Online sources are not all bad. Online materials take several forms: digital images of actual records digital images of published books online indexes and finding aids online compilations Ideally one finds as many “actual records” as possible–it doesn’t matter whether they are accessed digitally or not. Published books (whether accessed on paper or electronically) are also good to reference. Online indexes and finding aids should lead you to the records that were used to create them. Online compilations (including the “trees”) should be used with care and validated where possible The reason to try and utilize offline materials is that not everything created is available online. Online materials are those that either someone has decided has enough market value to put online or someone has taken an interest in. Some […]
Pallbearers are pallbearers. They may be relatives or they may not be relatives. In most of my own families, pallbearers were generally relatives–with an occasional neighbor or two thrown in the mix. Pallbearers were frequently nephews or cousins (or the spouse of a niece or cousin) with the occasional neighbor thrown in the mix. Choosing them was usually a negotiation in keeping various extended family members from feeling left out. Other families have different practices and when your research takes you to a different geographic area, time period, ethnic group, social class, etc. then the practice may be different than what your own immediate family did. Do not assume everyone operates the way your family of origin did. That’s good advice across the genealogy board.
Don’t neglect searching denominational publications when searching for your ancestor. There may be details in these materials that are not in secular newspapers.
While it can be frustrating when someone is not listed in a census record, it is possible that the occasional person was enumerated more than once. A move during a census year, time spent at a “summer home,” living away from home during the week, separating from a spouse but not divorcing, are all reasons why someone may appear in a census enumeration more than once.
Periodically review those conclusions and statements that were made in the early days of your research. It is easy when your research is just starting to copy something down without really evaluating it or to make an assumption that wasn’t as true as we thought it was. Is your researching hinging on a date, event, or place that you took as a “fact” early in your research that might not be as true as you thought it was?
Sometimes it is easy to interpret something quickly based upon our personal experiences and history. And sometimes that causes us to jump to conclusions. The last name in this list is Ida Joseph Cawiezell. For a fleeting moment, I thought it said “Ida Josephine, Quincy, Il.” Don’t jump to conclusions. Your past experiences may be leading you down the incorrect path.
For your “brick wall” ancestor, do you know (or have any idea) how far they lived from: the county seat? the nearest church of their denomination? the nearest place they could get supplies or transact necessary business? their nearest neighbor? the cemetery? The list here is not exclusive. If you’ve got no idea of the answers to these questions, determining those answers may help you solve your problem.
Different areas can easily have different sources, especially if the “new area” is in a different state, an area with a different population density, an area with a different ethnic background. Never assume what’s available in one area will be available in another. Thinking you know is different from actually knowing.
Some census takers were plain lazy, some couldn’t spell, and some didn’t care. After you have exhausted all the variations on your ancestor’s first and middle names, consider that they might have been enumerated with just their initials. Or perhaps their first initial and their middle name spelled out. I have seen entire townships where no one apparently had a first name and everyone was named with their initials. I have seen locations where census takers used initials for non-English names instead of trying to spell them correctly. Maybe your ancestor was enumerated as J. Smith in the 1860 census. Now there’s a real problem.
Do you know where all the lines are on the map of your ancestor’s neighborhood? Property lines, county lines, state lines, they all play a role in your family history research. These lines change over time as new territories are created, county lines are debated and finalized, and as your ancestor buys and sells property. Getting your ancestor’s maps all “lined” up may help solve your problem. And keep in mind that contemporary maps are always an excellent idea. Your ancestor probably did not live in the twenty-first century. Don’t rely completely on maps created a century after he died.
A reference to “John Smith, late of Bedford County, Pennsylvania,” probably means that Smith used to reside in Bedford County but no longer does. It does not necessarily mean that Smith was deceased. “John Smith, formerly of Bedford County, Pennsylvania,” means that Smith used to live in Bedford County, but that he no longer does. Deceased usually means dead. “Late” does not have to mean dead. Sometimes contextually clues will make that obvious and other times they will not.
I maintain the following genealogy blogs. The blogs are all free to subscribe to: Rootdig.com—Michael’s thoughts, research problems, suggestions, and whatever else crosses his desk Genealogy Tip of the Day—one genealogy research tip every day–short and to the point Genealogy Search Tip—websites I’ve discovered and the occasional online research tip–short and to the point Casefile Clues Blog–the blog that accompanies my PDF how-to newsletter. The blog has newsletter updates, content discussion, and more–but is separate from the actual PDF newsletter. The blog is free to subscribe to and is a great way for subscribers of the newsletter to know what’s going on and when things were sent out.
A great way to get a perspective on your ancestor’s time and place is to read an issue or two of their hometown paper while you are searching for that obituary. In addition to the national news, there will be local news. Reading the paper will give you a history lesson in microcosm and may make you aware of things you never learned in history class. It might give you an entirely different viewpoint on your ancestor as well. And being familiar with the newspaper’s layout and general style never hurt either.
Write down your own life story and ask those interview questions you have been putting off. The human mind is the most fragile repository we use. Don’t waste it and don’t miss an opportunity.
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