Just because a female has the same last name as her father does not mean she is unmarried. A relative of my had the maiden name of Mattie Huls and her husband (unrelated) had the last name of Huls. It is always possible that a woman marries a man who has the same last name as she does. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
A grantor is the person “selling” or transferring the property from his or her ownership on a deed. The grantee is the person who is receiving the property. [This is the first tip I’ve knowingly re-used. It is the one on the blog that gets the most hits.] ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Make certain you have searched the records of all the courts that a county or other local jurisdiction might have. Some counties might have separate “courts” that heard probates, guardianships, civil cases,criminal cases, etc. The judge and records office might have been the same, but the courts may have been separate with separate records. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
All of us have a set of “tricks” that we use to search for people in online databases. Don’t search for every family in the exact same way. The approach that worked for one family might not work with another. Make certain you are aware of all the search options a site has to offer, wildcard searches, soundex searches, names of others in the household, keyword, etc. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Our $5 webinar sale is back! All presentations are made by Michael John Neill. Our style is informal and informative with the intent on providing you with information to extend your knowledge of your ancestors. Michael shares research knowledge from nearly thirty years of family history research and experience.What is Not Written. This presentation discusses the importance of discovering, as best you can, what is going on “behind the scenes” with a document or a record. Materials used by genealogists are usually created in response to some event and sometimes seeing what’s “really going on” is not easy. Through examples and general methodology we will see how to get “behind” the document and discover what was really going on. Add to cart Creating Research Plans. This presentation discusses how to create […]
Can you remember the last historical fact you learned? If you can’t, maybe it’s been too long since you learned something about the history of where your ancestors lived. Not knowing history really hinders your genealogical efforts. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
We are offering the following genealogy webinars in June 2012: Crossing the Pond–Part 2 Making Corrections to Your Ancestry.com Tree American Revolutionary War Materials on Fold3.com If you signed up for one originally and missed it, you’ll get it at no additional charge. If you haven’t already registered, do so at http://www.casefileclues.com/webinars_neill..htm ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Leaving someone out of a will does not mean that they were not a child of the testator. It could be that the child had previously been given their inheritance, perhaps upon marriage or reaching adulthood. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
That obituary for your great-uncle might have been written and paid for by his third wife. Consequently, she may choose not to mention his first wife or his son that she could not stand. And that biography of your great-great-grandmother’s half-brother may fail to mention his half-sister and he saw no reason to mention his mother’s first marriage in the family history section. The person paying for information to be published may very easily leave out that which he does not care to share with others. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If you want a copy of your ancestor’s death certificate, think twice before paying one of those online places an exorbitant fee for “instant” or overnight services. Here are some general suggestions: Check FamilySearch.org to determine if the certificates are online there at no charge. Determine if the records have been microfilmed and are available via loan through the Family History Library. Check the appropriate state archives or state historical library website to see if the certificates are online there. Determine what the state office of vital statistics charges for a copy. Determine what the county or town charges for a copy. Unless you are settling an estate or performing some type of legal work, a certified copy probably is not necessary. Check around before getting your copy […]
Be careful in assuming the gender based solely upon how a name is used today. My ancestor Augusta Newman is a male–sometimes he used Auguste or August, but there are numerous records where the name is written as Augusta. Today Augusta would typically be considered a woman’s name. And of course today there are several names that could refer to a male or a female. Don’t assume. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Remember that even after a county was formed, it is possible that the county line was eventually “tweaked” years or decades later. Your ancestor’s farm might have “moved” from one county to another–which impacts where records are recorded. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Witnesses to wills generally are not heirs of the testator, the person who signs the will. They can be relatives or someone totally unrelated to the testator. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If your ancestor “disappears” consider the possibility that he changed his name. In earlier times, a person could simply change their name without any court or other record thereof–especially if they were changing it to be distinguished from others with the same last name or similar names. It could also have been a way for an ancestor to make a new start. And it’s always a way to try and evade the authorities. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If your ancestor “disappears” ask yourself what historical events were going on at that time. Was there a gold/silver rush? Was there a war? Had new territory opened? It could be that your ancestor or other relative was swept up in a historical event. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
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