Try and stick to information or evidence you have found in original records or sources. Avoid putting speculation into your family files, particularly regarding details of your ancestor’s life that are not even remotely suggested in the records. It is difficult for someone over a hundred years later to really understand everything about what motivated their ancestor. A woman being left as a widow in 1855 with small children may have remarried out of necessity to support herself and her children, but whether that marriage was unhappy or not is not suggested merely because it took place early in 1856. In a similar fashion, your inability to find a marriage record does not mean the couple was not married and the failure to record the birth of a […]
At the request of one of our fans, I’m reminding readers about our Genealogy Tip of the Day mug. Mugs are available from CafePress. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
I wrapped up a beginning genealogy class last week. One of the records sources we discussed were local court records. These materials are full of genealogical information. Yet many genealogists do not use them because they are frequently only available in their original paper form and have minimal indexes. Do not limit yourself. Local court records (divorce, estate fights, bastardry, etc.) involving your family could provide more information than you ever dreamed of. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Remember when using digital versions of old newspapers and relying on optical character recnognition that an “s” may appear to be an “f.” That’s how I found Absalom in the index as Abfalom. Human eyes might not have read it that way. But computers, reading millions of letters will do that. The option, for those that find this irritating, is to read the newspapers one at a time. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
When reading newspapers for information on someone’s death and funeral, be certain to check out the “gossip” columns even after the funeral for mention of relatives who came back for the funeral. Sometimes their visit will be mentioned in a “gossip” column a week or two after the obituary. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
A few gentle reminders: When at the library, be considerate of other researchers who may need materials besides you. When at any research facility, don’t have phone conversations where other researchers can hear you. They really do not care about your personal life. Leave research facilities as you found them. Don’t remove records from a research facility. Don’t tear pages from books. Be respectful of staff. If you must “vent,” do away from the facility. You may need to go back later and they will remember that you had a little “fit” the last time you visited. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Are you leaving behind information on yourself as well as your ancestors? On those days when you are stuck on your dead ancestor, consider taking a break and writing down some information about yourself. Getting away from your long-lost relatives may give you some new perspective and leaving details about your own life behind is never a bad idea either. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If you make a copy from a published history or any reference, do you also copy enough of the material so that the item is in context? A relative copied one page from a county history that is only a list of names. No idea why the list was created, what year it was created, or any other detail as to how the people’s names got on the list. Without any idea at all, the list is merely a list of names. They could have been gathered arbitrarily for all I know. Always include a complete citation and enough information from the original so that you know what you really copied. A name by any other name is just a name. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip […]
Some documents have several dates associated with them. Make certain that you clearly indicate what each date is. A deed may have a date of signing, a date of acknowledgement, and a date of recording. A will may have a date of signing and a date that it was proven in court. There is the official census date and the date on which the actual census was taken. Record the dates as specifically as you can. This can reduce confusion. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
A vendue is another word for a public sale or auction. So if you see the reference in estate or probate papers, it simply means there was a public sale or auction of some or all of the estate’s assets. This was discussed on the Facebook Fan page yesterday. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
After twenty years, I’ve finally discovered contemporary evidence that a relative was killed by Bushwackers in Missouri in 1864. Sometimes it just takes patience. We recently posted that information on this blog. Those with an interest can learn more about the discovery here: http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2012/10/killed-by-bushwackers-1854-getting-proof.html In celebration, we’re offering a Buy-One, Get-One discount on our webinars through 11:59 PM Central time on 6 October. There is a complete listing of our webinars at: http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2012/08/updated-list-of-genealogy-webinars.html Discount code is discovery at checkout. Topics include: Females Seeing Patterns Court Records Genealogical Proof Organizing Information Land Records Brick Walls and much, much, more Enjoy and good luck with your own research! ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Keep in mind that an “unusual” first name could easily have resulted from a child being named for a neighbor and not necessarily a relative. And that neighbor may (or may not) necessarily be a relative. The name could still be a good clue, just not quite in the way you think. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
To technically be your ancestor’s judge would violate the laws of space and time. Remember that. Report the facts on your ancestor as clearly and as accurately as you possibly can. Let the information you locate determine the conclusions you reach about your ancestor. There are many reasons to leave the judgments to someone else, but the biggest one is that we, as genealogists, rarely know the whole story. The only information we have is what got recorded and we only have that recorded information which was preserved. And that often is a fragment of the reality. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If a cemetery visit is to a cemetery on private property or requires access through private property, contact the landowner and get permission prior to making your visit. If the land owner knows what you are doing, it probably won’t be a problem. Most landowners frown on people they don’t know traipsing on their property. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
One location may be the local “court” office, but keep in mind that there may be several different courts in the same physical location, each with a separate series of records. Just because you’ve been through one series of indexes, does not mean you’ve been through all the records. There may have been a probate court, a criminal court, and a court of equity in the same physical location. And they may have had the same judge. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Recent Comments