“Genealogy is like a scavenger
hunt and a jigsaw puzzle all rolled into one!” ~
Dolores J. Rush
At some point, every family historian is going to come up against the proverbial "brick wall" in genealogy research. This was the topic for conversation in our March 28th meeting, and we had a lively discussion on this topic, since it eventually affects us all. Many shared how they were able to break through their wall, while a few others presented their current "brick walls" seeking advice on how to proceed.
The following is a handout from our "Brick Wall" discussion (click here for a printable version):
There are many records and people available to help you break through it. One of the most important steps you can take is to always use a research checklist to help you keep your notes organized. This one single step will help eliminate frustration and repetition in your search.
Print one
of these research checklist forms to make sure you leave no stone unturned:
Midwest Genealogy Center Research Checklist
Midwest Genealogy Center Research Checklist
Tips on How to Break through a “Brick Wall”:
1) Search for the major primary records: birth, marriage,
death, military and land records for an ancestor. You may need to purchase some
of these, if they are not online.
2) Maximize Census data to the fullest (see our handout for “How
to Maximize the U.S. Census in your Research”).
3) If you know the town or county of a state in which your
ancestor lived, search for a census record using only their surname and the
town or county and state. (Ex: Donaldson in Madison County, Florida).
4) Be sure you are searching for your ancestor in the right
county. Consult an old map to see if the location of a family’s home has
changed due to county or state lines changing. Helpful websites: Atlas of Historical Boundaries – TheNewberry Library and Randy Majors Maps.
5) Search (via a search engine) for churches that your
ancestor may have attended. Some of the old churches are gone, but you may find
their records online somewhere.
6) Use Cluster & Collateral Research techniques.
Collateral ancestors are those other than your direct line: Uncles, aunts,
cousins, nieces, nephews, etc.) Follow
the lines of your ancestor’s siblings in order to find the next generation
back. Look for death records for each
sibling with the hope of finding the town and country where their parents were
from. Cluster research involves researching extended family, friends, neighbors
and other associates (business, etc).
Oftentimes, people from the same town or area immigrated to a specific
area in the new world. By tracking the groups you may find your lost ancestor.
7) In searching for the maiden name of a female ancestor -
Document the middle names of all members of the ‘family group.’ One of the
children may have the mother’s maiden name as a middle name. Search court
documents, divorce cases, husband’s will, property disputes for women’s
surnames.
8) In More recent years – telephone book records, church
baptism, marriage or death records.
9) Research poorhouses in the area your ancestor lived. They
may have needed financial assistance in their old age. Records were kept for
those who lived and died (burial records) in a poorhouse.
10) Search old electoral voting roles.
11) Check federal and state government land grant records to
see if they received a land grant.
12) It wasn’t uncommon for an immigrant to change their
place of birth from their old country to the new. This would be especially true
during World War 1 or 11 for immigrants born in Germany. Always keep this in
mind if you see conflicting records with birth locations.
13) Seek out living relatives for information.
14) Search passenger lists and immigration records. Search Castle Garden for ancestors that arrived between 1820 – 1892.
Search Ellis Island for
ancestors that arrived between 1892 -1954. Passenger lists can be found at The Ship’s List, Cyndi’sList and Ancestry.
It’s always possible that your ancestor returned home, so if
you can’t find any kind of record of your ancestor after a period of time,
search the passenger lists for departures back to their country of origin.
15) Search military records for next of kin information on Fold 3 or through an Ancestry
extended subscription.
17) Study DNA matches for the specific surnames you are
stuck on. On Ancestry.com, you can use the ‘search’ feature to enter specific
surnames. Check out those family trees or email your matches for help.
18) Search thru other people’s family trees on Ancestry.com
for hints. Note of caution: Use this step only
for hints. Look for ones that cite
records and then do your own research to verify their information. Many of the
family trees are incorrect because people copied someone else’s tree.
19) Google any and every phrase you can think of that might
lead to some information (i.e.” John Doe in Alpena Michigan in 1895” or”
Ancestors of John Doe in Alpena, Michigan” or “The John Doe family in Alpena
Michigan in the late 1800’s,” etc.).
20) Search old newspapers – First, search for the names of
newspapers in your ancestors last known place of residence. Then search thru
newspaper websites to see if any have digitized records for that paper.
Digitized newspapers can be found through a local library where your ancestor
lived or at: Newspapers, Newspaper Archive,
Chronicling America, Free Newspaper Archives , Genealogy Bank. You might have to pay
for a brief subscription to look for the information that may help you.
21) Seek out help from local genealogy county and state websites and Facebook pages. Often times these people can be very helpful and have the ability to look up information for you. U.S. GenWeb is a great source to find local information. Groups can also be found by Googling for a genealogy society in your ancestors county and/or state.
22) Post your questions on Message Boards. There are many message
boards available where you post a message by surname or search through the
existing messages on Ancestry, Genealogy and Roots Web.
Random Acts ofGenealogy Kindness is
another place you can post a message, request a translation of a record, get
help in identifying the time period of a photo, etc.; and wonderful,
like-minded people will try and help with your request. They also have a
Facebook page (see below).
23) You might need to seek help from a professional
genealogist. An affordable way to do that is through Genealogy Coach where you can ask questions or get help from experts (rates start at $15 for 15
minutes of help) and the Association ofProfessional Genealogists.
24) There are many Facebook pages where you can post
questions. Some are more general in nature, while others are more specific such
as DNA questions, translating old script, dating old photos, etc.) Below is a
brief list of some FaceBook pages to go to for help. You can also do a Google
search to try and find a site or page that relates to your type of question.
Note of Advice – Read
other people’s “brick wall” problems and the helpful comments people leave. You
will learn a lot in the process, even if it doesn’t pertain to your particular
problem. And, by all means, reciprocate when you can by offering advice or
looking up a request for someone else.
25) This brief list of websites
and blogs may be helpful:
When trying to break through a “brick wall” you will need to
follow every possible lead, ask questions, seek out help, and stay positive and
leave no stone unturned in your search. You may also find that you need to step
away from this ancestral line for a period of time. Shift to a different line
for a while, and then go back to your “brick wall.” There may be new records
available when you return, or you may find that an idea pops in your head, or
you see some information in your notes that gives you a new idea to continue
your search.
Also, come to our monthly meetings for an opportunity to
learn about a new research idea, to learn from someone else’s “brick wall” or
to bounce ideas off of the other group members. Multiple brains and experience
working together are always better than one.
© 2017 Mount Dora Genealogy Group
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please feel free to leave a comment. The volunteers at the Mount Dora Genealogy Group will accept small requests to look up genealogy information related to Mount Dora records.