How to Use Census Records to Trace Your Ancestors’ Migration Patterns (and Break Through Brick Walls!)
When you're staring down a brick wall in your family tree, few resources are more revealing — and underestimated — than census records. These routine government snapshots can uncover how your ancestors moved over time, giving you helpful clues about where to look next. So let’s walk through how to use census records from Canada, the United States, and the UK to track your ancestors’ migration patterns and uncover the hidden chapters of their lives.
A Baby, A Secret, and a New Life: What I Discovered About My Great-Grandmother’s Immigration
Growing up, I was told that my great-grandmother’s family came to Canada to find work, like many of us were told about our ancestors. But the truth was far more personal—and shocking.
Once I started to become more serious with my genealogy research in my teen years, I started to uncover missing puzzle pieces that solved family mysteries. But this time, I found an entirely new mystery that revealed the true reason as to why my great-grandmother, her parents, and her sisters all immigrated to Canada. And that reason…