Sometimes researchers avoid getting a record because “I already know what it will say so there’s no need to bother with it.”
And there are times where a record confirms what you already had or doesn’t tell you anything new. But there are also those times when the record contains unexpected information.
You never know what a record says until you see the record. And it’s always possible that what you “think you know” is not correct in the first place.
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4 Responses
Good point! Sometimes ur having an off day when u see a document and didn’t notice something. Then the next time you look u say, “How did I miss that?”
My GF’s death certificate had a wealth of info.
I often suggest to patrons (when I’m volunteering in the library) that they research land records. I get the reply” I know where they lived. “The first thing I do when researching a family is go to the deed books. For instance, Grandpa & Grandma buy land. As time goes on, later generations are now the land owners. Names of children, the spouses, and other valuable genealogical information can be found in the deed books.
You are exactly right. Sometimes land records reference court disputes over inheritances which can provide a significant amount of information as well. The first deed can give a time frame for when the family first moved to an area, whether they had the money to pay for the land outright or had to mortgage it, etc. Later mortgages can signify the couple may have had financial difficulties as well.