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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 […]

A witness to a document is stating that the individual who signed the document looked like they were of sound mind and it appeared that they were acting of their own volition and not under any influence of another person or substance. Witnesses to a document may have known your ancestor. Witnesses to a document may have been related to your ancestor. Witnesses may have been just another warm body in the Justice of the Peace’s office at the same time as your ancestor. Witnesses do not have to be related to your ancestor and they don’t have to be “friends” with your ancestor. They could be, but they do not have to be. Keep that in mind. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day […]

An 1830 document indicates your ancestor is an infant and has a guardian appointed for him. The next year the ancestor marries. What gives? What gives is that an “infant” in the legal sense is someone who is under the age of majority. While that can vary from state to state and has changed over time, it typically is 18 for females and 21 for males. So your ancestor could be 15 years old and be an infant. Just something to keep in mind. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!

Locating a divorce record gave me a new spelling for my grandmother’s maiden name of Trautvetter. The new (to me) variant is “troutfitter.” I performed a google search for the name, finding many references. Most of the sites had to do with fishing and I was initially confused. It took me a few minutes before I realized most of the “troutfitter” references were a play on the words “trout” and “outfitter.” Then it made sense, but I also realized that for the majority of the pages I located “troutfitter” was not based upon someone’s name. Oh well. Remember that there is a word outside of genealogy. I will still look for Troutfitter (and Trautfitter) references, but won’t assume they all have to do with with the last name. […]