A reasonably close DNA match whose seemingly complete tree contains no names that match can be confusing. The difficulty is determining where the problem rests. An informal adoption is one reason this can happen. A relatively close relative who was born in the 1870s reminded me of this. Initial research on him located records towards the end of his life which covered the time period from his 1912 marriage until his death in the 1940s. Several children with this wife were mentioned in various records. When I worked to complete the gap between his birth and his 1912 marriage, a more accurate chronology was completed: living in Nebraska in 1880 and 1900 census (with parents)–from census records; married in Nebraska 1901–marriage record; child was born in 1904 in […]
In most counties in the United States, probate records come in one of two forms: record copies of legal documents created during the probate process which are typically recorded in bound volumes and files/packets containing original copies of documents that were used to settle up the estate. Depending upon the time period and the location, there may be several different types of record volumes of probate records: bonds, wills, appraisements, inventories, etc. Occasionally the record copy contains handwriting that is easier to read than the original document or annotations that are not on the original. The file/packet of loose papers may contain items that are not recorded in the bound volume. For those reasons, it is advised to search both the record copies and the file/packet of papers–if […]
In some locations and in some time periods, couples may have executed a marriage contract which outlined which property belonged to the future husband and which property belonged to the future wife. These documents were to clarify how property would be distributed when one member of the future couple died. The date of the marriage contract is not the date of the marriage. It is the date that the contract was executed. There is also the possibility that the couple never actually married. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it. If you’d like to get our genealogy tip daily in your email for free, add your address here.
I have my “good” tree where information is documented and sourced to the best of my ability. That tree is tied to my DNA results. Then I have a working tree that I keep private and is for my use only. It’s used for analyzing my DNA matches. It contains what was in my “good tree” and other information I’ve added but not necessarily always validated as much as I should. It contains information on ancestors of various cousins and DNA matches who are not my own direct line ancestors. It contains information I’ve compiled in my attempts to determine the connections I have with some of my DNA matches. That way I don’t duplicate work trying to figure out matches and sometimes while working on a new […]
The recording and handouts for my AncestryDNA 2020 webinar have been released. More details are on our announcement page. The presentation, handout, and color chart (PDF and editable word file) can be ordered at the introductory rate for $20. Download immediate.
There’s a certain thrill to discovering something that we don’t know. Some genealogists are constantly on the hunt for something “new” that they neglect to revisit those conclusions that were reached years ago, were taken as truth based on a relative’s statement, or came from a document that “had to be correct.” Failure to revisit can be a mistake. That mistake is how some mistakes get passed down and shared with future generations. Even if revisiting does not uncover errors, additional information can be obtained and a greater picture of the family who was “already known” emerges. Don’t forget there is a thrill of discovery in finding something is incorrect as well. The thrill is lessened when it was your own mistake. Those should be embraced as well–as […]
This PDF includes all the colors currently available in the groups feature at AncestryDNA and room to keep track of what you have used each color for. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it. If you’d like to get our genealogy tip daily in your email for free, add your address here.
The ease of accessing information online sometimes makes it easier to transcribe certain documents. We can search for what we think something might say and see if someone has transcribed a similar word or phrase. We can look at what an image of another record says the date of marriage is if we cannot quite read it on the marriage license we have. That’s helpful and resourceful. But one has to be careful. Just because others have transcribed a word or name as “Pine” does not mean that is what it actually is. It could really be “Jane.” Just because another record indicated the marriage date was 8 June 1842 does not mean the date was not actually written as 8 Jan. 1842 on the marriage license. It’s […]
Every genealogist has had that moment when they’ve made a big discovery. The following excitement often motivates the researcher to immediately continue to the research. That’s not always the best idea. The thought that “I’ve solved it,” can cause us to overlook inconsistent pieces of information, new pieces of information, etc. Our euphoria at having figured it out can sometimes blind us to relevant information that doesn’t fit. It can also cause us to overlook key clues or jump to additional conclusions that aren’t supported by the information we’ve located. And like Charlie the dog in the picture, we may be a little out of focus when we are excited. That’s not always the best time to immediately research. After the information has been saved, printed/downloaded, copied, and […]
One reason for tripping over a stumbling block in our research is that there’s a piece of information we don’t have and that we don’t know we don’t have. When a research situation is confusing you, ask yourself: Was there a historical event taking place of which I am not aware? Did these two people have a relationship that I don’t know about and which might not have left a record? Is there a term that I don’t understand? Is there a process (legal, military enlistment, religious, cultural, etc.) that I don’t understand completely or am not aware of? And so on. The difficulty is that we don’t always know what we don’t know. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it. If you’d like to get […]
It’s easy to give orders to be carried out after your death. But there’s one fact that happens after you die: You are dead and things are really out of your control. Simple, but true. When you are dead, you are dead. You won’t be around to make certain your heirs, executors, etc. do things exactly as you want. I know you can leave a will, but there are some realities of wills, executors, heirs, judges, and how they can interact with a stack of papers that have no monetary value. Occasionally I hear people say “I’m going to have it in my will that my genealogy papers are to go to my local genealogical society (or some other group).” I took care of it. That was easy. […]
Sometimes life is just about getting things done, but there are many things that a person starts in life that they do not complete. Your ancestor may have done the exact same thing. Even if your ancestor did not complete something, it does not mean that there are not some records left behind. Those “uncompleted tasks” are often ones that do not get passed down as stories from one generation to the next. It’s possible that your relative: Started college and did not finish. There could still be records, yearbook pictures, etc. Started a homestead and did not complete the process. There should still be an incomplete homestead application (at least the initial filings) which could provide information. Declared their intention to become a citizen but never naturalized. […]
My speaking calendar is online for those who are interested in seeing me in person. Contact me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com for information on having me present to your group!
If the goal of the genealogist is to collect as many records and images as possible, then the genealogist needs to talk to the keepers in the family. And those keepers may not be genealogists. They may have an interest in their family’s history. They may not. But for one reason or another family photographs and other ephemera may have filtered through the generations into their hands. My great-aunt had the picture that illustrates this post-including her and my mother posing two family pets in 1949. Aunt Ruth wasn’t a genealogist, but she was the one who went through her mother’s effects when she (my great-grandmother) died in 1986. And so those items fell into her hands. Another great-grandmother lived with her daughter for several years until that […]
Susannah and James Smith are your ancestors. After James died, Susannah married Thomas Jones. Susannah then died and Thomas married Cassandra Smithton. After Thomas Jones died, Cassandra applied for a military pension based on Thomas’ military service. That pension may still be helpful to your research on Susannah. Cassandra would have had to mention all of Thomas’ marriages–including the one to your ancestor. There may be a detail in Cassandra’s application directly related to your ancestors or clues to help you in your research. Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it.
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