There’s a certain thrill to discovering something that we don’t know. Some genealogists are constantly on the hunt for something “new” that they neglect to revisit those conclusions that were reached years ago, were taken as truth based on a relative’s statement, or came from a document that “had to be correct.” Failure to revisit can be a mistake. That mistake is how some mistakes get passed down and shared with future generations. Even if revisiting does not uncover errors, additional information can be obtained and a greater picture of the family who was “already known” emerges. Don’t forget there is a thrill of discovery in finding something is incorrect as well. The thrill is lessened when it was your own mistake. Those should be embraced as well–as […]
This PDF includes all the colors currently available in the groups feature at AncestryDNA and room to keep track of what you have used each color for. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it. If you’d like to get our genealogy tip daily in your email for free, add your address here.
The ease of accessing information online sometimes makes it easier to transcribe certain documents. We can search for what we think something might say and see if someone has transcribed a similar word or phrase. We can look at what an image of another record says the date of marriage is if we cannot quite read it on the marriage license we have. That’s helpful and resourceful. But one has to be careful. Just because others have transcribed a word or name as “Pine” does not mean that is what it actually is. It could really be “Jane.” Just because another record indicated the marriage date was 8 June 1842 does not mean the date was not actually written as 8 Jan. 1842 on the marriage license. It’s […]
Every genealogist has had that moment when they’ve made a big discovery. The following excitement often motivates the researcher to immediately continue to the research. That’s not always the best idea. The thought that “I’ve solved it,” can cause us to overlook inconsistent pieces of information, new pieces of information, etc. Our euphoria at having figured it out can sometimes blind us to relevant information that doesn’t fit. It can also cause us to overlook key clues or jump to additional conclusions that aren’t supported by the information we’ve located. And like Charlie the dog in the picture, we may be a little out of focus when we are excited. That’s not always the best time to immediately research. After the information has been saved, printed/downloaded, copied, and […]
One reason for tripping over a stumbling block in our research is that there’s a piece of information we don’t have and that we don’t know we don’t have. When a research situation is confusing you, ask yourself: Was there a historical event taking place of which I am not aware? Did these two people have a relationship that I don’t know about and which might not have left a record? Is there a term that I don’t understand? Is there a process (legal, military enlistment, religious, cultural, etc.) that I don’t understand completely or am not aware of? And so on. The difficulty is that we don’t always know what we don’t know. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it. If you’d like to get […]
It’s easy to give orders to be carried out after your death. But there’s one fact that happens after you die: You are dead and things are really out of your control. Simple, but true. When you are dead, you are dead. You won’t be around to make certain your heirs, executors, etc. do things exactly as you want. I know you can leave a will, but there are some realities of wills, executors, heirs, judges, and how they can interact with a stack of papers that have no monetary value. Occasionally I hear people say “I’m going to have it in my will that my genealogy papers are to go to my local genealogical society (or some other group).” I took care of it. That was easy. […]
Sometimes life is just about getting things done, but there are many things that a person starts in life that they do not complete. Your ancestor may have done the exact same thing. Even if your ancestor did not complete something, it does not mean that there are not some records left behind. Those “uncompleted tasks” are often ones that do not get passed down as stories from one generation to the next. It’s possible that your relative: Started college and did not finish. There could still be records, yearbook pictures, etc. Started a homestead and did not complete the process. There should still be an incomplete homestead application (at least the initial filings) which could provide information. Declared their intention to become a citizen but never naturalized. […]
My speaking calendar is online for those who are interested in seeing me in person. Contact me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com for information on having me present to your group!
If the goal of the genealogist is to collect as many records and images as possible, then the genealogist needs to talk to the keepers in the family. And those keepers may not be genealogists. They may have an interest in their family’s history. They may not. But for one reason or another family photographs and other ephemera may have filtered through the generations into their hands. My great-aunt had the picture that illustrates this post-including her and my mother posing two family pets in 1949. Aunt Ruth wasn’t a genealogist, but she was the one who went through her mother’s effects when she (my great-grandmother) died in 1986. And so those items fell into her hands. Another great-grandmother lived with her daughter for several years until that […]
Susannah and James Smith are your ancestors. After James died, Susannah married Thomas Jones. Susannah then died and Thomas married Cassandra Smithton. After Thomas Jones died, Cassandra applied for a military pension based on Thomas’ military service. That pension may still be helpful to your research on Susannah. Cassandra would have had to mention all of Thomas’ marriages–including the one to your ancestor. There may be a detail in Cassandra’s application directly related to your ancestors or clues to help you in your research. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it.
There’s always the chance that an age in any record is incorrect. If I’m looking at a census enumeration for someone who is a little bit older and their age ends in a 0 or a 5, I look to see how common it is for others who are a little bit older to have ages that end in a 0 or a 5. If the ages for “those of a certain age” are entered accurately, one-fifth of them should end in a 0 or a 5. If it is significantly more than that there is the possibility that the ages have been approximated. Just a possibility. Really determining that the ages for “those of a certain” were approximated requires a little more analysis than looking at the […]
It can be frustrating to find yet another way to spell, translate, interpret, or render your relative’s surname. But it is an opportunity as well. A new alternate spelling is one more variant to use when searching for that ancestor. A new-to-you way to spell a name can be a clue as to how it was pronounced. That spelling may even be a clue as to your ancestor’s ethnic origins. And that new variant may turn out to be the most correct spelling you have. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it.
We are now able to accept mail-in orders for the Genealogy Tip of the Day book for those who do not wish to order online. More details on our announcement page. Orders are still accepted via Amazon.com for the paperback and Kindle versions.
It’s always great to get a new spelling variant. My great-great-grandmother’s maiden name was Franciska Bieger. When her daughter married in Hancock County, Illinois, in 1905, her name was written as Francis Kabücher. That was a variant I had not thought of: Kabücher. It also reminded me that Bücher could be a variant for Bieger as well. Was the end of your relative’s first name turned into part of their last name? Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it.
Choose a year that several of your ancestors are living and where you have a reasonable ability to determine where they were living. Then determine two or more significant historical events that took place during that year. Try and find events that were both national and local in nature. Where were all your relatives living during this year. How do you? How sure are you of their residence? Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it.
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