Discovering an Immigrant s Place of Origin

Transcription

1 Discovering an Immigrant s Place of Origin Presented by Tom Rice, CG

2 Handouts online Handouts at: I can be contacted at: info@heritagehunters.com

3 This is a universal problem Anyone descendant from an immigrant needs to find the immigrants place of origin in order to trace that line back. This is true regardless of ethnic or national origins. Often one of the hardest tasks in genealogy.

4 Why look? The essential step for tracing your family beyond the immigrant ancestor The key to all genealogy is place To find where the records are To find where the relatives are / were

5 Look Here There Everywhere Beware

6 Why look here? Because you know you have the right person Because most records are here Because here is where you define the immigrant

7 Defining the immigrant Age birth year Religion Marital status and probable date of marriage Age of children at emigration Date of emigration Occupation Name variations Names of relatives: parents, siblings

8 Look at: Family records: bible, diaries, letters, photos Family tradition Printed family histories, genealogies Census: Federal and State Civil vital records marriage, death Church records marriage, death (after 1918 RC recorded place of baptism) Tombstone cemetery and mortuary records Newspaper = obits, marriage announcement, articles Naturalization records alien registration Passenger arrival records

9 Keep looking: Passport applications Military records: Enlistment- Pension -Draft Histories: Local, church, organizational Organizations records: ethnic, religions, fraternal, hereditary Land records Surname message boards and mail lists

10 Cast a wide net Siblings Children Neighbors Fellow church members, lodge members All places of residence

11 Looking There Surname / given name distribution Concurrence of surnames of couple Religion or ethnic distribution Local or national leaving records Major port of embarkation Emigration records Census or other records

12 You need to look at: History of emigration from country of origin Current and past geographic names and divisions of country of origin Maps Gazetteers - of the time of emigration Record keeping practices of country of origin

13 Pitfalls False assumptions The name was always spelled this way They were always the same religion They were truthful Ethnic origin is not the same as geographic origin Port of embarkation is not necessarily town of origin Failure to look at all of the records and analyze / reconcile them Grabbing a name and not verifying it is your ancestor Not learning relevant geography and history

14 I Found the place. Now what? Learn about how to go genealogy in that place. Learn about the records created there. Learn about the history of that place. Learn about the geography of that place. A good place to learn: FamilySearch Wiki

15 Excellent reference Tracing Immigrant Origins a WIKI page at FamilySearch Be sure to follow the links for much additional information.

16 Some Examples

17 GGGM's Birthplace What did I know? Grandfather s birthplace (Independence, Buchanan Co. IA) Searched for Rice s near Independence Found: Obits for my G Grandfather & Census This told me GGF born in Kalamazoo Co., MI Looked for Rice s in Kalamazoo Co. Found only one family that matched This gave me GGGM's name: Isabella Census told me GG Grandparents Irish born BUT WHERE IN IRELAND?

18 What was GG GM's Surname? Found approximation of GGGM's surname GGF's death record Haughhay Looked for other matching surnames in Kalamazoo Found: Only one - Luke R. Haughey Found: Land transaction between GGGF and Luke Haughey Did a Web search for Haughey Eureka!! Found reference to a Haughey Family History book Found the book at FHL, MHS and Higginson Book Co. Family History tied Rice line to Haughey s through Isabella who was the sister of Luke R.

19 So! Where in Ireland? Family History said Luke R. born in Donaghmore Parish, Co. Down But!! No references. Needed collaboration. Web search for Donaghmore Parish Found Harshaw Diary site. This listed some local records. One matched Luke R and parents. Townland = Tullymurry Corresponded with Web site author Diaries mention GGGGF Found IGI references to family

20 Looking around I found: A murder A hanging Child abandonment Pension fraud Philandering A mayor A quarry owner A couple running a grocery-boat business A runaway priest who came back after marriage and kids An arrest for rioting against an abolitionists meeting

21 Founders of New Sweden They founded New Sweden, WI New Sweden is now gone Called libraries of nearby towns Both towns had published centennial books Both books mentioned the three men who founded New Sweden One said they were from Gävle Found family in parish registers

22 Where were GGF and GGM from? One of their sons became mayor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa He was interviewed for a book about local luminaries He told where his parents came from in Ireland

23 Handouts online Handouts at: I can be contacted at: info@heritagehunters.com