Chronologies are a good problem-solving tool. So are maps. I’ve got one extended family I’m stuck on and I think that maps of each person’s location in certain years (say 1850, 1860, 1870) might be another helpful tool. Seeing what is “pulling” and “pushing” people to certain locations might be easier if I organize the information in this fashion. Hopefully we’ll have some illustrations in a future issue of Casefile Clues. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
It is always advisable to think of all the records that might have been created when one is missing. Perhaps the records of your ancestor’s estate settlement cannot be found. Are there other court records (perhaps a partition suit?)? Were there guardianship records for the children? Were there deeds that might have settled up property? Would tax records provide any clues? It can be frustrating when a record is missing, but ask yourself “what else could there be?” ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Many of us posts genealogical questions on message boards, mailing lists, facebook groups, etc. Keep in mind that the person who answers may not really “know their stuff,” even if they throw around key phrases and sound really smart. Give a second thought before taking free advice or suggestions from someone whose skill level and expertise are not really known to you. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Today is 10-4. In CB lingo that means “OK” or something pretty close to that. Is there a phrase or word in a document, letter, or record that meant something different when it was written? Is there a chance you are interpreting something with a 21st century mind when it was written with a 17th century one? ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
In 1850 and after census records, have you compared your ancestor to his neighbors? Were they from the same place, about the same age, similar occupations, etc.? Or was your ancestor significantly different from his or her neighbors? It might be a clue. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Adoption records are usually closed. Is there a chance there was a guardianship instead? Records of guardianships are open and may answer your question. The difficulty is that guardianships are usually for children who have inherited some type of estate. If your “adopted” ancestor was poor, there’s less chance of a guardianship. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
In going back through material for a Casefile Clues article, I looked again at some pension papers on a relative. Her children were listed, including my great-grandmother. There great-grandma was listed with a middle name I had never seen anywhere else. For some reason, it had never “clicked” before that the name was different. Great-grandma was always “Fannie” on every document, except for Francis on her birth record. And the only middle name ever used was Iona. And there on the pension application for her mother was “Fannie May” Or so I thought. It actually said “Fannie May 16 1880” and was referring to her DATE of birth. Be careful before jumping to a conclusion and getting a little too excited about locating something “new.” ———————————— Check out […]
If you think there should be an estate for an ancestor, make certain to look for a deed even if court records are not located. In some cases, if there was just the widow’s inheritance to settle up after her death the only record might be a quitclaim deed where the heirs transfer property to one of their siblings. There might not have been any need for an estate settlement. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Keep in mind that in the cases of intestate estates, a court might not be concerned about relatives who die young, never marry, and do not leave any issue. If John dies without children and had six siblings, the court might only list those four who left heirs of their own. The court is concerned with determining heirship–not with compiling a complete genealogy. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Does that research project seem too large? Maybe it is. Pick a smaller task or research goal to start on and go from there. Don’t think about building the whole house in one day. Worry about the first brick, digging that first bit for the basement, etc. Then maybe you will at least get SOMETHING done–even if it isn’t EVERYTHING. Your descendants will appreciate something small that got completed versus some grand plan you never got started. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
When was the last time you took a hard look at some conclusions and research you did in the early days of your family history adventure? Any chance you made a mistake? ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If you need a map of baselines and meridians within the United States, there’s a good one here: http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/Visitors/PrincipleMeridiansAndBaselines.htmland if you don’t know what base lines and meridians are for, take a look at the Bureau of Land Management website. Baselines and meridians are used to describe ruralproperty in those states where land was initially transferrred to private ownership by the federal government insetad of the individual colonies. Those of you who only have urban ancestors or east coast ancestors might not need these links…. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
When interviewing that relative, keep in mind that there just might be some things they either do not know, never knew, or just cannot remember. It happens to all of us occasionally. Sometimes it is easier to just say “don’t know” when asked for a name or a piece of information. And sometimes it’s the truth. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
I record every name exactly as it was written on the document. Sometimes though I struggle with what name to “use” for an ancestor when they had more than one name. I try and use what they used for the majority of their life. My great-grandmother I have listed as Fannie Rampley. Her name on her birth certificate was Frances. But from her marriage on, every record lists her as Fannie. She signs “Fannie Neill” or “Fannie I. Neill” (Iona was her middle name) on legal documents. She (or likely her children) had Fannie put on her tombstone. I transcribe the records using whatever name they say. But I have her listed as Fannie in my database as it really appears that’s what she preferred. ———————————— Check out […]
Need some perspective on your ancestor? Try reading a local and national newspaper on the day he was born, died, married, etc. While not every national or world event impacted your ancestor, reading the newspaper might bring some additional thoughts to your research. And that’s never a bad thing. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Recent Comments