One of the biggest hangups for genealogists just getting started is working before the 1850 census. Try taking those pre-1850 enumerations and “practicing” on a family where you have already discovered the children’s names and ages with other records. See if the enumerations “fit.” Then expand your work to individuals where you don’t have as much information on the children. It helps to practice first. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
For those new to research, it is imperative to remember that last names are rarely spelled the same from someone’s birth until their death. Sometimes the variants are obvious and sometimes they are not, but I’d never find the Demar family if I didn’t look under Demarrah and Desmarais. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Are you researching in complete isolation? Even if you cannot find relatives to bounce ideas off of, there are genealogy societies, mailing lists, message boards, online groups, and a variety of other ways you can interact with other genealogists. Don’t research in complete isolation. Discussing problems with other and sharing concerns is a great way to learn and expand your research. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Are you analyzing that information you have before you start performing searches of online databases? If you have found a census enumeration for a family, have you estimated the year of birth for everyone in the household? Have you estimated the date of marriage for the suspected parents? These are good things to do before you start searching as it allows you to compare information. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Before you start doing wildcard and other searches at an online database, make a complete list of all spelling variants. Use this list to decide what wildcard searches need to be conducted in order to not overlook any variants. Keep a written list of search options so that searches are not missed either. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Have you looked at the date the document was drawn up and the date it was recorded? Was there a delay? Is there any significance to the date a document was executed? Fit the record into the context of the family? Had a child just become of age? Had someone recently died? There might be a reason even if it is not clearly stated. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Is it possible that the person who said they would do a quick “lookup” for you in a certain record didn’t really know what they were doing? Did they overlook it? Did they not consider all the spellings? Anyone can make a mistake. Might it be worth a second try? Please don’t get me wrong, those who volunteer to do lookups do us a GREAT service, but since they are human, every once in a while they can overlook something. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If possible, learn why your ancestor “broke the rules” or went against tradition. I’m not certain why my wife’s Roman Catholic great-grandmother didn’t have her last two children christened as infants. She waited until they were nearly 7 and 8 which is unusual. The baptisms were likely done then as she got married in a church ceremony a few weeks after her children were christened. She could easily have had them christened at birth. They were born in Chicago in the 1910s—there would have been plenty of opportunities. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If you could ask 1,000 genealogists a question, what would it be? Casefile Clues, Genealogy Tip of the Day Sponsor, is going to survey up to 1,000 genealogists and is looking for question ideas. More information about the survey can be found here: http://www.casefileclues.com/2010/03/if-you-could-ask-genealogists.html Results will be posted publicly on the site. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If your ancestor was a farmer, was he a farm owner, a tenant farmer, or farm laborer? The differences are significant and knowing which helps indicate how mobile your ancestor likely was, what types of records he left behind, etc. Farming isn’t the only occupation where these distinctions are important? Did your ancestor work in a blacksmith shop, or own his own shop? Again, the difference is important. Sometimes all we have are vague ideas of what our ancestor did–but sometimes we do have more. Use that information to your advantage. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Once in a while try looking for information in a source or record where it “couldn’t be.” The information you seek may just be there. I found an 1893 estate settlement that provided the place and date of birth for the deceased–in a foreign country to boot. Not something I expected at all! ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Remember no expert is perfect. And no one knows everything. A well-known lecturer indicated in a handout that all land records contain metes and bounds description that mention lines and many times mention neighbors. Federal land states infrequently mention metes and bounds and when they do, names of neighbors aren’t always mentioned. Metes and bounds are used in state land states. Turns out the “expert” had only done East Coast research and assumed all land records were the same. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
It is easy for some genealogists to get lost in the research and forget the original purpose of the records we use. Deeds were to transfer real property, probates were to settle estates, courts were to settle disputes, etc. Most records were not created for genealogists. Remember that. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Once in a while the genealogist needs to remind themselves that there might not be an answer to a question. This does not mean that one does not keep looking, but that sometimes there just are not the records available to answer the question, determine the parentage, connection etc. Sometimes knowing when you have exhausted all avenues is a good thing to know. Of course, it also might be advised to ask an expert if you really are at the end of your genealogy rope. A certain publication made me take similarly worded paragraph out of an article because it was “too negative.” I think it’s realistic and honest which is a much better way to be. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
I am offering a St. Patrick’s Day discount on a subscription to my weekly genealogy how-to newsletter Casefile Clues along with all the back issues. More information is on the Casefile Clues website. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
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