In some families relatives may have remained in contact decades after they last lived in close proximity to each other. I’m researching a family where some individuals immigrated from England to the United States in the 1820s, settling eventually in Philadelphia. Fortysome years later, a niece and her family immigrated from England as well and likely settled near (or with little logistical assistance from) the family who was already in Philadelphia. Some families kept in touch over the years and some did not—just like today. In some ways it was more difficult, but it was not impossible. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Have you looked at university libraries near where your ancestor lived and those a slight distance or a few counties away? Some may have special collections of historical material that may be useful in your research. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
We are proud to announce the release of the recorded version of my two latest webinars: Tips and Tricks for FamilySearch –(NEW!)–This webinar discusses ins and outs of using the “new” family search, searching by family structure, global searches, interpreting searches and troubleshooting. Also discussed are strategies when approaching an unindexed set of images, a new type of record series, or incomplete records. Aimed at advanced beginners and intermediate level researchers. The digital version of the presentation and handout can be ordered for $8.50. Newspaper Research –(NEW!)–Aimed at advanced beginners and intermediate level researchers, this webinar discusses research techniques for searching newspapers in digital, microfilm, and original formats. Pitfalls of using digital newspapers are discussed, along with manual search techniques and what types of materials to look for besides obituaries and […]
You have a genealogical problem. It does not really matter what it is. Have you interacted with another human being on that problem? Either asked a relative if they knew something; asked a question about the problem on a message board, mailing list etc. Have you discussed your problem with someone who knows something about the area and time period in which you are researching? If the only person you’ve interacted with is the “person” inside your head—discuss the problem with someone else. You may be surprised at the result. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Remember in some cities, street names have changed in the last 150 years, houses have been renumbered, interstates have been built, etc. Make certain when using contemporary maps that you know what that 1860 address for your ancestor would be in modern times. Get it converted if you are unable to do it yourself. You may even discover that your ancestor’s former residence is now part of an interstate. Even those with rural ancestors need to remember that county lines, township lines, may change–especially in the early days of settlement. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
For every political jurisdiction in which your ancestor’s residence is located, do you know the bordering places? Do you know the township in which your ancestor lived and the bordering townships, the bordering states, provinces, etc.? Do you know the names of the bordering parishes, etc. for use in church records? Might be helpful to know these things. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Amended certificates, typically ones for birth, are typical “corrections” filed where the original was incorrect or incomplete. Birth certificates are more likely to be amended than any other record. Death records from fifty years ago have no need to be amended usually–wrong names do not typically matter. Birth certificates are most likely to be amended because incorrect dates of birth, names of parents, etc. can create problems for the person still living. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
We are excited about our webinar offerings for February of 2012.Our topics are: Creating Your Own Genealogy Blog Yet More Brick Walls from A to Z Writing and Making Your Case The Genealogical Proof Standard “for the rest of us” Registration is $5 per session until 20 January 2012–$8 after that. Those who cannot attend will be able to download the webinar at no additional charge. To view system requirements and offering dates and times, visit http://www.casefileclues.com/webinars_neill.htm ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Early registration for my Family History Library research trip ends tomorrow (17 January 2012). More details are here: http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2011/08/reserve-your-space-in-my-may-2012.html ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
In the 21st century in many countries, it is difficult to function without a birth certificate. Settling up an estate may be difficult without a death certificate. This was not necessarily the case in 1912 or 1812. Your ancestor very easily might not have a record of his birth or death, particularly for events that took place two hundred years ago. It would have been a little more difficult for your 1812 ancestor to function without deeds to his property, paying his taxes, or settling up his father’s estate. That’s why those records are more likely to exist. Records of property are often one of the earliest records–much earlier than who was born or who died. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Different records on your ancestor will provide different information. Sometimes the differences are slight, like an age off by a few years. Usually there is other information on the record that leads the researcher to conclude the record is on the same person–same name, right location, other details on the document match. Remember that it is uncommon for every record on your ancestor to be entirely consistent. Usually different records should be fairly consistent. Try and explain the reasons for inconsistencies, if you know them, in your research notes. If two records appear to be the same person and the inconsistencies are great, you may wish to consider whether the two records are even for the same person. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day […]
Some genealogists fail to completely research spouses of their ancestor from whom they do not descend, particularly spouses the ancestor might have married later in life. Keep in mind that the ancestor might have “known” this spouse when they were children, perhaps living in another area. The second (or third) spouse might even have been related by marriage to your ancestor or one of your ancestor’s other spouses. And in the case of females, it is possible that an ancestor qualified for a widow’s pension even though the husband from whom you descend was not a veteran. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If you missed it last night…we’ve just extended it for the next 24 hours (until 9 PM Central on 14 January 2012) Get the “MORE” Brick Walls Webinar and handout for only $1—next 2 hours only! Don’t wait. No codes, no coupons, just click below and order. https://getdpd.com/v2/cart/add/11078/28716/30313 The original post was messed up and we just decided to extend for those who missed, overlooked, or had issues with it. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If the records you are trying to find can’t be located in their original location or were destroyed, is it possible that duplicate copies were recorded or filed elsewhere? For some local vital records, copies were filed at larger political levels, perhaps at the state or provincial level. Some local pastors submitted annual returns to a higher level church office. Are there duplicates out there that you have not thought to research? ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Keep in mind that relationships stated in letters, diaries, and other “unofficial” records may not be crystal clear or as specific as we would like. “Cousin” can cover a variety of relationships and a niece or nephew may be a niece or nephew by birth or by marriage. A newspaper account may refer to someone as “Grandma” simply because of her age. Legal documents are usually more specific,but even they can be in error. Estate and inheritance papers are more likely to state relationships correctly and specifically. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
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