[Genealogy] Virginia, Four Words, to Your Computer Screeen

Tue Mar 24 11:10:45 CDT 2026

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(c) 2026 Michael John Neill

24 March 2026

** Library of Virginia
** Four Words
** Webinars
** From Their Mouth to Your Computer Screen
** Consultations

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Library of Virginia
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We're at the Library of Virginia this week--helping those on our trip and
hoping in the process to make a few discoveries of our own.

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Four Words--from 2016
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Today on her Facebook page for *Evidence Explained*, Elizabeth Shown Mills
<https://www.facebook.com/evidenceexplained/?fref=ts> posted a “thought
prompt:”

Your Best Advice in Four Words or Less

My contributions to the effort were:

   - There’s always exceptions.
   - No one knows everything.
   - Break every rule once.

I stand by those. Others suggested the importance of the law, citing your
sources, taking breaks, and other ideas that were similar to the three I
posted.

Then I thought of one more:

Follow the money.

It probably should say “follow the things worth money,” but that would have
been too many words. Even though I suggested “breaking every rule once,” I
decided to follow four words or less rule. There are many times when
following the money is a good research strategy. How property was acquired,
how property was sold, how estates were settled, how people supported
themselves, and  answers to similar economic issues can solve some research
problems. I have one ancestor who in his early twenties had enough cash to
purchase nearly two hundred acres of real estate *sans* mortgage. That’s a
question I wish I could answer concretely instead of just putting forth
some conjecture.

Not every piece of advice solves every problem just like every tool will
not solve every problem.

It’s ok to have four word rules.

Just make certain to have more than four of them.

Intro prices ending soon! Don't wait.

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Genealogy Research in Illinois--new Webinar

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 Genealogy Research in Illinois

This presentation will cover an overview of research in Illinois,
including: state resources, local resources and records (including an
overview of typical courthouse records created in Illinois—land, court,
probate, and vital), and records access. Additionally statewide research
facilities and an overview of their collections and materials will be
discussed.

Also included will be a brief discussion of searching the FamilySearch
catalog and accessing and using various websites of state agencies and
organizations. A general methodology for accessing records in Illinois will
also be included.

The presentation will be approximately 90 minutes in length. Handout with
links to various websites discussed will be included.

Michael John Neill is an Illinois native and the eighth generation in one
family line to have lived in Illinois. He has actively researched his
Illinois ancestors since the early 1980s and is an experienced courthouse
and archives researcher. His presentations are informative yet engaging and
practical.

Pre-order for $22
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Delivery date 25 March 2026. Price after delivery will be $28. There will
be no extension of the introductory price.

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FamilySearch Full-Text Problem-Solving

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This presentation will be example-based only and it will be assumed you
have a working knowledge of how to use the full-text search at FamilySearch
(order that presentation for $30
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=246272&method_id=268990>—download
immediate).

We will look at five examples (ones not discussed in the original
presentation) and follow a consistent process and methodology to maximize
the chance that we find what’s available for the individuals in question.
It’s important to leverage all you know about an ancestor combined with the
power of full-text search—we will focus on: family members, migrations, and
known events and relationships. Our approach is systematic—we avoid the
rabbit hole approach that can make full-text searches inefficient.

Release date: 25 March.

Pre-order at $21
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Regular price $28.

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NotebookLM for Genealogy Problem-Solving

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Take your use of NotebookLM beyond the basics. In this session, we will
look at ten examples of using NotebookLM for genealogy research. This
presentation assumes you’ve got a working knowledge of NotebookLM either
through experience or our presentation (order that for immediate download
here
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=248457&method_id=271366>
for
$25).

We emphasize the responsible use of AI in genealogy and being reasonably
critical of AI-created content. Our approach is to use NotebookLM to assist
in the refinement of ideas and research process not to have AI create
content and call it our own. NotebookLM can be the research assistant you
always wish you had—although an imperfect one.

Release date: 25 March.

Pre-order at $21
<https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=NX3QCCNRYLTSN>.
Regular price $28.

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>From Their Mouth to Your Computer Screen
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While it would be nice for our ancestors’ information to instantly appear
on the computer screen, most of us know that it simply does not work that
way. This week we take a look at the steps that data took to get from our
ancestors’ mouth to our computer monitor. Being aware of these steps is
crucial to effectively searching for ancestors in transcriptions, indexes,
and other finding aids.

*From the Ancestor’s Mouth*Few of us were present when our ancestor gave
the answers to the census taker or the records clerk. There is no way for
us to know exactly what question came out of the clerk’s mouth and how this
question was interpreted by our ancestor, particularly if he or she could
barely understand the language the records clerk used. Even if the ancestor
understood the question perfectly, there are additional considerations. Did
the person answering questions have a German accent? Did she have an Irish
brogue? Did he insert a guttural sound into the name that might have been
interpreted as an extra letter? Did your ancestor have difficulty speaking?
Did your ancestor fail to give complete answers? Did your ancestor even
really understand the questions, even if they spoke the same language?

*To the Clerk’s Ear*Did the clerk ask for clarification or just spell a
name the way it sounded? Did he even care if he spelled the name correctly?
Did he spell your Danish ancestor’s last name the way a Swede would spell
it because many other immigrants to the area were Swedish and not Danish?
Did the clerk say the question in a way that was confusing to your
ancestor? Did the clerk have difficulty understanding your ancestor and
wrote down his best guess instead of clarifying the answer with your
ancestor? Was the census taker a German native who insisted on spelling
even the English language last names the “German way?” Did the records
clerk put down “Germany” as the place of birth because that was easier than
writing down Wildbrechtrode, Thuringen, Germany?

*To the Official Document*Did the clerk have handwriting that was very
flourished and difficult to read? Was his handwriting sloppy? Did his
letter “u” look like a letter “n?” Did he use an ink or a pencil that has
faded over time? Was the document written on low-quality paper? Is there an
inkblot right over the most crucial word in the entire document?

*To Be Filed Away*Many of the documents used by genealogists were not
originally stored under the most ideal conditions for long-term
preservation. Some are still not stored under such conditions. Extreme heat
or cold, mildew, water, insects, or other environmental factors could
easily have impacted the condition of the records used to create an index
or a finding aid. Bottoms of pages may have worn away after years of use.
Pages may have fallen out and gotten lost as the binding of the book
deteriorated beyond repair. Does the transcription of finding aid you are
using make it clear whether such issues were encountered when the records
were read? Were original documents folded, creating an illegible line of
text that invariably is the most important line in the entire document.

*To the Transcriptionist’s Eye*Is the indexer using the original document
or a microfilm copy? Is that microfilmed copy the only copy and a poor copy
at that? Is the transcriptionist familiar with the last names of the area
or the language the individuals listed in the records likely spoke? I
recently helped someone find their family in the 1880 census only and
realized that the last name of Pundt had been transcribed as Bennet. When
the microfilm was viewed, it was easy to see how the interpretation was
made. I might have thought it was Bennet myself. The handwriting was faint,
the “B” was difficult to read and the other letters before the final “t”
were not clear. I would not have read it as Pundt, but it was (based upon
the first names that all matched the family group of the researcher).

*To the Database Entry*Those who key in data occasionally make a mistake.
For this reason, vary which search box you leave empty when performing
online searches. Use wildcard operators and Soundex options when available.
And if the records are not impossible to search one at a time, consider a
manual search of the information page by page. You never know what you
might discover.

*To the Researcher’s Search Technique*Are you considering all the possible
variant spellings? Is there a chance that you do not understand completely
how the search interface works? Are you assuming something about your
ancestor that is not true and is this assumption hindering your search? If
an online database is being used, are as few search boxes as possible being
filled in? The more boxes that are completed when performing a search, the
more narrow the search and the greater the chance the desired entry is not
located.

Failure to find the desired entry in an online finding aid is not always
the fault of the researcher. Sometimes our ancestor is just not in the
records. Sometimes he gave misleading information. Sometimes the clerk did
not care how the name was spelled. Sometimes the keeper of the records was
not concerned with preserving the records. Sometimes the transcriptionist
makes a mistake. It is those sometimes that get us in trouble. Think about
all the steps that information took from your ancestor’s mouth to your
computer screen. Remembering these steps may help you to keep your failed
searches in perspective.

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Genealogy Research Consultation Sale

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Need some guidance with your research, but don't need a class, don't need
to hire a researcher for $1000 or more?

Just need someone to look at what you have and give you ideas on what to do
next?

That's exactly what a genealogy consultation is for and we're having a sale
on ours.

Save $40! We are offering a limited number of consultations at this reduced
price--normal price is $140.

More details about our consultations are available at:
https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/consultations-with-michael/

Space at this reduced rate is limited!

Email me if you need to schedule a consultation you have signed up for and
you have not heard from me.

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Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
PO Box 17, Henderson, IL 61439
http://www.genealogytipoftheday.com
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