Records suggest that your ancestor who was in Kentucky in the 1830s and after was in Amherst County, Virginia, before that. Don’t just grab the first guy you find in Amherst County, Virginia, in 1820 and assume you’ve got the right one. There could be more than one guy in Amherst County with that name–see if there are guys with that name still living in Amherst County in 1830 after your guy has left. It could be that your guy wasn’t really in Amherst County at all, but lived near the border and actually appears in adjacent counties in those records. And it could be that your guy had already left Virginia by 1820.
Your War of 1812 veteran may not have lived long enough to qualify for a military pension, but he may have qualified for a land warrant based on his military service. Many land warrants for War of 1812 military service were granted in the 1850s–either to the veteran or his widow. The names of warrantees (if the warrant generated a land patent) at the Bureau of Land Management website (https://glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx). If you are unfamiliar with land warrants, make certain to have an understanding of the following terms first: patentee warrantee patent warrant And if your ancestor received land, there are additional terms to learn. All are described on the BLM’s “Reference” page. Not knowing what something means can lead to additional brick walls. Michael John Neill writes Casefile Clues […]
In some jurisdictions there may have been multiple courts that heard different types of cases. The obvious court that is often separate is the probate court–the one the oversaw the settlement of estates. There may have been a court that heard criminal cases and yet another court that heard other types of cases. Make certain you’ve gone through them all. A divorce probably won’t be heard or settled in a probate court or a criminal court. Separate courts may have used the same facilities and had the same judge. But the records may be separate from each other with separate indexes and finding aids.
If your relatives are in a “new” area, your search for relatives in the area should include more than just neighbors with the same last name. Look at the first names, look at the places of birth for these neighbors. Does a neighboring family have children with many of the same first names as your ancestral family (hopefully ones that are not common)? Does that neighboring family have places of birth that suggest they could be related to yours or at least followed a similar migration path to the area where they are now living? That’s a good way to find nearby families that are related to a family in a way other than through the father. Sometimes it’s not the last name that’s the clue.
When was the last time you went through your files and cleaned up the names? Downloads can be interesting…
Years ago, I went through the cards my parents received when they married. Most of the names I recognized as relatives of one of my parents. Many of the others had last names that I knew had to be neighbors. There were several I didn’t recognize and I asked Mom who they were from. Most of those were from college friends of my Mom or teaching colleagues early in her career. Then there was one. No idea who she was. But I made a note of the name. It was years later that I found out who she was–a first cousin once removed of my paternal grandmother. I had no idea she was still living in 1968. Too bad Mom didn’t save the envelopes, but we can’t have […]
Genealogists are often familiar with the importance of working on not just immediate ancestors, but neighbors, slightly-more-distant relatives, and associates. Information on these individuals can sometimes give either direct or indirect insight into the ancestors in question. And if your ancestor was involved in any sort of criminal activity, do you know who his (or her) partners-in-crime were? Those associates can be clues as well. For a longer post, read “Partners in Crime.”
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The three Ds of the day are: devise–gift of real property, usually by the last will and testament of the giver devisee–the person receiving real property, usually by a last will and testament devisor–the person giving real property, usually by a last will and testament Devise is the gift of real property given to the devisee by the devisor.
After a hiatus, Casefile Clues is back! We’ve put out four issues since resuming publication. Casefile Clues focuses on being readable, understandable, and practical. Articles exhibit sound research methods and analysis–but are not tedious or difficult to follow. Sample issues can be downloaded on our website. Learn more about Casefile Clues. If you’ve not been getting your issues and you are a subscriber, email me at mjnroodig@gmail.com. And if you’re not a subscriber, consider subscribing today! Casefile Clues content is separate from our blog content.
No matter what item you have from your past, write down the item’s story. Before you forget. Items don’t have to be family Bibles, letters, fancy jewelry, or similar items. They can be milk cans, hay hooks, irons, skillets, or even plants. But their story should be recorded. The writing of the story may even generate additional memories or questions. This tiger lily’s predecessor was owned by my great-grandmother at least as early as the 1940s and likely sooner. Its history briefly: at home of Mimka and Tjode (Goldenstein) Habben west of Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois–at least in the 1940s and 1950s home of John and Dorothy (Habben) Ufkes, north of Ferris, Hancock County, Illinois–probably from the 1940s through 1960 home of John and Dorothy (Habben) Ufkes, east […]
When I was a kid, my dad and I would count the cattle as they crossed the road from one pasture to another. It was important to arrive at the same correct number. The only problem was that my father tended to count out loud and his counting always got me off. Is part of the reason for your research difficulty that you are listening to what someone else has already concluded? Are you letting their interpretations influence yours–perhaps a little too much? Sometimes it’s helpful to put away the conclusions of others and start your analysis from scratch. Then, when you’re done counting your cows separately, you can compare your conclusions with others.
Always look at the year a family Bible was printed. Entries written for events before that date must have been written from memory or copied from somewhere else. It does not necessarily mean that they are incorrect, but that they were not written as they took place.
If the amount of “consideration,” or what was given for the real estate (often cash), is a token amount, determine if there was a relationship among the people involved. Transfers of significant pieces of real estate for token amounts are often done to clear up title among relatives. Not always, but frequently. Check out the relationships among those who transfer land for little to no cash.
It can be tempting when viewing your autosomal DNA matches to immediately start on the one family you “really” want to know about or that match that really confuses you and ignore the families you aren’t immediately interested in. Don’t. Work out the other ones that may be a little easier to figure out–especially when getting started. There’s three main reasons for doing that: it will improve your DNA analytical skills later you may need to use what you’ve figured out to see where you still have gaps you may make discoveries on families you “thought you had figured out” And you may build your confidence by having some luck with the easier ones first. You’re not going to figure them all out in one day and your […]
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