Certain ethnic groups tend to follow certain naming patterns when choosing names for children. Keep in mind that these patterns are cultural norms. They are not set in statute. They are not part of an ecclesiastical edict. There can be exceptions, particularly when both grandfathers (or grandmothers) have the same first name or when there has been a significant argument with a certain relative. Use the naming patterns as a suggestive clues not as an established certainty. —————- 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!
Always check those digital images before you leave the facility. When at the Family History Library on my group trip, I made a few images for myself. In reviewing them months later, I realized I bypassed the bottom of page 256 and only got the top of page 257 (partially shown in the illustration).
In some locations during some time periods, aliens (immigrants who were not naturalized) could not own real property or could not bequeath real property. State statute dictated what the rights of aliens were in regards to real property ownership. By the end of the 19th century most US states did not have restrictions on property ownership by aliens. But–refer to contemporary statute in your state of interest for specific information. —————- 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 are excited about our two new class offerings starting in January of 2016: United States Probate Records United States Land Records Please visit our page for more information and consider joining us.
Always track what is on the spine of those unpublished local records. That will help you create a citation later. —————- 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!
Sometimes all it takes is a “new” name to open the door to an entire set of memories. My grandmother-in-law remembered a fair amount about her family originally. After a little research, I located the maiden name of her grandmother, which she had not originally remembered. As soon as I mentioned that last name, more memories came to her mind. Sometimes all it takes it a word or a name to unlock an entire set of memories. Always go back and re-interview that person when you have located new information.
If materials are filed in boxes, is it possible that one number is off? I remember one packet of court papers that according to the index were in box 394. I was positive it said “394.” It turns out the “4” was actually just a funny written “1.” Or maybe just a mistake. Either way it took me a while to find the correct packet. If something is not where it is “supposed” to be, consider that one little being off is all that it takes. —————————- 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!
Building your genealogical research skills is more than learning about records and indexes. Expanding your knowledge of history is importan, especially as it relates to your own family. Over half of my ancestors immigrated to the United States in the 19th century, knowing something about the naturalization process is important. But….it’s not just about the men, so I’m reading A Nationality of Her Own: Women, Marriage, and the Law of Citizenship by Candice Lewis Bredbenner. Lots of food for thought. What was the last book you read to increase your historical knowledge?
This 1900 census enumeration leaves the question of year of citizenship blank for these two ladies. It wasn’t an oversight. It was because the census enumerator’s instructions were to only ask the question regarding year of citizenship of males over the age of twenty-one. The likely reason is because women in 1900 didn’t have a separate citizenship status from that of their husband–the two literally were one.
If your subscription to a genealogy website or database is set to “auto-renew,” put the date on your calendar. And mark a week before the date of the expiration. That’s the date on which you should make a decision to keep your subscription or cancel it. That gives you plenty of time to contact the service and cancel if necessary. And…if you are considering a short-term subscription to one of the database services, here are some suggestions. But always know when the subscription is set to automatically renew.
We’ve made a list of some assumptions that genealogists make. Here are a few. We will add your suggestions to a longer list which we’ll post later. The county history was right. That my grandparents actually got married. That my grandma was my grandpa’s first wife. That my relative was an immigrant. That my relative was born in the United States. That the entire death certificate was right. That grandma had a tombstone. That my grandparents were buried next to each other. That no one in my family got divorced. That the old genealogy was right–I just haven’t found the proof yet. That my family was never in court. That my family never appeared in the newspaper. Add your own thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
For those who prefer to get things on their Kindle, we have Kindle versions of these blogs: Genealogy Tip of the Day Rootdig Daily Genealogy Transcriber Amazon does charge a minimum monthly delivery fee–which is set by Amazon and not me.
We’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. If you’re “stuck,” write down all the assumptions you have made about your ancestor. Generally speaking, these are things you “know” but for which you have no documentation. Assumptions could include: Married near where the first child was born Wife outlived the husband All the children married and had their own children etc. Assumptions can very from person to person. But…. cross one of those assumptions off. What if it were not true? Would your research change? How would it change? Something to think about.
Yearbooks can contain more than information on students and faculty. They sometimes contain advertisements like this one does from the Chicago, Illinois, area in 1925. This entry was obtained digitally in the of yearbook collection at Ancestry.com.
If you use an “index” to a record, do you consider how complete that index is? Is it an index to every name in the record, the “main names” in the record, or is there one index entry per record? The answers to those questions impact how you use the index. ——————- For those with an interest in United States records, here’s a post about those probate records on Ancestry.com.
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