Whenever I have a difficult time finding something, I try and ask myself “why was this hard to find? ” Sometimes the “trick” was something I overlooked. Other times it wasn’t. But reminding myself of what the problem was sometimes gives me insight into other people I can’t find. One issue a recent search for […]
A recent review of the obituaries in my rural, home-town newspaper indicated one of the deceased was a native of New York City. That’s fairly atypical for where I am from and, at the risk of being frank, something of a culture shock. I wondered what brought her from New York as the obituary didn’t […]
It is important somewhere to keep track of your research logic as you progress. Otherwise you might not remember “why” you are researching a certain person. While at the Allen County Public Library last August, I focused on a certain Benjamin Butler in 1850 as being “mine.” Using that enumeration as the starting point, I […]
Research tips that suggest a procedure, an approach, or a process are just that: suggestions. One tip will not solve every problem in every location. What works in one place at one time period may not be appropriate in another place at another time. If one idea does not work, try something else. Or ask yourself […]
It is important somewhere to keep track of your research logic as you progress. Otherwise you might not remember “why” you are researching a certain person. While on a recent research trip, I focused on a certain Benjamin Butler in the 1850 census as being “mine.” Using that enumeration as the starting point, I searched […]
It is important somewhere to keep track of your research logic as you progress. Otherwise you might not remember “why” you are researching a certain person. Several years ago I focused on a certain Benjamin Butler in an 1850 census enumeration as being “mine.” Using that enumeration as the starting point, I searched other records […]
Wonder why great-great-grandma’s age changes so much from one record to another? One reason could be that she wanted to shave a few years off her age. Life was also different. Great-grandma might not have been concerned that if her age didn’t “match” in various records that there might be a problem with her pension, […]
It is important somewhere to keep track of your research logic as you progress. Otherwise you might not remember “why” you are researching a certain person. While at the Allen County Public Library last August, I focused on a certain Benjamin Butler in 1850 as being “mine.” Using that enumeration as the starting point, I […]
If possible, learn why your ancestor “broke the rules” or went against tradition. I’m not certain why my wife’s Roman Catholic great-grandmother didn’t have her last two children christened as infants. She waited until they were nearly 7 and 8 which is unusual. The baptisms were likely done then as she got married in a […]
Periodically I get emails from readers indicating “that didn’t work for me,” “that doesn’t work in England,” or “that doesn’t apply to my family.” I understand that. Different locations are different. Different time periods are different. Different families are different. While there can be similarities from one location to another, one time period to another, […]
If your ancestor went somewhere “out of the blue” to get married and married someone from that “out of the blue” location, have you determined why they went there? It might not have been to find a spouse. I discovered an uncle worked in Nebraska for several months on a farm near where his cousin […]
This “bond” was signed on 10 January 1827 to guarantee that the five individuals named would appear to give statements regarding a court case in Fleming County, Kentucky. The last three individuals appear to have actually signed the document. The first two individuals, James and Enoch Tinsley, do not appear to have actually signed the […]
Variations in how your ancestor’s name was spelled can be endlessly frustrating. However, it’s worth remembering that a variation of how your ancestor’s name appears in an index can arise from a variety of situations: Your ancestor did not know how to spell his name Your ancestor could not read Your ancestor did not speak […]
Years ago I was stuck on my Ira Sargent. I spent a fair amount of time locating men with this name in the 1860 and 1870 census in an attempt to show they were “my guy” who first appeared in the 1880 census. For one reason or another I was able to eliminate them as […]
It is important somewhere to keep track of your research logic as you progress. Otherwise you might not remember “why” you are researching a certain person. Several years ago, I focused on a certain Benjamin Butler in the 1850 census as being “mine.” Using that enumeration as the starting point, I searched other records and […]
Recent Comments