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Is there something you think you know but for which you have no real proof other than you have always believed it? While it doesn’t have direct genealogical bearing, I have been reading “Pillars of the Republic” by Carl F. Kaestle. One thing I learned while reading the book is that there were many schools in the 1820s-1840s that enrolled children as young as 4. This trend changed in the mid-eighteenth century. I just always assumed that there was no schooling at all for children that young until the 20th century. I never read that anywhere, I just assumed it. Is there some “fact” in your genealogy research that you never read, never heard, but just assumed? And is it causing that brick wall in your research? ———————————— […]

Years ago in an article, I referred to a “birder house.” I was mentioning in passing the little shed where my Grandma Neill had kept her baby chickens. She always said it like “birder house.” And it seemed like a logical name for a building that kept little birds. What she actually meant was “brooder house.” Referring to a brood of chickens, not a “bird.” Is there a name, a word, or a placename that you heard “wrong” from a relative? Is that the reason you cannot find it? Perhaps Grandma was pronouncing it in her own way. If no one else used that pronunciation, you may have difficulty in finding the correct location. Grandma always said she was born in “Tiogee” but that’s another story for another […]

Remember that relationships in the census are given with respect to the head of household. They may or may not be the children of the spouse in the household. Don’t draw conclusions that are not supported by the enumeration. Of course in many households the husband and wife are the parents of all the “children” listed as the head of household’s children. But sometimes they are not. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!

A 1907 era court case involves the children of my ancestor as defendants. They are all listed correctly with the right first names in virtually every court document. Except one. On the deed where the judge is selling the estate, William Rampley is listed as Wilbur Rampley. William’s middle name was not Wilbur and he never used that name as a nickname. What happened? Most likely a simple transcription error. When every other reference to him in the records is William and one out of thirty lists him as Wilbur, it’s easy to realize that sometimes an error is just that, an error. The problem is that when we have just one reference to an individual it can be difficult to know if a name is simply an […]

Before using any online database, determine whether or not it is complete. Many times, vendors will release “part” of a database, hoping to generate publicity and new sales. The problem is that many times users do not read the details of the database enough to find out. Before you spend hours searching that database, determine how complete it actually is. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!

Some families are a little bit complicated. And if one is not careful it can be easy to enter the incorrect relationships in our genealogical database. What I do in these situations is to map out the relationships on paper first in an attempt to get a broader view of the family and in an attempt to understand the relationships correctly. Once I think I have the relationships down, I begin my data entry. Wasting time “fixing” relationship mistakes is time I could spend doing actual research. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!

Having difficulty staying focused on your research? Perhaps working on your computer is part of the problem. Recently on a four-hour flight, I realized I got more work done in those four hours than I had in the previous four days. There were no instant messages, no emails, no phone calls. Admittedly the plane was a little cramped, but not having constant distractions helped me to organize my research and decide where I could progress next. Sometimes when we get an idea about a family history problem, it is tempting to go to a website right away, do some research and get sidetracked. The next thing you know, it is several hours later and you barely spent five minutes on what you really wanted to research. ———————————— Check […]

It is not really a “tip,” but I thought it interesting nevertheless: In a banquet speech that must have been at least ten years ago, I made the following comment (which is fiction, by the way): “After Smithton County had their county marriage records digitized, the county board contemplated what to do with the originals. In an effort to conserve space, save money, and express concern for the environment, they decided to submit them to the local paper recycling center. Board President Wannabee Paula Tician commented ‘this allows us to reduce county expenses and even lets dead people help with recycling.’ The next time you get to ‘choose’ between ‘paper’ and ‘plastic,’ your great-grandparents’ marriage license might literally be ‘in the bag.'” ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for […]

This is always an excellent idea when an ancestor has been located in a census record as relatives could always appear on the page before or after your ancestor. At the very least you may see names you recognize from other documents on your relative, perhaps as witnesses or bondsmen. If you locate a deed, view the ones recorded before and after as well. Sometimes deeds were recorded in groups and several might have been filed successively. This may be helpful in court and other records as well. Usually not helpful with birth records unless there were twins! And deaths are another story. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!

Genealogists need maps to oragnize information geographically, know where to look for records, and have an idea of how their ancestor’s residences fit into the larger area as a whole. One key is that the maps be contemporary to when your ancestor lived in the area. Modern maps can be helpful in finding current locations of cemeteries, but many other times our research requires contemporary maps. If you are stuck on a forebear, get a contemporary map of his or her area. Perhaps that map is just the one you need to get your around or over that brick wall. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!

Never use the word “Grandma.” My daughter set up “accounts” for the family to use on her laptop. One evening I needed to use it and it asked me for a password. My “generic” password did not work and upon the submission of an incorrect entry it gave me a hint: “Grandma’s maiden name.” I immediately entered in each of my grandmother’s maiden names. Once in lower case and once in upper case. I was just about to get irritated when I realized that my daughter had meant HER grandmother, not mine. Two seconds later, the password let me in. Avoid using words such as “grandma,” “uncle,” or “aunt” without more information. Even Grandma Neill can be confusing. After all, whose Grandma Neill is it? Records are confusing […]

Have you considered dropping the last name when searching for an ancestor in a census or other record? This is especially a good idea for a relative who went by three names and whose middle name closely resembles a surname. John Michael Trautvetter could have been enumerated as John Michael. My ancestor Henry Jacobs Fecht is listed as Henry Jacobs in the 1870 census. Took me a while to find him listed like that. Just something to consider if the usual search attempts do not pan out. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!

The word homestead can mean several things. It could mean a “homestead” claim that was filed under the Homestead Act of 1862 (and which was amended). These claims usually were 160 acres and the in Great Plains and points west, but the amounts can vary depending upon the location and time period. Claimants would be deeded the entire homestead if they lived on the farm for a given number of years and improved it. A “homestead” also could be referring to that portion of a family’s farm containing their actual home and surrounding buildings that often was allowed to the widow if her husband died. This homestead was usually protected from creditors in the event of her husband’s death. Sometimes the residence and her actual “dower” would be […]