That obituary for your great-uncle might have been written and paid for by his third wife. Consequently, she may choose not to mention his first wife or his son that she could not stand. And that biography of your great-great-grandmother’s half-brother may fail to mention his half-sister and he saw no reason to mention his mother’s first marriage in the family history section. The person paying for information to be published may very easily leave out that which he does not care to share with others. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If you want a copy of your ancestor’s death certificate, think twice before paying one of those online places an exorbitant fee for “instant” or overnight services. Here are some general suggestions: Check FamilySearch.org to determine if the certificates are online there at no charge. Determine if the records have been microfilmed and are available via loan through the Family History Library. Check the appropriate state archives or state historical library website to see if the certificates are online there. Determine what the state office of vital statistics charges for a copy. Determine what the county or town charges for a copy. Unless you are settling an estate or performing some type of legal work, a certified copy probably is not necessary. Check around before getting your copy […]
Be careful in assuming the gender based solely upon how a name is used today. My ancestor Augusta Newman is a male–sometimes he used Auguste or August, but there are numerous records where the name is written as Augusta. Today Augusta would typically be considered a woman’s name. And of course today there are several names that could refer to a male or a female. Don’t assume. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Remember that even after a county was formed, it is possible that the county line was eventually “tweaked” years or decades later. Your ancestor’s farm might have “moved” from one county to another–which impacts where records are recorded. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Witnesses to wills generally are not heirs of the testator, the person who signs the will. They can be relatives or someone totally unrelated to the testator. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If your ancestor “disappears” consider the possibility that he changed his name. In earlier times, a person could simply change their name without any court or other record thereof–especially if they were changing it to be distinguished from others with the same last name or similar names. It could also have been a way for an ancestor to make a new start. And it’s always a way to try and evade the authorities. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If your ancestor “disappears” ask yourself what historical events were going on at that time. Was there a gold/silver rush? Was there a war? Had new territory opened? It could be that your ancestor or other relative was swept up in a historical event. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Some regular readers know that I spend a week in Salt Lake City at the Family History Library every year. The one thing to avoid are the small pieces of paper for research notes. Don’t take notes on small scaps of paper–they will get lost. A research log is best, or some notes on a printout from the catalog listing the material that you are searching. If you must get a small notebook and keep notes. At least that way you’ve got your notes, unless you lose your notebook. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If you are writing a family history (even a brief one), set yourself a deadline. While there are frequently new sources or items that can be discovered, if you wait until you are totally “finished” you may never get any writing done. That doesn’t mean you do shoddy work or create compilations that are incomplete. But sometimes a person has to write what they have. And any compilation can acknowledge that there are still stones left to turn over. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Apparently a Tip fan had difficulty using the code “half” to purchase webinars at 1/2 off. If you had issues with the coupon, email me or try it again at: http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2012/04/updated-list-of-genealogy-webinars.html Thanks! We’re wrapping a great 7 days in Salt Lake and hoping to have new research experiences to generate tips. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Are you stuck on a problem? Get off the computer. Write down everything you think you know about an ancestor. Don’t refer to your records or materials—write from memory. Why? Because that’s often how people research–from what they think they know, not what they actually know. Now go and look at the records you have on this ancestor. How much of what you thought you knew did you really know? ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
I’ll admit it. The man that I’m 99% certain is my ancestor’s brother had not been located in every census in which he should be enumerated. When going back and finding him in every census, I discovered that in 1870 he had a nephew living with him. A nephew with the same last name–meaning that this nephew is either a son of my ancestor or another brother. A good clue obtained from going through the every census for the brother of my ancestor. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
In August, I’ll be leading a small research group at the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Our trip runs from 1-5 August. The Allen County Public Library has one of the largest genealogical research collections in the United States.We stay at the Ft. Wayne Hilton at a negotiated special rate. For additional details about the trip see this earlier blog post. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If the amount of “consideration,” or what was given for the real estate (often cash) is a token amount, determine if there was a relationship among the people involved. Transfers of significant pieces of real estate for token amounts are often done to clear up title among relatives. Not always, but frequently. Check out the relationships among those who transfer land for little to no cash. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
I was working with some deeds at the Family History Library in Salt Lake and for some reason instead of taking notes with the deed volumes and page numbers as indicated in the index, I made scans of the index entries. It was a good thing I did. What I thought was volume “C” was actually volume “E.” When I didn’t find the desired entry, I quickly went back to my scan and realized what I thought was a “C” was really an “E.” If I had to go back to the index it would have wasted time. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
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