Are you only using certain records in your search? Are there souces you do not use because you think they are too difficult to use or because you are unfamiliar with them? If so, you may be limiting the amount of information you find and leaving a significant part of your ancestor’s story untold.
Ignoring deeds if your ancestors were farmers is a mistake, land records may provide migration and other clues not evidenced in other records. Even city dwellers might have owned a small city lot and how that lot was dealt with after the owner’s death could provide you with good information.
And assuming your ancestors weren’t the kind of people to end up in court records is a bad one to make. Over half of my great-great-grandparents were involved in some type of legal action.
Ignorance may be bliss, but may also cause you to miss things in your research.
Check out my 1950 census preparation webinar-1 April is coming up!
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