Our Blog

We write quality content regularly. check them out!

Image
12/20/2022 12:56:00 PM No Comments

How To Find Out If You Have Royal European Ancestors

Individuals looking into genealogy research services may be surprised to discover that royal lineage isn’t that rare. However, suspecting the presence of royal ancestry isn’t solid proof - adequate document retrieval and investing in the best genealogy research services will set individuals on the right track to confirming their ties to royal ancestry. Backtracking of several generations will most likely be required to find traces of royal connections, and the farther back you search, the more the cost of family tree research will increase. To further complicate the matter, unknowingly following forged or falsely published genealogies is possible for individuals who need to gain knowledge of ancestral research. In that case, it is advisable to look into the services of professional genealogists for document retrieval. Start with already-known information. Timothy Boettger, a professional genealogist and an expert in European nobility explained that royal genealogy research is fundamentally similar to researching personal ancestry. You research prior generations with already available information and as long as you record new information with care, you’ll be able to uncover new ancestral connections. (Susan Wenner, Family Tree Magazine) Thankfully, there is an unbreakable connection between genealogical record-keeping and royalty. Some may even say that genealogy originated from royalty, where establishing a family tree was the foundation of throne rights. Once royal kin lineage is established, tracing further backward to older generations will be possible. Search for telltale clues. Investigating your ancestors' geographic and class origins is an excellent basis for clues. When searching for European royal lineage, entry-level vocations, including wealthy farmers and merchants, governors, ministers, and military officers, are also exceptional leads. As advised by Neil Thompson, a professional genealogist in Salt Lake City, you should uncover all relevant information about the emigrant for proper family placement, including his wife and children, vocation, or religious beliefs. (Susan Wenner, Family Tree Magazine) Research possible connections to royalty. A family historian or librarian may refer you to books, films, microfiche, indexes, etc., for reliable sources. Hilary Jefferies, a professional genealogist, based in Aurora, Colorado, recommends inquiring about library information for your ancestor’s surname. (Susan Wenner, Family Tree Magazine) The Complete Peerage, Scot’s Peerage, and various peerage books Books on surnames and family history History of places and counties Recorded visitations Local history and genealogy within periodicals Family history with related surnames Royal genealogies Gentry sources, including Burke’s Landed Gentry or Burke’s Commoners Heraldry books Contact a genealogy reference librarian. These specialists are excellent resources for those seeking specific sources. For common surname spelling and its variants, checking each source and photocopying the pages containing that surname is vital. From there, references can be categorized by locality and title. In addition, validating birth dates and spouse names should be confirmed. Watch out for scams and false/conflicting data. You should consider all facts on websites containing royal and noble ancestries as clues until verified. Research the website and see what types of documentation are provided. Reliable data should come from multiple records and be cited as genuine sources. Printed genealogy sources are also subject to misleading, conflicting, and intentionally falsified genealogical information. Become familiar with the terminology. While “royalty” and “nobility” are often used interchangeably, they do not mean the same thing. Royalty is only about rulers, such as kings, queens, princes, princesses, and their immediate relatives. Nobles are the relatives of hereditary and high ranks, usually descendants of a king’s youngest sons, but this doesn’t mean they’re blood-related to loyalty. It’s also possible to run into Latin or French abbreviations while researching royal ancestries: sp or S.p.: sine prole (Latin) or sans posterite (French); non-issue d.S.p.: decessit sine prole (Latin) or décedé/décedée sans postérité (French); non-issue death O.S.p.: obiit sine prole (Latin); non-issue death V.p.: vita patris (Latin); during the father’s lifetime d.V.p.: death before the father O.V.p.: obiit vita patris; death before the father V.m.: vita matris (Latin); during the mother’s lifetimes (likely suggests the mother was an heiress) O.V.m.: obiit vita matris (Latin); death prior to the mother S.p.l.: sans postérité légitime (French); non-legitimate issue. S.p.m.: sine prole masculina (Latin); with daughters (or defined as no sons) Watch out for British royal surnames. Philip Turvey, Anglia Research executive director, Suggested that royalties and high status were responsible for long-held surnames staying in families for centuries. (Susan Wenner, Family Tree Magazine) Therefore, the likelihood of being related to royalty is increased if any of these surnames are in your family. Baskerville Darcy Neville Percy Astley Capell Bryon Clifford Herbert Follow paper trails. There are plenty of secondary resources that may assist in tracing royal lineage back further. These include sales records, census records, and land and ownership records. Investigating every historical document and record collection you come across is crucial, as they may contain clues no matter how insignificant they seem. Consider that you likely have royal/noble ancestry. The total number of ancestors you have doubles with each previous generation. In other words, 1,024 ancestors are the sum of 10 generations. And a staggering 1,048,576 ancestors is the sum of 20 generations. Joseph Chang, a statistician at Yale University, demonstrated that every living individual has one common ancestor at minimum when ancestral lineage is traced far enough. He also proved that 600 years is required to reach that point in European heritage. (Daniella Levy, MyHeritage Knowledge Base) Reach out for community guidance. It never hurts to ask for help since millions worldwide are on the same path to uncovering their ancestral lineages and navigating through similar difficulties. Signing up to create a free member tree, then reaching out on social media, community pages, and message boards to coordinate with others. To find individuals looking into similar localities, collaborating in an ethnic genealogical society is also beneficial. Finally, for specific information regarding the country you are researching, hiring a genealogy professional with expertise (such as understanding the language and having archive familiarity) is also highly beneficial in tracing European royal lineage.

Read More >>
Image
12/16/2022 7:36:00 PM No Comments

EU Citizenship By Descent: Poland, Romania, And Germany

Poland Who is eligible for Polish citizenship? Polish-native parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents' relatives are usually eligible for Polish citizenship through descent. Having at least one ancestor native to Poland (or one of its former territories) who lived there after 1920 is the minimal requirement for Polish citizenship. What’s the process of gaining Poland citizenship? Technically, Polish citizenship already applies to anyone who has ancestry there. However, verification would need to be done through an application or by proving your heritage to the Polish government and meeting specific eligibility requirements. Three methods can obtain Polish citizenship: As a birth descendant with a minimum of one parent being a Polish citizen, there are no conditions for birth in Poland or a foreign country. A child under 16 is adopted. Under the terms of Presidential granting. At the Polish president’s discretion, a foreigner can be granted citizenship without limitations. A separate application for this process is required. How is Polish citizenship confirmed? Located in Warsaw, citizenship can be confirmed upon application at the Citizenship Office. Translated into Polish, documents, forms, archival records, and essential information will be obtained. The Polish government will examine the application file thoroughly and request additional information as needed. A citizenship certification will be granted upon government satisfaction of eligibility. What’s the duration for obtaining Polish citizenship by descent? Sometimes, a year or more is required to obtain citizenship by descent. Acquiring Polish civil records certificates (such as birth and marriage) are secondary steps new citizens must take to apply for a passport. The jurisdictions vary between Polish residents and those applying for naturalization. Is having a Polish spouse a citizenship qualification? Individuals living in a foreign country whose spouses are Polish citizens of descent usually don’t qualify for citizenship. However, EU citizen spouses benefit from several rights equivalent to their citizen spouses. Non-Polish individuals who reside in Poland with their spouses follow different jurisdictions. Romania Who can apply for Romanian Citizenship by Descent? The qualifications to apply for Romanian Citizenship by Descent are: At any point in their lifetime, have at least one parent who was a Romanian citizen. At any point in their lifetime, any of the four grandparents was a Romanian citizen. At any point in their lifetime, any of the eight great-grandparents was a Romanian citizen who also lost their citizenship against their will. From birth, individuals are citizens of Romania if either parent is a Romanian citizen. Does my Romanian citizenship application impact my current citizenship? If the government recognizes you as an ancestral Romanian citizen, your current citizenship will not be negatively impacted if you live in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, or Argentina. However, the closest Romanian Consulte should be used as a status reference for individuals who are citizens of any other country. What’s the generational limit to qualify? Individuals who lost their Romanian citizenship or their descendants up to grade II (such as children and grandchildren) can apply for the Romanian citizenship restoration process. For individuals residing in the old territories of Romania (Basarabia, Northern Bucovina), three generations are the limit for their descendants. As soon as first and second-ascendants acquire ancestral Romanian citizenship, third and fourth-generation individuals will also qualify for citizenship. Germany What counts as being a German Citizen by Descent? German citizenship eligibility is determined by family tree lineage. A few crucial questions that help determine this are: Which of my relatives was a German citizen? Which nationality laws were in place at the time of this ancestor's birth? For example, if you had two grandparents who moved to the US from Germany in the 1960s, your mother, who was born in the US (also born in wedlock to two German nationals), would automatically qualify for German citizenship and pass it on to you. How can I know if my ancestors were German? Three primary factors determine an individual’s qualification for German citizenship: Being born in or out of wedlock Their date of birth Whether the mother or father was a German citizen A wedlock-born child is considered a citizen of Germany in the following scenarios: Their date of birth is after Jan. 1, 1975, to a minimum of one German parent. Whether it is the mother or father is irrelevant. They were born to a German father before Jan. 1, 1975. A non-wedlock-born child qualifies for German citizenship in the following scenarios: Their date of birth is after Jan. 1, 1914, to a German mother. Their date of birth is after July 1, 1993, with either parent being a German national. Restoration of German Citizenship (Grounds of Gender Discrimination) Reclaiming German citizenship is available to the following individuals: Children who did not gain German citizenship but were born to a German parent. This would include wedlock-born children before 1975 to a German mother and foreign father. Before their births, they were children of a German mother who married a foreigner and relinquished her German nationality against her will. German women who married foreigners had to surrender their nationality before 1975. Children who lost their German citizenship after “legitimation” by their foreign father were entitled to it from birth. For example, a wedlock German mother passes on citizenship to her child at birth, and the mother marries the foreign father at some point after the delivery. Thus, the mother and child have to surrender their nationality. Descendants of the children as applicable to scenarios 1-3. Restoration of German Citizenship (Political, Racial, or Religious Grounds) German law allows the reclamation of citizenship due to political, racial, or religious reasons. This law applies to the following individuals: Jewish-German citizens were living abroad from January 30, 1933, and May 8, 1945, due to escape from Nazi persecution. Individuals were listed under the Reich Law Gazette (Reichsgesetzblatt), resulting in the stripping of their German citizenship. Descendants of individuals as applicable under 1 and 2.

Read More >>
Image
12/13/2022 8:15:00 PM No Comments

TOP TEN TIPS TO RESEARCH YOUR ANCESTORS FROM PORTUGAL AND SPAIN

Humans have an innate desire to know their roots. The all-encompassing term used for the study of family, family histories, and the tracing of lineages is known as genealogy. Although genealogy has different meanings for different people, specific common triggers compel people to dig deeper and learn more about their ancestors. With the advent of DNA testing, it has become easier than ever to trace genetic material, resulting in more accurate genealogies and less guesswork involved. Although many people's recent family history and ancestry look static, it is when you go way back in the past that your true lineage reveals itself in full glory. The 19th and 20th centuries are the eras of mass exodus, migrations, and cultural intermingling, owing to the availability of transportation, revolutionary global events, wars, and more. However, it is noteworthy to mention that navigating the ancestry back to specific regions, such as Western Europe, is much easier than that of others, like Spain or Portugal. If you are keen on researching your ancestry from Portugal and Spain, some tips and tricks might help. WHY IS GENEALOGY IMPORTANT? Before diving into the tips and tricks for investigating your ancestry, let us look at what makes genealogy so crucial. To begin with, genealogy is essential for any individual or family because it provides a way to connect to the past while still building a future. Furthermore, it gives people a sense of where they come from while also creating a sense of pride. Some of the practical triggers why people search for their ancestors and opt for the services of professional genealogists are – • Validating Family Stories – Tracing family history helps individuals or groups determine if the stories about their ancestors are true. • Trace Medical Conditions – A pertinent reason genealogy has become so important in the 21st century is to assess the risk of getting certain medical conditions that run in the bloodline. • Historical Event – For some people, genealogy is a way better to grasp an ancestor's involvement in famous historical events. • Trace Family Inheritance - A practical reason to gauge the family tree is looking for genealogical proof of a family link for potential heirs. • Trace Land Ownership – Geneology also becomes important to settle questions of land ownership. • Find Birth Parents – Genealogical investigation also becomes crucial when an adopted child wants to determine their birth parents and find children given up for adoption. • Community History – Documenting a community's history requires delving into the families that founded, shaped, and influenced the community. • Religious Tenet – Lastly, some religious dictums mandate their followers know about their roots and ancestry. For instance, the Mormon Chruch or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requires its preachers to know their lineage. Now that we know why genealogy is so relevant let us look at some tricks and tips that can help you find your ancestors from Portugal or Spain. TEN TIPS AND TRICKS TO TRACE ANCESTRY FROM PORTUGAL AND SPAIN 1. Begin at Home Look around; you might be sitting on a treasure trove of family history. The first step in any kind of genealogical research is to begin with what you know about yourself and then your immediate ancestors. Then, scour through your house, and ask your relatives for birth, death, marriage certificates, old photographs, immigration documents, and so forth. Interview and question every living relative that you can find. In addition, examine the family stories you had heard while growing up, as information passed down from one generation to another can give your research some direction. Finally, as you continue collecting information, ensure to organize them into documents or opt for a genealogy software package. 2. Move Backwards in Time The key to good genealogical research is to start with the most recent member of your family, which will be you and your family. Then, you can meticulously document each generation as you work in reverse chronological order, one ancestor at a time. Following this method can help you avoid jumping to conclusions about your ancestry or drawing hasty conclusions about your ancestors' backgrounds. For instance, you might have an unquenchable urge to be related to your favorite famous person, but you cannot start with that famous individual and work your way down the family tree. 3. Know Your History Understanding the local history of the regions where your ancestors resided is an excellent way to speed up your genealogical research. For example, common immigration and migration patterns may provide indications of your ancestor's country or origin. Likewise, knowing your local history can geography will help you determine where to look for records of your ancestors. For instance, if you are looking for an ancestor for Portugal, then it is imperative to know about the hometown because Portuguese demographic records are kept at the local level. Likewise, if you cannot find a record that names your ancestor's hometown in Portugal or Spain, look into their next closest relative that left the country and see if you can find any information about the birthplace. 4. Ask for Help Tracing family history is no easy feat. It would help if you did not hesitate to ask for help and assistance from family members and other professional genealogists. You can even take recourse to social media and use platforms such as Facebook to connect to distant relatives. You might be surprised to know that even the most distant relative might have a cue on your family history from Portugal or Spain. Lastly, consider hiring a professional if you have hit a dead end. 5. Study Social History Your Hispanic or Portuguese ancestor's birth and death dates are the time of the iceberg of your genealogical investigation. However, they may provide a wealth of contextual information. A birth and death date means you know your ancestor's life span, which offers an opportunity to understand their life and times. What dangers did your ancestors face? What socio-economic, religious, or political forces impacted their decisions to migrate? How did they live their lives compared to others? Answers to such questions can help you better connect with the generations before you. Some sources that might help understand social history include city directories, scholarly texts, county histories, well-researched fiction, newspapers, and likewise. 6. Investigate Your Ancestor's Networks Remember that your ancestor in Spain or Portuguese was part of a wider community, and researching their friends, neighbors, extended family members, and even co-workers can lead to information about your ancestor. 7. Understand the Available Records After you have gathered information about your ancestor's name, birth and death, place of birth, community history, and extended network, it is time to determine what record sets are available to meet your research goals. Some resources, which may seem somewhat frivolous, can lead you to a Pandora's Box of information. Some of the common record types you may encounter in your Hispanic/Spanish genealogical searches are – • Parish Registers • Civil Registers • Censuses • Ensenada Census • Marriage Petitions • Cemetery Records • Inquisition Records • Immigration Records Likewise, some of the common record types you may encounter in your Portuguese genealogical searches are – • Parish Registers • Civil Registration Records • Online repositories in Portugal, such as tombo.pt, Azores GenWeb, and more 8. Examine the Sources Not all resources are created equal. When and how the record was created can dramatically affect its dependability. The thumb rule is that the records created by people closer to an event (both in time and relationship) are more reliable than those that were not. For instance, death certificates or tombstones were created shortly after a person's demise and required a witness. Thus, both of these are very reliable sources. 9. Watch for Data Errors and Impossibilities As you work, ensure that the data you find makes sense. Simple analogies, such as whether parents were born before their children, or were the mothers alive when their children were born, can help determine the legitimacy of the information. Highlight any data that may seem uncanny or does not align with your overall investigation. Lastly, use your knowledge of social history to understand if your ancestor's actions made sense, given his age and the time period and place he lived in. 10. Use Citations for all your Facts Lastly, when you embark on your genealogical quest, remember that citations are your friends. For instance, it is common to see people being so engrossed in finding out new information that they do not cite their work properly. Later, when they go back to check some work, it is difficult to remember where they got the information from. Make sure that source citations contain the information given below – • Type of record • Place • Date of event • Name/s of individual/s • Reference • Where the record was accessed • Date the record was accessed WRAPPING IT UP Thanks to technology, advancement in DNA sciences, and the presence of qualified and professional genealogists, searching for an ancestor from Spain or Portugal has become easy. In addition, by following the aforementioned tricks and tips, your search to find an ancestor will become easier.

Read More >>
Image
10/13/2022 10:50:00 AM No Comments

Interesting Facts about Genealogical Services

Genealogy is a field of study that enables a person to learn about his family history. It is done by professional genealogists and plays a crucial role in helping families unite. If you are someone who is looking to get some vital information regarding your ancestors and the various records, they appear in then taking the assistance of genealogical services is the way to go. Genealogy is of great importance and is not widely known by everyone. It is mostly used for private purposes for clients who want to get insights into their family history.So, if you are among those who are eager to know what are the interesting facts of genealogical research services then the below mentioned information is for you. This blog discusses a few facts about genealogical services and how they play a pivotal role in saving both your time and money. Without further ado let's get started.● Thorough Research of Vital RecordsGenealogists take a look at all the vital records to go about their research in the best manner. These vital documents include all the necessary events of your ancestors like birth, marriage, and death. Civil registration enables the state governments to document these important events systematically.● Ensure the Correctness of Original DocumentsOriginal documents containing information about a person's life can contain errors. However, by hiring a professional genealogist, you don't have to worry about this aspect. The genealogist will make sure any mistakes like misspelled names, miscounted children or siblings, or mistaken birth dates found in the original documents are corrected. Finding these errors on time can streamline the whole research process.● Affluent Ancestors Ease off the Research ProcessFor genealogists, researching ancestors who come from a rich background is quite easy. The available paper trails can prove helpful for conducting the research. While researching richer ancestors you will tend to get more paper trails and records. Having this information can significantly help a genealogist in getting the required results and gaining success.● Distinct Names Help GenealogistsGenealogists can also be your private investigator as per the project requirements. It is an extensive process and requires significant time and effort. However, the entire process can be made easy if the person they are searching for has a distinct or unique first or surname. This is due to the fact that common names have quite a few subjects. A person who the genealogists are looking for has a unique name will fasten the process and reduce their workload. Also, the possibility of having success will increase manifolds.● Genealogists Unveil Family SecretsGenealogy research is helpful in knowing about certain family secrets that might have otherwise always stayed hidden. This fascinating fact has made genealogy research quite popular. In some cases, the client will not specifically ask to unravel any family secrets, however, a genealogist does his job and shares all his findings openly. It finally comes down to the person as to how much information he wants to know about his family. In certain cases, a person wouldn't want to reveal a little too much about his family.● Genealogists Benefit from Family BiblesThere are a number of resources that a genealogist uses for providing the desired results. One of the useful resources that they utilize is the family bible. It includes a few records like births and deaths, marriages, reunions, along with some other things. Also, a family photo album, church records, land deeds, scrapbook, and yearly census prove as a helpful resource. With all these things, genealogists are able to ease off their research process and solve challenges they come across. For getting the final results, a genealogist needs to constantly research facts. Certain things that might appear simple often end up being useful for genealogists.Get Professional Genealogy Services with Khuda Genealogical ServicesKhuda Genealogical Services is a recognized and well-known name that provides best in class genealogical services to clients situated globally. The skilled team of professional genealogists we possess are passionate about the field of genealogy and always strive to deliver their best. They will person all the needed steps and procedures to help you find your story and provide the best results. Our team which comprises professional researchers and correspondents is spread over the world and ensures preeminent genealogical services. We look forward to serving you and always work towards making sure our valued clients are satisfied and happy with our top-notch genealogical services. You can enjoy the benefits of our services by spending much out of your pocket as they are available at an affordable price. Contact our team today and we will provide you with an insight into our genealogical services. You will definitely have the best experience with us and only look forward to us whenever you need professional genealogical services.

Read More >>
Image
1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM No Comments

Tips to Research Your Ancestors in Greece

1) Collect all available data in your home country –ship manifest, birth, marriage, death certificates, naturalisation and probate files. You need to know an exact location of your ancestor in Greece to start onsite research, as well his original last name without a name change.
2) Find your Ancestral location on the map to check which parish can keep church books for your town. You may contact the priest to see if he is willing to help with your research in Greece. Beware that Greek people are not very familiar with Greek genealogy or researching ancestors in Greece, so they might be suspicious about your intentions to ask information about people (even if they are your relatives).
3) Try to find your location in GAK/GAS or Greek State Archives and check which information is preserved for your ancestral location in Greece. What genealogical documents can be found in Greece? It can be dowry (marriage contracts), sale/property documents, lists of voters, school lists (separately for girls and for boys), army documents, etc. You have to search in handwritten Greek documents, so language proficiency and be attentive to the details is mandatory.
4) Contact your Town Hall in Greece (according to the Municipality) – there you can find Dimotologion (Family Structure Documents), Male Register (Mitroon Arrenon) and Death Certificates or Certificate of Family Structure. Please keep in mind that Greek clerks can be very busy, so be patient.
5) Visit the cemetery in your ancestral location – there you will be able to find family graves with details about birth, marriage and death. As well interview elderly from the same village in Greece to find out family stories or family lores. If you have questions or need help with researching your ancestors in Greece – please don’t hesitate to send us an email.

Read More >>

Categories

Popular tags