Are
you ready to dig in? Finding
and documenting your family history:
Here
are some tips and tricks, along with some excellent sources
of free genealogy records and information. Much
can be found for free. If you've already dug and
dug, and are up against a brick wall, I can research for
you for a fee, utilizing thousands of other resources and
databases that I have compiled over the years - and from
the paid databases that I have subscribed to. For
more information see here...but really, you should at
least search some of the many free sources that are available
below first. With the information
on this page alone, you can have material for literally
years of research.
Getting Started: Organization and Documentation
Use genealogy software.
Cite your sources!
Free sources of records and information
General resources.
Specific record sources for the United States.
GENEALOGY
SOFTWARE :
Organizing
your research with software is a must. I could
write a book of all the reasons, but in short today's
software is so easy to use and and so much more
effecient than shoeboxes or notebooks full of paper
that there's just no excuse.
Suffice
it to say that if you're not using software yet,
I can promise you now that sooner or later (probably
sooner) you will wish you did...and the longer
you wait before entering your information in a
software program the harder it will be.
There
are many genealogy software apps out there (see here and here)
but many of them are to be avoided. The two keys
to picking good software are
1. It should use/support GEDCOM (the standard & most
widely accepted electronic genealogy format), and
2. It should be well supported and frequently updated
I
recommend:
1.
For the newbie, I suggest Personal
Ancestral File (PAF). It's a free download,
easy to use and well supported. It does not have "power
user" features, but if you want to switch
to a more powerful program down the road, you can
export your file to the new program.
2.
For power users who want all the bells and whistles,
I recommend The
Master Genealogist (TMG). They have a Silver
and a Gold edition; compare the two here.
...so
do yourself, and those you plan to pass your information
down to, a big favor: Record your information in
software.
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CITE
YOUR SOURCES!
Start
a good habit now: Always cite a source
when documenting information you've found.
Start
by listing your sources (in your software's Source
List). Once you have your sources organized it's
a simple click to cite the source when entering
information. There is nothing worse than looking
at something later and either not remembering where
you got it, or 2nd guessing it's accuracy. Don't
just enter a name and leave it at that, though.
For each source, you should also:
1.
Assign a Surety Level (A numerical value assigned
to indicate the quality of a source in documenting
a given fact). The standard surety levels are
- "3" =
an original source, close in time to the event
(birth certificate, death certificate, marriage
license, diary of the person, the testimony of
an eyewitness to the event, tombstone, etc.)
- "2" =
a reliable secondary source (obituary, etc.)
- "1" =
a less reliable secondary source or an assumption
based on other facts in a source (family stories,
etc.)
- "0" =
a guess (it's ok to guess...to presume based
on circumstantial evidence)
- "-" =
the source does not support the information cited
or this information has been disproved (It's
good to leave incorrect information in your file
so that you have documentation as to why it has
been disproven).
2.
Document important details about the source: Like
for printed material: the name, year, author, etc.
3.
Assign the source's "Repository". This
is simply where it is. Mostly applicable for books,
magazines, pictures, etc.
Yes,
it's work to document all this stuff, but you only
need to do it once. Once they're all entered, you
simply click on it, or enter it's number, with
the factual information you're inputting.
Tip:
If you attempt to get info from a source, whether
it be book, courthouse, graveyard, etc., and don't find
any information, then still record it
as a source in your records. You can simply note
it, for example, "No Smith info in this source".
You'll never remember all the sources you've checked,
so this is a good way to keep track of them so
you don't waste your time checking something you've
already checked.
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GENERAL
RESOURCES:
1.
Interview living family members.
Don't forget this easy step.
2. Google and Yahoo (search
engines):
Genealogy is so common nowadays that many people
are publishing what they've found on websites. Using
John Andrew Doe as an example, be sure to search
the variety of ways the name might show up, as in "john
andrew doe", "john a. doe", "john
doe", "doe john", "doe john a", "doe
john andrew"
- If
the name is uncommon, search "firstname
lastname", "firstname middleinitial
lastname", "lastname firstname",
etc. Use the quote signs.
- If
the name is common, then do the above searches
and add information that you know, like maybe
a maiden name, maiden name of spouse, city, etc.
Any other information you know about the person
can be added to the search to help narrow it
down.
3.
The WorldConnect
Project.
This is the biggest repository of family trees on
the net. Use the search box to enter information
you know - to see if the person you're researching
is in someone else's family tree. Remember that you
have tens of thousands of cousins. You should not
be surprised to find that one or some of them are
researching the same person you are. Start by entering
all you know in the various boxes, then if you're
not getting hits, remove bits of information to widen
the search.
4.
The big Genealogy Message Boards: Ancestry.com
and Genealogy.com
These are the largest Genealogy Message Boards on
the net. You can search them by name or locality:
Ancestry.com
Message Boards | Genealogy.com
Message Boards
5. FamilySearch.org
This site is my vote for the best single genealogy
website on the planet. It's research and
records compiled by the Mormons. Not only do
they publish information found by individuals,
but they actually research and compile information themselves.
The
entire site is free, so simply enter a name in
the search box(es) on their home page. Also check
out their advanced search.
The
search results will be to a wide variety of sources
including other researcher's information, actual
birth, marriage and death records, etc.
6.
The US
GenWeb Project.
Compiled genealogical records and information from
all over the U.S. First, click a state on the left
to search current articles. Also, be sure to check
the "Projects" link at the top of their
homepage for other good genealogical projects.
7.
The World
GenWeb Project.
Compiled genealogical records and information from
all over the world.
8. Cyndi's
List.
A mega site of links to genealogical sites and sources
by category.
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SPECIFIC
RECORD SOURCES FOR THE UNITED STATES
1.
The Social
Security Death Index (SSDI).
This database typically contains the birth date,
death date, where the Social Security Number was
issued and last place of residence for deceased individuals
(who were issued a Social Security Number).
2.
Census Records
There are many free sources for the Census' (with
the exception of the 1890 Census, which was lost)
in book or microfilm form. Check your local public
library or LDS
Family History Center. Here are online census'
that are searchable.
The
entire 1880
Census.
Change the drop-down after the heading "Census" to "1880
United States Census", then enter the name -
and State if you know it. Here you will find every
name that was enumerated in the 1880 Census, along
with ages, places of birth and much more. If you
find an ancestor here, be sure to check the neighbors.
You'll often find other family members living nearby.
3.
Immigrants
- Ellis
Island.org
Between 1892 and the 1940s millions of immigrants
came through Ellis Island. Their information is
online for free. You get the age, arrival date,
where they came from and ship they were on. Be
sure to check the ship's manifest as large families
often came together.
- Immigrant
Ships Transcribers Guild.
Use the Passenger Lists links to search either
individual names or ship names. Like the Ellis
Island site, you get the age, where they came from,
date of arrival, sometimes their occupation and
who was on the ship with them.
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