Compare the actual date of a record with the date indicated by the database. Don’t assume the database is correct and use the actual record date where possible since it’s more accurate. Any database can occasionally have a date incorrect. Small differences usually don’t have a huge impact on research conclusions, but sometimes they do–depending upon how “off” the incorrect date is. Doublecheck. And maybe doublecheck again. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you make.
If your ancestor was born in a small, out-of-the-way place, it may have been easier for them to give a nearby larger town as their place of birth instead of where they were actually born. If you can’t find them in the “town where they are supposed to be,” try the smaller outlying towns instead.
Newspapers can contain references to people long after they died. They can be mentioned in obituaries of their children or other family members, retrospective columns, references to their former residence or farm, etc. Don’t assume that someone will not be in the paper after they died.
That reunion listing in the newspaper may contain more than blood relatives. This 1932 reunion was for descendants of James and Elizabeth (Chaney) Rampley who died in Hancock County, Illinois, in the 1880s. Most of the individuals listed are descendants of that couple or are spouses of descendants. There are a few non-Rampleys in the mix, including a girlfriend of a descendant, the sister of James and Elizabeth’s daughter-in-law (who was the aunt of over half the attendees), another girlfriend of a descendant who is listed as “Mrs.” when she should be “Miss,” and a handful of people I can’t quite figure out, but who are not descendants or their spouses. Reunions might not contain only “blood” relatives. Don’t assume everyone in the listing is related to the […]
For a variety of reasons newspapers may not always use given names when mentioning people. This is why it is important to search for all family members, last names only (including perhaps locations),all spelling variants, etc. in an attempt to locate as many references to the person of interest as possible. Subscribe to Genealogy Tip of the Day for free!
Years of immigration as given in early 20th century United States census records can be incorrect. The immigrant may have misunderstood or misheard the question and thought it meant when did you arrive in this state instead of the United States. The immigrant may have immigrated as a child and not really remembered when he immigrated. Or another member of the household may have answered the questions and have been unfamiliar with the immigration of the person in question
We are excited to announce the release of the recorded version of our popular webinar,”Avoiding Fake Ancestors.” Details on ordering the presentation can be found in our blog post.
German immigrant Herman Eberhard Harms’ tombstone in Franklin County, Nebraska, indicated he was born in August of 1835. His parents names were unknown, but he was known to have born in Ostfriesland, Germany, where his wife was also from. Herman and his wife had several children, including one named Wubke Catherine–not the most common name and not one that was used in his wife’s family. There is a birth for an Hermann Eberhard Harms in the church records of Eggelingen, Ostfriesland, Germany, in 1835–with a mother named Wubcke Catharina. That’s not concrete proof it’s him, but it certainly suggests a connection. If it is the “reason” you think it is him, then that needs to be put in your notes on Hermann along with other reasons why you […]
I was chatting on Facebook with a fellow genealogist about one of our common families. Our discussion got me to thinking about a relative I’ve not researched in a while and I decided to start searching passenger lists for this person using what I could remember about the deceased ancestor off the top of my head. Mistake. Big mistake. Changing gears and working on a person or a family you have not researched in a while is a great way to make headway–a fresh start works wonders. But go back and review the information that has been located already. Don’t research based on details you remember “off the top of your head.” Chances are there are details that are remembered incorrectly and searching based on those details can waste […]
When used in legal documents, certain words have specific legal meanings that are frequently very specific. These words may also be used in common conversation to have slightly different or less narrowly defined meanings. A legal dictionary or contemporary state statute should help to clarify the definition. A legal infant is typically someone under the age of majority. That’s not what is meant when your relative says their granddaughter is still an infant. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you make.
The bulk of my work in Swedish records has been in the early to mid-19th century. During this time period in the area where the families I worked on lived, women were listed with their maiden names whether they were married or not. My attempts to find a certain relative were stymied until I realized that she had lived until the early 20th century and was listed with her married name and not her maiden name. Times change. Common practices change. Make certain you are using the approach best suited for the time period and location in which you are working. What worked in one century may not work in another.
We’ve included part of a recently discovered letter signed by Abraham Lincoln as fodder for today’s tip which was discovered while searching unindexed records at the National Archives. The discovery reminds us: Not all records have been digitized. Many records are unindexed. You never know what’s waiting to be discovered. Thanks to Jonathan Deiss of Soldiersource.com for making the discovery and letting us share it with readers. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you make.
Make certain to review all estate accountings showing how inheritances from an estate were disbursed. Do not only look at one list. Intermediate or final accountings may indicate that there were heirs who originally survived the deceased died before the estate could be settled. Their heirs would then be listed in more recent lists of disbursements. This can be a good way to estimate dates of deaths and learn more names of heirs, particularly for estates that took a while to settle.
This 1906 item regarding a “missing” horse tells quite a bit about its owner, including: confirming the dairyman’s address. giving his occupation. suggesting church affiliation providing last known “alive on” date Sometimes the biggest clues in newspapers are not found in the “in-your-face” items but instead are in the daily grind of life references that seem mundane on the surface. And whether or not something is a clue depends upon what you know and what you don’t. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you make.
Don’t assume that because your ancestor was “poor” that he left no will. There may have been one remaining family heirloom that he wanted to give to someone or a small amount of money he did not want someone to have. An aunt lived from widow’s pension check to pension check and she left a will. Most poorer individuals did not leave wills, but it is possible that they did. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you make.
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