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From: <>
Subject: [NYBROOKLYN] FYI
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 19:28:20 -0400 (EDT)


I got the following information from one of the newsletters that I
subscribe to. It sounds very helpful and I am going to order the book. I
hope you find it helpful to.

Ancestry DailyNews, 30 May 2000
"ATTENTION TO DETAIL," by Juliana Smith
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When we first locate a record for one of our ancestors, we immediately
look at the most obvious pieces of information in the document--the
names, dates, ages, parents' names, and places of origin. However, if we
stop there, we may be missing other important clues. Though the details
included on these records may vary, and in some cases the quality of the
information may be suspect, there are often many more subtle clues found
in original records that can lead to other records. This information can
also be used in creating profiles that can help distinguish your
ancestors from others with the same name.
VITAL RECORDS
Vital records are highly valued by family historians for the richness of
the information they provide. Besides being primary sources for the
event, they hold a multitude of clues for those who take the time to
really read and analyze the details.
Birth certificates may include a section that asks how many other
children were born previously to that mother. If this number does not
match up to the number of children you know about, there may have been a
child who died young. Seeking out the birth and death records of these
siblings may provide information not given on your direct ancestor's
record.
It can also be helpful to keep track of the addresses on birth and other
vital records. This information can be very useful in locating other
records. If you can't locate your family in a census index, it may be
that they were missed in the index, or the name was so badly mutilated
that it cannot be found. If you know where they lived at the time of
that census, you may be able to locate their entry by location, thus
saving you time spent searching line by line.
An address can also help you to determine what churches in the area your
family may have been affiliated with, allowing you to further your
search with religious records, which may contain even more detail. (See
"Locating and Using Religious Records for Family History" at
http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/news/articles/1107.asp for more
information.)
I like to create a chronological address list for each of the families
in my family tree. Using the addresses found on various records and in
directories, you can compile a detailed list of the family's movements.
In cases where families moved about often, this list can be especially
helpful in locating sources like naturalization records, property
records, newspaper listings, probates and other court records.
Marriage records will typically list the name of witnesses, which often
turn out to be family members. They will also list who officiated at the
ceremony. By looking up the officiator in a local directory, you can
often determine what church or synagogue your ancestor was affiliated
with. (Ancestry.com has a growing collection of directories available to
subscribers online at:
http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/directories/main.htm.)
Many marriage certificates will also reveal whether this is the first
marriage for both the bride and groom. If it is not, the records from
previous marriages may bring to light information previously unknown.
Death records will typically contain the cause of death, and this is
important information when constructing your medical family history. The
record may also list how long the person was being treated for an
illness before he or she died.
  In cases where individuals died of a prolonged illness in "the
prime of life," think about the family's situation. Were there young
children in the home? Could one or all of these children have been sent
away to live with other family members or to an orphanage during that
time? In these cases, a search of court records may be warranted. In any
case, the death record should also list where the person is buried,
leading to cemetery and burial records. If the cemetery has a religious
affiliation, it can lead to church records as well.
CENSUS RECORDS
The questions asked on census records will also often contain a wealth
of information, but often we just skip over them in favor of the more
obvious clues they provide. Did your ancestors go to school? Could they
read and write? If great-grandpa and great-grandma couldn't write, then
that's probably not their handwriting in the family Bible; the entries
may have been made much later, and thus, suspect as to accuracy.
In 1870, the censuses checked whether or not males 21 years and older
were citizens, and beginning in 1890 this information was expanded to
include the number of years in the person had lived this country and
naturalization status. Unfortunately, most of that census was lost in a
fire, so for most of us, the 1900 census is the first census in which we
can find this information, which could lead us to immigration and
naturalization records.
In later years, we will find more details about the families and
individuals we are researching that may give us clues as to what other
records may have been created during that time. Was anyone in the family
deaf, dumb, blind, or insane? There may be institutional or court
records relating to that individual. Did family members own property? If
so, property records may be available. What was the value of their
personal estate? What was their employment status? The answers to these
questions may provide clues to the financial well-being and social
status of the family, which may lead to business or possibly bankruptcy
records.
You can look at a list of all the questions that were asked on U.S.
federal censuses at:
http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/news/articles/1264.asp
OTHER RECORD TYPES
Funeral cards, obituaries and other newspaper listings should also be
searched for clues; they may contain information relating to business;
religion and/or church affiliation; references to a fraternal
organization to which your ancestor belonged; educational background;
and other tidbits that can lead to untapped sources. Personal
correspondence can be particularly enlightening, detailing the lives of
individuals and families, as well as reflecting personality.
By paying attention to the details in all record sources, we can gain a
clearer understanding of the decisions our ancestors may have made and
the courses their lives took. And with this understanding comes a better
knowledge of where to look next in our search.
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