When working out any lineage, especially a new one, keep approximate years of birth in mind for the parents, children, grandparents, etc. and always be asking yourself “Could these people be old enough to have these children/grandchildren?” It won’t help you catch every mistake, but there will be the occasional one. I thought the ages for a recent “theory” of my own did not fit, but realized that a man born in 1770 could have a son born in 1788 and that son could easily have also had a son born in 1819. Sometimes the ages will make you realize the people you think fit together, do not. And other times it means you’ve got more research to do. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the […]
Sometimes you have to admit that you are spinning your wheels, the facility (or website) you are using does not have what you need, or that you need help. I’ve been working on an ancestor in New York and Michigan over the last couple of days at the Ft. Wayne Library. I realized that the published genealogies I had been using were pretty much “copying” each other and that the answer to my question was not in any published sources and that what I actually need to utilize are local records in one of the two counties where the family lived. Until I access those records, more time in print materials/websites probably isn’t going to help me. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Use unusual names for clues, but don’t conclude that they have to be the same person. I was looking for the parents of a man, lets call him Ebenezer Whatshisname, who was aged 61 in the 1850 census for Michigan and was from New England and old enough to have had children born by 1820. There’s another Ebenezer Whathisname whose father was in the Revolutionary War from New York and received a pension. Researchers concluded both Ebenezers were the same person. When you read the pension application of this soldier father, he states that his Ebenezer was born in 1810—towards the end of his group of approximately 12 children all listed chronologically. Could there be a connection between the two Ebenezers? Certainly. But don’t assume an unusual name […]
Is there just one site that you’re using for your research? Remember that not one site has everything. Consider avoiding using that site for two days and either doing some onsite research or looking at other websites. You might be surprised at what you find. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Think about the age(s) at which your ancestor marries, buys or sells land, pays taxes, witnesses documents, etc. Are those typical ages for those things? Or is someone marrying at the age of 14 or marrying at the age of 54 (for the first time)? A ten year old is not witnessing documents. Use the age as a clue. And if the age means something is “off” it could be that you have the wrong year of birth to begin with or that there was more than one person with the same name, they were just different ages. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Marriage records will not always indicate if one of the parties has been married before. Some marriage records may list the groom as “Mr.” and the brides as “Miss” or “Mrs,” but others will make absolutely no distinction. Do not assume that if one of the parties had been married that a subsequent will make a note of it. Some records may indicate the bride is a widow, but others will not. For this reason, unless there’s a statement to the contrary, don’t always conclude that the last name of the bride is her name at birth. It could very well be the last name of a previous husband. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
A separation of property is a legal division of the assets of a husband and wife. Usually it allowed a female to act independently as a feme sole and served to protect her dowry. If done during marriage it was usually to protect her assets from her husband’s creditors. It does not mean the couple physically separated or divorced. Sometimes it was done after the husband’s death for a similar purpose-protection of the wife’s property from creditors of her husband’s estate. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
That packet of pension, estate, or other documents may be repetitive. Some series of records are, with essentially the same or similar material being restated several times. And yet sometimes, buried in one of those repetitive pages will be a word, phrase, or even a sentence or two that reveals significant information. Take the time to read everything. Buried in five pages of “stuff you already know,” may be a thing or two you don’t. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If there is a court case that “can’t be found” or a record that is “closed,” remember that there might be some account of it in a local newspaper. I’ve got one 1870 era case where the packet of court papers is “gone.” One option for me is to search the newspapers of when the case was heard and when judgement/sentence was issued in hopes that the newspaper mentioned something. Always keep in mind that there might be a newspaper account of an event as well. And while court records can sometimes be sealed, newspapers are a little more difficult to control in that fashion. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
To celebrate the end of summer school for me, we’re offering a discounted rate on year 1 issues of my newsletter Casefile Clues. Year 1 of Casefile Clues for $10! (only valid as long as this blog post still loads–if you can see it, the offer is still good). Grow your genealogy, see how problems are solved, sources analyzed, and information organized. We focus on showing the method, not just the one way that worked to solve the problem. Our concentration is on clear writing that explains process. Topics from Year 1 can be viewed here–click back to view this offer page. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
For those ancestors who died in the last fifty years or so, consider these locations when looking for an obituary: place of death place of birth place of marriage any places of “significant residence” Obituaries or death notices may appear in newspapers in any of those areas. This is not true for most 19th century deaths, but you never know. Sometimes it happens then as well. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
A relative of mine gives testimony in a pension case. Most everything she has to say is confirmed from other records and actually her memory for being nearly 70 years old in 1918 and having moved dozens of times is really good. One problem. She forgot her remarriage to her husband–despite the fact that she remembered her five other marriages. Reading through all the information made it clear she had NOT forgot about her marriage. There was no apparent divorce from this husband and mentioning the marriage would have created more problems for her application. There’s always the chance that your ancestor had a reason for being less than entirely candid. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
I’ve been working on an early Tennessee family lately and using marriage records as a part of my research. There are many ways I can access those marriages, but I need to think about what source I am using. Am I using: Original paper copies Microfilm of the original paper copies Digitized images made from the microfilm Published transcriptions Handwritten copies made from the originals One of the many questions is, if I am using those published transcriptions–were they made from the original paper copies, the microfilm, or the handwritten copies made from the originals. Transcriptions can always have the occasional error, being made by humans. Transcriptions made from transcriptions have an even higher liklihood of an error. And there is always a chance something is transcribed incorrectly […]
Is writing that 6 generation genealogy too much of a task? Think you’ll never get that much completed in your lifetime? Consider starting small: write the biography of one ancestor. Document as much of her (or his) life as you can, citing your sources as you go. This smaller task is one that you are more likely to complete. When you’ve finished, consider submitting it to the local genealogical or historical society where the ancestor lived for inclusion in their files or possible publication in their newsletter. Then at the very least, you’ve preserved some of your information. And maybe you’ve got yourself started to the point where you are confident to continue writing. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Consider ways to preserve your genealogy information before you die. Don’t include it in your will and think that you’re “done.” Libraries don’t always have time to organize unorganized material and some don’t have the funds to preserve it, catalog it, or store it. And your will may tell your executor what to do, but are a few boxes of papers going to be high on their priority list? Will the probate judge care what’s done that box of papers? Will the estate’s heirs and beneficiaries really care? Remember that unless you’re a well-known author, your manuscripts aren’t financially valuable documents. Consider publishing bits and pieces of what you’ve located now, even if it is not finished. Local or state society publications may be interested. Self-publishing may be an option. […]
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