The word infant is often used in legal documents. When it is used in legal documents (court records, land records, probate records, etc.) is is being used in the legal sense–someone under the age of majority. This historically has been twenty-one years of age, but US states typically now end the legal definition of infancy at eighteen. Readers who have questions about use of the word at a certain point in time should search contemporary state statute. The key to remember is that someone referred to as an infant in a legal document can easily be sixteen years old. ————————- Genealogy Tip of the Day is sponsored by GenealogyBank––check out their latest offer for our readers–an annual rate of less than $5 a month.
Not all websites are created equally. Consider reading more than one “how-to” blog or site in order to get a different research perspective. The site author may have experience in a limited area and not realize that their experiences can’t be extrapolated to other locations. Or it’s possible that their instructions simply are not phrased clearly. And it never hurts to get advice from more than one person. ————————- Genealogy Tip of the Day is sponsored by GenealogyBank––check out their latest offer for our readers–an annual rate of less than $5 a month.
Estate settlements should be checked for more than wills and an inventory of property. Other papers may provide additional information as well. Accountings of amounts paid to heirs can help to determine relationships and, if payments extended for some time, may mention additional heirs born as the estate was being settled.
There are several angles from which to analyze the accuracy of information on a document. One is to ask yourself: “What was the punishment for being incorrect?” In some records, nothing. In other records, there my be a fine. In some cases, the punishment may be more severe. And the potential for punishment needs to be weighed with the chance of being caught. ————————- Genealogy Tip of the Day is sponsored by GenealogyBank––check out their latest offer for our readers–an annual rate of less than $5 a month.
Publication notices of court actions may help to supplement what is in the actual court record. They can be especially helpful in counties where records are not extant due to fire, flood, or theft. Newspapers in the county seat usually published these notices but they may also appear in papers in the town where majority of the parties lived as well. ————————- Genealogy Tip of the Day is sponsored by GenealogyBank––check out their latest offer for our readers–an annual rate of less than $5 a month.
[I’m “cross-posting” this from my Rootdig blog so subscribers of both have already seen it.] We’ve picked up quite a few new readers since the start of 2016 and we welcome them to the Genealogy Tip of the Day blog. A few general comments follow. Longtime readers should already be aware of these “editorial concerns.” For those who are new, here goes: I don’t post genealogy “news” here–at least the vast majority of the time. I don’t copy and paste press releases to make blog posts. I don’t even use press releases to make blog posts. We don’t copy and paste old tips, but there will be some overlap occasionally as there are only so many tips one can write. I don’t write about any and all topics just to generate traffic and […]
Only record what a record provides evidence of. Sophia Trautvetter’s stone at the Tioga, Hancock County, Illinois, cemetery does not mean she died in Tioga. She could have died in a nearby village, township, or county. Practically speaking, she likely died within a reasonable distance of where she was buried. However our entry for her death place should not say she died in Tioga. The stone does not indicate that.
I have a certified copy of my birth record from the county in which I was born. It is signed by an official in the county recorder’s office and has the county seal affixed. It “certifies” that there is a record of my birth (with the date and name of my parents) contained within the birth records of the county. That’s it. It is not an actual reproduction of my actual birth record. It does not include all the information from my actual birth record. Certifications are created to “certify” that the record exists. They are usually sufficient for situations where it is simply necessary to prove the event took place and was recorded. Genealogists usually need a reproduction of the actual record. That makes certain all the […]
Obituaries in modern United States newspapers are rarely fact-checked. Typically they are used by the newspaper as submitted, with the exception of formatting and other minor editing concerns. Biographical facts, dates, survivors are not usually fact-checked by the newspaper at all. The only ones that are are death notices for local notables or individuals who are known nationally. Chances are that Grandma’s obituary from 1980 was pretty much printed as submitted to the newspaper.
A notice to appear in a court case can provide a clues as to the residence of the individual being required to appear. The summons will generally be issued to the sheriff of the county in which the person resides. The difficulty is that one has to determine in which court cases a person may be summoned. That requires looking in indexes to court records for ancestral siblings, friends, and associates.
Some original church records contain no page numbers. When capturing information for a later citation include: type of event, years covered in record book, item number (if given), image number from microfilm (if given), etc. Enough information to get you back to that entry. Don’t just copy the item of interest and stop there. For more about evidence citation, consult Evidence Explained. .
County record offices may not just have deeds for transfers of real estate. There may be separate volumes involving transactions of chattel property. These deeds may be actual deeds of transfer or they may in effect be mortgages where the chattel property (livestock, grain, etc.) is used as security for the loan. If you think your ancestor was “well off” enough to own real estate, be certain to determine if the location has a separate series of deeds for chattel property. These are usually local records at the county or town level. ————————- Genealogy Tip of the Day is sponsored by GenealogyBank––check out their latest offer for our readers–an annual rate of less than $5 a month.
In response to several questions, here’s some clarifications/updates on our offers and on getting the free Genealogy Tip of the Day in your email. Our Freebie offer page is here–this offer does not expire. Our Brick Walls from A to Z webinar blowout offer (all 4 additional ones for $15) has been extended through 8 January as there was an issue with the discount coupon. We still have room on our trips: Salt Lake–May 2016 and Ft. Wayne, Indiana–August 2016. You can manage your subscription to Genealogy Tip of the Day by clicking on the subscribe link on the top of any page. I can be emailed at mjnrootdig@gmail.com if you have subscription issues. And thanks!
Don’t just take pictures of individual tombstones. Include pictures showing the relative pictures of stones. It is faster than describing positions and location information may matter later–after you have left the cemetery. ————————- Genealogy Tip of the Day is sponsored by GenealogyBank––check out their latest offer for our readers–an annual rate of less than $5 a month.
Late doesn’t necessarily mean “dead.” This Civil War widow is referred to as being the “late widow” of the veteran. In this case, the reference to her as being “late” is most likely because some time after the veteran died she married again. This meant that her marital status had changed and she was no longer a widow. Usually if people are referred to as being the “late” something it means they are no longer that something. They don’t have to be dead.
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