FINDING YOUR ROOTS

Getting Started on Genealogy

Presented by Linda ChristensenStonington Free Library, Stonington, CTOctober 15, 2015

1

2

“ We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies” Shirley Abbott

3

Goals for Today:

- Why do genealogy?

- Where do I start?

- What do I do with the

information I accumulate?

- Where can I search locally and

beyond?

4

Why are we doing this?

Starting out with a definite goal in mind, helps to keep you focused and not be overwhelmed.

For example: I am researching because: 1) I want to verify my husband’s family’s

link to the Mayflower as given to me by his aunt, and

2) 2) I am interested in the family migration from Massachusetts to Michigan.

5

ALWAYS START WITH YOURSELF

• Begin with important documents: birth and marriage certificates, military or educational records, citizenship papers, diplomas, newspaper clippings, photos.• Look at old journals or diaries.

• Take some time to write down your memories about places you’ve lived, what it was like growing up, what your home and your hometown were like, as well as stories about your parents and grandparents.

6

Interview

- Record the interview - digitally or taped – but also take notes - Start with older relatives - Be prepared with a list of questions

- Note the date and the interviewer- Begin with broad questions- Always start with:

- What is your full name, including birth middle, maiden and

last name- What is your date of birth and where were you

born- Early Childhood – Family, home, school, neighborhood- Adult life - Occupation, travel, military, important events

(war, hurricanes, etc…)

- End with - what do they think about…, advice for younger generation

7

ANCESTRAL CHART

8

Record Information Consistently

- Write surnames in CAPITAL LETTERS- John Phillip SOUSA

- Write dates military style - Day, Month, Year

- 15 Oct 2015- Write names of places from smallest to largest (city, county, state, country) - Preston, New London, Connecticut, USA

9

Collect everything - digitally

- Photograph or scan- Pictures- Documents

- Birth, marriage, divorce, death

- Immigration and naturalization papers

- School or work related documents

- Important newspaper articles- Religious

- Family heirlooms - Bibles

10

Where Did You Get It?

Always source your information- Where did you get it?- Where can others find it?

You are building a case to prove the reliability of your information. The more sources you have that prove a fact, the better.

11

Start Organizing

Binders Filing System

12

Genealogy Software Online Tree Builder

13

Work Backwards From Known to

Unknown.

Work backwards from the present to the past, one generation at a time.

This will help you keep from making mistakes.

Dates and places of events are just as important as names.

14

WHAT NEXT?

You’ve interviewed, collected, and recorded what you have –

Now what do you do?

1)Pick a family line to work on

2)What do you want to know? - (Example) When and where was my grandmother born?

15

What Are You Looking For?

Who A full name (middle name if available) Use a woman’s maiden name, if known

What The event: birth, death, marriage, etc…

Where It is important to know the place where a

person was born, married, lived, or died, etc… When

An (at least) approximate date for a vital event

(birth, death, marriage, etc…

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

16

Look for Original Records:Primary Sources

A primary source is one created by an eyewitness of an event.

A secondary source is based on evidence gathered after an event occurred by a person who was not an eyewitness.

17

Start Locally Look for the facts

Local Town Hall Local Library Start Branching Out

County offices in some statesState Libraries

18

Vital records are civil records of births, marriage, deaths, etc.

Keeping vital records only began after the mid 19th or early in the 20th century.

Start with yourself and work backwards.Then obtain birth, marriage and, if

applicable, death certificates for your parents, then grandparents, etc.,

Vital Records:

19

Birth certificates reveal:Baby’s name, birth date and parents

Birthplaces of both parents, their age, their occupations, and their address

The number of other children

Birth Certificates:

20

Before the 1850’s look for them with town clerks in New England and county clerks.

After 1850s at State Board of Health/Bureau of Vital Statistics.

Other sources of marriage records:Justice of the Peace registersChurch records

Marriage Records:

21

Death certificates can reveal:Place and cause of death.

Name of deceased’s parents,

Residence at time of death,

Exact date of death, and date of burialName of informant and relationship to

deceased

Funeral home that handled the arrangements, name of cemetery

Death Certificates:

22

EVALUATE INFORMATION

Evaluate all written and oral evidence

Remember the old adage: Just because it’s in print (or online, or what Grandma told you) doesn’t make it true.

Be particularly wary of copying other’s research.

23

In the U.S., a census has been taken every 10 years from 1790 through 2010.

1790 to 1940 censuses are available to genealogists to search.

Census Records:One of the best original records

24

1790 through 1840 censuses listed head of household plus number of others living there.

More about the U.S. Federal Census:

25

Beginning in 1850, census lists all names, ages, places of birth, occupations, etc.

1870 census indicates if the individual’s parents were foreign born.

1880 and later censuses added:Birthplaces (country or state only) of each person’s

parents.

U.S. Federal Census cont.

26

1880 Census Data•Name of each person in household•Relationship to Head of Household•Personal Description- Age- Sex- Color- Birthplace- Marital Status (Single, Married, Widowed, Divorced)- Married within previous year- Month of Marriage, If married within the previous year- Deaf, dumb, blind or insane- Occupation- Sick or temporarily disabled- Maimed, crippled, bedridden or otherwise disabled•Place of Birth- Each person’s parents•Education- Attended school in previous year- Ability to read and write in English•Home Data- Value of Real Estate•Location- Name of street and number of house- City/Village/Town/Borough- County

27

1890 federal census was (mostly) destroyed by fire.

1900 and 1910 censuses include:the age of each individual, how many

years he had been married, year of immigration, citizenship status.

U.S. Federal Census cont.

28

1920 and 1930 censuses also:age & lists the year of naturalization.

Start with 1940 and work backwards.

U.S. Federal Census cont.

29

Start with most recent census (1940) and work backwards.

Note similar names living nearby.

Watch for spelling errors. Do not be wedded to one surname spelling.

Always keep track of the source.

Searching the U.S. Census:

30

Census Information is available at: Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest , familysearch.org and elsewhere.

Heritage Quest can be searched at home. Go to iconn.org, Genealogy, and then Heritage Quest. Type in your library barcode.

Searching Census Information on Computer Databases:

31

Heritage Quest is another great genealogy database provided through Connecticut libraries. It also provides access to 1790-1940 census images (and much more).

Heritage Quest:

32

33

Available at www.familysearch.orgwww.ancestry.comHeritage Quest

With their Social Security number you can write for a copy of the deceased’s “Application for a social security card,” form SS5.

Social Security Death Index:

34

To obtain a copy, write to:

https://www.socialsecurity.gov/forms/ssa-711.pdf

The Original SS Card Application:

35

Stonington Resources

- Local History Books- History of the town of Stonington- Homes of our Ancestors in Stonington

CT- Stonington Graveyards: a guide- In the Village by Anthony Bailey

- Library Resources- Genealogy - 929- Connecticut - 974

-R.W. Woolworth Library and Research Center

- Stonington Historical Society

36

1) Start your search with yourself2) Record Information Consistently3) Write Down where the Information Came From (Source)4) Organize5) Search for Original Records

- Vital Records- Census- Social Security- Church Records- Military Records

6) Evaluate Your Information

SUMMARY

37

Thanks for Coming!

- Handout of useful resources- Local Repositories- Useful websites- Ancestral Chart- Genealogy Software

- My Email - LindaCh5@comcast.net

Special thanks to Elaine Jones Hayes, Laramie County Library, Cheyenne, Wyoming for sharing information and resources.