If someone is your ancestor, they were born (hard to avoid that), they reproduced (married or not), and eventually died (hard to avoid that as well). Everything else is somewhat negotiable–within reason. Everything else you “think” that is true about them may not be true. This gets especially true as your research extends back in time and what a person “knows” often is based more on what we assume as opposed to things we have evidence for. They might not have attended the same church their children did. People change churches for a variety of reasons. They may have spelled their name differently than their descendants do or did. They might not have really cared how it was spelled. They might not have been a member of the […]
Maiden names as middle names can be passed down for quite a number of generations. This World War II draft registrant was named for his ancestor James Rampley who died in Harford County, Maryland in 1817. Often names aren’t passed down this long, but it can happen. These World War II draft registration cards are indexed in Ancestry.com‘s “U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947.” The actual card images are on Fold3.com.
There are several things you should do while planning that research trip to a distant courthouse. This list is not all-inclusive, but will get you started on your planning: what days and times is the courthouse open? is it closed for lunch? are there days of the week I should avoid (is court in session on certain days?) what are the copy costs for various records? can I take cell phone in the courthouse? what other restrictions are there on things I can bring in the facility? can I take digital pictures of records? is there a local society who may be able to assist? does the local library have materials that may help? where is the nearest motel? Connect with a local person or organization before you […]
For United States censuses taken before 1830 the federal government did not provide forms for enumerators to use. Consequently there is not a standard appearance to federal enumerations before that date. Some locations did use their own pre-printed forms, but there was no national standard.
Newspapers can contain information you may not expect. This item from an 1898 edition of the Denver, Colorado, Denver Post discusses the “disappearance” of a relative and his apparent “reappearance” with a girlfriend. Stories you find may not be quite as scandalous, but details in newspapers can help you fill out your picture of a relative. This item was obtained on GenealogyBank–sponsor of Genealogy of the Day.
Is it possible that your immigrant ancestor’s last name was translated before being written in a document or a census record? While I doubt if my Aunt Wilhelmina Senf is enumerated as Wilhelmina Mustard (I’ve looked), other last names may have been translated into the local language. Your Schneider ancestor may have been enumerated as a Tailor/Taylor. Your Blanc ancestor may have been enumerated with the last name White. And your Verde ancestor may have been listed as a Green. So it may be perfectly normal for me to be sitting at the computer looking for Mustard instead of going into the kitchen cabinet <grin>.
Sometimes it can be tempting to focus on the spouse of an ancestor from whom we descend or only those spouses with whom an ancestor had children. That can be a mistake. Don’t ignore “short term” spouses or spouses with whom the ancestor had no children. There may be some clue that spouse’s life that helps you on the actual ancestor. That “short term” spouse may have had a connection with the ancestor than spans back years and may help you to learn more about your ancestor’s life as well.
Researching the entire family is advised, but we don’t always do it. I was trying to pin down information on an aunt, Wilhelmina (Trautvetter) Senf Kraft–particularly when she managed to settle in Illinois. It was not until I obtained the christening record of each of her grandchildren that I was able to do that. There as one of the sponsors for one of her grandchildren was Wilhelmina. It helped me to pinpoint when she had arrived in Illinois.
Immigrants may “translate” their first names after they settle in the United States–or any country where the language is different. Names may be officially changed when naturalizing or unofficially after settling in a new area. In some cases names that were different in the old country (Jann and Johann in the case of the couple in the illustration both used John) may no longer be different.
There are several quick (if someone basic) genealogical reminders from this trunk: Abbreviations can change (Ills. for Illinois is not used much today) Town names can change (Keokuk Junction is known as Golden) First names may get spelled in many ways (this is the only reference to Altje where her first name is spelled “Ahltie”) You never know when someone may contact you with a family heirloom that they’ve discovered (an antique dealer came across this and Googled the name on the 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.
Sometimes making a chart of conflicting information can help in analyzing it, noticing trends, and in reaching a conclusion. It may cause you to notice sources that have been overlooked and, at the very least, gives you a summary of what you know to share with others. This chart is for the place and year of birth for William Ira (or Ira William) Sargent. Check out “our Organizing Genealogy Information” class this March–starting later in the month.Additional details are contained in our blog post.
We are again offering my popular “Organizing Genealogy Information” class this March–starting later in the month.Additional details are contained in our blog post.
Using Google’s “advanced search” can allow you to refine your searches more effectively than just using the usual box.
If a relative was “locally famous” or involved in a notorious event, they may appear in numerous newspaper items. Many of these contain repetitive information and may be more than you can reasonably look through. Consider filtering out search results that contain items related to the event or the activity the person was involved in. My relative’s late 1890 era activities generated newspaper accounts across the nation. I decided to filter out results that also contained his alias and/or the name of his associate. There are drawbacks to filtering out results, but sometimes it is necessary. What filter works best will depend on your specific situation, but remember to keep track of your filter so that you know what you removed from your search results. That will allow you to […]
We still have room on my group trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The library is not terribly busy during our trip and it’s easier to use the facilities, access information, and make your way around. We’d love to have you join us. Registration deadline is 15 March! The dates of the trip are 30 May through 6 June. More details are on our announcement page.
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