What can genealogy tell us about forgotten crimes? While researching a relative’s birth, I stumbled across a shocking 1895 true crime story—and realized how powerful family history research can be for uncovering the full picture. Here’s how I use genealogy to investigate historical cases and tell the stories others left behind.

Learning about your family history is a fun journey that lots of us take on as a hobby. But when you’re first starting out, Canadian genealogy for beginners can bring its own set of challenges. From choosing which family tree builder is right for you to knowing where to research ancestors in Canada, it’s easy to get lost in a whirlwind of names and dates. But don’t worry! With these tips, researching your family tree and learning about your ancestral history will be both exciting and simple to start. 

Two of my earliest genealogy research goals were to trace both my direct maternal and paternal lines as far back as I possibly could. This led me to discover so much about several ancestors in the process, not just direct line relatives. But two stories from my direct lines stood out to me in particular. One led to a fun little aha-moment, while the other uncovered a life story of struggle and resilience. 

When you're tracing your family tree, it's easy to focus only on direct ancestors — your parents, grandparents, and so on. But sometimes, the most important clues are hidden in the lives of the brothers and sisters they grew up with. Researching your ancestors' siblings can be one of the most powerful strategies for breaking through genealogy brick walls.