When searching, it can be tempting to only look in locations where a person is known to have lived. After all, sometimes even searching through search results and records in those locations can be a time consuming and daunting task.
That can be a mistake.
Your relative may have never left a very narrow and specific geographic location, having lived there their entire life. Yet, they may be mentioned in the records of a county or a location in which they never lived. My great-grandmother lived her entire life in two townships in Hancock County, Illinois. She’s mentioned in several records in Adams County, Illinois, during the settlement of her grandparents’ estates. Other relatives purchased property in adjacent counties while never living there.
Don’t limit your searches to locations where a person is known to have lived. For a variety of reasons, they may be mentioned in the records of a nearby or adjacent location.
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