Opening Doors in Brick Walls

“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):

  Have you hit a “Brick Wall” in your search for ancestors? Don’t despair! 

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

Capital Genealogy Research Resource Checklist

Family Tree Records 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.

16) Search Find-a-Grave and Billion Graves using cemeteries where your ancestor last lived.

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.

Random Acts ofGenealogical Kindness

Opening Doors inBrick Walls

Breaking through theWall of Slavery

DNA detective

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:

The Dreaded BrickWall. What to do Next?

Solving ToughResearch Problems – Overcoming Brick Walls

Cyndi’s List BrickWall Articles

The GeneticGenealogist

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

Genealogy Tip of the Month

This genealogy website is at the top of the list for every family historian!

The U.S. Gen Web Project is a group of volunteers working together to provide free genealogy information for every county and every state within the United States.

 When you visit their website at: www.usgenweb.org, click on the state your ancestors are from (in the upper right hand corner of the webpage). You will find resources by county, genealogy societies (which may have information or have volunteers willing to look up information for you), church records, mailing lists, history, photos, archives, biographies and other helpful links. This is information that will provide a good amount of history on your ancestor’s place of residence.

Secrets of the U.S. Census

We were excited to see another good turn out for our second meeting on February 28th. It's a great bunch of people sharing information, ideas and tips.

We have a good mix of people with different levels of experience. The folks that are new to genealogy have an opportunity to learn and ask questions, and those who are more experienced can offer up their hard-earned advice on searching for ancestors.

This month we discussed the "Secrets to Maximizing the U.S. Census in your Research."

The following is the information we discussed on using the U.S. Census records in order to get the maximum amount of information from it. Click here for a "printable version."

#1 - VIEW THE ORIGINAL RECORD – By looking at the image of the original U.S. Census record you will be able to gather a lot of additional information about your ancestor:

The 1850 census provides:

* The names of all family members (this will help you build a family group).

*    The state or country your ancestor was born (this will lead you in the right direction when        searching for additional records).

*      Indicates if your ancestor couple were married that year (this may help you find a marriage record). 

*      Indicates the value of real estate owned by an individual (this may lead to additional information in property records, as well as a family cemetery on their homestead).

The 1860 census provides:
*     Personal Property (including slaves).

The 1880 census provides:
*      The relationship of each person in that family to the head of household (this will help you verify the family from census to census, especially when a spouse has remarried).
*    The birthplace of the father and mother for each individual listed (this will provide a different state where your search will go, or the foreign country where they emigrated from).
*      Whether the individual was sick or temporarily disabled (this may indicate that a death is near).

The 1900 census provides:
*      The number of years a couple has been married (this will give you a time frame in which to search for a marriage record)
*      The month in which an individual was born (this will be helpful when searching for birth or baptism records).
*    Lists the total number of children born and the total living.

The 1910 census provides:
*      Information on the military service of an ancestor in the Union or Confederate Army or Navy (military records can be found if your ancestor served).
*      If the marriage is a first or second one (if it’s a 2^nd marriage you will want to check the birth dates of children to ensure the right line).

Links to see what other information is available on the various census forms:

Family Search Census Page

High Point Checklists & Census Forms

#2 - BUILD A FAMILY GROUP – Start your census search with the 1850 Census. It is the first census that lists all members of the family. Check all subsequent censuses as this will give you an idea of births and deaths in the 10 years between censuses.

Include names of all family members (siblings, too) listed on the census to your family tree. This one simple step will help you verify that you have the right family when researching other Census years. It also may be helpful when you run up against a “brick wall,” and you’ll need to research a sibling’s life in search of the country where the parents were born.

#3 - DON’T DISCOUNT MISSPELLED NAMES – Assuming that a family is not yours because their surname is spelled differently is a common error. The education of yesterday was not at all like now. In rural areas it was considered a good education if they stayed in school until the eighth grade. That goes for census takers, too. Sometimes the census taker was lazy or couldn’t spell and used initials. They may have provided both initials, and that second initial may be helpful to differentiate between cousins and their correct parents.  Names could be spelled a dozen different ways and still be the same family (Ex: Estis, Eastis, Eastus, Eastuis, Eustis, Euctus, Eastuce, Ewastas and Ewastus). You might find the same members of the family in the same county spelled it differently, and it most likely might be the fault of the census takers. In addition, sometimes they used a middle name instead of a first name, and the names may have flip flopped from census to census. This is another reason why “building a family group” will help you in your research. Names might also be spelled differently in the same family’s documents (i.e. wills, marriages, etc).

Note: When families immigrated to the U.S., they wanted to be Americans so they “Anglicized” their names: Johanna might become Ann, Wilhelm became William, Gerritt became Garrett, Franco became Frank, Antonio became Anthony, and so forth. This can change from one census to the next.

#4 - DON’T DISCOUNT THE AGES LISTED - Ages are a tricky item on Census records. Not all censuses were taken on the same day every 10 years. The dates of the censuses are: 1790-1820: First Monday in August – 1830-1900: June 1 – 1910: April 15 – 1920: January 1 – 1930-1940: April 1. This will impact the ages listed which many times will differ from census to census. It seems easy to remember your age, but there may be several reasons why your ancestor gave a wrong age. Just because the age is off 2 to 5 years doesn’t mean it’s not your ancestor. The ages listed on the censuses will help narrow a time frame for a birthdate. Referring to your ‘family group’ will assist you in determining if it is your ancestor.

#5 - VIEW THE NAMES OF ALL PEOPLE LISTED AS LIVING WITH YOUR ANCESTOR IN EACH CENSUS – You may discover that the elderly parents of your ancestor is living with them. This is a great way to discover another generation back. You may also find nieces and nephews which will provide a circle of family surnames to assist in your research down the road.

Neighbors should also be checked, especially if a father has died and his children inherited his land. The mother may not own the land, but has retained dowry rights to live on the land.

#6 - TRACK THE MOVEMENT OF AN ANCESTOR – Some folks remained in the same place once they immigrated, but others did not. By looking at every available census taken during your ancestor’s lifetime, and taking note of the area they lived will help you track their movements. Telephone directories and State Census’, which occur in between the Federal Censuses will also help you track their movements and know where to search for records. Note: the person may not have moved at all, but the county/state line may have moved, so your ancestors could now be listed in a different location even though they are living in the same home.

#7 - LOCATE ADDITIONAL FAMILY MEMBERS – Immigrants usually traveled in groups. Your 2^nd-great grandparents may have traveled to the new world along with their parents and/or the wife’s parents.  Or, your ancestor may have traveled with an adult brother. Search the entire census page, as well as one page back and one page forward for similar surnames. This information may prove helpful down the road in tracking your ancestor down.

#8 - DISCOVER THE EVERYDAY or NICKNAME USED BY YOUR ANCESTORS – People generally provided a shortened version of their birth name or a nickname to the census taker. You may discover that these names show up on other records in lieu of their birth name. Sometimes these names can vary quite a bit from their birth names (Ex: My great-grandmother Frances Regina only used her nickname of Maud on all records. Another ancestor shortened her name from Seraphine to Seraphe).

#9 - ESTIMATE THE PERIOD OF TIME AN ANCESTOR DIED – Your great grandmother might show up on a future census listed as a widow. Now you will know the time period in which to search for a death record for your great grandfather and most likely, in what city if they are still located in the same place. If not, you will have two locations in which to search for his death record.

#10 - TRACKING WOMEN ANCESTORS – The Biblical ‘thing’ about women came from the fact that when you married, you became part of your husband’s family. You left your parents and “cleaved to your husband.” Once they were married they took on the husband’s surname. Sometimes this can become a “brick wall” that will give you fits. Marriage records will be one of the best resources for tracking women. A lot of families didn’t bother to document their women as well as they did their men.

When husbands and wives died, it was not unusual that the remaining spouse remarry within a very short period of time. It seems heartless at times, but they had children to rear and families to support. Often times it was a necessity. You might find a different wife in three subsequent censuses. Sorting the children is the difficult part, but an important one to ensure you’re following the right line. The 1900 census lists the year of the marriage of the present couple. It also includes information on how many children the wife had and how many were living.

Kick-off Meeting for the Mount Dora Genealogy Group

The "New" Mount Dora Genealogy Group had its first kick-off meeting on Tuesday, January 31st.

We had a great turn out of interested genealogy buffs, and an excellent presentation by Debbie Baker of Eustis. Her presentation was on "Building a solid family tree one ancestor at a time."

She spoke of the importance of staying organized and utilizing a "research checklist,"
"family group sheet," and "research log" when researching family history. Numerous genealogy tracking forms can be found at the Family Search, Ancestry or Family Tree Magazine website.

One key factor when building a family tree is to fully research each individual ancestor prior to moving on to the next generation. This is especially true if you are building a family tree on Ancestry.com. The more details and sources of information you can fill in for each ancestor, the more relevant the automatic hints will be for the next generation. This single step will save you time and aggravation when researching the next generation.

When researching each ancestor, it is important to find as many primary sources as possible to connect one generation to the next. Primary sources are: birth/baptismal, marriage, death, military and census records. These records will ensure that you are building a solid and accurate family tree.