How to Research Your Blackwood Family History on FamilySearch.org

How to Research Your Blackwood Family History on FamilySearch.org

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for researching your Blackwood family history specifically on FamilySearch.org.

Step 1: Accessing FamilySearch.org and Logging In

1. Open your web browser and navigate to FamilySearch.org.
2. If you have an account, click "Sign In" in the top right corner and enter your username and password.
3. If you don't have an account, click "Create Account" and follow the prompts to set up a free account.

Step 2: Starting a General Search for "Blackwood"

4. Once logged in, hover over "Search" in the top navigation bar.
5. Click on "Records" from the dropdown menu.
6. On the "Find Historical Records" page, locate the "Last Names" field and type "Blackwood".
7. If you know a specific first name (e.g., John Blackwood), type it into the "First Names" field.
8. Add any known details like a "Birth Year", "Birth Place", "Death Year", or "Death Place" to narrow your search. Even a country like "Scotland" or "United States" can be helpful.
9. Click the blue "Search" button.

Step 3: Analyzing and Refining Search Results

10. Review the list of search results. Each result will typically show a name, event, date, and place.
11. On the left-hand side, use the "Filters" to refine your results further. You can filter by:
    • Collections: (e.g., Census, Birth, Marriage, Death, Probate)
    • Events: (e.g., Birth, Marriage, Residence)
    • Places: (e.g., United States, Scotland, specific counties)
    • Years: Adjust the date range.
12. Click on a promising record title to view its details. This will often show a transcribed record and, if available, a link to the original image.
13. Carefully examine the record details and the original image for accuracy and additional clues. Look for parents' names, spouses, children, residences, and occupations.

Step 4: Adding "Blackwood" Ancestors to Your Family Tree

14. If a record pertains to an ancestor not yet in your FamilySearch Family Tree, you can add them. From the record detail page, look for options like "Attach to Family Tree" or "Add Person to Family Tree".
15. Alternatively, you can manually add individuals: Hover over "Family Tree" in the top navigation, click "Tree", then click "+ Add Person" in the top left corner of your tree view.
16. Once an ancestor is in your tree, visit their individual person page. FamilySearch will often provide "Record Hints" on the right-hand side. These are suggested records that might belong to your ancestor. Click "Review" next to a hint to evaluate it.

Step 5: Exploring Additional "Blackwood" Resources

17. FamilySearch Catalog: Hover over "Search" and click "Catalog". Type "Blackwood" in the "Surname" field and click "Search". This can lead you to microfilmed or digitized books, local histories, and other resources not indexed in the general "Records" search.
18. Research Wiki: Hover over "Search" and click "Research Wiki". Search for locations associated with your Blackwood family (e.g., "Scotland Genealogy" or "Virginia Genealogy"). The Wiki provides guides, historical context, and links to relevant records and collections, helping you understand what records exist for specific times and places.
19. Consider searching for alternate spellings of Blackwood (e.g., Blackwod, Blackwoode) if your initial searches are not yielding results, as spellings could vary in older records.