Only a very small fragment of the 1890 US census is available. The vast majority of the schedules were burned and destroyed. 6,160 names remain. They were microfilmed and can be searched at FamilySearch. More information on the 1890 census can be found in Spring 1996 issue of Prologue. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank.
It is possible that the place you can’t find is no longer known by that name? Sometimes the names of places are changed–for a variety of reasons. And it’s possible that the “place name” you were given is a nickname of sorts that was only used by a few locals. I know where the Habben corner is in Hancock County, Illinois, but hardly anyone refers to it by that name today. It’s not on any maps, but may be mentioned in an old newspaper or other published account. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank.
Don’t take “the courthouse burned” to mean that every record before that point in time was destroyed. It might be that in reality, records from some offices survived, some offices’ records were not completely destroyed, etc. In some cases, records might have been “re-recorded” after the fire. There may also be state or federal records that provide similar information. Ask around. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank.
If all records indicate the wife of your ancestor is “Mary,” keep yourself open to the possibility that the ancestor could have been married twice to women with the same first name. If other details about the Marys are very inconsistent, it could be that there were two Marys instead of one. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank.
Put all your ancestor’s residences on the same map. Compare it to your chronology. Is there a chance they might have stopped somewhere “in between” two places and left records of some type? If the locations are urban with street addresses, make certain you have maps that are contemporary to your problem. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank.
We’ve added two webinars this August: AncestryDNA From Their Mouth to Your Computer Screen More details are on our announcement page.
If you are fortunate enough to have a list of people who purchased property at your ancestor’s estate sale, consider locating those people in the decennial census before and after the sale. Where they were from or where they moved to may help you on your ancestor. Purchasers at estate sales were usually neighbors or relatives of the deceased. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank.
When making photocopies or digital images of books for personal use, make certain to include the book’s list of abbreviations–if there is one. Some abbreviations are obvious and some are not. When you no longer have the book it may be a task to determine what the abbreviations reference. Capture the information while you have the chance.
Your immigrant ancestor might not have even bothered to become an American citizen–particularly before the naturalization reform of 1906. Voting was the main benefit that came from citizenship. Unnaturalized aliens could usually own property, bequeath property, etc. without becoming American citizens (check contemporary state statute to be certain). If you are unable to locate a naturalization for your 19th century American immigrant and you have looked diligently for it, it may that your relative never bothered to naturalize. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank.
If you come across an “estray book” at a courthouse, it is a book where residents could register lost property they had located, usually animals. Before the Civil War, slaves may also be listed. There will not be an overly large amount of detail in these books, but a reference to your ancestor in an “estray book” can indicate residence in a certain place at a certain point in time. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank.
Before sending a message, putting information in your genealogical database, or posting family history information online: proofread–one more time. Make certain you’ve copied that date and location correctly, double check that interpretation of a word or a phrase, re-evaluate that conclusion, and see that words are spelled correctly. Grammar errors are not really the end of the world, but errors of a “factual” nature can be difficult to remove once they’ve been posted online and someone has copied them. One last read over never hurts.
Applications for US military pensions often mention the act under which the veteran (or his widow) applied. The details of that act may explain why the veteran waited until then–and that reason could be a clue. Men or women who applied for federal property usually did so under a certain act. If you have records of your ancestor having “applied” for anything, look to see if the act under which the application was made is referenced. Learning about that act may tell you something about your ancestor that is not stated in the application. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank.
The appraisers of an estate are not supposed to have an interest in the estate. That precludes heirs, beneficiaries, or creditors from appraising the estate. Appraisers can be relatives of the deceased (or of the spouse of the deceased), but cannot be directly interested in the settlement of the estate.
In doing some work on Catherine Belless, I came across an 1867 receipt in her husband’s probate case file from Fulton County, Illinois, where she made her mark. I was convinced she had actually signed documents in her Civil War widow’s pension file around the same time. I was certain of it. I was wrong. What I remembered was that the handwriting was different–Catherine had still made her mark. Before you write from memory–check. Otherwise you may be propagating incorrect information yourself.
When women witness events or documents, especially before the early twentieth century, I usually wonder why? Not because women were unreliable but because of societal norms. Women were usually witnesses when men were unable to testify to the events in question. In 1865, Elizabeth Belless testified that she had been at the birth of all of Catherine Belless’ six children and Sarah James was a near neighbor to Catherine and had seen her within hours of each birth. These women need to be researched to determine any relationship to Catherine. WIth Elizabeth Belless the potential connection to Catherine Belless is suggested by the last name. A little more work needs to be done on Sarah, but her statement strongly hints that she’s more than a neighbor.
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