A Simple Guide to Genealogy: Where to Find Resources Outside Your Family
Resources can consist of vital records–births, marriages, deaths, and baptisms that have been in existence in one form or another for hundreds or thousands of years. The amount of information given, the officials gathering the information and the increasing types of information considered as vital varies greatly from area to area and time to time. Vital records for genealogical sources include birth, death, and marriage records, and baptismal records, divorce records, and inscriptions from tombstones, deeds, and wills.
Although vital records are perhaps your most valuable source of primary information, you must also be aware that they may and will contain discrepancies just like oral information or family Bibles and other materials. As with the variations of a name, dates are perhaps worse than names when it comes to accuracy. Check and double-check all information. Remember that if a person died and was buried in the Sweden Hill Cemetery, Sweden Valley, on 12 March 1782, it does not necessarily mean that this person was born in Sweden Valley or even lived in Sweden Valley. The 8 could also be a 6 that looks like an 8 making it 1762 instead of 1782. A lot of times vital records for town histories are gathered from cemeteries. Many tombstones prior to the 1900’s had not only the date of death; some even had the names of parents, year of their death, children if any, etc. But some dates and names are very hard to read on some of these tombstones and the handwriting of the cemetery caretakers can often times be less than legible.
Sometimes you might know a certain person (Wilma daughter of Elinor Treadwell lived in Connecticut) but you cannot locate their names in any of the information you might find such as:
Record of live births, New Haven 1635-1645
Richard to Richard and Elanor Hearris, 21 Aprill 36
Samuel to Rychard and Elinaor (Tredel) Herris,
05 May 37
Elinor to Richurd and Elanor (Tredwell) Harris,
12 July 41
Record of marriages, Milford 1645-1675
Wilmer, Seth and Elinor Heris 14 june 63
m. 1st to Isaac Chalme Aug 47
Bachus, Timothy and Elanor Heris 17 sept 63
Harriss, Richard and Susan Baldwin 19 Jan 59
If you examine this information carefully, you will see that Richard and Elinor Harris had three children born between 1636 and 1641 (Wilmer, Seth, and Elinor). Wilmer is most probably Wilma. Although the spellings of the names are not alike, you can be 95% sure that these records are all the same family. It was not uncommon for a different person to record records from month to month as well as year to year. Some times care was not taken in correctness of spelling. And often times handwriting could not be read properly. Phonetics was used quite often; and transposition of letters or names also took place. This is why it is important to never change the spelling of a name–copy it exactly as it appears. Use parenthetical documentation to tie the names together: (William Mylles of Westmille is the same William Miles of Westmill; or Thomas and Joane Milles of Wormsley is the same Thomas and Joan Miles of Wormseley).
Looking at the record of marriages you can see that it is probable and most likely that the Elanor Heris who married Timothy Bachus and Richard Harriss are brother and sister. And due to the close proximity of New Haven and Milford coupled with their birth dates and marriage dates you could safely say these children are the children of Richard and Elinor (Treadwell) Harris. It is not 100% sure, put very probable.
Now you know you need to look for not only records and histories of New Haven, Connecticut, but also Milford, Connecticut. You have also gained valuable variations on the spellings of the name you are researching.
Vital records in America first began between 1632 and 1639. Ministers or deacons and trustees of the different townships and churches kept these records. Sometimes the records were very difficult to maintain because of a lack of devotion from the record keeper; or due to the families having moved from one parish to another and then back again causing gaps and discrepancies in certain records.
Generally, a family unit kept records themselves so one or two pages of a record book would contain births, marriages, deaths, and baptisms of one particular family name. The problem with this was that not all the Harris’ or all the Baldwin’s or Miles’ were related to each other. Record keeping up until the late 1800’s, early 1900’s was haphazard at best but doesn’t mean the information is incorrect or useless. To the contrary, it is very valuable and should be copied down exactly the way you find it making note of the name of the book, magazine or other source and where you found this material. The dates you find at the worst will be only a couple years off if they are not correct. The spelling of the names will be beneficial when trying to trace your ancestry abroad.
When you find pieces of information cross-reference them with other documents, you have found whenever possible. For example the will of William Mylles ca 1450 names a child William and his wife Joan and their children: Thomas, John, William, and Mary. A parish record of Much Munden, England 1500 to 1550 shows a record of marriage: Thomas Myles son of William and Joan and Mary Cherrye, daughter of Richard Cherrye and Mary? A later record shows a Thomas Miles and Mary (Sherry) taking responsibility for the children of William and Elizabeth (Constance) Miles upon their death, William being the brother of Thomas, son of William and Joan Miles of Much Munden. By cross-referencing these separate documents, you are able to put a very important piece of history together and close perhaps another gap in your lineage.
Of the vital records the death certificate is perchance, the most helpful since it includes generally information on two generations. Usually the death certificate will have the following information:
Deceased’s name & age–Albert Wilhelm, 83 yrs. 7 mo. 13 da.
Date, place, & cause–10 Nov 1913, County of Potter, Township of Sweden, Cause–Atheroma
Physician’s name–F. G. Reese M.D., Coudersport, PA
Undertaker’s name–G. H. Grabe & son, Coudersport, PA
Birthdate & birthplace–28 Mar 1830, Yates, New York
Wife’s name–Mrs. Albert Wilhelm, Coudersport R.F.D #4
Date & place of burial–12 Nov 1913, Sweden Hill
Occupation at the time–nothing
Father–James Wilhelm, born New York
Mother–Gertrude Hathaway, born New York
On a marriage certificate the information found generally consists of the woman’s maiden name; date and place of marriage; name of official performing the service; names of the witnesses; and age and birthplace of the bride and groom.
A birth certificate usually includes the name, sex, time and place of birth; and the names of the parents, and their ages and place of birth. Sometimes a birth certificate may give the parents occupation as well as other important information.
Finding these vital records should always begin with you–your birth certificate should be the easiest to find. Your parent’s birth certificates, marriage certificate, and perhaps grandparent’s death certificates should be simple to locate. These initial findings sometimes may allow you to trace your lineage back three to four generations.
Once you have exhausted your personal search for data within your family, the library should be your next stop with your local library being first. From here, you will work your way through the genealogical collections in public libraries, historical societies, and genealogical societies.
In starting your search, you should make a decision as to which line you are going to work on first. The most interesting, the one with the most data, or maybe the one you know the least about. Then work on this family line until you have exhausted all the resources that are available at your local library or where ever you start. Then move on to the next line and so on until you have exhausted all resources available.
At this point, you need to organize your material. You may now have more information on great uncle George Pardee’s family, instead of great Grandpa Joseph Harris’s family. Now you may desire to expand your research area by planning a visit to a historical society or larger library outside your local area. Write letters or call for information beforehand. Most resource centers will be more than happy to send you information on their facility.
When you visit the center, do not be afraid to ask how the material is catalogued and if you are not familiar with that process ask the librarian to explain it. Many libraries have begun to switch over to the Library of Congress classification. Although, many of their holdings will remain listed through the Dewey Decimal system–which is the system most of us grew up with. It will be to your advantage to become familiar with both of these systems.
The computer is beginning to take the place of the card catalog in a lot of libraries. Do not be afraid to ask for help with this either. The circulation people and reference people are there to serve you. Use their expertise–they will enjoy assisting you.
Remember use your local facilities first. Local should include libraries within a fifty-mile radius of your home. Anything farther should be a planned visit of at least two days. Call or write the library ahead of time and request information as to their holdings in the particular areas you are interested in. Be sure to bring all your information with you; you may need it to help piece information together in the comfort of your motel room after the library has closed.
Here is a brief list and description of resources available to you:
1: City directories, telephone directories. Most public libraries have one or more sets of local directories dating back in most cases to the founding of the town. Some libraries will have directories available from major cities in your state, and some will have directories available from major cities in other states. These directories will contain information such as–name, home and work address, occupation, occupations of others living at the same address, phone numbers, and number of people living at the residence.
2: Indexes: Some libraries put together special manuscripts containing vital information from newspapers–births, obituaries, marriages; information from cemeteries, etc.
3: Town records & vital records: These records give birth, death, marriage, fathers, mothers, places of birth, and also land grants, taxes, fines, etc.
4: City, county, and state histories: these books will contain everything from births, deaths, passenger lists, first settlers, etc. I have included some excerpts from some of these books (Excerpts at end of book).
5: Platbooks, Maps, and Atlases: These can be very helpful when trying to locate a city or town that no longer exists. These resources sometimes also will show the lands and properties owned by all the individuals living in the area.
6: Periodicals and family pedigrees: The contents of these magazines, newspapers, journals and compilations will differ greatly. Some will contain nothing more then inquiries about a certain person, while others will have names, dates, etc. You can submit inquiries to any of these collections.
7: Collected works: These will consist of multi-volume books compiled by groups such as the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the New England Historical and Genealogical Society, the Mormons, individual nationality collections, etc.
