Always think about the family that was left behind when someone died? Were there small children who would have needed looked after? Was there a spouse who would have needed some assistance? Was there an adult child who would have been unable to look after themselves?
Who would have been nearby to help these individuals?
Were there court records, guardianships, or other records resulting from issues when the person died?
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Do you have suggestions for ways to document so-called “informal” adoptions? Do you know of any way to get info regarding marriage annulments? Thanks for any tips you can provide.
There might have been a guardianship for the child–which would be a local court record–but only if there was some money the child had from their biological parents or grandparents. Did the child end up in a county poorfarm or almshouse that might have some records? Informal adoptions can be difficult to document, but make certain you have located all census records and other records on the parties involved.
Civil records of annulments would usually be a local court record.