Reading through every bill paid by your ancestor’s executor or administrator might seem as fun as watching paint dry, but I learned: My great-grandfather was paid $2 in 1918 for setting posts on his deceased father’s farm My great-grandfather was paid $3 for hauling manure on his father’s farm The fire insurance on the farm in 1918 was $32.50 A phone call made by the executor from Tioga, Illinois, to Carthage, Illinois, cost 20 cents–no mention of how long the phone call was. Looking at the chronology and to whom the phone call was made, it’s pretty clear the executor was calling the loan officer at the bank to inquire about the mortgage payment. All from a look at the estate accounting. Interesting stuff. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s […]
There was a time when in many states, married women could not make wills. If a female ancestor makes a will that is later proven in a probate court to be valid, determine what the law was in the state when she wrote the will. It could be a clue that her husband was dead at the time the will was written–depending upon the state statute in effect at the time the will was written. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
There are some points, in some places, some ancestors have been researched as far back as possible. If there are no earlier records it may just be that you have reached the end of the line. If there are no records, research is somewhat difficult. Make certain you’ve learned all you can about other ancestors in that same lineage–and the extended family as well. There’s probably research you can do, but extending the lineage further back in time may be impossible. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Ever wonder what the phrase “heirs and assigns forever” meant on an old deed? The intent of the phrase was to convey to the grantee a fee simple title, meaning that the grantee was able to keep, mortgage, sell, or bequeath the land as he or she saw fit. This type of ownership was different from a life estate, which is where the grantee only has use of the property during their lifetime. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
For those who were not aware, I have three daily blogs: Genealogy Tip of the Day Daily Genealogy Transcriber Search Tip of the Day–(not actually daily anymore–just when something crosses my desk) ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
The great thing about re-reading material or records is that one realizes how easy it is to remember things incorrectly. Are you making a research decision (particularly online late at night, or while researching in those last minutes in a library) based upon what you “think” a record says? Relying on our memory can be a big mistake. We often realize that great-grandma might not have remembered things correctly when the census taker arrived. Can we expect her great-grandchild to be any better? ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
In most US states, minors over the age of 14, could usually choose their guardian, subject to the approval of the court. If you see your ancestor choosing his guardian, it probably means he or she was over the age of 14, even if the record does not state that fact. You should check the contemporary state statute to be completely certain. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Your great-great-grandparents may have decided to live separately without ever divorcing because “we don’t believe in divorce, but can’t live together either.” In cases like this, there won’t be divorce records, but it is possible that a court action for “separate maintenance” might have been filed. This would have kept the couple “married,” but contain information similar to a divorce. Couples might also have lived separately without any type of court record or agreement. I had an uncle who lived on the farm while his wife lived in town and an aunt who lived across the street in a separate home from her husband. Her home did not have indoor plumbing–his did. When he would go to a nearby larger town to run errands, she’d go across the […]
Don’t forget that ads in newspapers, yearbooks, etc. can also be clues. They may provide information about your ancestor’s residence, occupation, or even affiliations. A 1925 yearbook in Chicago contained an advertisement from a relative (well beyond high school age) that showed his occupation and where his business was located. Too bad there wasn’t a picture. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
I’m trying to track the movements of a relative who lived in both Chicago and upstate New York between 1900 and his death in about 1935. Fortunately he had over a dozen siblings who survived to adulthood, many of whom he survived. The next step in my research is to track down obituaries for these siblings and see where it says he is living–assuming he is listed as a survivor. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Remember that in some jurisdictions there may be separate courts for different functions. There may be a criminal court, a probate court, an orphan’s court, a court of equity, etc. Make certain you have searched all the records–not just one court. It can be easy to overlook one court and not find what you are looking for. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Once in a while, non-deeds may be discovered with the actual land records. An ancestor died in 1893 in Illinois–no will and no probate. There apparently were no bills from the estate, other than funeral expenses. The oldest son filed an affidavit with the land records indicating that the farm was owned free and clear at the time of his father’s death. The affidavit partially explained why there was no estate settlement for the father either. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Sunday we’re offering a year of my weekly newsletter Casefile Clues for $12. Samples can be downloaded as PDF files here: sample 1 sample 2 Feel free to let others know about the offer–this blog post will be pulled late Sunday night–don’t wait. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Remember that one document, a death certificate for example, may contain many statements. Those statements (about the birth, the parents, the date of death, the place of death, burial, cause of death, etc.) are not necessarily made by the same people. Each statement must be evaluated separately as the informant might not have been equally “informed” about every statement which they gave. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
There is more to “proving” a date of birth, a place of marriage, or a maiden name than finding it written on one piece of paper. At the risk of oversimplifying, the researcher should be at the very least be considering: how accurate that “piece of paper” probably is the likely informant of that “piece of paper” what other “pieces of paper” have to say how reasonable the information on that “piece of paper” is There’s more to making a case than this, but these are elements of analysis that should be considered on a regular basis. And if at all possible, try and find other “pieces of paper” that mention the same date, location, or relationship. Ideally those pieces of paper will have different informants-preferably ones who […]
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