If you are looking for an entire family in a record where the entire family is specifically named, consider searching for the “easiest” name first. Is there a child with a name that is more difficult to spell than other names? Searching for son John may be easier than daughter Evangeline.
A homestead can mean several things, but two of them are rather specific. Homestead claims were claims to federal property that were filed in the western states under the terms of the Homestead Act of 1862. The claim process (initially to 160 acres) was established by the 1862 Act. A right to homestead is generally speaking a right the surviving spouse has to remain on their “homestead” after the death of their spouse. The surviving spouse for whom this is an issue usually is the widow and the “homestead” may not include the entire farm–depending upon the amount of real estate involved. Homestead in this sense is generally determined by state statute and there may be additional references to homestead in other sections of state code (most often […]
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Stories told to you by relatives are not always completely true. Stories told to you by relatives are not always completely false. The reality is that the “truth” rests somewhere in between. Take any family story and break it into the parts that might have left a record and those arts that likely did not. Use those parts as clues. But…remember your goal is not to prove the story. Your goal is to try and find the truth-or at least the evidence that was left behind. The stories should be used to find some direction.
I maintain the following free genealogy blogs: Rootdig.com—Michael’s thoughts, research problems, suggestions, and whatever else crosses his desk Genealogy Tip of the Day—one genealogy research tip every day–short and to the point Genealogy Search Tip—websites I’ve discovered and the occasional online research tip–short and to the point Genealogy Transcriber—one piece of handwriting to read and transcribe You can subscribe/unsubscribe to any of these blogs using the links that appear in the upper part of each blog page. Feel free to let others know about our blogs. Thanks for your support!
If you are having difficulty transcribing document, consider: for words–perform a Google search on the words you can transcribe–at least a few before and after to get some context. You may find other transcribed documents with similar phrasing, especially with legal documents. Use this as a clue–not as a fact. search for the names you can partially read in a census or other record created around the same time period to see if you can get “match.” Again use this as a clue–not as a fact.
The inventory of your relative’s chattel property can sometimes provide a variety of clues. The items may suggest occupation, economic status, or provide additional clues (particularly if debts are listed). At the very least the items can provide historical insight into your relative’s life
If you signed up for my “Organizing Genealogical Information” class and have not heard from me, email me using the email address in your receipt. If you want to sign up, we’re taking registrations through early on 5 January or until we’re full.
Definitions can create confusion and any word must be interpreted in context. Yesterday’s tip (about the “rood”) reminded me of that. A rood can be 1/4 of an acre, as mentioned in the post. From another perspective, it is 40 square rods. And, outside of land terminology, it can also be a cross or a crucifix. One also must remember when using legal documents that words are often used with very specific definitions there as well. And those definitions may not align completely with how the word is used in everyday conversation.
The United States Naturalization Act of 1906 made significant changes to naturalization procedures in the United States. One of the key changes for genealogists is that prior to the Act, any court of record could naturalize. After the act, generally only federal courts could perform naturalizations. And in some places and time periods before 1906, certain courts were not as stringent in their procedures than others–especially if there was an impending election.
For land described in metes and bounds, a rood may be used as part of the total acreage. A rood is 1/4 of an acre and is sometimes used instead of fractional parts of an acre. A piece of property that is 10 acres and 3 roods would be 10 3/4 acres. A rood is different from a rod. A rod is a unit of linear measure. A rod is 16.5 feet.
By popular demand, we’re bringing this course back. This is a great way to start your research in 2017. (if you enrolled in a previous section and had later difficulties, email me to be put in this section of the course at no charge) (scroll down for specific schedule) Organizing information is an important part of genealogical research-perhaps more important than the actual research. This short course (only 3 sessions) is intended to provide the students with exposure to a variety of ways to organize information with an emphasis on problem-solving. The course will consist of four lectures (topics and schedule below), problem assignments, virtual follow-up discussions, group discussion board interaction, and student submission of work (optional). There is no assigned grade-you get from this what you […]
It’s a new year and we’ve got some new subscribers, so now seems like a good time for a few reminders: Genealogy Tip of the Day is written by Michael John Neill. We have an office staff of one. All mistakes are my fault. All creative and insightful bits of wisdom are my fault too. We will let readers decide which is which. Genealogy Tip of the Day is the copyright of Michael John Neill. While we appreciate greatly those who let others know about Genealogy Tip of the Day, this does not mean that tips can be used in other publications without credit or attribution. Contact Michael at mjnrootdig@gmail.com with questions regarding using tips in your newsletter, website, etc. Genealogy Tip of the Day is free. We have other items […]
Any date can be off, especially early in the year. It is doubtful this World War I draft registrant was born in 1916–but that’s what it says. There are many reasons why a year may be inadvertently incorrect in a record, but early in any year it is easy to put the wrong year down.
Always make certain you look at all extant parts of the entire “marriage record.” In some locations there may just be a register. In others, there may be a register, licenses, applications, and additional documents. Those other documents may contain details not listed in the register.
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