Researching genealogy starts with you. Just record your data, then your parents, and so on. Write down what you know, and record those little snippets from cousin Geoge three times removed about Grandmother’s brother’s wife’s uncle who may have been named “Edgar” or “Edward”. Journal any info obtained from relatives, neighbors, friends, associates, books, newspapers, and other archives. As you sort it all out and start really digging for confirmation on a single bit of data, these little snippets may prove useful.
Getting Started in Genealogy – Records and What They Tell You
Start with what you know:
Start with yourself. You know that much. Work backwards.
(Guess if you don’t know. List “unknown” when necessary to provide any bit of data known.)
Names (nicknames 7 variations of spellings)
Dates/Place of birth, marriage, death for each individual (or possible guesses if unknown)
Places/Dates of residence
Occupation/Military Service/Affiliations
Places of origin of other relatives (if no name, give relationship, if known; i.e. sister, aunt, 2nd cousin)
Just start with something, and search for the next bit of information. With each new piece of data, compare to what you have and fill in the blanks.
Records and what they tell you—
Marriage License:
names & birthplaces of individuals and their parents
birthdates of individuals
marriage date/place
Social Security Death Index:
name & place of death of individual (name at time of death – married name for women)
birth & death dates of individual
Cemetery Transcription:
birth & death dates of individual
full name or common name of individual
relationships to other family members buried there (and sometimes buried elsewhere)
Death Certificate:
full names of individual and parents
birth & death dates of individual
birthplace of parents (as near as was told by family at the time)
Obituary:
names of all living relatives and some deceased
birth & death dates & places of individual
places of residence/occupation/religious affiliation of individual
Census:
name/birthplace/birth year (within a year) of each family & household member
place of residence at time of census
Family Bible:
names & birth/marriage/death dates for family members
sometimes other pertinent information
Land Records/Deeds:
names of land owner and family members
date/place of residence
Probate Records:
names of family & household members
dates/places of residence
County Records:
names/dates/places of residence for individuals (and sometimes family members)
Library Records: (file/microfilm/microfiche/computerized)
Newspapers
County history
Genealogies
Genealogical Societies: (local)
genealogical holdings for members, local residents, and others
Historical Societies: (local)
county history records
other historical records/books/databases
Church Records:
names/dates/places of residence for members and family members
Misc. Family Records:
almost anything – You never know what little piece of data will be gleaned from something passed down.
Links:
WorldConnect RootsWeb
WorldConnect Project—Connecting the World One GEDCOM at Time – Advanced search allows MANY options. The BEST search tool for archived GEDcoms I’ve seen.
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/
MyFamily
The leading provider of private websites for families and groups since 1998
http://www.myfamily.com/
FamilySearch
Search for family ancestors. Billions of free family tree, family history, ancestry, genealogy and census records.
http://www.familysearch.org/
USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project
Archive of tombstone inscriptions, organized by state and county, with search tool
http://www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/
Genealogy_Research_Online
Genealogy Research Online (GRO) provides resources for online ancestor searching. Free database search engines are listed. Fee-based search sites should be so noted. Archives and genealogical holdings are highlighted. Reviews of family history resources are encouraged. Spam is discouraged. This group is for sharing helpful genealogy tools.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Genealogy_Research_Online/
