If possible, interview as many family members as you can about a specific event or their entire family history. Individuals who are significantly older than their siblings may remember relatives that younger ones do not. Even siblings close in age may recall different details of events or, for one reason or another, have a different perspective. Those who lived with or near their parents or extended family their entire lives may have more stories than those who moved away after growing up.
I am always a little hesitant to write about grammar, because it’s not really my thing. But we will give it a go here because these words are often used in genealogical materials and legal items. Their use is much less frequent today, especially in a non-academic setting. Old newspapers and obituaries often contain the abbreviation viz. Some genealogists wonder exactly what viz means, so in this tip we will look at three abbreviations that often are confused. Our discussion of them is not in regards to modern usage because we are generally talking about materials written or published before 1900. The reality: James Jones was born in Harford County, Maryland and his wife was born in Smith County, Ohio. They were married in Smith County, Ohio, in 1830. James […]
When using land records, always note the consideration listed on the document in addition to the real property being transferred. The “consideration” was what was given in exchange for real property. Token amounts ($1, a few shillings, or some similar value) may suggest a relationship between the parties. “Love and affection” or some phrasing indicating a personal connection between the seller and the buyer may also be stated. Small consideration amounts compared to other deeds for similar properties may also suggest a connection between the parties involved.
Generally speaking, a “reasonably exhaustive” search is one that searches for every record that a genealogist, familiar with and experienced with records in the time and place of the problem, would search in an attempt to answer the question at hand. It does not always mean to look for every scrap of paper ever created that could mention the ancestor. For the most part (with exceptions), I’ve usually done this–sometimes using a more extreme approach I call “brute force” genealogy which means look for EVERYTHING that could possilby mention the ancestor’s name. Of course not all records are created equally—some are more credible than others. It’s up to the researcher to decide which records to give credence to, which ones to take with a grain of salt, and […]
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