Do you have ancestors for whom employment records might answer some questions, or at least provide you with some information you were not already aware of? Rural ancestors rarely have these records but those with urban ancestors might want to see if records of their ancestor’s former employers have been archived or stored somewhere. Personally I haven’t used employment records too much, but am working on a set of records for an upcoming issue of Casefile Clues. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
The day you decide your genealogical skills do not need tweaking is the day you probably should take up a new hobby. All of us involved in genealogy should be learning something every day. Becoming a better genealogist is a daily process of growth. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
County Recorder’s offices typically have a series of miscellaneous record books where they will record copies of things that do not fall into the typical record categories. I have seen copies in these books of: out of state divorce decrees out of area death certificates medical licenses legal agreements not related to property or real estate One never knows what one will encounter in these records. Give them a try! ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
I’ve mentioned this before on “Tip of the Day” but think that every so often it needs to be repeated. There are times when the best research and analysis is done when you can really concentrate. turn off the email turn off any online “alerts” turn off instant messaging put the cell phone away There are times when multitasking does not really allow you to think about something and really understand it. Read that record or series of documents closely. Transcribe them–and do it without numerous distractions. You may be surprised at the results. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Some of you know that Casefile Clues sponsors “Genealogy Tip of the Day.” We are having a sale at Casefile Clues–get in on the discount. From now until noon central on 4 March 2010: Get an annual subscription and or back issues at these discounted rates: A year for $15 (52 issues–normally $17)Back issues 1-30 for $13.50 (individually $16.50)Questions can be sent to me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
We don’t normally point to webpages here on Tip of the Day, but among the thousands of neat things on www.archive.org is the following: Instructions and forms to be observed by persons applying to the Pension Office for bounty land under the act of March 3, 1855 : entitled “an act in addition to certain acts granting bounty land to certain officers and soldiers who have been engaged in the military service of the United States.” Click here to give it a read. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Remember that every record was created by a human. Consequently any one piece could be incorrect. Could that be what’s causing your brick wall? ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Genealogy Tip of the Day Readers are encouraged to consider subscribing to my weekly genealogy how-to newsletter, Casefile Clues. Casefile Clues is not your typical genealogy newsletter. We do not rehash or rephrase generic information that is available in numerous how-to books and websites. Casefile Clues is applied genealogy at its best. Our focus is on record and document analysis, “where to go next,” “where did I go wrong,” how to use records, etc. All case studies are drawn from my own research in a variety of locations. Readers like Casefile Clues because it is not just fluff and we really get down and explain what the thought process was behind the research. And we cite our citations. And sometimes we discuss how we tried things that did […]
A minor naturalization is a naturalization in which the person naturalized immigrated while they were a minor. It does not mean they were a minor when they naturalized. Minors cannot naturalize themselves. A minor whose father naturalizes usually becomes a citizen. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Look at every name on that record on your ancestor. Why are those other names on the document? Officials and the like might not be huge clues, but they could be. And the other names might be worth investigating. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
A student asked me if I knew where “Mr. Lowrey” was. At least it sounded it like he was asking for Mr. Lowrey. It turns out his instructor’s first name was Larry. And the last name was not Lowrey. Could your ancestor (or the census taker) have confused first and last names or at the very least completely altered a name because of the way the speaker said it? ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
It always pays to check around before buying a copy of any record. Generally speaking, try sources in the following order: Family History Library State or Regional Archives Local, County, or State Record Office directly–start by looking here http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm Post a query to the appropriate message board at boards.ancestry.com or lists.rootsweb.com and inquire about records access and prices Never pay for immediate, overnight, or any speedy service. Considering hiring a local professional if you need a large number and can’t get them via mail. This is mean to be general guidance only, but avoid paying exorbitant fees for “extra” services if at all possible. This is why if you are unfamiliar, post to various mailing lists and message boards and wait for an answer. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s […]
“Great-grandma Neill wouldn’t let Nellie date the Humke boy because they were related. “ I know someone told me that. I am not dreaming it. I had already known the “Humke boy was related,” but the dating (or potential dating) was news to me. I remembered the tidbit while doing something completely unrelated. The problem is that I cannot for the life of me remember who told me. I will write it down now and have to use myself as the source, even though I have no first hand knowledge of it myself. It is even more frustrating because I was told this little nugget years after I had started genealogy and knew the importance of writing things down as soon as possible. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer […]
Is a word underlined on that deed you copied at the courthouse? Remember underlining was often the clerk’s way of indicating that the underlined item looked odd and incorrect, but that’s what the document actually said. The clerk’s job was to transcribe, not to fix. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Interpreting documents is never easy. If you have a complicated document or record, consider having more than one person interpret it. Different people can easily interpret the same thing in slightly different ways and those differences can make all the difference. And make certain you know something of the background of who gives you advice. Not everyone’s skill levels are the same and a response from an anonymous poster on an email list or a message board may not be all that reliable. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
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