If you’re giving someone (including yourself) a present of a genealogical nature this holiday season, consider using one of our links to make your purchase. Using these links helps Genealogy Tip of the Day keep the lights on. Thanks! Books on Michael’s shelf–only books I’ve purchased and actually use. AncestryDNA GenealogyBank Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Check out their latest offer for our fans and readers.
To learn more about your ancestor’s employer as given in a city directory, search the rest of the city directory as it may include advertisements or list the employer in a list of area businesses. Consider performing a Google search for the name of the business and search local and regional histories as well, many of which have been digitized at Google Books (http://books.google.com) or Archive.org (http://www.archive.org). Old newspapers may also provide more information on the business in question. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Check out their latest offer for our fans and readers.
Every database, index, record, or compilation has limitations. Do you know at least one limitation for each finding aid or actual record you use? Transcriptions may include errors. Search engines may not work the way you think they do–or the way another site does. Informants on death certificates don’t have to prove every statement they make. Census takers may guess at information or ask uninformed neighbors. Probate records generally will not list relatives who died without descendants. Land records do not include those who rent their land. Indexes are not always full-name indexes. Affidavits in pension claims can contain lies or exaggerations. And so it goes. For every source you use, every database you query, every book you read–ask yourself what limitations there may be. Knowing the limitations doesn’t […]
Jumping to conclusions can cause you to waste research time and money. Always take a second look at a document, the statements it makes, and the conclusions you’ve drawn. do you have the same person? is it transcribed correctly? is there another way to interpret the document? do I know what all the terms really mean–or did I guess?
Residential or business directories may contain sub-directories of specific occupations after the “main directory.” These directories may contain additional clues about your ancestor. Don’t just find your ancestor once and quit. There may be smaller directories in the back. The illustration shows a list of Silver-Laced Wyan-Dotte chicken breeders in Hancock County, Illinois, in 1918. Look in the back. Don’t be chicken <grin>.
There are a variety of ways that one can use the internet to help transcribe a document that has a difficult to read term or phrase: Google–-search the internet for what the word or item “looks like” and see if someone else has encountered it or something similar. Google does find reasonably close spellings. Search engines will not always help though–particularly if your document is extremely difficult to read. Online gazetteers for the area of interest–the United States Geological Survey’s Geographic Names Information System for areas in the United States. Other locations have similar finding aids. Some place names are colloquial, so abstract, or so old that they will not be located in an index or finding aid. Online groups--Facebook and other sites have genealogical groups where others may […]
When referring to family members in your writing, on pictures, etc. make certain you refer to them by name, not just by their relationship to you. Aunt Helen on the back of a picture could refer to more than one person. Uncle John in some families could refer to a multitude of people. And “Mom,” while a term of endearment for many, is about as vague as it gets. Use the person’s complete name at least once so that it is clear. In the same piece of writing they can later be referred to as “Aunt,” “Uncle,” “Dad,” etc. but the first reference should make it clear that you are talking about Fannie (Rampley) Neill, not just Aunt Fannie. And a range of their life span might also […]
The 1883 death certificate for my ancestor has the printed county name crossed out and the correct county written in its place. One might be tempted to jump to the incorrect conclusion as to why the county name was changed. While I was not around in 1883, my suspicion is that the doctor observed deaths in both counties and only had a stack of Adams County death certificates. The Rampley farm was a few miles from the Hancock-Adams County line and he likely had patients in both counties. That’s probably the reason for the write over on the certificate’s location. Elizabeth’s husband, James, died a year later. His certificate has the same write over. Sometimes an “error” isn’t really an error at all–and not that big of a […]
Apparently we had some distribution issues with the email version of our tips. We are looking into this. You can always go back and see tips you may have missed at http://www.genealogytipoftheday.com Thanks for your support! Michael
A chronology for an ancestor can be a great way to see if there are time gaps for which no records have been obtained. Keep in mind that at certain times during a person’s life they may leave fewer records. And consider including multiple people in a chronology or focusing on something other than a specific person. One chronology I found particularly helpful was a large one that included several families after they had arrived in Chicago from New York State over several years. Including more than one person in the same chronology helped me to notice things that might not have been noticed had I concentrated on just one person.
Some counties have more than one courthouse with each one having specific duties or perhaps responsibilities for a certain portion of the county. Does this apply to the county where you are researching? It may seem unusual to have more than one courthouse in a county, but it does happen. I once assumed there were no deeds for a certain relative until I discovered that the county had two courthouses and I was looking in the records of the wrong one. Genealogy Search Tip is sponsored by GenealogyBank. Check out their latest offer for our readers.
Are there photographs you’ve not scanned and identified? Don’t wait until it is too late. The holiday season is a good time to take those unidentified photographs to family gatherings. Someone may remember something.
One question: Is all your data backed up? or “Have you backed up all your data?” for those of you who don’t like to end questions with a preposition. Either way, make sure you “git ‘er done,” if you haven’t.
For those who use Ancestry.com this post on our Rootdig blog on “recommendations” and “hints” may be of interest. Crista Cowan of Ancestry.com tells what they recommendations and hints are and there’s some additional perspective from me.
A draft registration card does not mean the individual saw active service. The registration card means that the registrant registered for the draft. That’s why he was called the registrant. Obviously some men who registered served either because they were later drafted or volunteered. Requirements as to who had to register can vary from one time period to another.
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