GENEALOGY. How Do I Get Started? Now let s talk about getting you started in genealogy.

Transcription

1 GENEALOGY How Do I Get Started? Now let s talk about getting you started in genealogy. 1

2 CLOSE TO HOME Write down what you already know Talk to relatives Make copies of documents Use pedigree charts and family group sheets [sites listed later in presentation] For women use maiden name For dates use 10 Jan 1892, NOT

3 Computer Hardware and Software Let s talk about computers 3

4 NOW LET S TALK ABOUT COMPUTERS What do I plan to do with a computer? Internet Access (need ISP) Genealogy Word Processing Edit & Catalog Photos Edit Videos Scan documents and photos Other- Scrapbooking, Music,. 4

5 HARDWARE Desktop or laptop? Mac or PC? How much memory [RAM]? How big is the hard drive [Storage]? How fast does it need to be? What peripherals do I need printers, scanners, card readers, fax, copier, CD, DVD.. Also: Backing up your data; print OWN photos, or take to Wolf or WalMart? Who is your support? If they don t do MAC, you also need a PC. Purchase online or at store? 5

6 General Software MS Office or Star Office or MANY others? Picture organizing and editing software: Free Picassa or Photoshop Elements or Photoshop CS3 or others? Must have: virus protection, adware protection, firewall You don t have to be a computer expert, but you DO have to know some basics for effective computer use folders, filenames, applications, procedure for data backup. Also: Operating System software comes with the computer; Need support contract for updates of virus software and for maintenance of computer. 6

7 Genealogy Software What s GEDCOM (GEnealogical Data COMmunication) Family Tree Maker Legacy The Master Genealogist Personal Ancestral File Ancestral Quest Roots Magic Fewer for MAC Other 7

8 Hardware & Software Decided, Now Start Genealogical Research Enter information you ve collected into genealogy software, starting with yourself. Sources, sources, sources.. 8

9 MYTH OR TRUTH? Sources, sources, sources Family stories DO offer clues Everything is NOT online, so where do I go from here? Expect surprises and secrets 9

10 What are these records and where in the WORLD do I find them? We talk about all these records and it seems overwhelming. It isn t. Let s talk about records, record types and where you can get access to them. 10

11 TYPES OF RECORDS Vital records: birth, death, marriage and divorce Deeds Military (pension, draft registration..) Immigration & Naturalization & Passenger Lists Tax & Land Records Census ( , Not 1890) 11

12 Types of Records (cont.) Church (baptism, meeting minutes.) Obituaries Court SSDI City Directories, School Records, Maps Cemetery Records Wills Multitude of other records 12

13 Census Records Every 10 years (some missing) Census Substitutes Special Census varies by state Veterans census Slave schedules Mortality Schedules 13

14 Census Records (cont) Agricultural Schedules Manufacturers Schedules Native American Census pg 202 The Source lists special census schedules by state ( ) and where located pg 205 The Source lists State Census Schedules ( ) 14

15 Census Records Where do I find them? Central Shelby County Library (see web site for availability) at GRHGC at FHC or order microfilm various years online (ex: 1880 at ; various others on USGENweb sites) 15

16 Church Records Baptism Christening Marriage (not Puritans it was a civil contract) Death & Burial Confirmation Membership 16

17 Church Records Where To Find Them Some records maintained centrally by denomination Some records maintained by individual churches Some published records in libraries, archives Some special collections in archives or church headquarters 17

18 Court Records Different Courts for different functions Federal, Civil, Criminal, State Probate Divorce Adoptions 18

19 Court Records (cont.) Testate/Intestate (Wills) Dower Guardianship Apprenticeships 19

20 Court Records Where To Find Them Many indexes online, but will probably have to visit archives or repositories for actual documents Many USGENweb sites list location of court records for their county and state Family History Library & Local FHC (order microfilm) Pg 274 The Source (Probate Court Document Types) Pg 275 The Source (Ages of Legal Actions) Pg 281 The Source (Types of Court Records & the Forms They Take) Pg 293 The Source (Which Court Grants Adoptions) 20

21 Directories City Directories Telephone Directories Professional Directories 21

22 Directories Where To Find Them Libraries & Archives Some online at Others on various USGENweb sites Pg 340 The Source (Directories on microform) 22

23 Vital Records Marriage (with consent affidavits & bonds) Birth Death 23

24 Vital Records Where To Find Them Published volumes at library & archives County & State Health Department Various USGENweb sites Some states starting to publish online Pg 612 The Source (Searchable Marriage Record Databases Online as of March 2006) 24

25 Vital Records Where To Find Them (Cont.) Pg 628/630 The Source (Statewide birth/death indexes and records from the FHL s Vital Records Collection as of March 2006) 25

26 Business, Institution & Organization Records Some private Some in manuscript collections tax records pensions industry history bankruptcy 26

27 Business, Institution & Organization Records (cont.) trade & professional societies apprentice and indenture records labor unions social security records monument records almshouse/poorhouse records 27

28 Business, Institution & Organization Records (cont.) WPA records (Works Progress Administration) School Records Orphanage Records Prison Records 28

29 Business, Institution & Organization Records (cont.) Hospital & Mental Hospital Records Fraternal Organizations (Freemasons, Modern Woodmen of America ) 29

30 Business, Institution & Organization Records Where To Find Them Company HQ County Archives State Archives Some published records 30

31 Immigration Records Need to know birthplace or last place of residence before emigrating Most foreign records kept at town level Family stories port of arrival, name of ship, reason for immigrating U.S. Sources first Names may be different in these records. Ages of children might be a key. 31

32 Immigration Records (Cont.) Look at local records; death records (obits, cemeteries, probate, vital records) of immigrant Marriages & births of children; census records, voter registration, citizenship, naturalization, passenger arrival lists 32

33 Immigration Records (Cont.) Until the 1880 s a typical passenger list gave only the name, age, sex, occupation, country of origin and destination of the passenger native town was seldom named Indentures Border Crossings 33

34 Immigration Records Where To Find Them IGI ( ) Ellis Island Site ( ) Castle Garden ( various USGENweb sites FHL & FHC for published records 34

35 Land Records Deeds Land Grants Military Bounty Land Taxes 35

36 Land Records Where To Find Them State Archives National Archives County Courthouse Various sites online 36

37 Military Records These records depend upon time period of the war; many books have been published; many web sites exist; some records maintained at a state level and some at a national level; many books are just indexes and you need to obtain the original records. 37

38 Archives Obituaries Newspapers Marriage Notices Many projects underway to digitize, index and publish historical newspapers. 38

39 African American Research Oral History and Family Records Research back to 1870 Census Military Records Freedman s Savings and Trust Free Blacks 39

40 Other Records Colonial Research Jewish Research Native American Research Research across the Atlantic or Pacific 40

41 Soundex A letter plus three numbers Letter = first letter of surname 1 B,P,F,V 2 C,S,K,G,J Q,X Z 3 D,T 4 L 5 M,N 6 R 41

42 Soundex (cont.) A,E,I,O,U,W,Y and H are disregarded Consonants sounding alike have same code If no code numbers: (ex: Lee =L000) If only one number: (ex: Kuhne=K500) If only two numbers: (ex: Ebell=E140 42

43 Soundex (cont.) No more than 3 numbers: (ex: Ebelson=E142 and NOT E1425) Soundex does NOT treat prefixes consistently, so search both ways (ex: van Devanter V531 OR D153) 43

44 Soundex (cont.) If two or more equivalent (or same) letters appear together, they are coded with one number (ex: Pfeiffer=P160) When looking at Soundex listings, each family name is arranged together in each soundex code. 44

45 LOCAL RESOURCES 45

46 LOCAL RESOURCES Germantown Regional History and Genealogical Center Memphis Public Library Shelby County Records State of Tennessee Archives The LDS Family History Center National Archives (not local) 46

47 Germantown Regional History and Genealogical Center What s here? Non-circulating, research-level books, periodicals, microfilm, photographs, maps, and vertical files on the cultural, architectural, genealogical, and historical heritage of the South. (see brochure) Read the card for the TNGEN Library which lists the materials held by this library. 47

48 Germantown Regional History and Genealogical Center 7779 Poplar Pike, Germantown, TN Monday 10-2 Tues and Thurs 10-4 Saturday TN Genealogical Society T&TH

49 Memphis Public Library What s in their collection? /21532_Genealogy The collection s strongest area is in microfilmed and indexed Memphis and Shelby County records. They also have many United States census records for on microfilm with indexes or Soundex, as well as genealogical source books, published family histories and magazines with an emphasis on 18th and 19th century southern United States, especially Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. [explain slide then go to their web site 49

50 Memphis Public Library Memphis Library Index of Historical & genealogical records in its local collection m_files/sform.php Memphis/Shelby Co death Index ( ) Freedman's Bureau Marriage Index ( ) Yellow Fever Death Index (1878) Memphis Death records ( ) and all of TN ( ) on microfilm 50

51 Memphis Public Library Index of Memphis & Shelby Co Death Records ( ) on library's website: Shelby County Marriage Records and many other TN counties ( ) on Microfilm at Central Library Shelby County Probate Minute Books ( ) and loose papers including wills ( ) and many other TN counties (various dates) on microfilm 51

52 Memphis Public Library Shelby County deed records (earliest ) and deed indexes (earliest-1933) on microfilm Naturalization records for Shelby County ( ) are indexed in the TN Biography Index and available on microfilm Quarterly Court/County Commission Minutes for Shelby County on microfilm 52

53 Memphis Public Library 3030 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN Mon Thur 9-9 Fri & Sat 9-6 Sun

54 Shelby County Records Shelby County Government site: (Click on Vital Records) Shelby County Register of Deeds (and MUCH more) 54

55 Memphis & Shelby County Health Department Shelby County Death Certificates 1952-Present Shelby County Birth Records 55

56 Memphis & Shelby County Health Department Office of Vital Records 814 Jefferson Ave Room Memphis, TN Hours Mon-Fri 8-4 Death Certificate Info Line:

57 Shelby County Clerk Shelby County Marriage Licenses Present 57

58 Shelby County Clerk 150 Washington St. Memphis TN, (901)

59 Shelby County Archives Shelby County Marriage Licenses Shelby Co Probate Records (wills), (minute books), (loose papers) Shelby Co Land Deeds: earliest to present Naturalizations and Declarations of Intent Birth & Death records prior to

60 Shelby County Archives 150 Washington Avenue Memphis, TN (901)

61 Probate Court Clerk Shelby Co Probate Records present (wills), 1933-present (minute books), 1900-present (loose records) at Probate Court Clerk 61

62 Probate Court Clerk 140 Adams Ave. #124 Memphis, TN

63 Shelby County Register Shelby Co Local Land Records - Land Deeds- earliest to present 63

64 Shelby County Register 160 N. Main St., Room 519 Memphis, TN (901)

65 U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Naturalizations and Declarations of Intent 1907 to present 65

66 U.S. Immigration & Naturalization 1341 Sycamore View Rd Memphis, TN (901)

67 Shelby County Board of Commissioners Quarterly Court/County Commission Minute Books 67

68 Shelby County Board of Commissioners Office Suite 619, 160 N. Main Street, Memphis, TN Phone - (901) FAX - (901)

69 Circuit Court Clerk s Office & Chancery Court Divorce Suits 69

70 Circuit Court Clerk s Office & Chancery Court 140 Adams Avenue Room 324 Memphis, Tennessee (901)

71 TN State Library & Archives Birth records maintained from January 1914 and some births that occurred in the major cities from Death records. Many, many other records see web site Tennessee State Library and Archives site 71

72 TN State Library & Archives 403 Seventh Avenue North Nashville, TN

73 State of Tennessee Archives Statewide index to death records ry/vital/tndeath.htm What s available by county? ry/county/factcounty.htm 73

74 Local LDS Family History Centers Link for the FamilySearch site: You can order, on microfilm or microfiche, anything that the Family History Library in Salt Lake City has available, just for the cost of postage, at a local Family History Center. Explain LDS and the Mormon Church records. 74

75 Local Family History Centers (1) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Family History Center 4195 Kirby-Whitten Road Bartlett, Tennessee (901) Hours: Monday - Closed; Tuesday - 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Wednesday - 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Thursday - 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Friday - 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 75

76 Local Family History Centers (2) Family History Center 8150 Walnut Grove Road Memphis, Tennessee (901) Hours: Monday - 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Tuesday - 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Wednesday - 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Saturday - 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 76

77 National Archives 77

78 History Know the history of the area in which you re researching. County origins and boundary changes Migration paths Follow neighbors Visit courthouses and archives EVERYTHING IS NOT ONLINE 78

79 WHAT IS ONLINE? Free or Pay? Tennessee Genealogical Library Local library Family History Center Ancestry.com, WorldVital Records.Com, Footnote.com, Heritage Quest. 79

80 BEST PLACES TO START ONLINE

81 LOOK AT FAMILY TREES DONE BY OTHERS No source = no fact Use trees by others as clues, not fact Stuck? Follow siblings or cousins Spelling is never consistent understand soundex and poor handwriting Who gave that information to the census taker? 81

82 Strategy Census records and family connections Period in history war time? Relocate because of occupation? Death of parent where are children? Remarriage of parent? Elderly parent living with child? 82

83 Interviews Written & recorded interviews of living relatives First write date, name of interviewee, name of interviewer, place of interview Don t just ask names, dates, places 83

84 Interviews (cont.) Ask about physical appearance and personality Ask maiden names (name on marriage certificate could be previous married name) Don t push; don t rush Don t believe everything you hear. 84

85 Interviews (cont.) Ask about old letters, photographs, scrapbooks, baby books, report cards, deeds, mortgages, army discharge papers, diaries Beware of cousin as a salutation in letters. It s those things outside names, dates and places that make your ancestors real people. 85

86 Forms Most genealogy programs can print blank forms aspx?rc=locale%7e&us=0 oad.html 86

87 Odds and Ends - Some Other Things to Think About 87

88 Podcasts Easy through itunes Genealogy Guys Podcast Genealogy Gems Podcast Computer/Tech Podcasts History etc etc etc 88

89 RSS Feeds & Newsletters & Blogs & Mailing Lists Several options Google is easy Eastman s Online Genealogy Newsletter Dear Myrtle Genealogy Blog Many mailing lists at Rootsweb 89

90 Organizing All This Information Develop a system that works for you Color coded? Folders Three ring binders? 90

91 Organization Discuss how I m organized. 91

92 Terms & Spelling Transcript word for word Abstract summary Spelling genealogy Spelling - cemetery 92

93 Sources Primary versus Secondary Sources 93

94 Primary Source A record that was created at the time of an event by a person who had reasonably close knowledge of the event ex: a marriage certificate would be a primary source for a marriage date, name of spouse etc, but would be a secondary source for date of birth (since this record is NOT created at the time of birth). A birth certificate would be a primary source for a birth date. A death certificate would be a primary source for a death date, but a secondary source for the names of the parents of the deceased. 94

95 Create A Web Site Great way to make connections with others interested in same line Remember to protect info for living individuals (their privacy AND their feelings) 95

96 Naming Traditions Varies by country of origin first son named after father etc Some countries follow maternal line as opposed to paternal line for carrying on last name Some last names add letters (ex: - son) 96

97 Write for Original Records Use indexes and secondary sources, but write for the original records and try to find as many primary sources as possible. 97

98 Copies Remember to write ON a copy where it came from and the date received/copied. 98

99 Handwriting Old handwriting f for s etc [ex: will see Tenneffee] Capital L and S look alike Capital I and J look alike Many sites on the net for handwriting help 99

100 Calendar Changes 1752 Julian to Gregorian calendar 2 Sep 1752 was followed by 14 Sep 1752 (might see dual dates on records (ex: 1756/1757 does NOT mean between 1756 & 1757 ) Quaker dating system year did not change in January. It changed in March (ex: 3 of the seventh month would mean the third of September, not July) 100

101 Non-US Research many sites for each country [ex: for England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man] 101

102 Societies JOIN!! TN Genealogical Society Surname Associations Local User s Groups DAR many, many, many.. Look at under Societies and Groups 102

103 DNA Find a study (various sites online) Learn about DNA How will it help your search? then: [The following items are 1) letter written by my great great grandfather as he went to get his son, who had just been captured during the civil war, out of the prisoner of war camp. As he approached, he heard the bell of the steamboat taking his son away to another camp, and he was unable to get him out. 2) A transcription of that letter 3) An oath of allegiance signed by another son of that same great great grandfather at the end of the civil war 103

104 1863 Letter from Noah Cummins to WHW Cummins 104

105 Transcription of 1863 Letter 105

106 Oath of Allegiance by Finis Cummins 106

107 Clues From Pictures 107

108 Surpise Sources Quilts and more 108

109 Enjoy Plan Collect information Make the people connections Reread collected data months later Revisit web sites Backup your data often 109

110 QUESTIONS? Questions? 110