In families where the same name was used repeatedly, it can be easy to: merge two different people with the same name into being the same person confuse two different people with the same name and assign the wrong record or event to the wrong person overlook yet another relative with the same name–there could always be one more Correctly sifting out people with the same name can be difficult. Look at records that mention: age middle initials–if they even have them spouse occupational clues specific residence or residential clues relatives And look at every record you can get your hands on in the area where all these people with the same name lived.
If your ancestor owned real property, you should search for at least the following records: record of acquisition: a deed of purchase, patent, inheritance, etc. payment of property taxes: do that or lose it. record of disposal: deed of sale, will, foreclosure, tax sale, etc. In the United States these are county-level records. Knowing your ancestor owned property is not enough–those records may provide more information.
It may sound morbid, but if you happen to be around when a loved one is at the end of their life, write down some of the more poignant moments. Not the medical details, but the other little stories. A few days before my mother died, I had finally fallen asleep at around four in the morning only to have a nurse come in and perform a bed check. I yelled and shot out of my chair. There my mother and the nurse were, laughing as if it were the funniest thing they had ever seen. Who knows, maybe it was. I was aware enough of my surroundings not to be irritated that I was being laughed at. And I remember my mother’s cousin and his wife coming […]
Not every immigrant into the United States filtered through New York City. Many did, but there were other ports of entry–both on the west and east coasts of the United States. There were immigrants who originally landed in Canada and crossed the border into the United States. My own forebears landed in New York, Baltimore, and New Orleans and one pair originally came to New Brunswick and crossed into the United States a few years later. The initial point of arrival could have been impacted by the final destination within the United States. Most of my 19th century immigrants knew where they were headed: the rural upper Midwest. That impacted where they arrived. You may have to get New York City out of your head to find your […]
Sometimes one needs an extra set of eyes to look at your problem. It may be: a local who knows the local records and sources because they grew up in the area and have lived there for years; a native who speaks the language that you do not: a professional who is familiar with the type of complicated problem you have; a genealogical acquaintance who is generally familiar with research, willing to review your material with an open eye and an open mind, and is able to critique your work without it disrupting your friendship. Before you have anyone help you on your problem: organize what you have; actually review what you have; determine where you got what you have compile what you have so someone else can […]
When communicating with a new relative whose interest level in genealogy is not quite known, take it slowly. They: might not be able to reply immediately–give them some time might not be quite as interested in the family history as you–believe it or not, it is possible might be put off if you share too many “black sheep” stories immediately–they might think you are only out to share the “family dirt” might not want to read five rambling paragraphs in your first email–get to the point might not respond if you immediately point out errors in their online tree–don’t make them feel like you are proofreading their tree might not be interested in sharing details of their personal life–they may be your fifth cousin, not your “bestie.” Your […]
Always broaden searches for burials on FindaGrave. It is possible that the person in listed in the wrong cemetery, listed twice, or that you have the wrong cemetery. Even if the burial location is incorrect, there may be other information on the memorial page that stands the test of validation.
Response to the AncestryDNA webinars has been overwhelming. As a result, we are: offering another live session of “Beginning Working with Your AncestryDNA Matches” on 24 September. adding a new session “Sifting Through Your AncestryDNA Matches” on 1 October 2017. Details are on our AncestryDNA webinar page. Thanks for your support of our offerings.
Always make certain you have the right person as best you can. My great-aunt was Lillie Trautvetter, born 1908/1909 to George Trautvetter. There was another Lillie Trautvetter, born 1908/1909 to another George Trautvetter. They lived for a time in adjacent townships in Hancock County, Illinois. The Georges were first cousins. When searching quickly I almost confused the two in records where they were children as quite a few of their details were the same.
Don’t “throw out” information that conflicts or appears to be in error. See if you can determine what might have caused the information to be incorrect. My great-grandmother was supposedly born in one of three towns in 1874. It turned out that each town was somewhere she had lived as a child before her family finally settled in a more permanent location. As always, transcribe the documents exactly as they are written and include your analysis of what’s wrong in a way that makes it clear that it’s separate from the actual document. And…remember that what you think is wrong today may end up being correct tomorrow when more information is located. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you […]
Every dead person has to have an obituary. If you are dead, you must be in the Social Security Death Index. They have always charged to put obituaries in every newspaper. Delayed birth records were for out-of-wedlock births. These are just a few examples of incorrect statements I’ve encountered online. One can find just about anything on some message boards, Facebook groups, etc. Before sharing or reposting advice you found posted by someone you don’t know, check it out. And definitely check it out before you use it to reach any sort of research conclusion. “Brick walls” can result from following off-the-wall advice.
When taking pictures of tombstones, make certain to get every side of the marker. Some stones have inscriptions on more than one side and some tombstones have inscriptions for several different family members. One stone for the family was cheaper than individual stones. Sometimes FindAGrave submitters may overlook one side of a stone.
Some things to remember when starting to work with your DNA matches: start by figuring out your closest matches first keep track of who you figure out and “how you know who they are” don’t try and figure out everyone at once–start with the easiest matches have your paper pedigree handy and as complete as you have it DNA does not replace traditional methods and sources You can see more about working with your AncestryDNA matches in my webinars.
A “grass widow” usually refers to a woman whose husband is not deceased. She may be divorced, separated, or living alone because her husband has taken off. The phrase usually does not mean that her husband has actually died.
We have released the recording of my latest webinar: “Working with Your AncestryDNA Matches.” We focused on the matches–analyzing, understanding, and organizing. I even made some headway on a few of mine while creating the PowerPoint slides for the presentation. Our presentation is laid back. There’s not a lot of chit-chat and we focus on being practical and being as technical as necessary without making attendees feel like this was a biology lecture or a math class. More details are on our announcement page. If you registered for the live session, please email me at the address in your registration receipt for fastest response. Thanks! We’re looking forward to continuing more presentations in this series.
Recent Comments