Anglo-Celtic Connections

Fifteen centimetres of snow. That’s what I’d shovelled, so the walk to the mailbox, even in the bright sunshine with neighbours “Merry Christmasing,” felt like a bit of a trek. And for what? Bills. Bloody bills. The Canada Post strike meant no Christmas cards this year. But it got me thinking.

The thing about Christmas cards is they don’t go off. They’re not like milk or bread. It’s not about getting them on the 25th; it’s about what they are. It’s the memories, the feeling you get when you see a familiar scrawl. They’re little bits of connection, little time capsules of someone’s thoughts and well wishes.

Even the cards from people who aren’t around anymore are a reminder that they’re still part of our life story. It’s not the paper or the glitter; it’s the feeling, the enduring warmth they keep alive. That’s why my Christmas decorations this year include cards from years gone by.

A classic

Since the start of December FamilySearch has added or updated titles totalling over 16.5 million records in its Full Text Search Canadian collection. Here’s the list. There are some unusual  titles!

Collection Title	Records	Last Updated
Canada, Migrations, from 1630 to 1992	4001386	19-Dec-24
Canada, Saskatchewan, Legal, 1925	3843055	19-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Properties, from 1854 to 1868	1949031	19-Dec-24
Canada, New Brunswick, Properties, from 1 October 1917 to 28 February 1918	1343415	19-Dec-24
Canada, Nova Scotia, Properties, from 1893 to 1894	965855	19-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Legal, 1605	553430	19-Dec-24
Canada, Newfoundland, Military Service, from 1913 to 1918	470453	19-Dec-24
British North America, Canada West, Properties, from 1860 to 1867	447625	19-Dec-24
Canada, Military Service, from 0191 to 2019	370074	19-Dec-24
Canada, Quebec, Legal, from 2 July 1888 to 25 July 1925	332508	19-Dec-24
Canada, Nova Scotia, Others, from 1614 to 1969	243074	23-Dec-24
Canada, Nova Scotia, Legal, from 1900 to 1925	201982	19-Dec-24
British North America, Upper Canada, Properties, from 1802 to 1894	174316	19-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Others, from 1927 to 1987	135575	19-Dec-24
Canada, British Columbia, Legal, from 1300 to 1913	119321	17-Dec-24
Canada, Deaths, from 1560 to 2007	118147	17-Dec-24
Canada, New Brunswick, Migrations, from 30 August 1920 to 9 January 1921	112033	19-Dec-24
Canada, Employment, from 1752 to 1971	93597	19-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Military Service, from 1821 to 1827	75639	19-Dec-24
Canada, Saskatchewan, Migrations, from 1 October 1905 to 28 February 1906	70765	19-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Migrations, from 1920 to 1924	62740	19-Dec-24
Canada, Quebec, Migrations, from 3 October 1909 to 26 April 1910	46069	19-Dec-24
Canada, Marriages, from 1315 to 1999	42947	01-Dec-24
Canada, Nova Scotia, Education, from 1803 to 1885	35848	19-Dec-24
Canada, Others, from 1315 to 1994	35592	23-Dec-24
Canada, Saskatchewan, Military Service, from 1777 to 1841	32987	19-Dec-24
British North America, Lower Canada, Properties, from 1637 to 1899	32234	17-Dec-24
Canada, New Brunswick, Military Service, from 1777 to 1841	28365	19-Dec-24
Canada, Saskatchewan, Others, from 1917 to 1920	27139	19-Dec-24
Canada, British Columbia, Employment, from 1864 to 1970	26556	17-Dec-24
Canada, Nova Scotia, Biographies, from 1817 to 1879	26470	19-Dec-24
Canada, Quebec, Military Service, from 1852 to 1867	24472	19-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Biographies, from 1863 to 1987	22571	19-Dec-24
Canada, Newfoundland, Employment, from 1880 to 1992	22038	17-Dec-24
Canada, Nova Scotia, Employment, from 1880 to 1920	22038	17-Dec-24
Canada, Saskatchewan, Deaths, 1991	21598	01-Dec-24
Canada, Nova Scotia, Migrations, from 29 February 1912 to 1 April 1912	21353	19-Dec-24
Canada, Nova Scotia, Military Service, from 1852 to 1867	19624	19-Dec-24
British North America, Canada West, Legal, from 1834 to 1855	19532	19-Dec-24
Canada, British Columbia, Military Service, from 1940 to 1947	18170	19-Dec-24
British North America, Canada East, Legal, from 1 November 1913 to 30 September 1914	18163	19-Dec-24
Canada, British Columbia, Biographies, 1991	17567	19-Dec-24
Canada, British Columbia, Migrations, from 18 October 1938 to 19 October 1939	17274	19-Dec-24
Canada, Prince Edward Island, Legal, from 1786 to 1930	16620	19-Dec-24
Canada, Alberta, Military Service, from 1777 to 1841	16128	19-Dec-24
Canada, Legal, from 1875 to 2014	14966	19-Dec-24
Canada, Prince Edward Island, Employment, from 1809 to 1943	14163	17-Dec-24
Canada, Nova Scotia, Deaths, from 1919 to 1922	13509	19-Dec-24
Canada, Manitoba, Military Service, from 1940 to 1947	10925	03-Dec-24
Canada, Alberta, Others, from 1863 to 1914	9088	19-Dec-24
Canada, Prince Edward Island, Military Service, from 1794 to 1870	8507	19-Dec-24
Canada, Biographies, from 1315 to 2008	7871	23-Dec-24
Canada, British Columbia, Residences, from 1871 to 1899	7409	23-Dec-24
Canada, New Brunswick, Others, 30 April 1971	7290	19-Dec-24
Canada, Saskatchewan, Employment, 1900	7142	17-Dec-24
Canada, Manitoba, Others, 1858	5945	17-Dec-24
Canada, Newfoundland, Legal, from 1786 to 1996	5889	19-Dec-24
Canada, New Brunswick, Legal, from 1871 to 1873	5765	19-Dec-24
Canada, Residences, from 1781 to 1916	5212	19-Dec-24
Canada, British Columbia, Others, from 1818 to 1981	5119	17-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Deaths, from 1866 to 1868	4294	04-Dec-24
British North America, Canada East, Properties, from 1806 to 1852	4169	17-Dec-24
Canada, Quebec, Others, from 3 October 1862 to 27 March 1863	4111	19-Dec-24
Canada, Nova Scotia, Residences, 1880	4020	19-Dec-24
Canada, Prince Edward Island, Others, from 1871 to 1985	3504	19-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Residences, from 1908 to 1918	2980	19-Dec-24
Canada, Manitoba, Employment, from 1864 to 1970	2857	02-Dec-24
British North America, Canada East, Military Service, from 1809 to 1869	2803	19-Dec-24
Canada, Saskatchewan, Residences, from 1894 to 1949	2601	17-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Employment, from 1864 to 1970	2385	19-Dec-24
Canada, Newfoundland, Others, from 1871 to 1904	2381	19-Dec-24
Canada, Newfoundland, Residences, from 1871 to 1880	2381	19-Dec-24
Canada, Prince Edward Island, Residences, 1880	2381	19-Dec-24
Canada, Quebec, Biographies, 1902	2317	17-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Marriages, from 1866 to 1868	2267	01-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Religious, from 1835 to 1877	2206	04-Dec-24
Canada, Nova Scotia, Medical, from 1907 to 1924	2128	19-Dec-24
Canada, Manitoba, Residences, 1976	2010	19-Dec-24
Canada, Quebec, Employment, from 1849 to 1958	1782	19-Dec-24
Canada, Alberta, Employment, from 1900 to 1932	1772	03-Dec-24
Canada, New Brunswick, Religious, from 1854 to 1985	1715	04-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Medical, from 1783 to 1870	1694	19-Dec-24
Canada, Alberta, Residences, from 1700 to 2001	1639	17-Dec-24
Canada, Properties, from 9 December 1857 to 25 June 1867	1590	19-Dec-24
Canada, Manitoba, Legal, from 1745 to 1930	1563	17-Dec-24
Canada, New Brunswick, Deaths, from 1818 to 1964	1558	04-Dec-24
Canada, Newfoundland, Migrations, from 1939 to 31 August 1940	1539	17-Dec-24
Canada, British Columbia, Deaths, from 1872 to 1998	1426	01-Dec-24
Canada, Saskatchewan, Religious, from 1909 to 1954	1397	01-Dec-24
Canada, Saskatchewan, Properties, from 1870 to 1987	1332	19-Dec-24
British North America, Upper Canada, Military Service, from 1797 to 1845	1214	19-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Births, from 1866 to 1987	1173	01-Dec-24
Canada, Prince Edward Island, Biographies, from 1799 to 2001	1172	01-Dec-24
Canada, Prince Edward Island, Deaths, from 1805 to 1906	1172	01-Dec-24
Canada, Ontario, Education, from 1884 to 1899	869	19-Dec-24
British North America, Canada East, Religious, 1900	862	01-Dec-24
Canada, Northwest Territories, Properties, from 1799 to 1870	820	19-Dec-24
British North America, Upper Canada, Legal, from 1847 to 1956	750	19-Dec-24
Canada, Quebec, Residences, from 1871 to 1908	740	22-Dec-24
Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, Biographies, from 1 July 1847 to 31 July 1847	667	19-Dec-24
Canada, Residences, Census, from 1640 to 1998	622	01-Dec-24
Canada, Prince Edward Island, Properties, 30 November 1979	585	17-Dec-24
British North America, Upper Canada, Biographies, from 1763 to 1816	230	16-Dec-24
Canada, British Columbia, Properties, from 1885 to 1949	208	17-Dec-24
Canada, Quebec, Medical, from 1886 to 1899	96	19-Dec-24
British North America, Canada West, Employment, from 1821 to 1952	80	19-Dec-24
Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, Legal, from 1810 to 1825	51	17-Dec-24
Canada, Quebec, Properties, from 12 May 1892 to 19 November 1892	22	16-Dec-24
Canada, Alberta, Properties, from 1907 to 1957	19	15-Dec-24
Canada, Manitoba, Properties, from 1887 to 1953	10	15-Dec-24

Several titles were added in November, but none like the two large collections added in August

Canada, Probate Records, 1600 – 2020 with 14,726,237 records.
Canada, Homestead Records, 1600 – 2011, with 8,329,643  records.

Here are the December additions to the FamilySearch Full Text search for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are over 1.5 million records in 105 separate titles.

Collection Title	Records	Last Updated
United Kingdom, Wales, Legal, from 1862 to 1870	485115	20-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Scotland, Properties, from 1617 to 12 May 1858	413027	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Scotland, Deaths, from 1544 to 1901	143629	17-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Scotland, Legal, 1840	139825	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Lanarkshire, Properties, from 1714 to 1800	60463	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Scotland, Others, from 1396 to 1838	44869	20-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Scotland, Biographies, 1903	38008	20-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Wales, Others, from 0901 to 1970	35725	20-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Wales, Biographies, 1950	27052	19-Dec-24
Wales, Glamorgan, Legal, from 1778 to 1799	24096	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Ayrshire, Legal, from 1607 to 1721	17551	19-Dec-24
Wales, Montgomeryshire, Properties, from 1557 to 1857	15038	19-Dec-24
Wales, Legal, from 1400 to 1832	13488	20-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Scotland, Employment, from 1820 to 1847	13132	20-Dec-24
Scotland, Lanarkshire, Legal, from 1665 to 31 March 1752	8923	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Wales, Military Service, from 1880 to 1892	5085	20-Dec-24
Scotland, Properties, from 1100 to 1868	4710	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Wales, Properties, from 1294 to 1904	3794	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Scotland, Military Service, from 1914 to 1918	3762	19-Dec-24
Wales, Denbighshire, Legal, from 1576 to 1806	3680	20-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Scotland, Residences, from 1 December 1889 to 31 July 1966	3275	20-Dec-24
Scotland, Legal, from 1166 to 1945	3110	19-Dec-24
Wales, Anglesey, Legal, from 1576 to 1798	2431	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Others, from 1400 to 1973	2267	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Biographies, from 1664 to 1902	2229	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Military Service, from 1641 to 1913	1982	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Argyll, Properties, from 1257 to 1780	1819	19-Dec-24
Wales, Flintshire, Legal, from 1 April 1543 to 1799	1807	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Ayrshire, Employment, from 1739 to 1785	1726	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Ayrshire, Properties, from 22 July 1749 to 21 March 1753	1603	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Wales, Education, from 1864 to 1876	1593	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Wales, Residences, from 1903 to 1906	1398	19-Dec-24
Wales, Cardiganshire, Legal, from 1798 to 1799	1276	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Scotland, Education, from 1 April 1810 to 30 April 1823	1147	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Lanarkshire, Employment, from 1685 to 1791	1060	19-Dec-24
Wales, Montgomeryshire, Biographies, from 1953 to 1970	864	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Berwickshire, Properties, from 3 September 1722 to 25 December 1789	822	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Ayrshire, Poor Relief, from 1 June 1798 to 31 July 1845	815	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Argyll, Others, from 0001 to 1885	793	19-Dec-24
Wales, Glamorgan, Properties, from 1608 to 1831	731	19-Dec-24
Wales, Military Service, from 1588 to 30 April 1880	655	20-Dec-24
Wales, Breconshire, Legal, from 1647 to 1732	630	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Others, from 1669 to 28 April 1979	607	20-Dec-24
Scotland, Aberdeenshire, Properties, from 1 November 1637 to 1680	590	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Caithness, Properties, from 17 July 1764 to 8 April 1771	586	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Renfrewshire, Others, from 0700 to 1902	558	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Fife, Education, from 1413 to 1897	554	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Renfrewshire, Properties, from 1694 to 1699	481	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Lanarkshire, Others, 1983	464	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Aberdeenshire, Education, from 1494 to 1854	460	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Properties, from 1634 to 1984	444	19-Dec-24
Wales, Anglesey, Medical, from 1846 to 1851	438	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Edinburgh, Employment, from 1583 to 1790	427	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Dumfriesshire, Properties, from 16 August 1679 to 27 October 1759	409	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Edinburgh, Residences, from 1406 to 1841	390	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Kincardineshire, Residences, 1867	378	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Banffshire, Properties, from 23 June 1658 to 1 October 1661	366	19-Dec-24
Wales, Others, from 1400 to 1973	361	18-Dec-24
Scotland, Kinross-shire, Others	356	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Fife, Others, from 1089 to 1897	356	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Edinburgh, Legal, from 1403 to 1926	333	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Lanarkshire, Education, from 1728 to 1858	328	19-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Scotland, Migrations, 1930	326	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Elginshire, Legal, from 1 June 1746 to 1814	310	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Lanarkshire, Residences, 1783	301	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Stirlingshire, Others	269	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Aberdeenshire, Others, 1696	256	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Dunbartonshire, Residences	234	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Forfarshire, Others	221	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Shetland, Legal, from 1602 to 1689	216	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Renfrewshire, Properties, from 10 March 1518 to 1871	206	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Residences, from 1781 to 1800	201	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Aberdeenshire, Legal, from 1 December 1800 to 31 August 1802	196	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Kinross-shire, Properties, from 1617 to 1830	175	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Fife, Properties, from 1 September 1666 to 17 June 1730	175	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Perthshire, Legal, from 1 November 1661 to 30 November 1661	169	19-Dec-24
Wales, Pembrokeshire, Legal, from 1559 to 1634	158	19-Dec-24
Wales, Residences, from 1790 to 1799	151	18-Dec-24
Wales, Merionethshire, Legal, from 1543 to 1799	139	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Edinburgh, Biographies, from 1460 to 1950	126	19-Dec-24
Wales, Properties, from 1300 to 1789	120	20-Dec-24
Scotland, Linlithgowshire, Legal, from 1694 to 1695	120	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Forfarshire, Legal, from 1613 to 1 September 1800	117	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Dunbartonshire, Legal, from 1 July 1632 to 28 February 1723	113	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Biographies, from 1100 to 2005	113	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Perthshire, Others, from 1699 to 1745	100	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Kincardineshire, Properties, from 1600 to 1860	97	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Nairnshire, Properties, from 1617 to 1868	83	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Midlothian, Legal, from 1580 to 1797	83	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Elginshire, Properties, from 1666 to 1868	83	19-Dec-24
Wales, Flintshire, Others, 1899	61	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Stirlingshire, Legal, from 1 June 1724 to 28 February 1734	60	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Roxburghshire, Legal, from 1700 to 30 June 1775	60	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Argyll, Legal, from 1 July 1693 to 1801	54	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Fife, Legal, from 1613 to 1778	48	17-Dec-24
Scotland, Ayrshire, Others, 1983	45	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Argyll, Education, from 1710 to 1860	43	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Inverness-shire, Others, from 1725 to 1745	36	18-Dec-24
Scotland, Edinburgh, Military Service, 1860	34	19-Dec-24
Scotland, Banffshire, Others, 1696	34	16-Dec-24
Scotland, Bute, Poor Relief, from 1849 to 1855	24	18-Dec-24
Scotland, Employment, from 1696 to 1830	22	16-Dec-24
Wales, Glamorgan, Military Service, from 1690 to 1760	3	18-Dec-24
United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Legal, from 1891 to 1903	3	17-Dec-24
Wales, Caernarfonshire, Legal, from 1774 to 1799	2	17-Dec-24

The FreeBMD Database was updated on Saturday, 21 December 2024, to contain 292,099,269 unique records.

Years with more than 10,000 additions in the past month are 1993 and 1996 for births and marriages and 1995 for deaths.

During 2024, 2,335,116 records were added, the vast majority for the 1990s.

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

Free Family Stories Resource Kit
Just fill out the form and sign up for the free Family Tree newsletter to receive your ‘Collect your family stories resource kit’ featuring interview sheets, suggested questions, pedigree charts, ancestor fact sheets, and more.

The last month has transformed the state of AI
A blog post by AI guru Ethan Mollick

OC Transpo Transit Routes
From Carleton University, OCTranspo route maps back to 1929.

Australia, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com™
MyHeritage has added this collection, with over 1.2 billion records.

Season’s Greetings
As in previous years, I mostly take a break during the holidays, but not without having prepared daily Yuletide R&R items for the remainder of 2024.

After the first post on Canada’s Anglo-Celtic Connections, eighteen years of blogging have passed. In the past year, there has been one post or more every day. I don’t intend to maintain that pace in 2025.

I wish everyone joy, peaceful moments, and good memories this season. See you in the New Year.

Thanks to Alison Hare, Ann Burns, Anonymous, Barbara May Di Mambro, Brenda Turner, Christine Jackson, Lesley Anderson, Teresa, and Unknown for this week’s contributions.

There are currently 4,096 items in LAC’s Collection Search identified as Co-Lab-only contributions, up from 4,092 in November.

Here is the progress on the challenges since November. One challenge shows progress.

Games of the XXI Olympiad, Montréal 1976 remains at 80.8% complete.

Treaty 9, with 27 images, remains 3.7% complete.

Mary Ann Shadd Cary is 66.1% complete, up from 50%.

Expo67 remains 6.8% complete.

Summiting Mount Logan in 1925: Fred Lambart’s personal account of the treacherous climb and descent of the highest peak in Canada remains 13.4% complete.

Women in the War remains 1.4% complete.

Arthur Lismer’s Children’s Art Classes remains <1% complete.

John Freemont Smith, RG10, Volume number: 4079 remains 88.5% complete.

Molly Lamb Bobak remains 94.7% complete.

Diary of François-Hyacinthe Séguin remains 99% complete.

George Mully: moments in Indigenous communities remains 0% complete.

Correspondence regarding First Nations veterans returning after the First World War remains 98.5% complete.

Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 remains 94.7% complete.

Legendary Train Robber and Prison Escapee Bill Miner remains 99% complete.

Japanese-Canadians: Second World War remains 2.8% complete.

Projects that remain 100% complete are no longer reported here.

You can read the first Family Tree Magazine (UK) issue from Nov-Dec 1984 here. It included an article, “How to Trace Your Family Tree.” How things have changed!

1. Digital Archives and Search Capabilities
The article describes research at locations like St. Catherine’s House in London, where researchers kept fit by lifting large red, black and green books to a desk for searching. Today, most records are digitized and searchable. Advanced online platforms provide powerful search engines, keyword filters, and algorithmic matching. There’s instant access to millions of historical documents.
2. DNA Testing
This article does not mention genetic genealogy, which has revolutionized family history research in the past two decades. DNA matching allows people to identify genetic relatives, confirm family connections, and trace ancestral origins in ways impossible 40 years ago.
3. Global Interconnectivity
The article suggests hiring local researchers or travelling to different locations to access records. Modern genealogists collaborate internationally through online forums, social media groups, and genealogy websites. Resources from different countries are increasingly digitized and shared across borders. However, visiting is still often required, and a pleasure, to go in-depth
4. Computer-Based Organization
The author recommends a “loose-leaf folder” for organizing family history information. Today, genealogists use specialized software, cloud-based platforms, and complex family tree management tools that allow for instant updates, linking of sources, and sophisticated data management.
5. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Modern genealogy research increasingly employs AI technologies to help researchers. These include automated record matching, predictive ancestor suggestions, handwriting recognition for old documents, and advanced algorithms that can suggest potential family connections based on complex data analysis. Some capabilities unimaginable when the article was written remained so even a couple of years ago.

From  20 to 24 December, Généalogie Québec offers a 25% discount on annual subscriptions.

It is available only through the link
https://www.genealogiequebec.com/en/subscription-offer-noel2024

 

 

Searchable records for the City of London Cemetery, comprising 492,465 burials, are now available on TheGenealogist.  There’s access to comprehensive information from 1856, including:

● Full name of the deceased
● Precise cemetery plot location
● Occupation
● Date of burial
● Age at time of death
● District of death registration
● Residential address.

The 200-acre cemetery is located in Manor Park in East London.

If you know the approximate date of burial, there’s free access to images of the register books at https://col-burialregisters.uk/

The City of London Cemetery is not to be confused with the nearby Manor Park Cemetery and Crematorium (records available at deceasedonline). See the area map here.

 

 

5. Leverage AI and Machine Learning

Utilize AI tools to analyze and cross-reference family history data for patterns and correlations. Advanced algorithms can identify relationships, migration trends, and historical context that might be missed during manual research. For example, AI might highlight connections between distant relatives or suggest areas of further investigation based on shared linguistic or locational traits in family records.

Pros:
– Efficiently analyzes large datasets for patterns and connections.
– Reveals insights that may not be apparent through manual research.
– Continuously improves with advancements in technology.

Cons:
– May require subscription fees or access to specialized tools.
– Results depend on the quality and completeness of input data.
– Potential for over-reliance on automated interpretations.

In case you’re wondering, this is the fifth and final response, raw and unedited, in an experiment with ChatGPT. I prompted it with “Suggest a disruptive approach or five to investigating your family history.  Please add pros and cons for each of the five items.”  Share your thoughts, please.