Looking closely at the census, you have to analyze everything you see. For example. in the 1930 U.S. Census, the census taker asked how old the person was at his first marriage. The wife was also asked the same question. First, you can estimate the year when they were born. Based on the answers of both the husband and wife, you can compare them to see if this is his first or second wife. You can also look at the children to see if they are children of the first wife or t

Do you write your notes on any kind of paper? Whether it's a napkin or a used envelope, I've used them all. Well, let me tell you, that's a mistake. Notes are important. As such, they should be filed with the surname you're searching. I've learned that lesson. Little pieces of paper are no good to you if you can't remember where you got the information from. Note taking should be one of those things that you automatically do without stressing over it. Preferably use a

In my collection of photos, I came across a picture of the house I grew up in. I didn't think anything of it until I started writing the first chapter of the family book. Then I realized I had missed opportunities throughout my married life. I do not have a photo of our first apartment nor of the second. I do have a photo of our first house, incidental, because I was really taking a photo of our children in front of the door. After that I started taking photos of the hom

There are so many forms out there that you could go crazy finding one that particularly fills your need. Pedigree charts are pretty much standard, although I like some better than others. But the charts I'm talking about are the research logs or Source Forms. Even timelines differ. I like to create my own for the particular information that I like to have. Too, I can make the spaces bigger than I can find on forms that are on the internet. It's easy to create your own t

I know that you've used familysearch.org before. You have probably used the word lists that you can access on the website. This is just a reminder that they are there. Sometimes as we search, we forget the many helpful articles, aids, and forms that are out there to make our "job" easier. If you don't know where they are, just click on "Help" on the top right of the window, click on wiki and you'll find them.

If you can"t figure out where your ancestor lived , look at the census. If he didn't own land, find the closest neighbor who owned his land and look for his land records.

When you're researching your ancestors, do you try to complete a family group, or do you just research your direct line as a link in the chain of descent? You might miss many things if you don't consider the family group. One ancestor might have a vital clue in his records that you might miss if you don't research all the members of that family. In my researching my family, only one sibling had the grandparents listed in his baptism. Even the parents didn't have their par

If you're looking in the census, and you come across a John Smith, Sr., on one page and John Smith, Jr., on another page, don't assume that they are father and son. He may be a nephew. The same thing happens when speaking of a family member. He/She may have called a family friend "Aunt" or "Uncle", but they might not have been family at all. Growing up, in my community, we were told as children, to say "Aunt" or "Uncle" as a form of respect. I referred to a family member

My last post mentioned using City Directories. These directories include whether a person rents or owns the property on which they live. A Census usually does too. Have you looked in your county's land records? These have a wealth of information you can use. Try it.

As I mentioned yesterday, city directories are another source to research. If you find ancestors on there, look for the information on whether they are renting or if they own. If they own, look for the land deeds. If they are renting, look for the land deed, researching by address as well. You never know, the owner of the place might be a family member. If you live in the same city, go to the address and take a photo.