DISCOVERING YOUR IMMIGRANT ANCESTOR S ORIGINS

Transcription

1 DISCOVERING YOUR IMMIGRANT ANCESTOR S ORIGINS WHY? Why is it imprtant t learn where yur family came frm? Many peple trace their rts back t the immigrant ancestr and stp there. Hwever, if yu want t cntinue yur research in Eurpean recrds it is essential t knw where yur ancestr came frm. Often we have an idea f what cuntry ur family came frm r even a specific regin f the cuntry, but this is nt enugh. In rder t cntinue yur research in Eurpean recrds yu have t knw what little twn r village yur ancestrs called hme. Learning where yur ancestrs came frm can als help yu learn mre abut yur heritage. As yu learn mre abut the histry, custms, dress and fds f yur ancestral village r twn it can prvide yu with a greater appreciatin fr yur ethnic heritage. This presentatin fcuses n finding yur immigrant ancestr s rigins using recrds created in the United States. WHAT INFORMATION IS NEEDED? The fllwing infrmatin is essential if yu want t be able t identify yur ancestr in Eurpean recrds. This infrmatin is mst easily fund in the recrds yur ancestr created in the United States. Ancestr s riginal full name (the name yu knw, may have been Americanized) Apprximate date f birth Place f birth (village r twn) Name f a relative Additinal infrmatin that may be helpful in identifying yur ancestr: Names f ther family members Names f friends and neighbrs Family stries and traditins Religin RESEARCH STRATEGIES IDENTIFY WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW Create a timeline f events in the life f yur ancestr and his family. Make a list f names used by yur ancestr. Make a list f alternate spellings. Make a list f family members. Wh were yur ancestr s acquaintances? Make a list f all the different places yur ancestr lived. PwerPint Presentatin by Yvnne Curry Page 1

2 DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN Yur primary gal will be t find yur ancestr s place f rigin, but yu will prbably have t set sme secndary gals t help yu achieve that gal. Sme secndary gals culd be: find his immigratin date, find his place f departure, what prt did he arrive at, what was the name f the ship; the names f ther immigrants in the grup, what cuntry did he cme frm, what was his riginal name, etc. SELECT THE RECORDS TO SEARCH Begin with recrds created in the United States. Check bth cmpiled and riginal recrds. Lk fr recrds in each place in which yur ancestr lived. Check recrds fr the cmplete time perid that he lived in the U.S. Check different levels f jurisdictin: federal, state, cunty, twn, etc. Study backgrund surces t learn mre abut the area in which he lived, what life was like fr immigrants, where immigrants frm different regins settled in the U.S. This backgrund infrmatin may suggest new recrds r lcalities t search. FIND AND SEARCH THE RECORDS After yu knw what recrds yu wuld like t search yu need t find them. While there are a lt f recrds available nline, and mre are being added every day, nt everything will be fund n the Internet. Anther great place t search fr recrds f yur ancestr is the Family Histry Library. They have millins f recrds n micrfilm, but again yu will nt find everything there. Expand yur search. Other places t check are state/lcal archives, lcal churches, curthuses, libraries, etc. RESEARCH TIPS SEARCH FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY If yu limit yur search t the target ancestr and ignre recrds created by ther family members yu may miss imprtant clues. Expand yur search and research the whle family. If necessary widen yur circle even further and lk fr extended family, friends and assciates. SEARCH EACH SOURCE THOROUGHLY Make sure yu are getting all the infrmatin prvided by each surce. Try transcribing dcuments t make sure yu aren t missing imprtant infrmatin and that yu understand everything. G back and review dcuments frm previus research smetimes revisiting the results f previus research can shed new light n yur prblem. PwerPint Presentatin by Yvnne Curry Page 2

3 SEARCH A BROAD TIME PERIOD Search recrds frm many years befre and after the target event. If yu have an apprximate immigratin date it culd be wrng. Recrds created when a persn died culd cntain imprtant immigratin infrmatin and sme recrds may have been created after the individual s death. USE INDEXES Indexes can help pint yu t riginal recrds that may cntain the infrmatin yu are seeking. They can als help yu lcate yur ancestr in a certain time and place. SEARCH FOR PREVIOUS RESIDENCES Evidence f yur ancestr s life may be fund in any place where he lived even if he was there fr nly a shrt time. Create a list f all the places where he lived and watch fr mentin f ther lcalities. WATCH FOR SPELLING VARIATIONS Names may have been spelled many different ways by recrd keepers and by the family itself. Peple liked t feel a part f their cmmunity s they ften Americanized their names t help them fit in. Keep a list f spelling variatins t use when searching fr yur ancestr. Every time yu find a new spelling f yur family s name add it t yur list. Try spelling the name phnetically t see what variatins yu can find. EVALUATE THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE FOUND D yu understand the freign spelling? Can yu prve that the persn yu fund is really the immigrant? Use gazetteers and maps t help yu learn abut freign places. Remember that twn names may be spelled differently in the riginal language than what we find in English. Place names may have changed ver time. There may be several twns with the same name r a city and cunty may have the same name. Did yur ancestr really cme frm that big city he reprted r was he brn in a nearby village? UNDERSTAND FOREIGN SPELLINGS Freign names may be spelled differently due t: Phnetic spelling Misreading Special characters PwerPint Presentatin by Yvnne Curry Page 3

4 DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON? If yu find yur ancestr in Eurpean recrds it s imprtant t verify that yu have the right persn. There culd be mre than ne persn with the same name. Check the essential infrmatin that yu gathered earlier. Make sure the infrmatin yu fund matches that f the U.S. recrds. Try disprving the cnnectin; this will help yu see any hles in yur research. WHAT ARE SOME GOOD SOURCES? FAMILY SOURCES Infrmatin fund in the hme may be the best place t find clues t yur ancestr s rigin. Make sure and interview lder family members and friends wh may remember where the family came frm. Other surces t lk fr: Letters Dcuments Family Bibles PREVIOUS RESEARCH Has smene else already fund the infrmatin yu are lking fr? Take time t verify the infrmatin that smene else has published. All the infrmatin may nt be accurate, but these types f recrds can prvide valuable clues. Lk fr: Online databases such as FamilySearch r Ancestry Printed family histries LOCAL HISTORIES AND PERIODICALS Lcal histries may include shrt bigraphies and a histry f the area, including histries f immigrant grups that settled in the area. Lk fr: Bigraphies Twn, cunty, and state histries Ethnic histries Church histries Genealgical and histrical scieties publicatins VITAL RECORDS Vital recrds are usually mre helpful fr mre recent years. When a place f birth is mentined usually nly the name f the cuntry is given. Death recrds may give infrmatin n mrtuaries and burial lcatins that may have additinal infrmatin. Death recrds als usually ask fr parents names, but the infrmatin is nt always PwerPint Presentatin by Yvnne Curry Page 4

5 accurate. Try t btain vital recrds fr all family members because the infrmatin yu are seeking may be fund n a child s birth certificate r a brther s death certificate. SOCIAL SECURITY AND PENSION RECORDS Scial Security applicatins ask fr the persn s birth date, birthplace, and parents names. Scial security numbers can usually be fund n death certificates. Als check the nline Scial Security Death Index, but fllw up by rdering the actual applicatin frm the Scial Security Administratin. Cntact private cmpanies fr pensin recrds. CHURCH RECORDS Marriage and death/burial recrds are the recrds mst likely t give the twn where an immigrant was brn. Als members f smaller religius bdies tended t mve in large grups. By studying the grup yu may find yur ancestr s rigins. CEMETERY RECORDS Tmbstnes smetimes give the persn s birth place r may give ther clues as t where the persn was frm. OBITUARIES Obituaries can be a great surce f family infrmatin. Nt nly can yu learn the identities f ther family members, but they may state the place f rigin. Immigrants wh lived in small rural areas are mre likely t have a detailed bituary than thse wh lived in large cities. Search fr at least a cuple f weeks after the death date because they dn t always appear right away. Lcal libraries, nline newspaper archives and nline lk-up vlunteers are gd surces fr finding bituaries. CENSUS RECORDS Census recrds can prvide sme gd clues. Later U.S. census recrds list cuntry f birth fr each persn and their parents. They may als prvide the date f arrival, status/date f naturalizatin, etc. Sme state census recrds give mre detail than federal recrds. MILITARY RECORDS There are many different types f recrds available fr an ancestr wh served in the military and any f them may prvide clues t help yu find his place f rigin. Lk fr: Service recrds Pensin applicatins Draft registratins Other recrds t search Unit histries Veteran s rganizatins PwerPint Presentatin by Yvnne Curry Page 5

6 Cemetery recrds Old sldiers hme recrds IMMIGRATION RECORDS Immigratin recrds vary in cntent and availability. Mre recent passenger lists may give the twn f rigin. The Internet has made passenger lists easier t use. Lk fr: Passenger arrival lists Brder crssing recrds fr Canada and Mexic Passprt recrds NATURALIZATION RECORDS If yur ancestr became a U.S. citizen, naturalizatin recrds may cntain the infrmatin yu are lking fr. Later recrds (especially after 1906) cntain mre detailed infrmatin than thse fr earlier time perids. Naturalizatin was a prcess that ccurred ver a perid f years and generated varius recrds. Make sure and check fr all the recrds. The necessary paper wrk may have been filed in different lcatins as yur ancestr mved arund. Until recently any curt culd grant naturalizatin s make sure and check all different jurisdictins fr yur ancestr s recrds. ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES There are certain libraries and archives that specialize in immigrant r ethnic research. They may have special cllectins that can be fund nwhere else. Yu can visit their website t learn mre abut the types f recrds they cllect. Examples: Center fr Migratin Studies Ellis Island Immigratin Museum Web Site Immigratin Histry Research Center Web Site Balch Institute fr Ethnic Studies Web Site COURT RECORDS Besides naturalizatin recrds, curts may have ther recrds created by yur ancestr. These recrds may name ther family members. They may mentin prperty descriptins frm the cuntry f rigin. They can be especially helpful fr clnial-era immigrants. After yu have identified relevant curt cases try t btain the case file frm the curt huse r archive as these files have the mst detailed infrmatin. LAND RECORDS Many immigrants came t the U.S. in rder t wn land. Lcal deeds d nt usually prvide yu with infrmatin n the place f rigin. Frm clnial times head rights may shw the PwerPint Presentatin by Yvnne Curry Page 6

7 cuntry f rigin. Frm later years hmestead files can be especially helpful. Sme recrds may include cpies f naturalizatin recrds NEWSPAPERS Histric newspapers may prvide helpful clues. Early newspapers may prvide lists f arriving passengers, indentured servants r apprentices. Yu may als find queries by peple lking fr missing friends. Other events such as marriages and estate prbates may be annunced. Ethnic newspapers may have infrmatin n immigrants frm different areas. PROBATE RECORDS Prbate recrds may be mst helpful fr the clnial perid. Clnial immigrants ften identified themselves by their hmetwn. Family members left behind in the ld cuntry may als be mentined. Wealthier immigrants may have wned prperty in the ld cuntry and prperty descriptins may identify the family s place f rigin. ETHNIC AND FRATERNAL SOCIETIES Ethnic and fraternal scieties kept recrds n their members but the recrds may be difficult t lcate. FOR MORE INFORMATION Balch Institute Online Resurces. The Histrical Sciety f Pennsylvania; nline at Immigratin and Naturalizatin. Cyndi s List f Genealgy Sites n the Internet; nline at Immigratin Histry Research Center. University f Minnesta; nline at Awesme Genealgy Directry: Genealgy: Immigratin; nline at Carmack, Sharn DeBartl. A Genealgist s Guide t Discvering Yur Immigrant & Ethnic Ancestrs: Hw t Find and Recrd Yur Unique Heritage. Cincinnati, Ohi: Betterway Bks, Center fr Migratin Studies; nline at Clletta, Jhn P. They Came in Ships: A Guide t Finding Yur Immigrant Ancestr s Arrival Recrd. 3 rd ed. Orem, Utah: Ancestry Publishing, PwerPint Presentatin by Yvnne Curry Page 7

8 Ellis Island - FREE Prt f New Yrk Passenger Recrds Search; nline at Greenwd, Val D. American Aids t Finding the Hme f the Immigrant Ancestr. The Researcher s Guide t American Genealgy, 3 rd ed. Baltimre, Maryland: Genealgical Publishing C., Inc Meyerink, Kry L. Immigratin Surces. Printed Surces: A Guide t Published Genealgical Recrds. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, Incrprated, Meyerink, Kry L. and Lrett Dennis Szucs. Immigratin: Finding Immigrant Origins. The Surce. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Incrprated, Neagles, James C. Lcating Yur Immigrant Ancestr: A Guide t Naturalizatin Recrds. Lgan, Utah: Evertn Publishers, c1986. Research Outline: Tracing Immigrant Origins. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family Histry Library, 1998; available nline at Szucs, Lrett Dennis. They Became Americans: Finding Naturalizatin Recrds and Ethnic Origins. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, c1998. The Assciatin f Eurpean Migratin Institutins; nline at U.S. Citizenship and Immigratin Services; nline at PwerPint Presentatin by Yvnne Curry Page 8