I found an entry that I had previously missed. When I first looked at it I realized that I had not used my Census research properly. I'm guessing that many of you have run into the same problem.

I was researching my family tree over the weekend, and realized that I had missed a number of opportunities to find a particular ancestor that I have been researching for several months. Have you ever missed a great opportunity to find one of your long-lost ancestors?