starting to look
I admit, I started my search for family at a strange place. We did go back, after the first flush of finding family names, and look for public records.
Most older birth, marriage, and death certificates are in one central place. Start with what you know. Look for death certificates....if someone knows where your ancestor died. Sometimes the death certificates will give you some more information. Looking up my great grandmother, I found her informant....(usually a spouse or one of the children) knew her mother's maiden name and her father's name.
Of course, many times those names are misspelled.
My great grandmother's certificate has come back three times with different spellings....even when I could tell the clerk how it was spelled. Record as many different spellings as you can. When I googled for an ancestor with a mis-spelling of his name....I found out a lot of new information.
Many of our ancestors couldn't write, and last names go through many forms.
Birth certificates are more difficult. Many midwest areas didn't record births until close to 1900. You may need to look for church records, or find obituaries to find children listed.
Yes, it is good policy to follow children in the family....even if you are not descended from them. One of them may record new information for you.
As you go back in time to the 1800's and earlier, you will find some families listed in county histories. Especially if they did something news worthy. Start a store, own a ferry, work on a road, steal horses, anything exciting will be recorded....even if you don't want to know.
Contact cousins. Especially the older ones....many families passed around photos, and there may be a story that gives you a lead. Besides that, you will find cousins that are just like family...really!
At one point in time, I opened my grandfather's address book, and called information. I found a person living in the area, with the same name....and I asked if there was someone in the family who took care of family history. Most families these days, have someone knee-deep in geneology. Surprise....my side of the family was the missing part....everyone else and all the ancestors were right there waiting for me to ask.
If you don't ask....you won't get lucky.
Most older birth, marriage, and death certificates are in one central place. Start with what you know. Look for death certificates....if someone knows where your ancestor died. Sometimes the death certificates will give you some more information. Looking up my great grandmother, I found her informant....(usually a spouse or one of the children) knew her mother's maiden name and her father's name.
Of course, many times those names are misspelled.
My great grandmother's certificate has come back three times with different spellings....even when I could tell the clerk how it was spelled. Record as many different spellings as you can. When I googled for an ancestor with a mis-spelling of his name....I found out a lot of new information.
Many of our ancestors couldn't write, and last names go through many forms.
Birth certificates are more difficult. Many midwest areas didn't record births until close to 1900. You may need to look for church records, or find obituaries to find children listed.
Yes, it is good policy to follow children in the family....even if you are not descended from them. One of them may record new information for you.
As you go back in time to the 1800's and earlier, you will find some families listed in county histories. Especially if they did something news worthy. Start a store, own a ferry, work on a road, steal horses, anything exciting will be recorded....even if you don't want to know.
Contact cousins. Especially the older ones....many families passed around photos, and there may be a story that gives you a lead. Besides that, you will find cousins that are just like family...really!
At one point in time, I opened my grandfather's address book, and called information. I found a person living in the area, with the same name....and I asked if there was someone in the family who took care of family history. Most families these days, have someone knee-deep in geneology. Surprise....my side of the family was the missing part....everyone else and all the ancestors were right there waiting for me to ask.
If you don't ask....you won't get lucky.
posted by bopeep | 3:28 PM
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