Old deeds or surveys taken in metes and bounds states may have individuals listed besides the grantors, grantees, and witnesses. There may be individuals listed with “cc” or “cb” listed after their name. Chain carriers or chain bearers helped the surveyor by carrying the measuring chain. These individuals generally had to swear an oath, had to be of legal age, and some times were relatives of the surveyor. “CC” on an old deed does not mean “Carbon Copy.” [That was an attempt at humor.]
When analyzing information an individual provided for a record or document, consider their mental acuity at the time. Is it possible that their memory had started to deteriorate? Did they have “good days” and “bad days?” It’s always good to consider how reasonable it is that an informant had first hand accurate knowledge of information. It’s also worth considering if the information was provided at a time when their memory may not have been at its best.
If your relative’s last name is a word that is easily translated (such as a color or an occupation), is it possible that some records refer to him by that translated version of his name? Was your ancestor with the last name of White actually a German with a different original such as Weiß? Was your ancestor with the last name of Baker actually a Spaniard with the last name of Panadero?
Sometimes it can be easy to overlook those relatives who left no descendants of their own. They also have their stories to tell and those stories are just as important as those of relatives who left families of their own. A 1908 horse accident left Mary Trautvetter with her legs broken in three places, a broken arm, and other injuries. Her sister, Anna, was injured as well–but not as severely. It’s possible that the injuries from the accident impacted Mary for the rest of her life. Mary never married. Her sister Anna (Trautvetter) McMahon died in the 1920s and Mary raised Anna’s daughter who was left orphaned by the death of both her parents. Mary died in 1962 and is buried in the Lutheran Cemetery in Warsaw, Hancock […]
Really getting into these things takes some time, but here are some general things to remember when you are “stuck:” Money and work motivate people to move and people are sometimes more mobile than we think-especially if opportunities were limited in the area where the person was living. Create a timeline of all events in your ancestor’s life. Gaps of more than a few years are opportunities for research. Lots of things can happen in two or three years. Do you really know what you think you know? How do you know it? Did you assume when you should not have? Do you know where that source came from? Could you be wrong? Are you familiar with all sources in the area–civil (all levels of government) and private records?
From a while back… We’ve made a list of some assumptions that genealogists make. Here are a few. We will add your suggestions to a longer list which we’ll post later. The county history was right. That my grandparents actually got married. That my grandma was my grandpa’s first wife. That my relative was an immigrant. That my relative was born in the United States. That the entire death certificate was right. That grandma had a tombstone. That my grandparents were buried next to each other. That no one in my family got divorced. That the old genealogy was right–I just haven’t found the proof yet. That my family was never in court. That my family never appeared in the newspaper. Add your own thoughts in the comments. […]
Some relatives are reluctant to talk to the family genealogist for fear that every detail of a family skeleton or scandal will be broadcast for the world to hear. Ask yourself if you really need to know every detail of every family squabble. It may be sufficient to know that two uncles fought over money when their father died and never spoke again. It may be sufficient to know that a mother and daughter didn’t speak for the last twenty years of the mother’s life without going into excruciating detail of exactly what precipitated the falling out. Sometimes, if the person to whom you are talking actually “lived through the family drama,” it may be difficult to get answers to questions because the entire situation is painful. Tread lightly. “Drama” […]
Searching female ancestors in many countries is complicated by the female adopting the last name of her husband at her marriage. Think about those things that do not change when trying to search for that female relative after her marriage: her first and, if she has one, middle names her date and place of birth her parents–she may have lived near them after her marriage. They may have lived with her in their old age. the names of her brothers–she may have lived near them after her marriage the names of her unmarried sisters–they may have lived with her at some point in their lives. All of these can be ways to search finding aids to some records in your attempts to find the missing married female ancestor.
I still have room in both of my group research trips this summer. Our trip does not include a bunch of non-genealogy activities and our registration fees are low. Time away devoted just to research can be a great way to get your genealogy research started. Additional details are on our announcement pages: Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana Family History Library in Salt Lake City
Repeated names can be clues to names of earlier family members. Repeated names are not guaranteed to mean that any given ancestor had a particular name, but names used over and over may mean something. A relative who died in the 1880s had several grandchildren who either had Riley as a first or a middle name. It may be a clue that there is a connection to someone with that name. It may just be a coincidence. If there was a child named Riley in every set of that relative’s children, it would be an even bigger clue. But it would still just be a clue. It’s not even what we would consider hard evidence. Don’t just look in your direct line of descent for name clues. Make […]
Remember instead of trying to prove that James is the father of Enoch, see if you can find everything you can on both James and Enoch and see what turns up. Analyze all that information you have located. Looking to prove a specific fact can cause you to overlook things that show that fact isn’t correct. Join Michael at either the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City this summer!
State statute defines who qualifies as the legal heir of someone who has died. While we can’t go into all possible scenarios in a short tip, generally the first heirs are a surviving spouse and any children or descendants. In the absence of those individuals, the qualifying heirs typically come from “further up the family tree,” starting with parents of the deceased and siblings of the deceased–or their descendants. State statue will dictate the specifics of who qualifies as an heir, which heirs have higher priority, and how far up the family tree the court has to look. Heirs have an interest in the estate, but a valid will, legally admitted to probate can direct that property be given to legal heirs, some legal heirs, or other individuals […]
One of the first questions I ask someone when they say they are stuck on an ancestor is what records they have accessed that may mention that ancestor. It’s an important question to ask and an important question to answer. Determining if you have “everything” is not always easy. There’s the records that are typically easier to access, such as vital records and census records. There may also be land records, probate records, court records, newspaper references, church records, naturalization records, military records (including pensions), a variety of federal records (besides census records), cemetery records, funeral home records, etc. One approach is to list every document you have that mentions an ancestor on which you are stuck. Then ask someone familiar with research and records in the areas […]
When you read through your research notes, summaries, commentaries, etc. is it always clear to whom you are referring when you use the word “she,” “he,” “they,” etc.? Pronouns are great, but if you are writing about several people and then starting using “she” or “he” are the references clear from the context? If not, consider re-writing or re-phrasing. Thomas Smith and Henry Johnson arrived in Colusa County, California, in 1856. Then he married one of the daughters of Jackson Brown and they moved to Oregon. Who got married to the daughter of Jackson Brown? It’s not clear, is it?
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