Before you scan 400 family photographs, scan a few and make certain your scanner is working the way you think it should. Make certain you can back up the images. Make certain any editing is working the way you think it is. Then continue your project. Before travelling to distant cemeteries to take photographs, make certain you know how to use your camera in a cemetery during different times of the day. Make certain you know how to upload your photos to back up services and media. Practice while you are at home and have time to learn and “get it right” instead of learning on the fly at a cemetery when the rain is about to start and you are about to leave. The same goes with […]
Years ago after a presentation, a gentleman came up and told me that I should not suggest people rely on census records or other “secondary records” (his phrasing) for information. I should suggest better sources. That’s just not the way it works. We do not always have the sources that we would like to have. While census records can be incorrect and information that’s secondary can be suspect, sometimes it is all that we have. My ancestor, Ellen Butler was born in Missouri in the 1850s. Her family moved frequently, did not attend any church that kept records, there is no family bible that I can find, and she died before there was vital registration of deaths as well. While I keep looking for a “better source” of […]
There are several ways one can approach “problem-solving” and it’s been mentioned as a tip of the day before. One way is not necessarily any more correct than another. The important thing is to think about your research as you do it. I’m a fan of the problem-solving process attributed to George Polya, which I’ve slightly modified. There are essentially four steps in the problem-solving process: 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 […]
When making digital images of any piece of paper, always make an image of the back as well as the front of every item. Consistently making such images will help to guarantee no information is lost and will not leave you wondering later if there was something on the back of the item.
Always keep your mind open to the possibility that more of your family immigrated than you think–or than family tradition tells you immigrated. My ancestor and his brother immigrated to the United States as young men in their early twenties. They arrived separately a few years apart from each other, but eventually settled in the same area and ended up marrying sisters. But it was not until years later that I discovered these two men had no other full siblings and that their mother had married again in Germany after their father’s death. She and this second husband had several children and eventually came to the United States themselves. They settled approximately one hundred miles from where her two sons did. I now know that the family apparently […]
From a while back… Always think about the family that was left behind when someone died? Were there children who would have needed looked after? Was there a spouse who would have needed some assistance? Was there an adult child who would have been unable to look after themselves? Who would have been nearby to help these individuals? Were there court records, guardianships, or other records resulting from issues when the person died?
Those whose United States ancestors were immigrants after the American Revolution may find this discussion of US naturalization certificates interesting on the National Archives website. Remember that before 1906, any court of record could naturalize and there was no federal oversight of the process. That means things varied from one location to another–process, paperwork, and records. Before 1906 US naturalization records are generally local court records–not federal ones.
When going through paper family history materials in an attempt to preserve and digitize them, the first things to be concerned with are items that are available in no other location. Think “what do I have that no one else has (or probably has)?” This typically means family photographs, letters, diaries, personal papers, and the like. Copies of official records, census materials, pension records a relative sent you from the archives, and similar items likely can be replaced if necessary. Focus to initially preserve those items that are truly unique. Same goes for people’s memories. Those can’t be replaced either–so record their stories as well.
A reminder from a while back… Always consider how a place name may be said and heard. Every document on William Lake, his siblings, and his parents, indicated that they lived in Mercer County, Kentucky. Except this one page from his compiled military service record. It indicated he was born in Marshall County, Kentucky. After saying “Mercer” over and over, I realized that to someone unfamiliar with Kentucky geography it could be interpreted as “Marshall.” Sometimes inconsistencies are not as inconsistent as one thinks. Before you give too much credence to a “new” location, make certain it is really new.
Sometimes family historians attach documents to individuals and give no idea of where the image was originally located. Sometimes it is easy to determine the source of the image. Sometimes it is not. When you are unable to indicate a source other than the tree, include the following along with the image: website (main URL and title); date of access; name of tree; name of submitter (or at least their username); person in file to whom image is attached; title submitter gives the image (even if obviously incorrect); comments submitters makes about the image (including clues as to where image was located); anything else you think might help you to find item again or evaluate it’s accuracy You will be glad you did later. Whether you want to […]
When searching newspapers–particularly when those searches are of digital images of newspapers–remember that it is possible for someone to be mentioned without ever mentioning their first name. The 1912 reference in a Canton, South Dakota, newspaper mentions Louis and Mary Rampley–twice each–but only refers to them as Mr. and Mrs. Rampley. It’s possible that the writer did not know their first names at all, but using a first name as a search term will not locate this reference if a search of newspaper images is done digitally. The last name of Mrs. Rampley’s father is spelled Neal instead of Neill. That’s another name that will not be in the search results if “Neill” is used as a search term.
A picture that really looked like my grandmother had “Mother at 18” written on it. The problem was that the only people who I thought wrote on my grandmother’s pictures were her and I. If the truth be told, I probably did more writing on them for identification than I did. The writing did not look like my Dad’s writing and I did not think it was my uncle’s either–although I don’t really have any of his writing with which to compare it. The hairstyle and clothing certainly looks more like when my grandmother was eighteen than when her mother was eighteen. The thirty-six year age difference between them makes for a change in styles. Then it dawned on me that it could possibly be someone else’s writing: […]
This impression made by the photographer on a picture of my grandmother–or perhaps that of her mother–was almost overlooked when I made a digital image of the photograph. I made the best image I could of the photograph (not shown here) and the stamp. The name of the photographer may help me to date the photograph. Make certain you get all the information a picture has…even things where no ink or pencil has been used. Any clue could be helpful.
Research in local land records can sometimes be tedious. Occasionally the work is worth the reward. One reason for looking at all those land transactions of your ancestor is that sometimes the legal description of the property being transferred references other transactions on that same piece of property. Previous owners may be mentioned. How your ancestor came to acquire the property may also be included with the description of the property’s location. Most land deeds do not include this information. But you do not know if you do not research all those records. Sometimes, always for legal reasons (usually to clarify title or property lines) some history of the property may be stated in a later transaction covering that property. Those details may mention additional family members, ancestors, […]
The recording and handout of my most recent webinar has been released. Details are on our announcement page.
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