This is always an excellent idea when an ancestor has been located in a census record as relatives could always appear on the page before or after your ancestor. At the very least you may see names you recognize from other documents on your relative, perhaps as witnesses or bondsmen. If you locate a deed, view the ones recorded before and after as well. Sometimes deeds were recorded in groups and several might have been filed successively. This may be helpful in court and other records as well. Usually not helpful with birth records unless there were twins! And deaths are another story. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Genealogists need maps to oragnize information geographically, know where to look for records, and have an idea of how their ancestor’s residences fit into the larger area as a whole. One key is that the maps be contemporary to when your ancestor lived in the area. Modern maps can be helpful in finding current locations of cemeteries, but many other times our research requires contemporary maps. If you are stuck on a forebear, get a contemporary map of his or her area. Perhaps that map is just the one you need to get your around or over that brick wall. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Never use the word “Grandma.” My daughter set up “accounts” for the family to use on her laptop. One evening I needed to use it and it asked me for a password. My “generic” password did not work and upon the submission of an incorrect entry it gave me a hint: “Grandma’s maiden name.” I immediately entered in each of my grandmother’s maiden names. Once in lower case and once in upper case. I was just about to get irritated when I realized that my daughter had meant HER grandmother, not mine. Two seconds later, the password let me in. Avoid using words such as “grandma,” “uncle,” or “aunt” without more information. Even Grandma Neill can be confusing. After all, whose Grandma Neill is it? Records are confusing […]
Have you considered dropping the last name when searching for an ancestor in a census or other record? This is especially a good idea for a relative who went by three names and whose middle name closely resembles a surname. John Michael Trautvetter could have been enumerated as John Michael. My ancestor Henry Jacobs Fecht is listed as Henry Jacobs in the 1870 census. Took me a while to find him listed like that. Just something to consider if the usual search attempts do not pan out. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
The word homestead can mean several things. It could mean a “homestead” claim that was filed under the Homestead Act of 1862 (and which was amended). These claims usually were 160 acres and the in Great Plains and points west, but the amounts can vary depending upon the location and time period. Claimants would be deeded the entire homestead if they lived on the farm for a given number of years and improved it. A “homestead” also could be referring to that portion of a family’s farm containing their actual home and surrounding buildings that often was allowed to the widow if her husband died. This homestead was usually protected from creditors in the event of her husband’s death. Sometimes the residence and her actual “dower” would be […]
A witness to a document is stating that the individual who signed the document looked like they were of sound mind and it appeared that they were acting of their own volition and not under any influence of another person or substance. Witnesses to a document may have known your ancestor. Witnesses to a document may have been related to your ancestor. Witnesses may have been just another warm body in the Justice of the Peace’s office at the same time as your ancestor. Witnesses do not have to be related to your ancestor and they don’t have to be “friends” with your ancestor. They could be, but they do not have to be. Keep that in mind. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day […]
An 1830 document indicates your ancestor is an infant and has a guardian appointed for him. The next year the ancestor marries. What gives? What gives is that an “infant” in the legal sense is someone who is under the age of majority. While that can vary from state to state and has changed over time, it typically is 18 for females and 21 for males. So your ancestor could be 15 years old and be an infant. Just something to keep in mind. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Locating a divorce record gave me a new spelling for my grandmother’s maiden name of Trautvetter. The new (to me) variant is “troutfitter.” I performed a google search for the name, finding many references. Most of the sites had to do with fishing and I was initially confused. It took me a few minutes before I realized most of the “troutfitter” references were a play on the words “trout” and “outfitter.” Then it made sense, but I also realized that for the majority of the pages I located “troutfitter” was not based upon someone’s name. Oh well. Remember that there is a word outside of genealogy. I will still look for Troutfitter (and Trautfitter) references, but won’t assume they all have to do with with the last name. […]
You interviewed great-Aunt Myrtle five years ago when you first began your research. When was the last time you asked her questions? Maybe even discussing with her some of what you have found will cause her to “remember” things she never would have thought of if her memory had not been jogged. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Does your local library have access to any database or sites that could be helpful in your genealogical research? Many libraries subscribe to a variety of databases including magazine and journal articles, historical archives, etc. Of course you should find out what genealogical databases your library has access to, but there may be variety of other databases in the reference section that could provide useful to your research. Nearby university libraries may be a gold mine as well. Even if they don’t have a genealogy collection. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Many database searches allow users to perform soundex searches. This allows users to look for names that “sound like” the name that was entered in the search box. This is great as long as you are aware of this and do not overlook reasonable variants of the last name in the process. For this reason it is good to know the soundex codes for your last names and their variants. Not because you need them to search, but so you know what names you need to perform soundex searches for in order to not miss any results. The last name Demoss occasionally gets written as Demop (because the “ss” is made like a “p” sometimes. A soundex search for Demoss will not bring up Demop because the two […]
Have you tried searching for that ancestral last name by cutting off part of it? Perhaps “De Moss” was entered as “Moss.” Perhaps Van der Walle was entered as just “Wall.” Goldenstein might have been entered as “Golden.” The list goes on. Consider what might have happened if someone dropped the first syllable or two of your ancestor’s last name. Then try the same for the last syllable or two. You might be surprised at what you find. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
In some states, older county records have been placed at the state archives. The state archives may even have created indexes to some of these older records. For any state where you have relatives, locate the website for the state archives (a google search for “yourstate state archives,” where yourstate is the state name will probably do the trick). You may be surprised what you find there. I located the divorce for my globetrotting relative Philip Troutfetter at the Colorado State Archives and am waiting for a copy. Never hurts to try. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
They put new carpet in my office at work. The drawback was that I had to take everything out. The upside was I “found” folders and papers I had forgotten about or mislaid. Do you have stacks of copies in your genealogy workspace that have been neglected? So you even know what is in those stacks? Go through and clean up your genealogy work area. At the very least you may be more efficient. At the very most you may find something you completely forgot you ever had. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
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