A witness to a document typically is only indicating that they know who signed the document in question. A witness has to be of legal age and sound mind, but does not have to have any relationship to the person actually making out the document. It is possible that the witness knew the signer of the document and perhaps even read it for him if the signer wasn’t able to read or could not read the language the document was written in. Possibly, but not guarantees. The legal requirement to be a witness is usually to be of legal age. Don’t draw too many conclusions about a person who only witnesses one of your ancestor’s documents. The witness just might have been another warm body in the office […]
We’ve released the recording of my newspaper research webinar. Details on our announcement page.
German immigrant Herman Eberhard Harms’ tombstone in Franklin County, Nebraska, indicated he was born in August of 1835. His parents names were unknown, but he was known to have born in Ostfriesland, Germany, where his wife was also from. Herman and his wife had several children, including one named Wubke Catherine–not the most common name and not one that was used in his wife’s family. There is a birth for an Hermann Eberhard Harms in the church records of Eggelingen, Ostfriesland, Germany, in 1835–with a mother named Wubcke Catharina. That’s not concrete proof it’s him, but it certainly suggests a connection. If it is the “reason” you think it is him, then that needs to be put in your notes on Hermann along with other reasons why you […]
There are several quick (if someone basic) genealogical reminders from this trunk: Altje Goldenstein immigrated around 1870 and settled in Adams County, Illinois. She was married in Adams County, Illinois, to Hinrich Schuster and they both died in Hancock County, Illinois.
Researchers who encounter two different years of birth for a relative in records that only provide an age may wonder which is “correct.” The reality is that neither may be right. Both ages could be off and the actual year of birth could be in between the two that are suggested by the available records. Don’t just “average” them and call it a day. Include each year of birth in your records as an alternate date and cite the source from which it was taken. There may be no other sources for the date of birth and it may be impossible to tell which of the two records is most likely to be accurate. Of course one should look for other records as much as possible, but sometimes […]
These two webinars have been released for immediate download. They can be purchased at an introductory rate–details are on our announcement page. If you ordered and did not get your download, email me at the email address in your receipt. Thanks!
When using any sort of record for genealogical research, ask yourself–who gets in this record? Is it just landowners? Is it everyone who was alive in a certain place on a certain date? Is it just men of a certain age? Is it anyone who dies in a certain location? Is it just people who can vote? Is it people who have sufficient assets? Is it members in good-standing of a certain denomination? How people get into a record matters when you are interpreting the information you find in that record and how you go forward when someone is not located in that record.
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When was the last time you checked the FamilySearch catalog for something you didn’t think was in there? Last night–while giving a presentation no less–I discovered court and probate records were online for a county in Nebraska where I have people. Been a while since I looked for it in the catalog, but I need to routinely do this. Not every hour, not every day, not ever week…but maybe every couple of months or so review the catalog for those areas where I thought there was nothing.
Is it necessary to research your fifth cousin’s third mother-in-law whose daughter he was only married to for a few weeks? My thought on this is no. There are rabbit holes and then there are genealogy paths that are essentially three thousand light years from your research. But when I mention that not every remotely connected person does not need to be researched, I get people who tell me that they do. I still say they don’t. Most genealogists have not really thoroughly researched their much closer relatives—like direct ancestors, siblings of ancestors, and first cousins of ancestors. I find that really seeing all I can locate about those people usually keeps me occupied—with the occasional diversion to the second ancestral cousin who has an interesting record. I […]
Due to a schedule conflict, we’ve had to change the date and time for these presentations. They are not on Wednesday, 12 March. Details on our announcement page.
One reason for tracking all the deeds of land-owning ancestors is that there can be residential clues in land records. If your relative didn’t finalize a land transaction until after he moved, that deed of purchase may contain clues as to where he was living. Deeds often style the buyers and sellers as being “of” a certain area in the portion of the deed where their names are stated. Sellers usually had to acknowledge the deed in front of a local official (notary, justice of the peace, judge, etc.) in the area where they were living when the deed was signed. The official in front of whom they made the acknowledgement will typically indicate the jurisdiction in which they were permitted to serve–that’s a residential clue. Even if […]
Always think about the family that was left behind when someone died? Were there 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?
The trip my relatives took to visit family in Minnesota made not one, but two, local news columns in the newspaper published in a nearby town. Two separate issues of the Warsaw [Ilinois] Bulletin contained references to the trip. Not surprisingly there were differences between the two references: The two references also indicate the importance of mixing up those search terms when attempting to locate newspaper references. Fannie Neill’s name was usually spelled “Fannie” instead of “Fanny” and a search for “Charles” will not locate the reference to “Chas.” That must have been a cold drive to Minnesota during the winter time in 1931 or 1932.
I am giving online presentations on these three topics next week. Check out our announcement page and attend live or pre-order a recording.
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