My great-grandmother had a first cousin whose name was Fairy, but I never really believed that was her actual name. I had assumed for years that Fairy’s first name was not actually Fairy at all, but instead was Frauke, Folke, Feeke, or some other low-German name and that she had simply used Fairy as an alternative. My own great-grandmother’s actual name was Trientje, but I never heard her referred to as anything other than Tena and Tena was what she used on every record from her marriage going forward. Many others of their generation, born to parents (or at least a parent) who spoke a low-German dialect referred to as “Platt,” had names that were later replaced with English sounding nicknames, diminutives, or crude Anglicizations. But that was […]
In current genealogy terminology, “proof” is when we take the information we have on a certain problem, organize it, and write it up so that others can see our conclusion. Information that we use to make our point is usually referred to as “evidence.” Is it the end of the world if you use the terms “incorrectly?” No. The bigger problem is simply relying on compiled sources and not thinking about using original material at all. If you are looking in original materials, tracking where things are obtained, thinking about what the documents say, and summarizing what you find, you are on the right path. Readers interested in more about genealogy terminology, citation, and proof, can learn more in Evidence Explained.
According to her tombstone, Rebecca Mullen died on 29 February 1849 and is buried in Galena, Ohio. 1849 was not a leap year and there was no 29th of February. Given that, my transcription of the stone would include [sic] after the date. Given the time period and the place, it’s doubtful I find a contemporary record that provides a different date of death. But my transcription should indicate that the date was copied exactly as it was inscribed on the stone. Sic is the best way to do that. Join me in Salt Lake this summer for a week of research!
If you’ve found that 1950 census entry for your family, make certain you use that information fully in your research. Does the enumeration give you a new address for the family or person of interest? Are there any annotations for your family’s entry that provide additional information? Some enumerators made notes on some individuals–particularly regarding their residence and work Look at names of neighbors. Are there any that stand out? Have you asked other living relatives of the family of interest if they remember any of those neighbors?
I knew that my Mom had lived in a rental boarding house, complete with a housemother/landlord, when she went to college. I knew the street the home was on, but I did not have the address. There it was in Mom’s collegiate dictionary. That was one place I had really not thought to look. Clues can be anywhere and, in this case, a dictionary did more than just give me the meaning of a word. Old college textbooks may contain residential clues about your family members.
The population census images from the US 1950 census have been released on the National Archives website at https://1950census.archives.gov/
Libraries, archives, and historical societies do acquire new materials, digitize items that “you never thought they would,” or create new indexes or finding aids. If it’s been years since you looked at their catalog, viewed their website, or inquired about their collection, it might be time to do so. There may be something there that was not when you originally checked. Get ready for the release of the 1950 census with my webinar–special offer!
Several years ago, modifying pedigree charts by adding color to represent ancestral traits was a popular pastime. One of my takes on this was to simply list the occupation of the ancestor in that position on the chart. My chart went back six generations and included a number of farmers and farm wives. I knew there would not be much occupational variation in my chart, although now I might break up farmer into: tenant farmer farm laborer farm owner Or something like that to make a little more distinction. Still a good exercise to help me see that there is a little variation in my ancestral occupations. Get ready for the release of the 1950 census with my webinar–special offer!
Researching for information on your ancestors and distant relatives can be a lifelong passion. It’s a great way to learn about your personal connection to history and perhaps to discover something about yourself as well. But do you have any genealogy goals other than continuing to search? Is it proving or disproving a family story? Is it identifying who is in that old picture? Is it tracking as many ancestors as you can? Is it locating as many descendants as you can of a specific set of ancestors? Think about what your genealogy goal is and how you are working to achieve it. And it’s ok to just want to locate more information–there’s fun in that too. But sometimes a little direction is helpful. What are your genealogy […]
No index is perfect. Because of that genealogists should always be aware of limitations of indexes that they are using. Genealogists with any amount of research time under their belt should be aware of incorrect transcriptions on the part of the indexer and incorrect renderings of the name on the part of the clerk. But there are other things to consider and remember. Does the index include every name in the record? If not, what names are included? Many local indexes to land records only include the name of the first grantor and the first grantee. Some index all grantors and grantees, but those indexes tend to be the exception to the rule. In some locations, land records are in one consolidated series of indexes, in others each […]
Years ago, on my Rootdig blog a list of things that relatives do that seem to make research more difficult. That list is reproduced here. These are a little tongue-in-cheek. Well, at least some of them. It’s also not meant to be complete either and is based upon personal frustrations. Your frustrations may be different. Genealogy would be easier if: Brothers would not marry women who shared the same first and last name before marriage. Expand previous rule to state that anyone cannot marry someone with the same first name as the spouse of a sibling. Individuals marrying more than once could not have a second spouse with the same first name as their previous spouse. All name changes were required to be recorded with a local court. […]
We’ve set the dates for our annual trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City-in August of 2022. Details are posted on our announcement page.
An excellent place to learn your ancestor’s unique (or not so unique) migration path across the country is from his or her pension record. Nancy Rampley’s pension record documents her parents’ migration from Kentucky into Indiana into Illinois into Missouri. And it was her husband who was actually in the Civil War. Revolutionary War era pensions for two of my wife’s ancestors shows their migration across several states from the time of the Revolution until the 1830s. Remember that a pension on a sibling or a cousin of an ancestor might provide clues about that ancestor’s migrations as well. Get ready for the release of the 1950 census with my webinar–special offer!
Some documents clearly state who was the informant. Many though do not provide this information. When considering the accuracy of information on any document, consider the probable informant and how likely they were to know the information being provided. Get ready for the release of the 1950 census with my webinar–special offer!
Normally an ancestor has to be dead to have an estate settlement, has to be born to have a birth certificate, etc. Think about what really HAS to be when you research your ancestor. He didn’t have to get married to reproduce. He didn’t have to name his oldest son after his father. He didn’t have to get married near where his first child was born. He didn’t have to have a relative witness every document wrote. There are few “have tos” in genealogy. Make certain you aren’t using “have tos” to make brick walls for yourself. Get ready for the release of the 1950 census with my webinar–special offer!
Recent Comments