When records on an ancestor fail to provide information as to his origin, look closely at those records in which he appears shortly after his arrival in the area. Who else is mentioned in those records? When an ancestor is still “new to the area,” he’s the most likely to interact with people he might have known before he moved or with whom he had a connection before he settled in that new area. Research those people he interacted with during his early years in the location. The longer an ancestor lives in an area the more likely he is to know and interact with people he did not know “back home.” It’s those people from back home who could help you find your ancestor’s origins.
I’m not overly knowledgeable about cars and passed the mechanic’s detailed discussion of my vehicle issues to a friend with more smarts about vehicles than me. Did my friend get a complete and accurate description of the problem from me? Probably not. I wasn’t the best conduit for the information. The same applies to family stories that have been passed down. There could have been details that did not make complete sense to the hearer/reteller of the story and their retelling of that story may have been impacted by that lack of knowledge. Incorrect details can be unintentional on the part of the teller and may not change the essence of the story. But they can cause our research to go astray if we are unwilling to admit […]
We are offering another session of our US land records class this month! Additional details are on our announcement page.
Many researchers use online trees for clues when they discover a new relative to discover what others have learned about that person–particularly when they are stuck That’s not a bad idea, but there are some things to keep in mind. There’s nothing guaranteeing that the other compilers have not made mistakes. If you find an online tree entry for “your” Joseph Bibberton, look at each document attached to him. Look at each fact or statement made about him. Look at who it says his spouse and children are. Are all the statements and records relatively consistent with each other? Ages a few years off are one thing–decades off are another. Places of birth should be reasonably close. You shouldn’t have to perform jumps of logic or common sense […]
My immigrant ancestors Peter and Barbara Bieger came to Illinois in 1850 after a short pit stop in Cincinnati, Ohio. The officially purchased a small lot in Warsaw, Hancock County, Illinois, in November of 1850. I had never given any thought to the subdivision where their home/tavern was located other than its name and location. Searching for information on their neighbors in that same subdivision was on my to-do list in an attempt to learn more about the Bieger’s Germanic origins. While searching for something else, I discovered that the subdivision was platted out originally in October of 1849. It was a “new” subdivision when my relatives purchased the property there. Did they possibly have some connection to the individual who organized the subdivision?
How does that document or entry in a register of numerous entries compare to other documents or other entries in the register? Obviously the details identifying the specific individual are different, but other aspects of the item should be similar to other documents or entries? If your document (a death certificate perhaps) is partially typed and partially handwritten are others? If different types of handwriting appear on the document are others similar? If parts of the document are left blank do others have the same blank spaces? If the item of interest is an entry in a register of baptisms, are other entries similar to yours in how they are worded, phrased, and organized? Are there other pieces of information in most of the other entries that are […]
You shouldn’t ignore subpoenas in your genealogical research even though most times there’s not much information on them. From the standpoint of trying to “find and connect” people subpoenas can be helpful. An 1830-era court case in Virginia involved the heirs to an estate probated in the 1810s. The subpoenas were issued to the heirs and they were directed to the county sheriff in the county where the person was believed to be living at the time the court action was initiated. The counties where the subpoenas were directed were residential clues and told me where the heirs were living in the 1830s. That was helpful in tracking migrations from Virginia and confirming where the heirs had lived. That information was just as helpful as what was actually […]
We all have gaps in our knowledge of genealogical records. Those gaps are exposed when the records we typically use to “answer our questions” either are not available or don’t provide enough information upon which to make a reasonable conclusion. The United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872 (available on FamilySearch and on microfilm from the US National Archives) were one set of records that I initially did not use when researching individuals who received these pensions. That was a mistake. The ledger can provide additional details on the pensioner that may not be available elsewhere–particularly their date of death. What sources are out there that you might not have used? When was the last time you asked this yourself this question and really tried to find the answer?
Issue 5-15 of Casefile Clues has been sent to subscribers. As a reminder, it’s more detailed and more in-depth than Genealogy Tip of the Day. Learn more about Casefile Clues on our website.
If a court or other official record indicated that your relative received a “divorce a vinculo matrimonii” it means an absolute and complete divorce. Both parties were released from the original marriage contract, could function as completely un-married individuals, were free to marry, etc. This compares to a “divorce a mensa et thoro” which is a divorce from the bed and the board–but the couple remains legally married. These couples typically are ones who no longer want to live together but for one reason or another choose not to be legally divorced. Couples with this divorce are not able to marry other individuals. In some locations where this specific terminology is not used, a couple choosing this type of relationship may be involved in litigation for separate maintenance.
Your relative who served in the United States military may have enlisted in a state other than the one in which he lived. This was common for wars through the 19th century. Do not assume that your Ohio ancestor had to enlist in an Ohio unit. He may not have. I have several Illinois relatives who served in the US Civil War. Most of them enlisted in units from Illinois, but not all. One enlisted in an Iowa unit and another enlisted in a Missouri unit. And an Iowa relative enlisted in a unit from Wisconsin. This was sometimes done to help those state meet quotas in terms of volunteers.
From a while back… If your ancestor had more than one spouse, consider the possibility that the spouses were siblings. It was not unheard of for a widower to marry a sister of his deceased wife as his next wife. Sometimes the different wives can be merged into one individual–after all the maiden name of each wife is the same. This can easily happen if the first names of the wives are similar. Occasionally a widow may marry a brother of her deceased husband as well. In this case the subsequent marriage may not be noticed as the last name of the newly married former widow does not change.
For that missing (or not missing) ancestor, do you know where the nearest three of these buildings, geographic features, organizations, social groups, etc. were when your ancestor lived in the area. It could help you through those research road blocks. Things to think about include the nearest three: There are others besides these. In some cases. three may not be enough. In some cases it may be more than you need for effective research. Get your copy of Genealogy Tip of the Day–the book.
An ad in an October 1860 Warsaw, Illinois, newspaper placed by A. Behle indicated that his wife had left his bead[sic] and board and that he would no longer be responsible for any bills she contracted after that date. Such ads were not uncommon during the time period. It was a way of making the public aware that the couple had separated and that one would no longer be responsible for the debts of the other. At the very least for the genealogist a hundred or so year later the ad can be a sign that the couple was on the outs. Whether they ever divorced is a separate matter entirely. Couples did choose to permanently live apart or even get married again without benefit of divorce. It […]
A reminder… Putting a clause in your will that “my genealogical papers are to go to the BlahBlah Library” without some advance planning could have unintended consequences. Some thoughts on preserving your “files” and papers by donating to a library or archives:
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