woman frustrated over portuguese surnames
Josefa de Mello wasn’t a Mello at all: Or, Why You Can’t Trust Portuguese Surnames

Josefa de Mello wasn’t a Mello at all: Or, Why You Can’t Trust Portuguese Surnames

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Curious thing about Portuguese surnames.   They are inconsistent at best and downright frustrating most of the time.  Surname research is out of the question because you can’t depend on any consistency.  I shouldn’t have been surprised that Josefa de Mello’s surname turned out to be completely different than the name on her son’s marriage record. Why I Couldn’t Find Josefa de Mello in the Parish Records Let’s take a walk into the Azores Islands parish records, shall we? Joam de…

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genealogy detective research family tree
Research Your Family Tree Forward to Work Out DNA Matches

Research Your Family Tree Forward to Work Out DNA Matches

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I have many DNA matches on FTDNA and GEDMatch and I’ve researched collateral lines. Yet, I struggle to figure out how we my DNA matches are related to me.  Knowing we’re related is only the beginning.  Figuring out how is the hard part.  I’ve spent considerable time going backwards with my research.  I’m bringing my lines  forward in hopes of learning who my DNA matches are. How about you? DNA Research is a Challenge My autosomal test results have confirmed…

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Fun with GEDMatch Chromosome Mapping

Fun with GEDMatch Chromosome Mapping

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Have you uploaded your raw DNA files to GEDMatch.com?  If not, you should consider it.  Not only is there the possibility of connecting with new cousins who tested with different DNA companies, there are some nifty tools not available anywhere else.  There are a variety of chromosome mapping tools that allow you to analyze your DNA in a variety of ways. My Ancestry is Split Just a brief note about my ancestry before we get started so you’ll have something…

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genealogy binders and folders
Should I Get Rid of My Genealogy Binders?

Should I Get Rid of My Genealogy Binders?

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Binders and folders are necessary for genealogy, aren’t they? You have to print your family group sheets and save them somewhere…don’t you? What if I told you I was seriously considering reducing my genealogy binders so that they only hold copies of documents? What if I took it one step further and got rid of them all? I know, crazy talk. Do I Need All These Binders? I started with folders. I still have a whole filing cabinet of them….

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Epson V550 scanner review
Epson Perfection V550 Photo Scanner Scans Negatives, Too!

Epson Perfection V550 Photo Scanner Scans Negatives, Too!

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Film negatives, I have a ton of them.  Three shoe boxes and several assorted envelopes scattered around.  Many of them are photographs that were lost long ago.  I’ve been wanting to know their secrets, but I never had a scanner that could scan color negatives.  Now I can scan them with the Epson Perfection V550 Photo Scanner. This is my review. What Comes in the Box? 6400 x 9600 resolution flatbed scanner Two Holders for slides and negatives Reflective Document…

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