Genealogy Lesson 25 - Where/how should I spend my time and money on genealogy?

Something I have never done much of is traveling for the purpose of genealogy research.  I feel guilty if I spend money or waste vacation time on such a selfish pursuit.  Genealogy is my hobby, not that of my wife and kids.  They would much rather use those resources to visit Disney World or go to the beach.  I want to visit a few places, but I cannot bring myself to do it.

Once in awhile I am able to squeeze a genealogy adventure in with a family trip.  Perhaps we are driving through a town where someone I am researching was buried.  I might stop off at the cemetery for a few minutes but I never get to let loose and take my time.  In no way does my wife prevent me from doing these things.  It is my own conscience that keeps me from chasing these dreams.  I feel compelled to put the wants and need of my wife and children before my own.

Think about it like this...a day off of work costs me either a day of pay or a day of vacation.  That assumes I go on a Friday and I get Saturday off as my regular weekend.  A hotel will set me back $100 plus another $100 for gas, food, supplies, etc.  For the sake of argument, let's say that it costs me $300 per day to indulge in an overnight genealogy trip (that includes $100 in lost wages).  I am by no means financially destitute but $300 is a lot of money, any way you look at it.

Now that we know the cost, let's weigh cost versus the benefits I would get for the $300.  I might get to find a few graves, maybe go to a courthouse and copy a couple of deeds.  Perhaps I would get lucky and meet a few locals, getting some firsthand perspective on the area and its people.  Some trips like this pay big dividends but many end with marginal results.  How then can I justify the financial risk when the rewards are not guaranteed?

The only way I can pull a trip like this off, and feel good about myself, is to take my wife and kids along with the understanding that I am going to leave them at the hotel.  The biggest factor is that the hotel has to have an indoor swimming pool.  My kids love to swim so it seems like a mini-vacation to them.  Despite these amenities, I still feel a little guilty while I am out running around.  I cannot help but think that I should be at the pool, swimming with them and making memories, instead of checking out tombstones of dead people.

So, what does all of this mean?  Where is the lesson here?

In genealogy, you constantly have to make choices.  We have to decide which families to research and which ones to let go.  There are so many possibilities out there, we have to limit our focus and find out what really matters.  There is no right or wrong answer here; you just have to pick a specific family name, individual ancestor, county, event or some other topic to focus your research upon.  You cannot be an expert on everything so you need to zoom in on one thing.  For me, I have always focused on the Letts from a small area in Mecklenburg County, between Union Level and Baskerville.  There is more information on that one group than I could digest in a lifetime.

As for spending time and money, I can justify what I spend learning about these specific Letts.  They are the driving force behind my research.  Anything I discover about them means more to me than it would for any other family I have researched.  Even if I went on a trip surrounding that family, and found nothing, I would still have a great time just being immersed in their former environment.  I doubt any other genealogy trip would give me as much excitement as going to Mecklenburg does.  With that in mind, I can justify the money spent and the time that it required away from my family.  It is not just SOME trip that I am going on, it is THE trip.

There is a book called The Dip by Seth Godin.  It is not a genealogy book but the author makes a good point that relates to this situation.  Mr. Godin tells us that any activity we do where we cannot be the best, we must stop doing it.  Unless you can be great at something, you might as well let someone else do it.  I cannot be an expert on the Lett family, the Brock family, the Golden family, the Stinnett family, the Pettis family, etc.  I have to pick one and be the best historian I can be when it comes to that specific family.

Genealogy is great fun and we want to know about all of our ancestors.  In reality, that is an impossible dream.  There are not enough hours in the day or money in the bank to make that a reality.  I have told you before, focus on quality not quantity.  If you are going to spend money from your genealogy budget, make sure you get the most out of it.  If you are going to take time off work, make sure you get the most out of it.  If you are going to take time away from your spouse and kids, make sure you get the most out.

I know I am being a little dramatic and taking this to the extreme.  However, the truth remains that time and money, once spent are gone.  Resolve to be more focused and use your resources to further your research on a specific topic.  Stop wasting effort on projects where you cannot be the best.  If it is that important to you, I am sure your spouse and children will understand.
 _________________________________

UPDATE:  Shortly after writing this lesson I decided to stop creating and sending them out.  I wrote the following note to my email subscribers:

After much thought, I am concluding this series of lessons.  I know this might seem a little abrupt but I have thought it out and I have decided to shut them down.  I am thankful for all of your kind words and hope that you have enjoyed the lessons as much as I did creating them. 

 

The cost of running this operation...in time and money...is taking its toll.  I have therefore stopped accepting new sign-ups as of May 19, 2010 but will allow those in the system to finish their lessons before wrapping things up.  

 

(I guess I took this last lesson to heart, looked at where my time and money was going, and made a decision.)

Genealogy Lesson 24 - 1940 US Census

Census day was April 1, 2010.  That is the day when any person living in the United States should be counted on an actual census document.  If a child was born on March 31, 2010, they would be recorded.  If a child was born on April 2, 2010, they would not be recorded.  The census will be a snapshot of life as it existed on April 1, 2010.

The purpose of a federal census is to record the number of people living in a specific area.  The government wants to know how many people live in each city, county, township, state, etc.  Population for an area is critical when it comes to the distribution of federal funds for hospitals, schools, emergency services, bridges, roads, etc.  Census forms will be mailed to you in March and must be filled out and returned.  If you do not fill out the form, a census taker will literally show up on your doorstep and make you fill it out.  There are only ten questions on the 2010 form and should be fairly easy to answer.

The data that we provide will be maintained and used by the government but most of the information we provide will be well guarded.  It is against federal law for anyone to divulge a name, address (including GPS coordinates), phone number or Social Security number off a census form.  Census Bureau employees are sworn to secrecy for life, not to disclose any confidential information.  Breaking this oath can result in a $250,000 fine, five years of imprisonment, or both.  With that in mind, I doubt anyone will be talking!  Actual census forms do not become public record for 72 years.  That means future genealogists cannot see the form that you fill out until April 1, 2082.

The next census that we can view as genealogists would be the 1940 census.  It will be available on April 2, 2012, that is if you go to the National Archives and wait in line.  When the 1930 census came out in 2002, Ancestry.com did a great job of scanning the images and getting them online within a few weeks.  They literally started putting images online within hours of the census being released.  It obviously took some time for indexes to be compiled but you could at least browse records for a given county or city.  I would imagine that the 1940 census will be a big deal for them as well.

From what I have seen, the 1940 census is quite similar to the 1920 and 1930 censuses as most of the same information is provided.  Unique features include recording where each person lived in 1935, recording the highest level of education completed and also detailed occupational information that included a person's 1939 income.  As an interesting addition, anyone recorded on lines 14 and 29 of the census form were pulled out as a random sample.  Those individuals were subject to around 20 additional questions that should prove to be quite interesting.  Researchers are going to hope their ancestor fell on lines 14 or 29.  It could be like winning the lottery when that happens!

One last thing that I noticed about the 1940 census, the person in the family who provided the information is supposed to have a circled X beside their name.  That might not seem important but it will lend a lot toward weighing the accuracy of the information provided.  In past censuses, we do not know who provided the information.  It could have been an older child, a grandmother, the neighbor or a border.  At least this time we can see if the husband or wife provided the actual information.  And just think...it is less than 1,000 days until we get to see it for ourselves!

Genealogy Lesson 23 - Finding old cemeteries

One of the most exciting parts of genealogy is finding the grave of an ancestor.  We know that in 90% of the cases, a grave exists somewhere for everyone who has ever lived.  Obviously some people are cremated and scattered while others are perhaps buried at sea.  No matter how our bodies are disposed of, everyone's Earthly remains have to go somewhere.  We may not be able to find a photo of our great-great-grandfather but we should be able to find his grave...he is out there somewhere, not going anywhere.

Let's pretend that you come across an old family farm and rumor has it that an abandoned cemetery exists somewhere on the property.  Time has taken its toll on the site and the current residents are not sure where the cemetery is located.  You might feel that all hope is lost but do not fear!  There are several things you can do or look for that will help to locate the cemetery.  You might not find actual tombstones but you will probably be able to at least find some graves.

The first thing you need to do is to determine where the original house was located.  Maybe it is the same as the existing house or perhaps an old foundation can be found on the property.  Once this is determined, try to find any old wells on the tract.  Ask the current owner for their location or simply look around for visual signs - old pipes, a pump house, a concrete cover, etc.  If you find a well, you can rest assured that the cemetery is not within 100 feet.  This distance was typically maintained to prevent contamination of the drinking water.

Look around the property, and follow the tree line with your eyes.  If the trees are fairly big, that was probably the original tree line.  If the trees are fairly small, you may have to look deeper into the woods to find larger trees.  This is important because many years ago, people put as much of their land into crops as possible.  In Virginia, they would plant tobacco right up to the front steps.  Tobacco was so valuable that no spot was wasted.  With that in mind, most cemeteries were placed just inside of the woods, along the tree line.

Once you identify the original tree line, walk around and look for lines of cedar trees.  Most family cemeteries had wooden fences around them, to keep out the cattle.  Cows love to rub up against tombstones, to scratch their sides.  This could do a lot of damage so fences were typically constructed.  Over time, the fences fell into disrepair but in most cases their outlines can still be found today!

Birds love to eat the berries off cedar trees.  They fly around and land on fence rails, to get a little rest.  While sitting on the fence, birds tend to relieve their bowels and therefore pass cedar berry fragments onto the ground.  These berries are obviously well-fertilized and tend to grow well, right along the fence line.  Since the trees are alive and the fence is dead, the trees remain long after the fence is gone.

Once you find a line of cedar trees, start looking on the ground for flowers or bushes that do not belong in the woods.  Many times, family members would plant things in a cemetery for decoration and surprisingly, they can survive to this day.  I see daffodils and tulips in the woods all of the time.  Also keep an eye out for periwinkle.  This is a low-growing, blue-violet, flowering, vine-like shrub.  It very frequently grows in old cemeteries and can take over the entire area.  It can blanket an entire graveyard and keep its tombstones from view.

All of these factors are leading you in the right direction but it is time to prove that the cemetery really exists.  Short of seeing actual tombstones, you may need to go poking around - literally. 

When dirt is disturbed, as in the case of burying a body, the ground never really settles.  It will always be softer than undisturbed dirt.  If you take a pointed, metal rod, you can pick it up and drop it on the ground in different spots.  When you hit undisturbed ground, the pole will not sink much.  If the ground has been disturbed, the pole should sink noticeably.  Now, I am not suggesting that you drive down six feet and try to find a coffin, but I am telling you that the outline of a grave can be located in this manner.  If you get lucky, you may even hit a buried tombstone.

The steps I have described are not magic bullets that will guarantee that you will locate a lost cemetery.  However, in my years of experience, these are good steps to take when trying to find an old graveyard.  But, before you go romping around in the woods, I will offer you a few warnings.  Always get permission from the current landowner and check local laws about poking around in cemeteries as some states may forbid you from disturbing the dirt even a little bit.  Be aware of your surroundings - don't go falling into that old abandoned well.  Also, do not go walking around in the woods during hunting season...just use common sense. 

Once you discover an old cemetery, talk to the current land owner before you try to clean it up.  Your family may have some legal rights to the cemetery but stay on the landowner's good side.  You will probably have to use their land to access the cemetery so it is better to be friends rather than enemies.

Genealogy Lesson 22 - Setting a genealogy budget

In today's economy, budgets are more important than ever.  Genealogy is a great hobby but let's face it, it can get quite expensive.  You pay for memberships to websites; you buy software, you order books and buy copies of documents.  I personally blow about $500 per year on my genealogy.  I say that the money is "blown" because I cannot get it back, there really isn't much of material value to show for it, and it cannot keep my kids from starving if they were hungry.  Money spent on genealogy is pretty much a luxury, rarely a financial investment.

With that said, most of us have to limit the things that we commit to each year.  I always renew my Ancestry.com membership but I might let Footnote or Genealogy Bank lapse...unless they run a really great sale!  I also buy the yearly upgrade for Family Tree Maker and set aside money to make copies at the archives each month.  What I have been unable to budget for are trips to national genealogical conferences.  I would love to go but I cannot justify the financial return.  Sure, I am missing out on a lot of learning opportunities, but I cannot see paying $1500+ for travel expenses.

I know a lot of people would love to have an Ancestry.com membership but cannot afford it.  Well, the grass is not much greener on my side of the fence either!  No matter what we have in life, we always want more.  We have to understand that each of us have means in which we must learn to live.  If you cannot afford an Ancestry membership, go to a local library that provides free access.  It's not that easy for me to attend a conference, but when one comes to my local area, I will eventually be able to attend.  Make lemonade with those lemons!

Decide how much you can afford to spend each year on genealogy and do your best not to go over that amount.  It will cause you to assign value to things and to decide what is really important to your short and long term genealogy goals.  My short term goal is more inline with buying an Ancestry.com membership this year.  My long term goals are more inline with going to conferences.  I can achieve that long term goal, maybe when I retire or pay my house off.  It's not ideal for my wants but it is the most feasible path at this point for my needs.

One way to stretch your genealogy budget is to do what I suggested in a past lesson...get a buddy or join a group.  If two or more people pool their resources, you can gain access to more resources than you could on your own.  A local genealogical society can get group access to online databases.  Your genealogy buddy can go half with you on the cost of a needed book.  Being creative and resourceful can help squeeze more out of the money that you spend, getting you closer to your goals, sooner.

Genealogy Lesson 21 - Setting up your genealogy workspace

Lately I have been remodeling the house that we moved into a few months back, trying to make it our home.  In doing the remodel, I have finally made it around to my new office!  I have had many months to think about how I want to set it up and now that thinking has become reality.  With that in mind, I wanted to write about how to set up a genealogy office or workspace, what you need and do not need in it.

My main requirement is a desk and a comfortable chair.  It is nice if you can afford the space for a second chair, where you can have a friend sit and talk to you.  I also require file cabinets to store all of the papers that I have accumulated.  My plan is to scan them but I still need a place to store everything in the mean time, plus somewhere to store original documents that I plan on keeping long-term.

You will obviously need a trash can and a stapler, a ruler for holding your place in a document, maybe a magnifying glass and some sticky notes.  I also keep a few maps handy, both modern and historical, from the areas I am researching.  I also have any genealogy reference books that I own, within arms reach.  If you cannot get to something easily, you might as well not have it at all.

I have my scanner, and an external hard drive to back up my laptop at least once a month.  I also use a free service called Dropbox that allows me to upload files online that I can view on any computer; anywhere I can get an Internet connection.  This is great for using the same files on your home computer, work computer, the computer at the local archives, even on your iPhone!  I also use Dropbox as an additional backup for my critical files, to keep a safe copy outside of my house.

Other things...you always need basic office supplies; pencils, paper, staples, paperclips, file folders, etc.  Stepping up from basic supplies, I actually bought a rubber stamp with my address, website address, email, etc. so that I can just stamp copies that I send other people, so they know where it came from.  This saves time and helps give credit where credit is due.

I have wireless internet set up in my house already and my laptop connects to it automatically.  I try to plug my laptop into a surge protector when I use it at home, just in case of a power surge.  It might seem silly but I also like to keep coasters and paper towels nearby, to both prevent and clean up any drink spillage!  You would be surprised how many times I knock over my Dr. Pepper!

Two things I do not recommend are televisions and radios.  It is very easy to make mistakes when your attention is divided so I actually like to do my genealogy work in silence.  I typically work after my wife and kids go to bed so that my attention is pretty much undivided.  As a matter of fact, I turn off my email program so that I do not get interrupted by incoming mail!  That might seem extreme but quiet and focus are keys to being a good genealogist.  Why else do you think the librarian shushes you at the library?

As for fun stuff, I have a glass display case where I showcase some of the physical items I have discovered over the years, like my great-grandmother's broach.  I trade the items in and out once in awhile to keep things interesting.  I also have a few family photos, my college diploma and my wife's wedding portrait to cover the walls...all things that inspire me.  There are also a few autographed football helmets that I have collected over the years...I was a big Joe Montana fan despite loving the Redskins.

Keep your space light and airy, paint the walls a soothing color...mine are a golden yellow and it works great with the room.  The most important thing is to make a space that you want to be in, somewhere to serve as your retreat.  You should want to be in the space, it should be functional, and everything you need should be within reach.

You do not have to have a huge area, or spend a bunch of money, to make a great genealogy work space.  As a matter of fact, the only money I spent in my new office was for the paint and a trash can.  I already owned everything else; I just arranged it in the proper fashion.  I am still a little short on time to use it right now, but I am sure that my new office will inspire many discoveries to come!

Genealogy Lesson 20 - Genealogical Reading List

In this Halloween-edition lesson, I thought I would give you some future direction, a bit of homework if you will, a treat more-than a trick!  People often ask about my favorite books. I have to admit that I am not a big reader but I do try to stay up-to-date with my genealogy education. I thought I would throw out a small list of books that I recommend when it comes to family history research.

I would suggest these books for both new and experienced genealogy hobbyists. You can click on the link for each book and it will bring up their listing at Amazon.com. There you can see reviews that others have made about the book and you can even get a copy if you are so inclined. Keep in mind that you can probably get most of these at your local library. If they do not have one at your library, you can always get it on ILL from another facility.

(The books are in no particular order).

1. The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, Third Edition
2. Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian
3. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace
4. The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual
5. More Brickwall Solutions to Genealogy Problems
6. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)
7. Dating Old Photographs 1840-1929
8. More Dating Old Photographs

If you cannot tell, I am fond of the Family Chronicle-produced books/booklets. They have the best photo-dating books around. They seem to contain mostly Canadian photos but the US and Canadian styles apparently did not vary too much.

The Greenwood book is a masterpiece when it comes to learning about American genealogy. If you have a friend or relative that wants to get into genealogy, this book would be a great gift. They will thank you for it later!

The first book listed here - "Evidence" - by Elizabeth Shown Mills is probably the best genealogy book ever written. It mostly lays out how to document your sources but it has become a staple in the genealogy world. Every genealogist should have a copy.

The last one I want to comment on is the "BCG Standards manual". This is the guidebook for getting certified as a genealogist by the Board for the Certification of Genealogists. Even if you are not interested in getting certified, it is a great book to have. It can answer a lot of style and format questions you may have about genealogy reports.

Genealogy Lesson 19 - What to do with all of your genealogy "stuff"

I was looking around my office one day and noticed how many files I had. I literally have hundreds of file folders, filled with copies from deed books or census records. I am extremely neat and organized, everything has its place, but I started thinking about what happens to all of this stuff when I die?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized all of these files have a 99% chance of ending up in the trash. My kids might care less about them so I am running a huge risk of wasting all of my efforts...in the long run. I made a bold decision, one that I might regret later, but I am going through with it for better or worse. I am throwing everything away myself and not waiting for them to do it!

I decided to go through each file and scan everything into my computer, either as a JPEG or PDF. I am then sending copies to anybody I know researching that family. There is no sense in being stingy with what I have if it might advance research on that line. I am also making sure that I have entered everything into my genealogy database and that all of my entries are neat and uniform. My goal for years has been to put together a book of all my research and I am finally doing it!

I also want to focus on preserving the history of my ancestors as opposed to my relatives in general. This is counter to what most genealogists try to do but I want to actually finish the book project and cannot do it while trying to fit in 2,500 people. I want to go back and look for deeds and stuff from my ancestors, that I have neglected to look for in the past. I want to fill in the blanks that I have been too preoccupied with aunts and cousins to do. I also only want to go back about six, maybe seven generations. Anything beyond that tends to get too sketchy for me. I do not operator on theory, only fact.

Now do not get me wrong, I am still looking for marriage, death and SS-5 info for aunts and uncles that may give me info on their parents, my ancestors. I just cannot focus on them any more. I am going to get out a first revision of my family history book, with my ancestors only, and then I might go back and do more detailed books on each family surname. I have enough info in my files to write ten books, easily. I just need to shrink my focus to make sure it gets done.  I need to follow the advice I have been giving you all-along!

The last big decision I have made is to keep only original documents and photographs. I am then going to donate all of those to a local library or society. I have a lot of old, original documents that would make a great public collection. I would like to work a deal with William and Mary or the Library of Virginia to one day start the "Lett Collection" - sounds cool right! I have been a collector of old Virginia documents for some time and will have a rather nice collection by the time I retire from the game. I would like to see it go somewhere safe and enduring.

This is my plan...now put yourself in my shoes.  What are you really going do to with 450 pages of census copies?  What will your legacy be?  Do you want to be remembered as a pack rat or as an author and collector of valuable documents?  Do you want your research in a library or in a trash heap?

Genealogy Lesson 18 - Travel kit for Genealogists

I have been thinking a lot lately about my genealogy travel kit. I do not actually have a kit but I have always intended on putting one together. With that in mind, I want you to help me "design" the perfect genealogy travel kit. It should be light-weight and inexpensive yet have everything that we need. If you have thoughts on the subject, write me an email.  I might add them to this lesson for future readers!

1. I always take a camera with me, preferably a digital one. Digital cameras are great because they save money by not needing to buy film or pay to develop them. You can instantly see what the picture looks like so there is no chance of missing a shot or taking a bad one. You can also upload the photos directly to your computer and prevent the extra step of having to scan them in. The downside of a digital camera is that I tend to take too many pictures, since there is no film cost to hold me back. I then have too many photos to process when get home so things get piled up more than usual.
2. You must have extra batteries or a charger for your camera. Do not forget film if you are using a standard camera.
3. I like to take a small, digital tape recorder with me. You never know when the opportunity will arise for an interview.
4. Paper and pencils are a must! I prefer large sheets of paper, legal size will work, in case I need to rub a tombstone. It is helpful to have something with a broad tip that can easily rub over the engraving. A sharp pencil does not work well in this situation. You can also use the pencils and paper to jot down other notes of interest.  (As a side note...rub with caution!  Take the condition of the stone into consideration and give it the proper respect.  Only rub stones when you must and never use shaving cream or chalk to make the letters or numbers stand out for photographs.  Also, consult local and state laws about tombstone rubbings.  It is actually illegal in some areas.)
5. A GPS unit is a little expensive but it has revolutionized the world of cemetery mapping. Instead of providing detailed directions such as..."walk south down by the old creek, go fifteen feet and cross over where the big tree fell down"...I can give someone exact longitude and latitude coordinates so they can find the site within a few feet. Many cell phones have this feature built in so it might not cost you anything extra.
   
6. A recent copy of the line I am currently researching. If I am traveling to an area where the Lett family is from, I would take copies of my Lett family tree. You never know when you might need to share that information with someone else.
7. An orange hat!!! This is extremely important during hunting season. You need a blaze orange hat on if you are going to romp around in an old cemetery...in the woods. I am sure most people never gave this a thought but better safe than sorry!
8. Quarters, dimes and dollars. Always have a few quarters, dimes and a few dollar bills for the copy machine.
9. A map of the local area. I always have a Virginia and North Carolina map with me at all times. If I am going to a specific county, I try to bring along a map of that area.
10. Business cards. Even if you do not have a business, you should get some cards printed with your contact information. Too many times we meet people and do not have a proper way to exchange contact information. Handing them a card with your contact info will increase the likelihood that they actually call you back.
11. A flashlight...no explanation needed.
12. A basic first-aid kit. There are thousands of ways to cut yourself in an old cemetery, especially one in the middle of a blackberry patch!  Baby wipes can also help clean things up and do not forget to include bug repellent.
13. A cell phone or you must at least tell someone about the trip you are going on. Even a cell phone will not help if you get lost or hurt in some areas. I always have trouble with my phone in Mecklenburg County. I make sure to tell my wife or my parents where I am going, especially if I am going alone.
14. A to-do list. You should always map out your plan for the particular trip. You will be pretty ticked off once you realize that you forgot to take that picture of uncle Sid's grave at Shiloh Baptist Church, the one that is a hundred miles away!
15. A blank computer disk or CD, maybe a flash/jump drive. You might run into someone that has old photos or information saved on their laptop. The easier and cheaper you can make it for them to share, the more likely they will be to do it.
16. A light snack, any medication and some water should round out your kit.  There is always the chance you could get lost for a few hours, maybe longer.  If nothing else, you can use the water to wash your hands or a dirty grave marker.

I am running out of thoughts at this point. I am however going to actually put this kit together for my next genealogy outing. Hopefully I can avoid getting on site, at some far-off place, and having to regret that I left something critical at home.

Genealogy Lesson 17 - Should you keep a research journal?

 

There was something I found the other day that grabbed my attention, enough that I might drive down to Charlotte County. I found the grave of my great-great-grandmother, Malissa Jeffress Coleman, at least an indication of its location, on the Find-A-Grave website. Now it is going to drive me nuts until I drive down there to take a picture since there was none online.

A lot of researchers will tell you to keep a journal of what sources you have searched in the past, so that you do not duplicate your work. I think just the opposite is true. I go out of my way not to keep a journal so that I WILL duplicate the usage of some sources. To look at a source one time and rule it done is silly. It assumes that you did not overlook anything or that new information will not become available. I am not that cocky so I assume that I missed something and will check back a few months or years later.

A great example is this grave on Find-A-Grave. I had checked for it a long time ago and, if I had noted that in a research journal, I may not have checked again. Lucky for me I duplicated that search because someone just recently added her tombstone transcription to the site. If I had not checked again, I would have missed it completely.

The same holds true for old records, such as birth or death registers. You might scan through the names today but miss one that is critical. I check the same registers for the same people, over and over again, and get lucky once in awhile and find something that I missed all of these years.

I am not telling you to throw your research journal out the window but do not let it prevent you from duplicating anything. Some of my best discoveries have been made during a second look at a given resource.

I am also an advocate of letting a brick wall sit for a few years and taking a fresh look later. New resources may have been made available by then or you might just notice something that you missed before. Other research that you have done in the mean time may cause old items to stick out that you overlooked before. Believe it or not, you get smarter every day so the more time has elapsed since the last time you tried to climb the brick wall, the better equipped you are to solve it through your other experiences.

Genealogy Lesson 16 - Make the most of eBay for genealogy research

One of the most under-rated places on the Internet to find genealogy resources is eBay.  Most of you are probably familiar with eBay, if not you must be living under a rock!  EBay is an online auction site where average people sell items to other average people around the world.  It took me awhile to realize it but eBay is an untapped jewel when it comes to genealogy.

There is a place in your eBay account where you can set up a favorite search and have the results e-mailed to you on a regular basis.  Most people do not like subscribing to anything but trust me, this is not spam! I have found many valuable family documents and items because of this service.  It does not cost anything and only takes a few minutes to set it up.

All you have to do is log into your eBay account and go into "My eBay." Click on the "Saved Searches" link and then "Add new Search." From there you can add or remove search terms/words, pricing, location or other parameters from your search.  When you are finished, your search would look something like this:

"+lett +(virginia, VA) -beantown -looney -jazz -funk -beer -killian -killians -"della reese" -"lett-lopi" -lopi -engine -baseball -music -songs -football -leon -dallas -cowboys -bronze -canada -latvia -benchwarmer -italy -mail Sort: Ending First, Located In: United States, Currency: U.S. dollars"

This might look like a foreign language but it is my search for the name Lett. I had to specify that I wanted Virginia only, nothing about Letts in Montana or Nebraska. I also removed a lot of terms that do not interest me. For example, I do not want to see items about the Dallas Cowboy's Leon Lett nor do I want to see anything to do with the singer Earl Lett on Beantown Records. This search allows me to find only items that interest me. It might seem confusing but eBay makes it quite simple to set up, just follow the on-screen instructions.

Every day I get an e-mail from at least one of the many searches I have set up. It lets me know when an item of interest has been posted. Sometimes it might be a reference in the index of a book. Other times it might be an old Bible or family photo. I recently bought a collection of original estate papers, including a handful of family photos, concerning my great-great-great-grandfather, Edward Thomas Cole of Mecklenburg County, Virginia. I have also purchased various old letters, envelopes and even a few newspapers from the communities in which my ancestors lived.

Without the favorite search function on eBay, I would probably have missed out on a lot of neat items that I was able to pick up. The service is free and takes only a few minutes to sign up for. There is no reason not to sign up for it. You obviously have to have an eBay account but that is free as well.

The only thing you will have to do thereafter is bid on the items  that are found and hope that you win! Be careful not to get carried away with the bidding process, although I understand that it is almost impossible to pass on a potential family heirloom. I paid over $500 for the estate papers I mentioned earlier, simply because I slipped and let the seller know that I was desperate to get them. Play it cool, bid with confidence and let me know if you find something good!

Genealogy Lesson 15 - Where can you get accurate GEDCOM files?

I had a reader ask where to find accurate GEDCOM files that he could copy and import into his family tree database.  Any experienced genealogist knows that the obvious answer is nowhere. Unless you do the work yourself, it is hard to truly believe anything that you find or are given.

 

Let me back up for a moment and explain GEDCOM files.  A GEDCOM, or GEnealogical Data COMmunication file, is a means of exporting information from your family tree database and sharing it with others.  All major genealogy programs allow you to import and export your files as GEDCOMs, the standard format being version 5.5.  This allows someone who has Family Tree Maker to share files with someone using Legacy Family Tree. 

 

Keep in mind that GEDCOMs do not capture all of your data.  They do not copy any photos, some source information, some notes, etc.  They capture all of the basic information such as names, dates and places plus the relationships between people.  These files will end with .GED and are quite small, easily emailed to a friend or fellow researcher.

 

With that in mind, it can be tough to find reliable GEDCOM files on the Internet.  If you still want to find some, I would suggest that you use a large site such as Ancestry.com.  A lot of people do not trust the information at sites like Ancestry because no one double-checks anything that is posted by its users.

 

All of the data there has to be taken with a grain of salt. I personally find that the volume of data at Ancestry allows you to compare the research of a lot of people and decide which parts you think are correct.

 

I use what other people have found (or claim to have found) to help direct my next research step. I always go back and verify what they claim but it saves me a lot of time, keeping me from starting with zero.

If you are not a member of Ancestry, I would suggest that you maybe sign up for a free trial and try to copy as much info as you can during that free period. If you find all that you need, cancel the membership and do not pay anything. (I have been a paying member for around ten years now and I still find their service valuable). Copy what you can now, going back later to see what you came up with.  Take your time and sort out what you think is garbage, keep what you think is good and go from there.

For example, if I needed to know the father of Bobby Jo Malone who died in Mecklenburg County in 1790 (a totally fictitious example), I could do a search on Ancestry and see what other researchers have found. I might find ten trees with Bobby Jo and maybe three of them claim to know of his parents. I could then see what notes those files contain and what sources they cite.

 

If I get lucky, one person's tree might have a transcribed will for Bobby Jo's father, naming Bobby Jo as his son, in a county that I never thought of checking! I could then turn around, go to the archives, and get a copy of the will for myself. I may have never found that document otherwise since I would have never checked that particular county.

I have extended many of my own family lines using this technique and would recommend it to anyone, especially if you are facing a brick wall. Your brick wall might be common knowledge to someone else!

Genealogy Lesson 14 - Issues of Privacy

I had a blog reader throw out a question about genealogy and privacy. They asked if I knew of any Virginia law that would prevent them from including a living person's information in their family tree, if the person in question objected. I would assume the intent was to publish this tree online or in print, in order to actually draw the objection.

I do not know of anything specifically, in a legal sense, but I would personally avoid publishing the information of anyone living. It is just not a good practice. Think of it like this...what is the first thing your credit card asks you when you call.?.."what is your mother's maiden name?" If you publish that information online, you are giving identity thieves a head start. Even obituaries tend to give away too much information in some cases.

Virginia law prevents the Department of Health from releasing any birth record for 100 years and any marriages, divorces or deaths for 50 years, unless you are an extremely close family member. I do not know of any other laws off the top of my head. I know you can get recent marriage licenses at county courthouses but they at least censor the Social Security number.

In general, if someone asks that you remove their information...I would. It is not worth ticking them off when they may have something you want down the road (photos, documents, etc.). I would personally be mad if someone published my kid's information online so I can agree with the person in question. As a matter of fact, I have never given anyone access to my personal family tree database file. I only share bits and pieces about deceased individuals, upon request. I keep the information of living individuals very private.

Now, if the person in question is the deceased child of a living person, that is a slightly different story. I would feel okay displaying that child's information but not their parent's info. The child probably had an obituary in the newspaper that gave all of their facts publicly anyway.

In short, use your judgment and respect the privacy of others. I would follow the "Golden Rule" of do unto others as you would have others do unto you. If you would not like a particular fact about you published, why would you publish the same thing for another person?  Guard your own information, especially your Social Security number.

Genealogy Lesson 13 - Using Common Sense in Communication

Lately I have thought a lot about genealogy and email.  Not so much about how we use email in genealogy but instead what we do with email in genealogy.  I get email from people, all of the time, about various family lines that I am researching.  The big question is how do you process this type of correspondence?

 

I get tons of email from people whose research I do not trust.  I might look it over but it is probably going into the recycle bin.  They often present undocumented speculation or hearsay.  If someone tells me all about John and Jane Doe from 1693, I tend to downplay its accuracy quite a bit.  Records from that time period are very hard to come by and few families can be documented, with any certainty, that far back. 

 

Think about it, people back then remarried often so maiden names are almost impossible to find.  There were ten cousins named John or William or James, so trying to separate them is pretty much a joke.  Unless you find first-generation documents that have actual signatures or wax seals, you often cannot accurately tell one John from another.  I am being a little pessimistic but at the same time...I am being realistic.

 

Now do not get me wrong, there are a few people out there who can stand behind their work from the 1600s.  I know a couple of researchers that have scoured every available detail about a given family but they put thousands of hours into researching that one group.  Most people give a limited amount of time to tracing any one line.  It is therefore hard to consider yourself, or anyone else, an expert on a particular family or surname.

 

So back to the email connection...what do you do with an email that might have some potentially valuable information?  Whatever you do with it, do so right away.  If you do not process it immediately,  the email will probably get lost in your inbox, never to be seen again. 

 

Save a tree and do not print it out, no matter how worthy of a paper copy it may be!  Copy and paste the interesting parts into your family tree database and note who sent you the information.  It is important that you only create a note and DO NOT add the information to your actual tree.  Until you prove the information is reliable, only keep it in your notes!

 

I like Family Tree Maker, the way it has "tasks" that you can set up for future research.  If someone emailed me to say that John and Jane Doe married in 1693, I would copy the information into their notes section and then create such a task.  That task would remind me later to actually find the source of their marriage.  Only after finding the actual source would I consider adding it to my database.

 

You have to use common sense a lot in genealogy.  You need to realize that some people are good researchers and others are not-so-good!  A lot of people just suck up information like a sponge and regurgitate it around the web, fact or not.  You have to learn which people produce junk and which ones can be trusted.

 

Ally yourself with researchers that are as good or even better than you are, so that you can learn from them.  No one ever got smarter by hanging around people that are dumber than they are!  Challenge yourself and each other.  If someone is sending you undocumented information, call them on it.  Ask where they got the information.  If they have no answer, they have nothing!   Promptly give them the link to my website so they can take my lessons too!

 

Genealogy is a nit-picky beast, that is for certain.  You have to be prepared to challenge people and to be challenged by others.  Stay on your toes and be ready for anything.  There is no end-all-be-all manual or guide for genealogy.  You have to know something of value when you see it...on your own.  You also have to be able to weed out the junk.  By all means, share what you find with others but do not be the one who sends out recycle bin fodder! 

 

Be proud of your work and send out only your best, documented material.  Your ancestors would thank you for the accuracy.  I would be pretty mad if you tacked a bunch of kids under my name that did not belong to me!

Genealogy Lesson 12 - Get a Genealogy Friend

I am in a rut at the moment but that happens from time to time.  I get lazy and genealogy becomes the last thing on my mind.  Real life takes priority and I have to walk away from the dead people.  It is hard for me to take a long break, knowing that I have a lot of people "following" my lessons.

 

Lately I have been on a mental vacation and it has given me time to think.  You see, I do not write blog posts or these lessons for the money or the fame...good luck with those!  I do these things because I like them and I tend to step back when they become too much like a job.  Once the fun is gone, I quit for awhile.

 

One of my biggest, general problems is that I do not have a real genealogy "buddy" - someone who keeps me motivated.  My wife has little interest in family history and my kids are too young.  It is just me and I only answer to myself in a lot of ways.  I have lots of genealogy "friends" but no one to do genealogy with. 

 

If I go to the archives, I go alone and no one gets excited when I make a big find.  It is somewhat of a lonely existence but that is reality for me.  Maybe that is why I do these lessons...to communicate with others of a like mindset.  I have lots of knowledge, especially about Virginia genealogy, and it would be a shame to keep it all inside.

 

You might be wondering, "where is the lesson here?" so here you go...get out there and mingle with others who are interested in genealogy.  Join a local historical society or start a blog.  Share what you know and take in what others are offering.  Genealogy is not the study of your family but the study of all families.  Treat it like a hobby to be shared and not something you do behind closed doors.

 

You do not have to spend a lot of time or invest a lot of money.  The point is to get involved with someone or something that will bring you back to genealogy when you get pulled away.  If it were not for my blogs and lessons, I might put genealogy down for months or even years at a time.  Instead, I feel some responsibility to my readers so they bring me back.

 

Humans are social creatures and need the encouragement of others to survive.  That is an extreme statement...but you get the idea.  For the health of your research, you need to be social about it.  Join the DAR or SCV...anything!  Find yourself some genealogy motivation, someone or something to depend on you.  You will quickly find that it is good to feel wanted, needed and relevant!

 

There are literally hundreds of groups that you can join.  Go to Google and search "genealogy society" or "genealogy group."  You should have no problem finding people who are interested in the same families and geographic areas that you are.  We all win when information is shared, as long as it is well-documented information!  The point is to just get out there, meet some new people and share your hard work with others.

Genealogy Lesson 11 - What is the Soundex?

How is your last name spelled?  Is it spelled like it sounds?  Are there any silent letters?  These are important questions to ask when attempting to locate family records.  Most genealogical and vital record indexes are in alphabetical order, by last name.  The spelling of the last name can be critical to find such a record.  You have to keep an open mind, and remember to look for misspellings.

 

Take my last name for example, Lett.  I have seen it spelled as Lett, Lette, Lott, Letts, Litt and other butcherings of this simple name.  Imagine if my last name were Harshbarger or Omohundro?  How many misspellings could come out of those names? Keep in mind that most people would spell your name the way it sounds.  This practice of spelling by phonics needs to be in the back of your mind at all times.

 

Pretend that it is 1860 and you are the census taker.  You approach a small farm and the wife answers the door.  You proceed to ask questions, including the names of each resident.  She tells you the family surname and you ask, "how is it spelled?"  She responds..."I don't know, I cannot write."  What are you going to do?  You are going to sound out the name and write down something that is close enough.

 

There is a system of coding last names called the Soundex.  This is a mathematical equation that gives similar sounding letters a common value.  It does not use vowels and it drops any double instances of consonants.  Take the word "Mississippi" for example, the Soundex would code it as "MSSP" and would therefore have a Soundex code of M221.  Even if the census taker recorded the name as Misisipi, it would still show up under code M221.

 

The Soundex is a little confusing but a lot of genealogy sites, like Ancestry.com, use it to help locate records for your family.  It alleviates many of the problems caused by misspelling, especially those that were misspelled phonically.  The Soundex is not something we use when looking in an index at the local court house but we can use its principles.  Always remember to add or remove double letters (check both Lett and Let) and change and/or drop vowels (check Latt, Lett, Litt, Lott, Lutt, etc.)  This might help you locate a record that has eluded you for some time.

 

Here is another example of how indexes can also be to blame for mis-classification.  My wife had an ancestor named Spencer B. Worth.  For years I could not find his marriage record but I finally stumbled upon it one day...completely by accident.  I saw a marriage bond index with the name "Bettisworth, Spencer" included.  It caught my attention, enough that I set out to find the original marriage bond.  The bond clearly stated the name as "Spencer Bettis Worth."  Not only did I find the marriage bond, I also found Spencer's middle name!

 

Never take "no" for an answer when looking in an index.  Indexes are great but they are not the end-all, be-all.  People that create indexes do their best to decipher the names written on original documents.  If you think about it, there is two-to-three times as much room for error in an index when compared to the original source.  The lady gave her last name as Omohundro, but she could not spell it.  The census taker wrote the name down phonically as Omohandro.  The indexer could not read the writing and indexed the name as Onohamdro.

 

There are hundreds of ways to spell a name wrong and only one way to get it right.  You have to learn which ways your name is typically misspelled and remember to check for them when searching indexes.  You will be surprised at how many "new" documents you can find, under the "wrong" last name.

Genealogy Lesson 10 - Social Networking on Facebook, MySpace & Twitter

By now you should be pretty well versed in using the Internet.  It can be a powerful tool for finding information about your ancestors.  You have to be careful what you take for fact as anyone can write anything online.  Use common sense and try to find primary sources for any "facts" you find stated on the web.

 

One of the great internet advances of the past few years has been social networking.  Sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter allow you to easily communicate with family and friends.  I can keep up with what my distant cousins are doing and it takes little effort on either of our parts.  These services are free and can do wonders for your research network.

 

Of the three, Facebook is the most dominant right now.  MySpace was really big a few years ago but it seems too commercial for me - full of ads.  Twitter is something totally different so I will address that last.

 

The basic premise of Facebook and MySpace is the same.  You create a homepage about yourself by writing a small bio and can even add a few pictures.  After setting up your page, you then go about finding other people that you know and become their "friend."  You can thereafter see when they update items on their page and they can also see your updates.  This notification system allows you to keep up with lots of people in an automated fashion.

 

Twitter is very basic.  You set up a homepage and all it requires is that you answer one question..."What are you doing right now?"  You can only type 140 characters per message and what you write is broadcast to all of your followers (sorta like your Facebook friends).  Facebook and MySpace have a similar feature but they are called "status updates."  Twitter messages are called "Tweets."

 

Now how does this related to genealogy?  Set up a page and invite all of your genealogy contacts to be friends.  It is great way to keep in touch and to share new discoveries.  You can offer as little or as much information about yourself as you like.  Some people feel the need to tell the world that they just brushed their teeth.  (I am serious...people tell you things like that).

 

Go ahead and try them out and it will not cost you anything as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are free.  They make money from sponsors so you do not have to pay anything.  Your genealogy network will start to grow before you know it.

Genealogy Lesson 9 - Ordering Vital Records

I want to get back to some basics today...where to find records.  This is a tough point for me to address because every city,  county and state is different.  I can say that most localities have at least maintained birth, marriage, divorce and death records.  Those are pretty much the basic forms of vital records.

 

If you need to find one of these records, start with the state in question.  Do an Internet search for the state name plus "vital statistics," "vital records" or "health department."  One of these searches should lead you to the official record-keeping agency for that state.  Their website should have a FAQ section that will explain how to obtain copies for genealogical research.

 

Keep in mind that most states have privacy laws that limit your access to vital records.  There is usually a waiting period of say 50 or 100 years for a given record.  Some states will give you an "un-certified" copy right now but it is not considered a legal document.  Other states will provide copies but then censor certain information, such as the cause of death or Social Security number.

 

Some states will be able to help you at the state-government level.  Others will refer you to the state archives for more information.  Sometimes they will tell you to contact the actual county or city in question.  One benefit at the county level is that copies are usually cheaper or even free.  As a note, I usually only go after county clerks if I need a copy of a will, deed or marriage bond...something not kept at the state level.

 

Be prepared to shell out some money though.  Most states charge stiff fees for copies of vital records.  Those fees usually include the search, one copy and return postage.  I think the fees also attempt to discourage people from requesting too many copies.  Take Social Security for example...A few years ago you could get copies of a deceased person's SS-5 for a few bucks.  Now it is almost thirty dollars per copy!  They simply jacked up the price to reduce demand.  They make the same amount of money overall yet they have to make fewer copies.

 

Getting copies of vital records can take a lot of work on your part.  There are a few one-stop shopping companies that will try to get the record for you, obviously for an increased fee.  I have never tried this type of service as I would just as soon take the time to do it for myself. 

 

Always remember that you usually forfeit any fees that you pay, to the state or a third party vendor, if no record is found.  It is a crap shoot but that never stops me from rolling the dice!  To keep my costs in check, I set aside about $20 per month that I can use to order records.  All you need to do is come up with a budget and a list of the records that you want.  As the months pass, go down your list and order them one by one.

Genealogy Lesson 8 - Take a Break!!!

Did you think that I had forgotten about you?  I wanted to make a point with the time between the seventh and eighth lessons...to remind you to take a break!  One of the best things you can do to help your research is to leave it alone.  Genealogy is supposed to be fun, so the moment it becomes "work" for you, leave it be for at least a week.

 

I go through periods where I think about genealogy 24-7.  Then I will hit a spell where the last thing I want to see is a census record!  My relationship with genealogy is much like that of a really good friend.  I love my friend but too much time together can be trouble!  Sometimes you just need your space to save the friendship.

 

Usually I take a break in the middle of a big project.  Instead of pushing it through to completion, I will just let it sit.  Sometimes you get so wrapped up in a project that you will begin to miss its flaws.  If you step away for a few days, you might begin to notice things that you missed or perhaps overstated.  Fresh eyes can see things that tired eyes will miss.

 

I have personally been on "break" for about the past two days.  For me that means no research, no clients, no blog posts, no meetings, no library, no archives, no cemeteries, no email and sometimes no Internet!  It is hard to "fast" from modern connectivity but sometimes you need to do it.  I like to remember what life was like before I became addicted to my computer.

 

For the past two days, I have filled my time with other things.  I have spent more time with my kids...real time, not just at dinner or when putting them to bed or giving baths.  I have been watching more movies with my wife at night, instead of looking at the computer.  I also have spent more time hanging out with my friends, going to Buffalo Wild Wings and just watching a game.

 

The point of my rambling is to tell you...love the hobby but do not let it consume you.  It sounds silly but genealogy can take over your life.  My mom always told me to worry about the living and forget about the dead.  I can see her point but that does not change the fact that I love genealogy.  Just remember to cherish YOUR life and YOUR lifetime.  As I have said many times, the dead people are not going anywhere.

Genealogy Lesson 7 - Citing your Sources

By now you have realized that I am not exactly holding your hand and taking you step-by-step into genealogy.  I assume that you have at least some basic knowledge of what to do.  My objective is to get your research off to a sound start.  I want you to be thorough in what you do, focus on quality versus quantity and above all...cite your sources.

 

Citing your sources is the most tedious part of genealogy but it can be the most rewarding.  I will give you a real-life example of how citing sources can get you out of a bind...

 

I run the manufacturing center for a local robotics company.  We are putting out a new product line that currently takes over one hundred man hours to produce.  That is an astronomical amount of time, but it is what it is.  I keep meticulous records and can prove how long it took each worker to build each part of the finished unit. 

 

This afternoon a co-worker tried to call me out on how long it really takes to build a unit.  He made the statement that he could "build the same robot, with no experience, in less than fifty hours"...and said this in front of my boss!  I immediately pulled out a spreadsheet documenting all of the build times, along with the corresponding work tickets, and he immediately looked like an idiot.  He shut his mouth and went back to work.

 

I was not shaken by his comment in the least.  I had the documented proof and all he had was conjecture.  In the end, no one likes that a unit takes one hundred hours to build.  However, like I stated before, it is what it is.  I have the proof in black and white and no one can argue with that.

 

Now let's translate this example into genealogy terms.  If you find a fact, be it a birth date, marriage location or mother's maiden name, write down the exact place that you found it.  In short, if you cannot reproduce your results...they are worthless.  You have to keep track of everything that you locate.  This is where programs like Family Tree Maker come in handy.  This type of database program allows you to easily track your sources (and defend them later if needed).

 

Let me also clarify this...you do not need to photocopy everything!!!  I see people at the archives paying a dollar to photocopy the title page on a reel of microfilm.  It is totally acceptable to write the information on the copy of the document and not actually copy the title page.  Save yourself the money!  As long as you can reproduce the search, that is all you need. 

 

Write down the title, author, reel number...whatever...just enough so you could go back later and find the document again...just in case someone challenges your research in the future. 

 

As long as you can prove where you got your information, you will do a great job in this hobby.  If not, you come across as  unreliable when someone questions "where did you get great-great-grandma's date of birth?" and all you can come up with is "I do not remember."  With that in mind, I would strongly suggest that you get a copy of Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian by Elizabeth Shown Mills.  It is the premier resource on source citation for genealogical purposes.  I should also mention that Ms. Mills has more recently put out a second version of the book, Evidence Explained:Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace 2nd Edition.

 

One other quick tip before I wrap up....always cite your sources on the front of a photocopy, not the back.  If you make a photocopy of that copy for someone else later on, you will save time and money by only needing to copy the fronts!

Genealogy Lesson 6 - Primary versus Secondary Sources

When researching someone in my family tree, I always want to find their "basic" information.  That includes a birth, marriage and death date.  I also like to get their full name and burial location.  These are my goals for each person...at least my simple goals.

 

In most cases, it is easier to find these bits of information if you work backwards.  You should always trace the life of a person from their burial, back to their birth.  Their death occurred in more recent times and is therefore likely to be better documented.  Let's say you found a specific burial record, that would probably give you the place and date of death.  With that information, you can go looking for the death certificate.

 

Every locality is different but state health departments generally maintain birth, marriage, divorce and death records.  Most counties at least have copies of marriages at the local level.  Take Virginia for example, the state required that records be kept between 1853 and 1896 and then after 1912.  Births are public record after 100 years while marriage, divorce and death records go public after 50 years.  You should call the local county in question and ask about their specific holdings and requirements.

 

Once you get your hands on the death record, that should provide a birth date and location, the names of his/her parents and the locations of their births, plus the name of the person's spouse.  That information would be great...BUT...keep one important fact in mind...the dead person probably did not provide that information.  The data may have been provided by a child, neighbor, friend, spouse or other relation and therefore cannot be considered a primary source.  Only the death information is primary...everything else is secondary.

This "secondary" designation does not devalue the information provided on the death record.  Instead it is a caution flag.  The information is probably true or at least thought to be true by the person who provided it.  There is generally some grain of truth in the information.  Use that data as a road map to better sources, preferably primary sources.

I want to make sure we are clear on the definition of a primary and secondary source.  If grandpa provided his own birth date for his tombstone, that is a secondary source.  This is a little tricky but true.  Grandpa only knows his birth date as best as it was told to him.  His actual birth certificate would be a primary source.  I will tell you two funny stories about birth dates...

My mom and I went on a cruise when I was in middle school.  We were going to the Bahamas so she needed her birth certificate for Customs.  I went with her to vital statistics to get a copy but they were unable to find one.  It took several minutes of searching before they finally found it.  My mom was actually born in 1943, not 1942 as she was always told!  How did she gain a year and never know it?

My dad used to work with a man for many years at the local paper mill.  The man decided to retire and went to Social Security to file the necessary paperwork.  He came back the next day bewildered.  After a few hours at Social Security they had convinced him that his younger brother was older than he was!  His parents had thirteen children and apparently mixed up the birth dates at some point.  The man ended up working two more years before they would let him retire!

Primary sources are documents created as close as you can get to the actual event, where the information is provided by the most logical and relevant source.  Anything else is pretty much a secondary source.  In reality, probably nine out of ten sources are secondary or even greater removed from primary.  Keep this in mind when valuing the weight of one source versus another.