Fredericksburg Family History Day 2015, Genealogy 102

transcript

Genealogy 102

What is a Source?One definition of a source - by James Tanner:

“A source is a person, book, document or other information provider that is used to establish a name, date, place or event in an ancestor's life.”

Another definition – by Bill Buchanan:

“A source should identify the individual, the type of source record, where the record is found, and the key contents of the record. It should allow other researchers to find the same source.”

What is a Source?

Sample Sources - FamilySearch

United States Census, 1910, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M5WM-QX3 :

accessed 17 Oct 2013),

Benjamin C Haviland in household of Virgil C Haviland, Catskill, Greene, New York, United States;

citing sheet , family 246,

NARA microfilm publication T624,

FHL microfilm 1374963

What is a Source?

Sample Sources – City Clerk's office

Marriage Record No. 3465

Office of the City Clerk

Municipal Building

Manhattan

The City of New York

Date of marriage: October 19, 1942 11:13 AM 1942

What is a Source?

Sample Sources – City Clerk's office

LDS Film #1953615;

State of New York certificate and record of birth (Borough of Manhattan) 1898-1909

Microfilm of original records at the New York City Municipal Archives in New York City.

publication: Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1994

Certificate #34156, 1899

Determining the accuracy of the information I find.

Evaluate the record

• What are the most accurate records?

• What are less accurate records?

• What are the least accurate records?

Evaluate the Record

Most Accurate Records

Less Accurate Records

Least Accurate Records

Public Record Sources• Birth, marriage & death records contain primary information for birth, marriage, death

Public Record Sources• Birth, marriage & death records contain primary information for

birth, marriage, death

– (Death records are not the best source for birth and names of parents but better than nothing)

deaths roll #287 (0961511)vol 438 p 696date of death: Nov 28, 1893place of death, residence: RoyaltonMaria Eaton, female, widowage: 75y, 2m cause of death: accidental from falling down stairsoccupation: housekeeperbirthplace: Benningtonparents: David & Sally Wrightbirthplace: unknown

Citation:

Massachusetts Death Records, 1841-1915", index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org); from Massachusetts State Archives. "Deaths, 1841-1971". Massachusetts Division of Vital Statistics, State House, Boston, Massachusetts. FHL microfilm. Family History

Public Record SourcesCemetery records

Discrepancies Between

Tombstone & Cemetery Record

Wm H. Hocumb – Wm Holcumb

Maria R. Eaton – Myra Eaton

d. Nov 28 - d. Nov 24

– (Death records are not the best for birth and names of parents but better than nothing)

• Church records

• Cemetery records

Discrepancies between

Tombstone & Cemetery Record

Age 72 – Age 66

• Church records

• Census

• Church records

• Census

• Immigration

Public Record Sources• Birth, marriage & death records contain

primary information for birth, marriage,

• Church records

• Census

• Immigration

• Probate Records

• Church records

• Census

• Immigration

• Probate Records

• Land Records - see case study at genealogyblog.com/?p=23386

Public Record Sources• Birth, marriage & death records

contain primary information

for birth, marriage, death

• Church records

• Census

• Immigration

• Probate Records

• Land Records

• City Directories 1939

Public Record Sources• Birth, marriage & death records contain primary information for birth, marriage, death

● (Death records are not the best for birth and names of parents but better than nothing)

• Church records

• Census

• Immigration

• Probate Records

• Land Records

• City Directories

• Newspapers - obituaries, marriage announcements or accounts are great for adding to your knowledge of your family.

Public Record Sources

Finding Public Record Sources

FamilySearch.org

– Historical Records – Many online

– FamilySearch Catalog – Use Catalog to order microfilm

– FamilySearch Wiki – Use the FamilySearch Wiki to find out what records are available in different places and how to access them

– Write letters or email to clerk's offices, archives, historical societies, ...

Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, FindMyPast, AmericanAncestors.org ...

– Ancestry Wiki – Redbook, The Source, information about many other sources & tips for doing research

Redbook and The Source

are also available at the Family History Center

Public Record SourcesFamilySearch.org

Only 3.5 % of the images available on FamilySearch are Indexed! Search the Browse Only Collections!

– FamilySearch Catalog – Use Catalog to order microfilm

Public Record SourcesFamilySearch Catalog at FamilySearch.org – Use Catalog to order microfilm

Public Record SourcesMore free Websites to check out

*AmericanAncestors.org - historical records, free in the *Family History Center Premium Websites

*Ancestry.com - historical records, free in the *Family History Center Premium Websites & CRRL

billiongraves.com - photograph or transcribe tombstones, search for ancestors

cyndislist.com - more than 333,000 links to other internet resources

davidrumsey.com - David Rumsey Historical Map Collection

FamilySearch.org - free historical records & Family Tree

findagrave.com - look for ancestors’ graves, request photos or submit information

*FindMyPast.com - historical records, free in the *Family History Center Premium Websites

*MyHeritage.com - historical records, free in the *Family History Center Premium Websites

usgenweb.org - genealogical websites for every state and county in the US - some better than others

worldgenweb.org - genealogical websites for other countries

www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm - Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

See handout online for more that include links to the sites.

Public Record SourcesFive Things You Should Do With Every Record

Posted by Anne Gillespie Mitchell on October 29, 2013 in Ancestry.com

1. Source the record ... you need to know where the record comes from and who supplied the information. How can you evaluate the validity of the evidence if you don’t know where the information and who supplied it? If the info comes from your crazy great aunt it may not be valid. Or it may be. But you have an idea of whether you should trust it or not.

Five Things You Should Do With Every RecordPosted by Anne Gillespie Mitchell on October 29, 2013 in Ancestry.com

2. Examine the image, not just the index.

Never, ever, ever attach a record without looking at the image if the image is available. Not everything on the image is included in the search index. (The search index is there to help you find the image.) You might miss something. Just the other day I was looking at my great uncle’s 1940 census record and noticed he had a supplemental line at the bottom. Low and below it told me that my great uncles father (my great grandfather) served in the Spanish American War and World War I. If I had just attached the record without thoroughly examining the image, I might have missed an important clue.

Public Record Sources

3. List all points of genealogical importance.

It is amazing how writing something down helps you understand it. It is too easy to glance at something and not really grasp it. But if you write every little bit of genealogical data in a record, you might find something you missed. When was the record recorded? Name each person listed on the record no matter how significant. Every date, location and relationship you find. Any assumptions you might have. (Oh, and write down that something is assumption.) If everything is written down, it is easy to review later.

4. What questions do you have?

… now that you’ve looked at the image and gathered everything you can find, what new questions do you have? Do you know who all the people are on the document? Do you know why that document was created? Then you can create a plan on how to answer them.

5. File it so you can find it again later.

… Put the information you wrote down somewhere you could find it. You can put it in a Word file, or a Story on Ancestry online trees. And if you have Family Tree Maker, then you can put it in the notes files. And there it is whenever you need it.

[My Note: FamilySearch is a good place to store information where you and your relatives can find it later. Use Memories/Stories, Source Citations, Life Sketch...]

Try this on your latest brick wall. Gather all the records you have for a person and go through them and do all five steps for each record. You may have the answer right in front of you. Or you may have asked the right question that will lead you to the answer.

http://goo.gl/jF66Cp

Fredericksburg Family History Day 2015, Genealogy 102

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