Are you using an 1820 census enumeration where the names appear to be listed in rough alphabetical order? Census takers and some tax collectors, in an attempt to be helpful, roughly sorted names by the first letter of the last name. The problem for genealogists is that this strips the record of all sense of neighborhood. Keep this in mind when you think all the “B”s in an area lived together. No group of people are that organized.
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The phrase was used to describe James Rampley of Harford County, Maryland, in probate documents in 1817. It may seem like using “late” and deceased” in the same sentence is redundant or being excessively legalistic. It’s not. The word “late” in legal records typically means formerly. “Deceased” normally means dead. So James was technically no longer a resident of Harford County because he was dead. But I have seen numerous references to an individual being “late of” a certain where county where they had moved somewhere else. So keep in mind that “late” usually means “used to be” or something to that import. “Deceased” usually means dead .
A name that sounds unusual to you may not be uncommon at all in the area where your relative is from. Early in my research, I believed that someone with the same last name as my grandmother (Habben) “had” to be related. Turns out they didn’t have to be related and in this case they weren’t. In the area where her family was from the last name was more common than I thought and just because two people shared that last name did not mean they had to be related. It also pays to understand how last names originated in the area where your family was from. That may help you to know how reasonable it is for individuals with the same last name to potentially be related.
Newspapers are great places to look for information about old schools that are no longer in existence. Usually the references give a general idea of where the school is at if one uses context clues from the article which mentions the school. Gossip columns, obituaries, and graduation announcements are the most likely place to learn something about that school your ancestor might have attended. This 1950-ere legal advertisement does give the specific location of Green Hill school when the buildings and real estate were sold. One doesn’t always find notices like this, but it may be worth searching for mentions of a school in newspapers long after the school was closed.
Try and determine where your relatives got the names for their children. Sometimes this can be difficult to determine (or even guess at) and there is no way to know for certain. However, looking for repeated names or using children’s names as clues may possibly jump start your research. Names are hints as to relationships. Usually they are not evidence. Don’t always assume the first son was named for the paternal grandfather, the first daughter was always named for the maternal grandmother, etc. There may be tendencies in some cultures to name children after relatives in a set pattern, but there are always exceptions. In the illustration, Civil War veteran Charles Hartsell names his children: Cora, Andrew, George, Louis, Cleveland, and Harrison). Andrew and George were names in the […]
Is the local library always a regular part of your research? It doesn’t matter how long your person of interest lived in a certain locality, it’s possible that a library (or their special collections department) has something that could help you with your research. It doesn’t hurt to look at their website or even reach out to their staff with questions. Just tell them as much as you know about the person who lived in their area—but be succinct when doing so and focus on details that might help them determine if they have special collections or materials that could help you. This includes: education, type of work they did, religious affiliation, ethnic background, etc. They do not need to read three paragraphs about how long you have […]
We are hosting three webinars next week (19 and 20 February). Details are on our announcement page.
When was the last time you searched Google Books for an ancestor or relative? The material indexed in this collection is not fixed and there may easily be something new for you in it if the last time you searched was several years ago. The collection not only includes books, but also a wide variety of magazines and journals. You might be surprised at what you find.
City directories, draft registration cards, obituaries, home sources, death certificates and other sources may mention the name of an ancestral employer. Don’t stop there. 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). Local libraries and historical societies may also be able to help you in your search to learn more about your ancestral employer–including if there is any chance the company’s employee records are still extant.
In the 1920 census, a relative had an eighteen-year-old daughter and a five-year-old daughter. There were no other children and the presumed parents were in their early-to-mid forties. The wife in the household could easily have been the mother of both of the children. It was not unusual for a couple to have a gap in the ages of their children, but the thirteen-year gap did make me wonder if both children were actually theirs. After quite a bit of research, it was discovered that the younger child in the 1920 census enumeration was actually the child of a deceased female cousin of the husband. That deceased cousin’s surviving husband was unable to care for the children after his wife died and her cousin (the husband in the […]
When using a record or source that is new to you, here are some things to think about to make the best use of it: There are other questions to ask about the record as you analyze the information it contains, but the answers to these questions will hopefully make your search easier.
Due to the passage of time, some original records are difficult to read. Writing fades, pages get torn, mice chew on paper, etc. There may have been entries that the indexer or transcriber could only partially read. How are those entries put in the database? Where are they put in a published book? You need to know–because there’s always a chance that partial entry is for your person.
I’ll be at the following seminars and trips this spring: We’ll have Genealogy Tip of the Day and More Genealogy Tip of the Day books for sale at the Ohio and Kansas presentations. Email me if you’d like to pre-order a copy for distribution the at the conference/seminar.
Just because seemingly different sources agree does not mean that they have to be correct–it just means that they agree. Consider whether or not the sources are truly independent. Sometimes different “sources” have the same actual person directly or indirectly providing the information. My grandmother’s 1935 marriage record, 1994 death certificate, and 1994 obituary all provide the same place of birth for her. Grandma was essentially the informant on all three because her children provided what they were told for the death certificate and the obituary. And all three gave places different from Grandma was actually born. Just because Grandma was consistent does not necessarily mean that she was correct.
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