In the United States, there were three registrations for the World War I draft. Each used a slightly different registration card. First Registration. Conducted 5 June 1917. This registration was for men born between 6 June 1886 and 5 June 1896–who were between twenty-one and thirty-one years of age. Second Registration. Conducted 5 June 1918. Men born between 6 June 1896 and 5 June 1897 (those who had turned twenty-one years of age since the previous registration). Men who were supposed to register and had not were also included. On 24 August 1918 there was a supplemental registration for for men had turned twenty-one years of age since 5 June 1918. Third Registration. Conducted 12 Sept 1918 and was for men born between 11 Sept 1872 and 12 Sept 1900. This included men […]
There can be more to a probate record than what is in the packet of papers–if there’s even a packet of papers at all. Many reports and acts of the court were transcribed into various journals and ledgers. Sometimes they contain more details, sometimes they don’t. But sometimes they are extant when the case files are not or are more legible than the originals in the case file. Make certain you have looked at everything.
Photographic images can be a great way to jog the memories of family members. While pictures of family members are a great way to start, pictures of other items can stir memories as well. Pictures of schools, local landmarks, cars, homes, etc. can bring back memories in ways that questions or pictures of relatives sometimes can’t. Ebay is one place to locate such pictures (search for specific places) but there are websites, such as Google Images as well.
As problem-solving approach when you can’t find a family in census, write out what you think their census enumeration would look like and what information they would provide. Then you know for whom to search–and the creation of the likely entry may cause you to notice something you have overlooked.
If you are looking for an entire family in a record where the entire family is specifically named, consider searching for the “easiest” name first. Is there a child with a name that is more difficult to spell than other names? Searching for son John may be easier than daughter Evangeline.
A homestead can mean several things, but two of them are rather specific. Homestead claims were claims to federal property that were filed in the western states under the terms of the Homestead Act of 1862. The claim process (initially to 160 acres) was established by the 1862 Act. A right to homestead is generally speaking a right the surviving spouse has to remain on their “homestead” after the death of their spouse. The surviving spouse for whom this is an issue usually is the widow and the “homestead” may not include the entire farm–depending upon the amount of real estate involved. Homestead in this sense is generally determined by state statute and there may be additional references to homestead in other sections of state code (most often […]
For those who have a kindle, Genealogy Tip of the Day is available there for a small monthly charge. Amazon won’t let us give kindle download at no charge.
Stories told to you by relatives are not always completely true. Stories told to you by relatives are not always completely false. The reality is that the “truth” rests somewhere in between. Take any family story and break it into the parts that might have left a record and those arts that likely did not. Use those parts as clues. But…remember your goal is not to prove the story. Your goal is to try and find the truth-or at least the evidence that was left behind. The stories should be used to find some direction.
I maintain the following free genealogy blogs: Rootdig.com—Michael’s thoughts, research problems, suggestions, and whatever else crosses his desk Genealogy Tip of the Day—one genealogy research tip every day–short and to the point Genealogy Search Tip—websites I’ve discovered and the occasional online research tip–short and to the point Genealogy Transcriber—one piece of handwriting to read and transcribe You can subscribe/unsubscribe to any of these blogs using the links that appear in the upper part of each blog page. Feel free to let others know about our blogs. Thanks for your support!
If you are having difficulty transcribing document, consider: for words–perform a Google search on the words you can transcribe–at least a few before and after to get some context. You may find other transcribed documents with similar phrasing, especially with legal documents. Use this as a clue–not as a fact. search for the names you can partially read in a census or other record created around the same time period to see if you can get “match.” Again use this as a clue–not as a fact.
The inventory of your relative’s chattel property can sometimes provide a variety of clues. The items may suggest occupation, economic status, or provide additional clues (particularly if debts are listed). At the very least the items can provide historical insight into your relative’s life
If you signed up for my “Organizing Genealogical Information” class and have not heard from me, email me using the email address in your receipt. If you want to sign up, we’re taking registrations through early on 5 January or until we’re full.
Definitions can create confusion and any word must be interpreted in context. Yesterday’s tip (about the “rood”) reminded me of that. A rood can be 1/4 of an acre, as mentioned in the post. From another perspective, it is 40 square rods. And, outside of land terminology, it can also be a cross or a crucifix. One also must remember when using legal documents that words are often used with very specific definitions there as well. And those definitions may not align completely with how the word is used in everyday conversation.
The United States Naturalization Act of 1906 made significant changes to naturalization procedures in the United States. One of the key changes for genealogists is that prior to the Act, any court of record could naturalize. After the act, generally only federal courts could perform naturalizations. And in some places and time periods before 1906, certain courts were not as stringent in their procedures than others–especially if there was an impending election.
For land described in metes and bounds, a rood may be used as part of the total acreage. A rood is 1/4 of an acre and is sometimes used instead of fractional parts of an acre. A piece of property that is 10 acres and 3 roods would be 10 3/4 acres. A rood is different from a rod. A rod is a unit of linear measure. A rod is 16.5 feet.
Recent Comments