There are states that have more than one location with the same name or with locations that have similar names. Illinois has more than one Prairie Township within its borders and probably has other locations (towns, cemeteries, etc.) that also have the word “prairie” as part of the name. Illinois also has the village of Henderson, the village of North Henderson, Henderson County, etc. And Illinois is not the only state (or territory) with similarly named features. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Have you ever read the probate section of state statute for the state in which you are researching? At the very least it may put you to sleep. On the other hand, you may learn something. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Don’t neglect searching college yearbooks even for those people you think might never have attended. A relative may easily have only attended for a year or two, never graduated, and yet appear in a yearbook their freshman or sophomore years. Those non-graduates may even have their picture in the yearbook as well. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
When you locate a new piece of information, particularly a detailed document, do you analyze it, think about what it says (and does not) before you mindlessly start searching on the internet? A little reflection and analysis before those internet searches may save you some time. Think about what a document means before you start throwing terms in search boxes. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
For some reason, old tips are going out in the email version of “Genealogy Tip of the Day.” We’re working on getting it fixed. Thanks! ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Those who have never researched rural ancestors are sometimes in for a treat. It can be difficult in some cases to locate someone who has a map of the cemetery or a person that has a listing of who owns which plots, etc. For some rural cemeteries, particularly ones that are no longer used, no such list exists. Township or other local officials may oversee the cemetery, maybe. Or no one at all may look after the cemetery and the records, if there ever were any, may be long gone. And rural cemeteries rarely have phone numbers you can call to get information. Local historical or genealogical societies and libraries may have information about the cemetery or they may not. Local funeral homes may know who to contact […]
Occasionally I get emails from readers telling me that there simply “have to be records” and comments indicating that “someone, somewhere has ‘them.'” While a church might have kept records sometimes pastors keep the records of their church and they eventually end up lost or destroyed. The records of some cemeteries, particularly smaller ones, end up in private hands and sometimes those too end up being accidentally destroyed. This does not mean that one should not look for records. What it does mean is that one cannot always insist that they “have to be around somewhere.” Sometimes they are–but sometimes they are not. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Years ago, I discovered that my grandmother had a step-grandmother who had never been mentioned. For a long list of reasons, I never mentioned the step-grandmother to my own grandmother. However, I did learn where the step-grandmother was buried. A few months later, my Dad and I had cause to go close to the cemetery on a trip somewhere else and I asked if we could stop for a few minutes to see if I could find the stone. There was no stone. Dad mentioned to Grandma the next morning that we had stopped at said cemetery. Grandma later very directly asked me WHO I was looking for in THAT cemetery. Grandma probably knew who I was looking for as there are NO other family members buried there. […]
In the interest of clarification, Genealogy Tip of the Day‘s blog site and Facebook Fan page are generally not: places to promote genealogical events–there are places to do this and our intent is not to become a clearinghouse for this type of material. places to promote personal research services. We do not endorse any company or person that performs personal genealogical research. places to review books, websites, other materials. Michael does not include any reviews of genealogical materials on the Tip blog or Facebook page. Genealogy Tip of the Day is provided as a free service to the genealogy community and we encourage fans/followers to interact on our blog site and Facebook page. Genealogy Tip of the Day is graciously sponsored by Genealogybank.com. My webinars and newsletter will occasionally be […]
It’s always possible that a grave marker was never erected for your relative. Sometimes financial difficulties or no family living in the area was the cause. The end result, no stone, is still the same. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Are you in need of how-to information written clearly, concisely, with an emphasis on instruction and explanation? That’s exactly what you get with Casefile Clues–Michael John Neill’s how-to genealogy newsletter. Take advantage of our special offer to get all 124 back issues for only $30! That’s quite a genealogical bargain. All issues are delivered as PDF files. Written in an accurate, detailed, and yet easy-to-follow format, Casefile Clues is geared towards the intermediate level research, but we have many beginners and advanced researchers (including some professionals) who subscribe to Casefile Clues. Casefile Clues focuses on genealogical case studies, problem-solving, and the occasional in-depth analysis of one specific document. And we always include complete, accurate citations and ideas of where to go next. We also focus on setting goals and keeping on task.You can download samples following […]
In the time period in which your ancestor married, how far were they likely to travel to find a spouse? It might not be as far as you think. Travelling 5 miles in 1830 was not as easy as it is today–your ancestor’s “pool of potential mates” is geographically pretty small. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
County Recorder’s offices usually records deeds and other legal instruments. They frequently have a “miscellaneous” record where a wide variety of documents might have been brought in to be recorded so that an official copy existed if the original was lost. Have you searched through these records in the local County Recorder’s office? In one Illinois county, the miscellaneous record contained out-of-state death certificates, a divorce decree from a divorce granted in Florida, my great-uncle’s medical license, military discharge papers, and more. Give them a look over. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
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At the county level, in some places and time periods, there might have been several different “courts” housed in the same physical location–probate court, court of equity, chancery court, guardianship court, etc. Make certain you’ve searched all the records when using the indexes. If a “court” housed several different “courts,” each court would have had a separate series of records, including indexes. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
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