There may be times where the best you can do is to approximate. A location may only be as precise as the county or a date may only be as precise as the year. While for some researchers this can be frustrating, there are times where that level of detail is all the records will allow you to determine and it may not impact the more important conclusions about family relationships. It’s rare when an entire genealogical conclusion hinges on whether a person was born on 17 or 18 December of 1915.
I saw the database title on Ancestry.com titled “Pastoral Directories” and immediately searched for a relative who was an Australian minister. He was not located. And that’s because this directory was of livestock owners–not ministers. Always learn about a new database before searching it. And always keep your assumptions in check. Things might not mean what you think they do.
You can manage your email subscription to Genealogy Tip of the Day here. Our complete blog update is here–which includes all my genealogy blogs and some additional content only in the update. Genealogy Tip of the Day is sponsored by GenealogyBank. In December, they are offering an annual subscription for a monthly rate equivalent to less than $5 a month!
If you are going to a courthouse to research, determine what their policy is regarding the use of digital cameras and cell phones to take pictures of records before you arrive. Some facilities will not allow you to use these items to take pictures of records in their custody–instead preferring you to have copies made at a per-page fee. Consider asking (nicely) if you can pay the same fee to take pictures of the items instead of making paper copies. Suggest that it’s easier on the records, uses less paper, etc. and that you are willing to have the staff watch as you take pictures. These are things to find out before you arrive at the facility if at all possible.
This is our last webinar offering for December–“Planning for your research trip.” Details are here. Please join us!
Is that tombstone incomplete? The Bible verses were never completely inscribed on this stone from Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery south of Carthage in Hancock County, Illinois.
At long last we’ve released my “Preserving Past You” presentation. It is an overview of prepping for preserving your genealogical material past your lifespan. It’s not a technical presentation, but focuses on things to think about, getting started, actually doing something, thinking about what is practical to preserve, and planning as much as possible Don’t put off saving your stuff. The presentation (media file and handout) can be ordered here for immediate download.
Keep a chart of your failures–so you know where you have looked. A good column to add to this chart would be one for the reason why this person was eliminated as the person of interest. That’s a good thing to keep track of as well. —————————————- Genealogy Tip of the Day is sponsored by GenealogyBank. Search there for your relative.
I host several blogs–all have separate email lists and need to be subscribe to separately (there’s more about me here). Each has a subscription link on the top portion of each page. The blogs are: Genealogy Tip of the Day-one tip every day, rain or shine. Search Tip of the Day–one tip as they come across my path. We post periodic FamilySearch updates here as well. Rootdig–where I blog about my research, research methods, and whatever else crosses my path. Daily Genealogy Transcriber–one piece of handwriting everyday–with answers posted. Try your hand at guessing the writing. If you get one one of the lists and can’t get off, forward the message to me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com. Thanks! And please let others know about our blogs!
We’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth a repeat for those who might not have seen it and for those who need a reminder. Charting out inconsistent information can help you to notice patterns and trends–or just make you a little more organized. Help support Genealogy Tip of the Day by visiting any of the following sites: Try a GenealogyBank Genealogy Search to see what you find. AncestryDNA offers Books on Michael’s Genealogy Shelf
It’s an extremely minor thing, but it makes a good point about the importance of one word. My grandmother had dentures and either got them in “her thirties” or in “the thirties.” Sometimes one word makes all the difference.
Everything is about context–even abbreviations. From the illustration it should be apparent that these 1840-era abbreviations are for places in the Boston area. Abbreviations can be used for more than just place names, can change over time, and may vary from one location to another. When trying to determine what an abbreviation references, keep in mind the context–the time period and the location. Abbreviations, like many things, are all about context. ——————————————- This item was located on GenealogyBank. Search there for your relative.
File names for images made from county records should be as specific as possible in terms of location. I should have included at least the county and state. I saved file names that indicated the year of the tax list, a volume number, and the last name of interest. I should have included the state as well. The page numbers were included in the actual image–in this case.
It’s more important than ever before to think about how to make “your stuff survive you.” Preserving Past You on 13 December 2015-SUNDAY–2 PM Central Time. In this session, we’ll see ways to preserve your genealogical legacy beyond your own lifetime. We will look at a variety of options, large and small, digital and non-digital, simple and not-so-simple, and more. Prioritizing what to save will be an integral part of this presentation. We will see why preserving is more than a simple clause in your will and ways you can immediately start preserving some of what you have immediately. If you registered for the session of this that had to be rescheduled, you will receive an attendance link at no charge–you do not need to re-register or repay. Those […]
Sometimes one is tempted to “transcribe” a document by writing what is meant instead of what is written. That’s not transcription. The three items in this inventory should be transcribed: To 3 Cows To 2 Ditto To a Steer & Effer If you want to make it more clear: To 3 Cows To 2 Ditto [Cows] To a Steer & Effer [Heifer] but not: To 3 Cows To 2 Cows To a Steer & Heifer Here the intent is clear. Sometimes it is not. Your initial interpretation may not be correct on one of those more difficult to read records and if you rely on that incorrect transcription you may be creating research headaches for yourself.
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