Do you really know how your ancestors said their last name? I always thought I knew how my grandmother’s maiden name was said, until I saw it in an 1870 census with a “new” spelling. I asked on an German research list how the last name was likely said by a low-German speaker and was given a pronunciation slightly different from what I had always used. Then the alternate spelling made perfect sense. Do you know your ancestor’s name was said? It can make all the difference. Subscribe to Casefile Clues and see how it helped with the family I was researching for issue 42. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
When a record is located, try and compare it to other records of the same type or in the same series. How is the record for your relative different from other records? How is it similar? Some differences, such as name, date, etc. identify the record as being for your ancestor as opposed to someone else. But make certain the “boilerplate” of the document is the same as others in the series. Differences, such as a phrase or word that does not appear in other documents may indicate a clue. Analyzing a record in comparison to others is especially helpful when looking at church records which often are kept in loose paragraph format before standard forms were used. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day […]
If you enjoy “Genealogy Tip of the Day” please let others know about it. Tip of the Day is free and suggestions are welcomed. “Genealogy Tip of the Day” is sponsored by Casefile Clues and we’d love to have fans subscribe, but that is not necessary. Suggestions for additional tips are always welcomed at mjnrootdig@gmail.com. Our URL is http://genealogytipoftheday.blogspot.com ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Did any of your ancestor’s siblings receive or apply for a military pension? If so, there’s a chance your ancestor provided testimony as to service, marriage, or other information. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Filing quickly is good–things get misplaced. However rushing to do you data entry may not be a good idea. Some records do not clearly indicate relationships precisely. Most genealogical database programs require specific type of relationship–you can’t just say “related.” Analyze what you find. Draw conclusions and determine the family structure. Then put the relationships in your database. You can enter individuals in a database program without indicating the relationship. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Do you want to use a tip or two from “Genealogy Tip of the Day” in your newsletter or publication? Doing so is easy, just be certain to credit us. You can copy and paste the tip(s) and include the following: (c) Michael John Neill, “Genealogy Tip of the Day,” http://genealogytipoftheday.blogspot.com, TIPDATE. We would love to have you use the tips, just please credit them. Credit helps us to keep generating more tips. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If you cannot find an older relative in a census, make certain you have looked with all their children. They may be hiding there, perhaps with an incorrectly spelled last name that you have not thought search for before. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Don’t correct an original when making a transcription. Copy it as it is written. If you know spellings, etc. are wrong–comment on them separately and clearly indicate that the comments are yours. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
While you should always keep looking, keep in mind that there are times when no record exists for an event. The earlier in time you get, the more likely this is. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Have you been working for too long on one family or one problem? Let it sit for a while, perhaps a week or two and work on something else. A month away may allow you to come back with a different perspective and notice something you did not notice before. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
NARA M850–Pension Payment Cards are completely online at www.archive.org. Great free resource–I blogged about it here, with details on how to search them as there is no finding aid for them at www.archive.org http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2010/03/pension-payment-cards-on-archiveorg.html ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Keep in mind that you can never be one hundred percent certain that any one record is one hundred percent correct. There is always the chance of an error. Never “fix” what appears to be an obvious error either. Transcribe exactly as written and put your commentary elsewhere. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Anglicization is the process of translating a name into English. Many immigrant Anglicized their names after arrival–but rarely at Ellis Island. Remember that some non-English names could be translated. The Swedish Anders became Andrew, as did the Latin Andreas. For non-standard names or those that had no real translation, the ancestor might never have Anglicized or might have simply taken an English name that was “close.” Focke may have become Frank or Trientje might have become Tena. Trientje actually has a root similar to Katherine, but most of my Trientjes who Anglicized their name opted for Tena instead. Remember that your ancestor was not a linguist–so don’t over analyze that translation of his name. And problems with Anglicization is part of the thing that was the issue with […]
Did your ancestor live in a county in the first years after it was formed? Is it possible the boundaries were somewhat in flux in those early years? You still might want to check the records of the “old county” for a few years after the new one was formed, just in case. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Remember that a “one-letter” typo can make all the difference. An “a” at the end of Johann can make it Johanna, not only changing the name but also changing the gender. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
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