Late doesn’t necessarily mean “dead.” This Civil War widow is referred to as being the “late widow” of the veteran. In this case, the reference to her as being “late” is most likely because some time after the veteran died she married again. This meant that her marital status had changed and she was no longer a widow. Usually if people are referred to as being the “late” something it means they are no longer that something. They don’t have to be dead.
While it is possible for someone to be missed in the census, it is also possible for them to be counted twice. This can happen if the person is moving around the time of the census, has a job that requires them to live away from home for part of the week, or other reasons. My grandmother is enumerated twice in the 1930 US census–once with her parents and once in the household where she was working as a hired girl. Her brother and his wife are enumerated twice as well–once in the town where they were from and had gotten married, and another time in a town thirty miles away where he had gone looking for work.
In records that are partially indexed, always look for names of all family members. This 18th century guardianship for the children of Ephraim Puffer in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, is only indexed under the name of the oldest child.
Pension affidavits often indicate how old the affiant was and how long they had known the person about whom they were testifying. That can sometimes be a big clue in tracking migrations. Think about what year they were supposed to have “met.” Could it have been when one of them was born? Were both of them children? Where would they have been living when they met? All good questions to ask.
I still have room on my two 2016 trips. There’s more details on our blog posts and questions can be sent to me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com. Family History Library in Salt Lake–May 2016 Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana–August 2016
The response to the giveaway to my first brick wall from A to Z presentation has been overwhelming. In response, we’re offering a special on the four remaining presentations in this series. Visit our “Brick Wall” webinar page for additional details–our offer ends at 11:59 pm on 8 January 2016.
Sometimes what is really needed is a fast sketch of something–a chart or relationships, a list of ideas, etc. It’s not always necessary to always bring out the technology in order to problem-solve or brainstorm. In fact for some of us, using technology can create additional problems or be a distraction. Sometimes penciland paper will serve the purpose.
Always make certain you have read or seen the front and back of every page in a packet of court papers, pension papers, etc. Sometimes notations or comments on the back can be significant clues. Don’t ignore them.
We’ve got the following events taking place or starting in the next week or so–consider joining us while we still have space: US Land Records class-starts 3 January US Probate Records class-starts 10 January Planning a Trip to the Family History Library–one session webinar on 5 January Genealogical Proof-one session webinar on 5 January If you’ve already registered and haven’t received links to get into the sessions–please email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com.
Since many genealogists “start anew” at the first of the year, we’re posting an overview of the problem-solving process. There are essentially four steps: Understand the problem–this involves learning the history of the area, learning the applicable laws of the time, all the records available (and their issues), knowing key terms in any documents already located, assumptions you have made, your ancestor’s background, etc. Understanding takes time. Plan–pick a record to access or an approach to use to answer your question Execute-search the record or apply the approach Evaluate-did you answer your question? That’s a broad generalization. We discuss some of these items in slightly more detail in occasional tips and the Rootdig blog mentions them in more detail–sometimes a lot more detail.
Greetings on the first day of 2016! Remember that January 1 was not always the start of the new year and that it’s also pretty easy to slip and write down the wrong year on document or a record. Also remember that 2016 will have a 29 February as well. Best of luck with your family history research in 2016!
Instead of banging your head against the wall on the same person, pick an ancestor or relative you think you have “finished.” Go back and double-check your conclusions on that person, cite sources that weren’t cited, originally, look for gaps in their life chronology. The time away from the brick wall may give you a fresh perspective on it…and save some wear and tear on your head! —————- Genealogy Tip of the Day is sponsored by GenealogyBank. In December, they are offering an annual subscription for a monthly rate equivalent to less than $5 a month!
We’ve picked up quite a few fans/followers of this blog, so I thought I’d briefly post a little bit about Genealogy Tip of the Day. Genealogy Tip of the Day is written by Michael John Neill. Our goal is to provide at least one short research tip every day. The tips are not meant to be long or overly academic. We’ll leave that to my other blog, Rootdig. Research tips are generated from my own research and range from things that are basic and elementary to ideas that are more advanced and complicated. I don’t reuse tips, but it’s difficult after writing these for five years to not discuss the same topic once in a while. Because I only use my own research, tips may not be applicable to all research […]
Don’t get “crop happy” and cut away too much of a document. There may be clues in the edges that may not be immediately relevant. The illustration has obvious clues in the license plate and the home. Neighbors in the census may be relatives, cutting them out of the image you save may cause to miss that clue years later. Handwritten records where just the “entry of interest” is saved can be hard to analyze without the context of other records to serve as a guide. Clues in the edges aren’t as clear-cut as they are in this image. —————- Genealogy Tip of the Day book is here. Learn more about it.
We’ve added a new presentation and rescheduled an earlier one—join me on 5 January for one or both of the following presentations: Planning for a Trip to the Family History Library Making Your Case and Genealogical Proof
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