Documentation and Proofs - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

Citing

micaelabowers — 21 Sep 2008 11:59:24 GMT

When I began my research several years ago, I was new to genealogy and I never cited. Now, of course, I know I should. Well, while looking for information on a cousin who recently passed away, I found reports I'd done in 2003 that I didn't realize existed. There are many events listed in the reports on several family members but the evidence of most of the events were lost in Hurricane Katrina. How do I now cite these newly rediscovered events from the reports that I complied in 2003?

Family Heirlooms. Who owns them by law?

lloydowen1966 — 6 Nov 2008 3:39:45 GMT

My great great grandmother was a famous poacher in the Hertfordshire area who died in 1930 and is still talked about in the area to this day.

When she died she had no family around to care for her, they had all left the area. She knew her way around the bible very well and owned a tattered copy which was left in her cottage when she died.

This bible is now kept in Hertford Museum. They claim to have been given title to it by someone in 1932. Personally i think i should have it as it belonged to my great great grandmother.

Does anyone know where i stand on this?

Millennium Files

onlinenewsletters — 9 Mar 2007 12:35:55 GMT

Hello All!

I am trying to find out some information about the Millenium Files on Ancestry.com. I need to know how reliable they are. I have found an ancestor or two on Family Data Files, which I don't trust without some back up from traditional sources but this is the first time I have encountered a Millennium file and am not too sure about its information.

Thank you

Becky

HELP WITH READING MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

jmc39780 — 27 Apr 2008 4:18:48 GMT

Would someone be able to help me and see if they can read information from this marriage certificate. I have tried to fiddle with it on a computer program I have but can't seem to make any difference. Would like to know grooms occupation, want to make sure that grooms father is definitely James and also what the writing is in the bottom right hand corner. Any help would be great.

Thanks Jodie

Questions on Birth Certificates

brianhhhhh153 — 4 Aug 2008 9:35:30 GMT

I'm doing some genealogy research on my family and I came across some Birth Certificates for someone in my family and I wanted to ask some questions about them.

There is one birth certificate for this person dated about two weeks after the birth. The date signed is about a week after the birth and the the date received by the local Reg. is the day after that.

I found a second birth certificate for the same person dated about four months after the birth date with "date signed" and "date received by local reg." about four months after the birth date as well. Different dates than the first one.

Would it be usual to have different dates for these on different copies?

Also the attendants are different people on the different copies although I think both were doctors in the town. Both certificates say 1 attendant but have different names and signatures for that one.

Would different copies list different attendants?

The second certificate has a number over the line that says "child" and the first one does not have a number there.

One thing I noticed is the second certificate has a 1-N and a three digit number on the "parents" line. The last number is a one.

The first certificate is very faint with the 1-n and a three digit number but it looks like the last two are zeros which are not the numbers in the second certificate.

Would this mean anything if they were different numbers on the Parents line?

The whole thing looks very sloppy with them mistaking a G for a six and an eight for a nine on the birth number so it may be typos in some areas.

Would any of these things question the validity of the information on the birth certificates? Is this normal for Birth Certificates to be this way?

Thanks,
Brian

Citing a second hand source

jrboddie — 4 Sep 2008 12:17:13 GMT

Suppose you receive a list of facts from another researcher. The facts have source citations. How do you cite these facts in your database? Do you just use the citations directly from the other researcher or do you somehow indicate that *your* source for this information is the other researcher?

Un Married Couples & their children

AAmmons1978 — 28 Aug 2008 2:35:05 GMT

The only option is to add a spouse on the set up her on Ancestry. But some couples were not married.
How would others handle this to add the children to the tree? I was thinking to add as spouse but then make a notation on marriage description "Not Married".
I'm not judging here, I just dont want others after me to waste time looking for marriage records that do not exist.

April

Are Ancestry.com, Genealogy.com and Familysearch.org legitimate sources of genealogy information?

scoutmarch16 — 24 Oct 2008 2:27:58 GMT

Hi,

I'm a novice at genealogy and was told by a more experienced genealogist that Ancestry.com, Genealogy.com and Familysearch.org were not legitimate sources for genealogy information. Is this true?

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Finding Dates of Death

TraceySavage72 — 1 Aug 2008 10:14:32 GMT

Can anyone give me some tips on how to find the dates of death of people who I have no idea when they died? The searches on ancestry for the death register seem fairly unhelpful unless the person died after 1984 or very close to their year of birth. Similarly I have difficulty with marriage: although this is slightly easier as I can usually find it by hunting through the marriage registers starting a year or two before the first child is born.

Is their an easier way? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

Citing Source

jasonh08 — 21 Jul 2008 1:54:59 GMT

I'm in the process of entering approximately 200 pages of data that has been passed to my from my Aunt. I don't know where the documents originated or whether or not I need to cite the material. Thoughts??

Documenting States Pre-USA

brynn374 — 7 Nov 2007 8:40:28 GMT

Hello,

I have a question regarding how to document locations before the USA was formed. Do you just leave off "USA" when entering the location? Should it be documented if it was colony at the time or a territory? I'm not sure how to handle it.

Thanks,
Brenda

Early colonists---bad genealogy

44040 — 16 Apr 2008 6:39:30 GMT

I need to implore people to disregard early colonists supposedly born here in the 1620-30s.
If your ancestor arrived before this date, it will be well-recorded somewhere other than just on ancestry.
The names may be correct, the dates may even be correct but not birthplaces.
If you're just following the little green leaf, it may just mean that someone elses shoddy work was copied a couple of times.
I plead guilty too.

Validity of Death Certificates

melaniedalessandro — 7 Apr 2008 5:58:00 GMT

Hi, I was wonder what opinions people have as far as death certificates. Would you consider all info on them "proof" or valid?

I've learned the hard way and realized that Cemetery records were not always "correct" just wondering if I can DEPEND on the mother's name on the death cert.

Same questiona applies for Birth cert?

Tentative links - best selection and documentation

karyanca — 15 Mar 2008 2:57:05 GMT

Sorry in advance for the length. I'm working in a region with a relatively stable population (good) but very spotty records (bad). This results in a game I like to call "Pick the Right John" (or Charles or George).

***PART 1 - Picking the right "John"***

For example, right now I have a George and William, who are very likely brothers (sons of John, another story). They live on the same small island and both have sons named John. In 1859, one of the sons marries Martha. Which one?

So, tips and tricks:

(a) Age. John, son of George, is 30 years old. John, son of William, is 22 years old. Neither is an unusual age (for the time and region) for a first marriage. The age is not noted in the marriage record.

(b) Witnesses. Unfortunately, in this case, the witnesses to the marriage give no clues. Neither George nor William are witnesses.

(c) Other records. There are no other records of the "other" John getting married, having children, or dying. During this time period, the families' baptisms and marriages are fairly well recorded, but deaths are not. (This may be because they could wait for a convenient time to have a child baptised or a couple married, which involved travelling to another island, but burials can't wait for clergy.)

(d) Naming patterns. As a last chance, I looked at how John and Martha named their children. Unfortunately, no George or William.

Right now, I'm leaning toward John, of George, being the groom. The lack of witnesses from the groom's family would tend to indicate an older son. But, then again, maybe John, of William, was named after John, of George, died? *bangs head against desk*

QUESTION 1: Any suggestion for this case, or more generally, how to make the best choice between two possibilities?

***PART 2 - Documenting a "tentative" choice***

So, I select a "John" (or Charles or George) as a best candidate - with a lot of inconclusive evidence to back up the choice.

QUESTION 2 - Any tips on how to document (a) the tentative choice and (b) the alternate choice?

Highlighting jpg census images

SusanWCinci — 15 Mar 2008 3:14:30 GMT

I'm looking for a SIMPLE way to highlight / mark the .jpg files that I have downloaded of census pages. In order to keep from going blind (GRIN) I'd like to draw a simple highlight box around my ancestors name, or underline the name so I can find it easily when I go back to the image file.

Essentially I want to do on the .jpg what I do with a highlighter or a colored pen on a printed page.

Does anyone have any easy tips or software suggestions for doing that? I use Adobe Photoshop elements for basic photo editing but have found no simple way to do what I want within Photoshop.

Any recommendations on how to do that or for other software to use is greatly appreciated.

IRS, tax or employment records

vickifin — 15 Feb 2008 6:06:11 GMT

I am looking for information on my great grandmother. I know she worked as a helper in a TB sanitarium in the early 1930s but have no idea where to start searching for records.
I do not have a SSN for her. Does the IRS keep any records from way, way, WAY back? She would have had to file annual taxes, wouldn't she? Thanks.

Vicki

finding mothers' names

verhulst124 — 27 Jan 2008 1:26:00 GMT

Hi there, I just ordered the marriage certificate from the GRO for my great grandparents, hoping to see the parents' names listed. Only the father's of the bride and groom were noted, no mothers!
I don't have enough information on my great grandmother, only a date of birth,(not sure of the year,) and her country of birth, to order a birth certificate to try and find her mother's name. Do you have any ideas of where I may try to find out the mothers' names of my great-grandparents? As for my great grandfather, I have even less info on him, only a birth date, not sure if the year is correct.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Finding Info

Msattitude1185 — 12 Jan 2008 5:12:00 GMT

I am doing a project for school where I have to define my cultural background and to do so I need to know where my ancestors came from. I have names and a few dates but not sure where to go from there. In our local library we have a geneology dept. I know i should probably start there but what all will I need to get started??

Preserving an old letter

JeanieRN_1 — 4 Nov 2007 7:10:15 GMT

Hello,
I'm hoping someone can help me determine the best way to preserve an old letter. My aunt gave me a letter that has been in my grandmother's bible for many years. It was written in 1899 and is a gem in my genealogy research.
I have scanned it and am keeping it in an acid-free sheet protector. The letter is 3 sheets of note style paper and my g-grandmother wrote on both sides of the paper. The paper is worn badly, brown, and will crumble around the edges if handled. I was terrified it would fall apart before I could get it home!
What should I do to ensure that this letter will be around for a while longer? Is there anything I can do with it? How should I store it permanently?
Any help will be most appreciated!
Jeanie

USA Marriage Certificate

csimington185 — 23 Aug 2007 6:34:24 GMT

My great great grandparents were married in Manhattan, New York in 1890. Does anybody know how I can obtain a copy of the marriage certificate. There seem to be several websites that promise to obtain certificates, but I want to use a reputable/official one. Any help appreciated.

Family Group Sheet - Individual Work Sheet

ImAnAngel0686 — 9 Dec 2007 1:37:09 GMT

Does anyone know where to get a good Individual Work Sheet. I want to be able to fill one out per person. I just can't figure out all the details I should make space for. I am trying to make my own forms or find one that is already done, that has all of the information on it that I should list per person.

Documenting misspelled names in family trees

zb2dw — 15 Oct 2007 3:15:31 GMT

Can anyone tell me the correct way to handle documenting misspelled names in a family tree? One of the surnames I'm researching has been spelled every way under the sun, and, while I'm capturing the spelling from each source, it doesn't seem appropriate to introduce all these misspellings into my family tree. (So many of the misspellings are clearly transcription errors from the original handwriting or from having the material typed.)

I know there are many ways to handle this problem, but I'm trying to find the "correct" or "official" method (or at least the conventional method for dealing with it.)

Your help would be appreciated !

Thanks in advance,
Donna

How to document LDS film

cdynan — 4 Nov 2007 11:19:16 GMT

I just used a film of a parish register from the LDS library. The film is a copy of a film the National Public Library of Ireland has of the parish register of the Diocese of Elphin (Roscommon) for the parishes of Kilvoy, Kilmaine and Rahara. What is the proper way to document the source? The LDS film no? The National Public Library of Ireland? The Parish register? Which do I use as the source?
Cheryl

Tracing A Divorce

prestondiane — 26 Nov 2007 3:18:43 GMT

Does anyone know where one would search for a divorce record if the couple were married in England in 1879 and later separated in Montreal, Quebec during the 1920's? I was told by relatives that my grandfather, William Hulley's first wife, Sarah Adeleine Muggelston, left Montreal for Manhattan, New York and later returned sometime between 1924 - 1925 for a divorce. Could the divorce have been filed in Manhattan? I really don't know where to begin searching. Thanks for any help you might be able to give. Diane

Documenting States Pre-USA

brynn374 — 29 Oct 2007 4:06:31 GMT

I have a question regarding how to document locations before the USA was formed. Do you just leave off "USA" when entering the location? I'm not sure how to handle it.

Creating a timeline

nemesis2a — 28 Oct 2007 12:23:32 GMT

I would like to create a timeline. A few months ago I read a post on here from a woman who gave an easy "how to" on timelines. Does anyone recall this post or who wrote it?

Thanks

Can you help me decipher this cause of death?

mariahfbrazil — 25 Aug 2007 1:08:54 GMT

This 16 year old worked in a Rod Mill in Kentucky at his death in 1913. The cause of death is difficult to read. I can make out "Burns to abdomen and back: perforation of _______ ________ __________ _________ rod. Secondary lesion (relapse??) & exhaustion". Any ideas?

Thanks so much for any help!
Mariah Felty Brazil

HOW DO I FIND A SURNAME GIVEN SOME DETAILS

Bryn_R_H_Lewis — 16 Oct 2007 2:59:41 GMT

I have a
First name
Date of birth
Date of death
Date of burial

Even a photograph

but no family name

is there any way I could find the family name

Trying to Determine State Someone Died in

apelton63 — 9 Oct 2007 12:14:10 GMT

I've been working on a memorial website for a friend that died in 1983; I am uncertain as to the state he was in when he died.
- On the Social Security Death Index, it gives a Vermont locality as "the last address". I have spoken to all the County Clerks offices in that area, have attempted to order the death certificate, but none was found after a very exhausting search.
- At the time he died he was a 1st Lt. in the Army and my friend's exact words to me were "he was in Washington" (meaning Washington, DC).
How do I figure out what state/city he was in when he died? I've tried every internet search I can think of and have not been able to locate any listings (i.e., death index) with his name on it; I've searched for him in Vermont, Washington,DC, Maryland, Virginia...
Any leads as to how to better approach this would be greatly appreciated.

What is the best approach to trying to determine this information?

Viewing Documents

rc200175 — 24 Sep 2007 2:08:19 GMT

Hi,
This will probably be a very simple question to answer. I have details of births deaths and marriages but want to confirm that the details I have are correctand gather moreinfo off a certificate. I know that the information on the certificates will do this for me but I don't want to pay for the certificates to find that they aren't who I thought they were. If it is possible to find out the full details on the certificates where do I find them?
Many Thanks for your help.
Rachel

Citation Guideline for State Dept Report of Birth FS-240

rwcrooks — 19 Sep 2007 9:45:38 GMT

I'm trying to update my citations and bring them in line for Shown Mills Evidence Explained. I have a doucment that isn't covered in that book (I know, hard to believe.)

It's Department of State form FS-240, Report of Birth. This form was used to report the foreign birth of a child to US citizens.

Is there a generally accepted citiation model for this record that anyone knows of?

Probability of records referring to the same person

jr_jameson_au — 16 Sep 2007 10:06:30 GMT

What is the probability that the following two sets of data refer to the same person (namely my grandmother Mary Ann Greenwood):

1. Birth certificate for the first Mary Ann Greenwood shows dob as 3-July-1894, born at View Cottages, Bexley, Kent. This is linked through a number of family census returns to this Mary Ann living at 22 Maxim Road, Bexley, Kent in 1901. This Mary Ann has 5 siblings.

2. Information from my mother (now deceased) that her mother (Mary Ann Greenwood) was born on 3-July-1894. My grandfather's diary records that he wed at St. Mary's church at Bexley in 1918. Parish records from St. Mary's record Mary Ann living at 25 Maxim Road, Bexley at the time of her marriage to my grandfather. Anecdotal evidence from relatives is that this Mary Ann was an only child.

What are the probabilities? Can I ignore the suggestion my grandmother was a single child and declare I have found her ancestors through the first set of data. Or is there a possibility there could be two Mary Ann Greenwoods with the same dob living in the same area?

Come on all you genealogical mathematicians. Put me out of my misery :-)

TIA ... John.

Copyright question

Kaykee — 26 Jul 2007 12:41:59 GMT

Hello,

I was wanting to submit some short biographical articles from a book to usgenweb. The book asks for the publisher to be contacted for written permission to do so. Which is what I want to do. After some research, it appears the company is no longer in business, may of been bought out by another publishing company who has also gone out of business.

Anyone had experience with a case like this? And what to do next? Also, I'd like to verify for sure these companies no longer exist, any way of officially going about that?

Thank you.

Kim

finding children

kencon1526 — 13 Jun 2007 4:24:25 GMT

having found the marriage of a person(s) how do i go about fnding their children.
no luck trying the igi

Copy of Will from 1819

BETTY1309 — 29 Apr 2007 1:07:40 GMT

I am looking to get a copy of a will dated 1819 from Joseph Smires. An Acestry.com search showed it in a book called Index of wills, inventories, etc. in the Office of the Secretary of State prior to 1901. Does anyone know how I would find a copy of the actual will

Can someone help to decipher this name?

Melissa D. Matt — 8 Nov 2006 1:25:10 GMT

I am at a loss, can someone please give me a hint as to this persons name?
It is the name on the right side of the image. I included the text "Guardian of Felix Ducloes child Michel Ducloe" because it appears to have been written by the same person that wrote the 'mystery' name. I thought it may help.
I wondered if it may be a native Canadian name. I think it is a woman's name. It looks to me to say "her" mark. The last letter in the name was written over a paper seal, so don't let shadows confuse you.
Thanks for any hints you can give,
-Melissa.

online citation resources

barbarastewart43 — 28 May 2006 1:03:25 GMT

Hello Everyone,
I am not sure if I have the proper board, so if this should go somewhere else, please let me know.
I am trying very hard to figure out how to properly cite my vital documents. I can't afford to buy the much touted Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian. Can anyone recommend an online site that would give me examples of genealogy citation practices. I have checked the MLA and the APA, but they don't seem to have much that's specific to the kinds of documentation usually seen in genealogical research. They do have, for instance, a general citation method for all government documents, but these don't seem specific enough to help me do it (right :).
Also, is there a preference in genealogy circles to use one format over the other MLA over APA or the Chicago Manual of Style?
Any information or ideas would be helpful.
Thanks!

How to deal with glue to reveal letter that is glued shut?

jsmith128_1 — 12 Dec 2006 8:36:17 GMT

I wasn't sure where to post this but this forum seems to be the best place.

My son purchased a small album where most of the photos are from the 1920s. They were all glued in. Some have come off but some are still pretty glued in good.

One of the reasons he purchased this album was because there was a note on one page where someone wrote a quote and dated it as October 4, 1881.

Somewhere along the way in the life of this small album, it's clear that a little child got their hands on it and scribbled over certain pages with pencil and an orange colored pencil.

For some reason, whoever it was at the time, decided to glue some of the pages shut instead of making an attempt to erase the pencil markings. My son found out that one set of pages that were glued shut, someone tried to open it up from the bottom right corner. At first glance, he thought it was more crayon mess but he noticed there was a date of October 3, 1881. He opened it up as far as it had been opened and we could read "your friend" and someone's name (part of it obscured by pencil markings).

It looks like the person may have written a letter because there was more writing but he wasn't willing to keep fiddling. His reasoning is that whoever it was that tried to open it had given up because it wouldn't open any more and he wasn't going to cause more damage to a letter that's around 125 years old.

However, we're both very curious! He (and I) desperately want to know if there's some safe way to get the glue to melt or some possible way to let the pages come apart.

The small album looks like the size of a postcard if not a tad bigger and longer. About 80% of the pages are not attached anymore so he can easily hold each page away from the book if he wanted to scan the pictures in.

For the two pages that were glued together (thankfully no photo was glued inside), one side is photoless because the picture came off. The photo on the other side is 100% glued on.

Would anyone have any suggestions on how we can get these two pages to come apart and reveal this letter inside? Would using a blowdryer at a safe distance help?

We have no idea what kind of glue it is nor when it occurred. Judging from the glue spots on where photos have come off, it seems real brittle. Inside the opened corner, the glue spots look of the same type as well.

Name Spelling

mattwise32 — 25 Apr 2007 12:30:47 GMT

I have been going through journals from the 1600's. My ancestor had a given name of Hanna. Most people who have done genealogy on this family spell her name Hannah. Why do they change her name to the modern way of spelling it? I have also seen Dorathy changed to Dorothy. Again why change the name?

Need Help Reading Handwriting

xinezen — 24 Oct 2006 12:03:49 GMT

I uploaded my GGfather's death certificate and I can't for the life of me ready his mother's name. It looks like Marie or Maria for the first name, but the second name is beyond my abilities. Both his parents are from Gajar, Czech Rep. Can anyone offer any ideas as to what John Dojcak's wife's maiden name is? I'm at a dead end and this is my only clue to open up this line. Thanks!!

How do I attach sources to my records?

nataliesmith_1 — 17 Apr 2007 5:48:24 GMT

I'm using ancestry.com to build my family tree. I'm doing some research and often come across records that apply to certain sources in my family tree. I can't see how to attach them to a specific record... only how to save them to shoebox or start a new tree with that 1 source. But, I've seen family trees that contain timelines and other great info built from attaching sources found on ancestry.com. Please help because I'm completely stuck on this!

Thank you.

Researching generations past census dates

taniareece — 8 Mar 2007 8:22:24 GMT

Hi,
i have found all the generations that lead me up until the 1841 census but would like to pursue my research further.

Can anyone give me any help on how to do this without actually visting the areas that my family are from. I have tried to look at parish records on here but i am confused at the results so if anyone could possibly explian them to me.

IS IT WORTH ORDERING ANOTHER GRO CERTIFICATE?

rgbpar — 15 Feb 2007 2:26:46 GMT

I have a copy of my grandmother's English Birth Certificate (she was born Kate Wilke in 1897 in London). She ordered it in the 1920s and it is typed. I am sure there is an error in her mother's maiden name, and the name Arand could be A. Round. If I order another copy would it be a photocopy of the one I have or will someone at the GRO copy it out from the original index and produce maybe a different spelling?

Handwritten names on Deeds

@@trillerud@mindspring.com — 5 Dec 2004 3:47:53 GMT

I have 2 deeds,
both which reference a "John Hampton"
both were placed in the county record by the same County Clerk
One was written in 1747 and one in 1751.

One is written so the signer is "John Hampton Junior"
The other is signed "Jno. Hampton"

Question: Would the County Clerk copy the signature down
as the signer had signed it OR might he have abbreviated "John"
with "Jno" in the second document.

There is a high possibility that the two documents maybe
referencing two people and not the same John.

Thanks for any insight. - Robin

Should we still keep track of runaway servants in this day and age ?

flomuse — 24 Mar 2007 10:21:31 GMT

Search Ancestry Database Card Catalog - Periodicals & Newspapers:
http://tinyurl.com/2neur4

The following is listed in all year ranges, including after 1949:

Source: Original data: Grubb, Farley. Runaway Servants, Convicts, and Apprentices Advertised in the Pennsylvania Gazette, 1728-1796.

Runaway Convicts ? it looks like we will be looking for a new transcription crew.

How to find further information past census dates

taniareece — 9 Mar 2007 8:28:44 GMT

Hi,
i posted this yesterday and received a reply but for some reason its dissappeared so im writing it again. :-)

basically i have found all family members up to the 1841 census but i was wondering how to go about finding other members without actually visiting the places they came from. Ive tried looking at the parish/probate records but am slightly confused at the results maybe someone could explain.. many thanks

finding a spouse

moragpeers — 24 Feb 2007 11:53:59 GMT

Is there any easy way to find a spouse name? I can often find marriage records for a relative, and know in what quarter and what district the marriage was registered.

Short of trawling through every volume for the matching entry, or requesting a copy of the actual certificate, is there an easy way of finding out? It's especially a problem when it's a woman marrying, without knowing what she changed her name to it's really hard to follow the trail.

Morag

Death place

bolducfinder — 12 Mar 2007 4:49:00 GMT

Hi,
I have a man who died and on the S. S. Index it has as a death place US Consulate. Would someone tell me how to use this in Legacy program.Whats it mean?
Thank
Margie

Deed poll

kennycape — 16 Jan 2007 2:51:23 GMT

Could any one please tell me how I go about finding out if someone has changed there name by deed poll.I think my mother changed her maiden name from Block to Gough.She was born 1911 ,She lived in Liverpool all her life and would have changed it when she was quite young. thank you.

Is "Evidence" style sufficient for passenger lists?

hughwilliams — 16 Nov 2006 8:33:43 GMT

Hi all,

I have recently obtained a copy of Elizabeth Shown Mills' "QuickSheet - Citing Online Historical Resources - Evidence! Style". It is a welcome companion to her "Evidence!" book and gives much more detail for citing a variety of online sources. With the recent immigration data that has been added to ancestry.com, I have started using the template for the passenger lists. But when I use Mills format, I am concerned that the citation is not specific enough. Here's an example for a manifest found on ancestry.com following the Mills template:

Manifest, S.S. Bermuda, 17 January 1928, list 2, p. 127, for John W. McGrath Jr. (age 25), digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 November 2006).

Now, a good citation is supposed to allow the reader to easily find the referenced document. The above citation won't do very well. First of all, you would need a subscription to ancestry.com. That can't be right! Even if you did have a subscription, I don't think that you could actually pinpoint the document - you would have to use the ancestry.com seach engine. Could you find the manifest in a free repository (i.e. the National Archives or LDS library)? I don't think that I could, at least not easily. Why? The citation doesn't specify the port of arrival!

Of course, I realize that if I don't like the Mills citation format I should just modify it myself to suit my needs. But the Mills references have pretty much become the standard for genealogy. Does everyone else see something that I don't and consider this format to be sufficient?

Any thoughts on this? Am I missing something or does this warrent some discussion?

Hugh Williams

Sorting out the Johns

jhscarborough — 16 Nov 2006 5:54:32 GMT

I have a person who has requested my help with a particular family in Western North Carolina, where I reside. I have traced the family, in the area in question, back to the 1850's. The problem is that the names John, Hiram, and Andrew were used as names of sons by brothers whose names were John, Hiram and Andrew. This went on for several generations. I have found cemeteries for the families and found the graves of the multiple Johns, Hirams, and Andrews.

The question is: How do I begin to sort them out?

--Joe

Application for liquor license - Where to find record, if one was kept?

colubridlady — 24 Aug 2006 4:06:17 GMT

My grandfather swears that his grandfather, George Fyock, was half-Native American. I can't find any info to substantiate this, but my grandfather said that George had applied for a liquor license so that he could open a bar, but was denied the license b/c of his Native American ancestry.

Would a record of applying for the license or the denial of the license be something that would have been kept by the government? And if so, where would I go about looking for something like this? I'm not sure of when he would have filed for it, but it would have been sometime between 1900 and 1945 (probably in Cambria Co, PA).

I figure that if I can find this, it may give me an answer to something I've been trying to prove/disprove for many years.

DECIPHERING A NAME

marielynch_1 — 3 Nov 2006 1:34:44 GMT

Hi, I just received a marriage certificate for one of my relatives and I can't make out what the forename is, can anyone suggest what to do next, thanking you in anticipation, marie.

Faded ink

DarbyMLine — 2 Aug 2006 12:50:29 GMT

I just received the family Bible of my 2-g grandparents, presented to them in 1858. There was an inscription on the front page but it's so badly faded I can't much of it. Does anyone know a good way to view faded old ink?? U-V light. maybe?? I just want to know what it says! Thanks for any suggestions.

scanning documents

NWB — 1 Apr 2006 7:15:01 GMT

Hello,
My mother recently came into possession of some wonderful documents from my grandmother's genealogy research (family group sheets, etc) that were done way before computers. She would like to scan them so she can give copies to family members who are interested. She has a question about scanning, etc. and I could not answer so I thought I would post it here. Does anyone have any suggestions?

"What is the best format for scanning and saving old printed documents? For example, I tried scanning a couple of old papers from one of Grandma's books. I scanned at 300 resolution and on my scanner (Canon 9950) used a "Text Enhanced" function which seemed to work well."

Thanks, Nancy

Scanning microfiche

Mary — 11 May 2003 12:56:35 GMT

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to scan microfiche to a document. Can it be done, and if so, how?

Thank you.

Mary

Completely Stuck!

witchezcat — 7 May 2006 11:12:40 GMT

I am trying to uncover more information regarding the marriage of my great-uncle. Rumour has it that he married into a family of some note, and I am keen to prove or disprove this theory. I have his death certificate, which shows that the person who registered the death was a step daughter, but gives only her first initial and surname, and address at that time.
He died in 1951, so it is possible that this lady is no longer alive, but I cant for the life of me fathom out how to find out who she was in order to disover the identity of her mother.
I cant find any marriage records for him in the usual places, (IGI, ancestry, bdm etc) and of course this ladys second name could be a married rather than maiden name.
But the existence of the step daughter does show he married at some point.
Ive written to the address shown on the certificate, and got no reply, and a search at the land registry shows the property is now owned by a large property co in London, so presumably is rented out as flats.
Can anyone think of any way at all I can find out any more?
HELP!!! its keeping me awake at nights!!!

Data Disagreement

TenLizzie — 26 May 2006 8:42:42 GMT

Greetings one and all!
I have found an aunt (by marriage) who is listed in both the CA death records, and the Social Security death index.
There is sufficient information in both records to let me know it is the same, and correct person.
However, there is a discrepancy of 2 months and 1 day in the death date between the two records. How do I determine which one is correct?
Thanks for any input.
........Lizzie

How to archive calendars?

cmhbob — 20 Sep 2006 9:08:01 GMT

Way, way back (many centuries ago...), my family used to buy spiral-bound blank calendars to keep life organized. Dad taught college music, and Mom was active with a bunch of civic stuff, and my brother and I had our own little things going. So up until Mom died, we have a calendar for each year. The detail of life here is just amazing.

We want to archive them somehow. 8 years ago, the plan was for me to scan each month. But there's 30 years, and one year will take 3 pages per month, so there's almost 400 scans.

It occurred to me that it might be better for me to manually enter the data into a document of some sort. I have the Word Calendar Wizard, but it only goes back to 1996. Yeah, I could manually set each date, but that would be a pain.

Any suggestions?

Tree Feedback

Warison — 1 Sep 2006 10:05:58 GMT

Hello,

I'm new to ancestry.com and I was wondering if there is any official or unofficial way to receive constructive criticism on my family tree. I'd like to know what improvements I need to make and how and were to make them. Here is the URL to my tree.

http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/pedigree.aspx?tid=132429

The Hart branch is most important to me.

Thanks

HS

SSDI question (V) (P)

phillipd76 — 20 Aug 2006 8:19:59 GMT

On the bottom of each SSDI search results page this information is presented.

"(V)=(Verified) Report verified with a family member or someone acting on behalf of a family member.
(P)=(Proof) Death Certificate Observed."

I have a record that has a (V). How do you go about verifying a new one and/or finding out who had verified the one I found?

It is very interesting that someone has verified a listing of someone in my searches.

Who invented the Family Group Sheet?

RealMac — 15 Dec 2006 4:20:09 GMT

Does anybody know? What is the earliest known use of the term "Family Group Sheet"?

Thanks!

John McCoy
(RealMac@aol.com)

Confused about Iowa Vital Records requirements

studioonion — 15 Aug 2006 10:11:36 GMT

I've recently started working on my family history again, only to find that the Iowa records rules seem to have changed since the last time I ordered copies from them (in 1999).

From what I read on their website, it sounds like they no longer issue UNcertified copies of vital records, and that even family-history-related requests are only approved if made by immediate family, with a photocopy of your ID and a notarized signature.

A lot of my family history is in Iowa, but I live in California so it's really not convenient for me to go and look at the records in person. And yeah, I know I can always ask a volunteer to look for me, but I really prefer seeing the documents myself-- I find that all too often people will have different interpretations of handwriting, for example, and I like to be able to make my own assessment when there's doubt. (Even some of my "official" requests came back with egregious errors, like 'April' instead of 'August' for a marriage, when August was clearly legible on the original deed.)

And what if I want to research my spouse's line? Am I just flat out of luck, unless I go there in person now?

When I was working on things back in 1998-99, I know I was able to order copies of, say, my great-grandparents' marriage or death records, without having to go through the pain of notarization, copying my ID, etc... Is this a new law in Iowa or something? It almost seems like it's designed to discourage family research. :(

Death Certificate meaning

Kerry Dillard-Nelson — 6 Aug 2006 10:55:52 GMT

Does anyone know what Palanga the cause of death could mean on a 1920's death certificate?

preserving documents

debB9799 — 2 Jul 2006 2:47:11 GMT

I have a patent and the marriage certificate (originals) of my ggrandfather's. I'm wondering if anyone knows where I can get a an archival quality cover to help preserve them. I need a legal size which I can't find. Can anyone help me? Thanks, Deb

Need help finding someones Maiden name

kerryhayes06 — 28 May 2006 2:29:54 GMT

I am trying to find my fiances mother, however I can't find her maiden name, I don't know her first name either. Just know that her and my fiances dad were married. Bit of a long shot but can anyone help?

help with marriage certificate

cpfield1 — 24 May 2006 5:30:23 GMT

I have a marriage certificate from 1908. There is no entry in the column for father for the female side other than a line. Is this normal?

Do I interpret it eg as the father was dead at the time or didnt approve?

any help?

Transcription Standards

Barb Hutchins — 1 Mar 2005 2:53:55 GMT

I have been transcribing various documents. Does anyone know where I can find information about standards for transcribing documents?

By this I mean things like
- How do I indicate information that I can't read;
- How do I indicate that I think this is the word but am not 100% certain;
- How do I indicate that two lines in a newspaper were swapped. Transcribed exactly, the text doesn't make sense. I can put them in the right order but want to indicate I moved the text.
etc.

Thank you, Barb Hutchins

Cause of death - albuminuria 3 months

gemmajcondron — 25 Apr 2006 8:35:26 GMT

My ancestor died in 1885 in Prescot aged 55. Cause of death on the certificate is 'Albuminuria - 3 months'. (I'm pretty sure that's what it says - certainly starts album..)
An online medical dictionary states this is too much protein in the urine, related to either renal failure or diabetes. I guess this would have been fatal over a hundred years ago. However, I would be interested in any suggestions as to what the '3 months' refers. Has anyone come across a similar cause of death in their studies?
I suspect it relates to the amount of time she had the condition but if anyone has any firm answers I would be very grateful
Thanks in advance
Gemma

Documenting Sources (MLA Format)

jeremyrabbott — 1 Oct 2006 4:54:34 GMT

This website walks you step by step..... enter what is asks and it will write your citation for your source!

http://www.easybib.com/

OH, ITS FREE TOO.

No birth record - how to document

MemereDee — 16 Nov 2006 2:25:10 GMT

Every record that we have for my husband's Grandmother lists the same date (1894) and town in NH as her birthplace, yet, on a recent visit to the specific Town Hall, no record of her birth was found. The Town Clerk checked for a late return, and, we also searched several years before and after, with no results. Her family did live there, and, a birth for her sister was correctly listed in 1893, but, nothing after that. The family moved and had another child in 1898, but there is no record of her birth in that town either.

What would be the next step to locate her birth certificate? If it was not recorded on the town level, would the state even have it?

Document Preservation

Henry P. Grierson — 11 Sep 2006 1:00:25 GMT

My query though not specific to Lanark, is about document preservation.
I have a birth certificate from 1903, from District of Hamilton, County of Lanark. It is for my Gfather, and namesake, Henry Porter Grierson. The document has been folded for a long time and is quite frail. I want to prevent further degeneration. Does anyone have any comments or hints?

The office where I work has a plastic laminator which will handle this document, however I tested it on a plain piece of paper and found that the plastic bonds somewhat to the enclosed paper. Is this undesireable when preserving old documents?

marriage certificate - condition?

gemmajcondron — 22 Feb 2006 3:39:24 GMT

I have a copy of a marriage certificate and cannot read the condition of the female. (I think 'condition' is the correct term - as in spinster, bachelor etc).
It looks like 'highwoman' but I have tried googling it, looking it up in the dictionary to no luck so have concluded I have just misread the writing.
Does anyone have any idea what it might say (or what it means)

Many thanks - Gemma

using IGI or BMD no peek at record before buying?

skyblue75 — 24 Feb 2006 12:26:40 GMT

I have batch no.
CO29961 Dates 1813-1875 Sorce Call no. 0091530 Film 6911755 for Richard Nelmes if mother was born 1797 it might be the one I'm looking for.
What do I do now? Ask to see it at the closest LDS library?
The BMD I have a few with Vol #'s and pages #'s of hopeful targets in my family tree but I want a peek before I buy.
What can I do? These records come from overseas in the UK.

Newbie needs help with sources and citations!

cath196 — 28 Jan 2006 12:20:54 GMT

I've just started looking at my family tree and have already found about 100 ancestors - not that huge an ordeal as certain parents in the family seemed to think it was their role in life to ensure the continued existence of the human race by having as many children as possible and sometimes over a period of 3 decades! Anyway that's slightly off the point, I'm getting confused, depressed, angry, frustrated about citing sources etc.

I'm using FTM 2005 and have various master sources listed eg birth, marriage and death certificates, BMD registration indexes, english census returns etc.

My first question is who is the author/publisher of birth/marriage/death certificates and census returns in england?

Secondly, when linking a fact to a source should I add citation text - I've been doing this and basically it just repeats what I've added as the fact. and takes loads of time. (My documented events report is going to need a small forest to resource it if I ever print it out!)

Finally, do I link this source to all possible facts for example - my entry in the BMD index, my birth certificate, my brothers birth entry in BMD index, his birth certificate are all linked to my mother's name to provide evidence of her name (as well as her birth and marriage certificate).

This all seems to be a bit excessive and bureacratic and I haven't even thought about what to use Notes for!

Any hints, advice, guidance or even messages of support would be greatfully appreciated

Regards
Cath

Holy Cards

JulieKnoll6 — 10 Aug 2005 5:21:11 GMT

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering if the Holy Cards given out at funeral are a "valid" source of documentation for birth & death dates, or should I still obtain the birth & death records?

Thanks,
Julie

Death Certificate for Rel who Died Overseas?

maryrayme — 31 Oct 2005 5:03:05 GMT

My husband's grandfather had the misfortune to die in Korea in 1959. He was NOT in the military but there as a civilian involved in rebuilding the country. His state of residency at the time was Michigan. I have written to Michigan and they do not have his death certificate. He is also buried in Michigan.

Does anyone have any propr experience with this kind of thing? Is there someplace I can look for a death certificate? Any help or suggestions appreciated.

Uncocumented files

RTB0303 — 21 Dec 2005 7:01:47 GMT

<thread><path>..fh.topics.researchresources.general</path><threadid>1146</threadid></thread>

Citing Your Sources

Jillaine_Smith — 12 Dec 2005 3:58:25 GMT

Here are a bunch of good references for citing of one's sources...

<ul>
<li>Citing Your Sources
http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/19_carla.html (includes some info specific to FTM); selections:
"Describe the source in enough detail so that I or someone else will know exactly where and what to look for 10 or 20 years down the road... In addition to a descriptive title, date, author and publisher, a source entry for a newspaper article might include the date the item was found plus the page, column and paragraph number, if known. It would also say what format it was in when I viewed it, such as a current newspaper, an old clipping tucked inside a family Bible, an abstract in a book, or a copy on microfilm or CD-ROM."
<li>What the Board for Certification of Genealogists Says on the topic:
http://www.bcgcertification.org/skillbuilders/skbld959.html
<li>How to Cite Sources (from genealogy.com, makers of FTM):
http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/19_wylie.html?priority=00...
<li>Cite for Sore Eyes
http://www.oz.net/~markhow/writing/cite.htm
Focuses on citing electronic sources.
<li>More About citing Electronic Sources
http://www.tarver-genealogy.net/aids/citation.html
</ul>

See also:
http://genealogy.about.com/library/lessons/blintro2g.htm
http://genealogy.about.com/library/lessons/blintro4h.htm

-- Jillaine

Help locating death date

Rashel_Feldman — 15 Mar 2005 4:52:19 GMT

My dad had a half brother who was born in Michigan in 1917. At about age 20 or 21, this man was institutionalized and my dad never saw him again. I am trying to locate records about him, but cannot access birth records because they are not more than 100 years old and cannot prove date of death because of his involvment with the mental health system. Census data only available through 1930 shows him still living at home. Any thoughts about how to move off the dime on this search?

Age on English Marriage Certificate

davehdh — 17 Aug 2005 10:27:31 GMT

I have an English marriare certificate from 1860. In the column for "Age" there is usually a number, but on this one there is the word "fule" (? -it's badly written) against both the bride and groom - what does this mean ?. I think they may have both been under 21.

Dave

Place names: past or present?

jjk3160 — 26 Jul 2005 11:11:59 GMT

I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere - I just didn't know where to look.

What's the custom for recording place names for births, deaths, and other events? Do you record the current name for the place (Plymouth, MA, USA), or the name at the time the event occurred (Plymouth Colony, Kingdom of England)? Another example would be a prehistoric birth: Mesopotamia or Iraq?

INTERPRETING CENSUS RECORDS

D. Terlinde — 24 Jul 2005 11:05:59 GMT

I have a relative who died in Ohio. While searching back in making a time line I learned that her parents died while she was young. In 1850 New Jersey census record she is living with a family with her maiden name. How do I list it as her brother or as her uncle???

marriage certificates

woodierts — 28 Dec 2004 9:26:58 GMT

which web site can i find marriage certificates on for england from 1860

ADVICE NEEDED FROM ALL YOU OLD SCHOOL GENEALOGISTS.....

szumbarb — 26 Aug 2005 12:36:53 GMT

AT WITT'S END HERE! I had my PC crash, and when I went to re install the "saved" info from the floppy, it only saved the bare minimum, NO TEXT! So, I am in the process of re-entering all my ancestors on a NEW genealogy program and a NEW computer. My question is this............... How do you all save keep your info, (family group sheets, etc)? Do you just enter it on your computer? Or, do you print it out so you have a hard copy? If so, WHAT do you print out? If you don't print things out, how do you know what info you need to research? PlEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, give me some advice on this! How do YOU do it? It's driving me NUTS! Thanks in advance!

How do I know if I have it correct??

pgausmann — 10 Apr 2005 10:34:14 GMT

I'm very new to searching my tree and in need of advice. Please bear with me this is kinda long. When or how do I know that I have the correct information? As an example I started out with the info I had for my grandfather Vaughn Gilreath, b 12, 1904 d; 11, 1981. I found Vaughn on the 1920 census living with his mother's (julia Baker) parents. I then found Julia's parents, Robert J. Baker born in VA and Anna B. ?? last name unknown born in Tenn. I found Robert and Anna on the Chitwood, Scott Tenn. 1880 census. So far this matches what has been told through the family, so I'm confident it's correct. I then went to 1870, 1860 census' and now I'm lost.....I haven't been able to locate a Robert J. Baker born in VA, in 1854. I also haven't been able to locate an Anna B. since I have no last name on her I haven't a clue where to look. I need advice as to where I should look, and also without knowing the names of any siblings or parents how will I know if I find the correct info. I found Robert's and Anna's children on the 1880 census. I have spent days looking at census' but have no idea how do I know for sure if I find the right names that they are indeed the right people? Any guidance would be much appreciated!!! Thanks pat

Naming conventions

DebraGrumbach — 3 Oct 2004 6:38:51 GMT

It's not uncommon to find surnames spelled differently over the years but what do you do when the given names vary greatly? My great grandfather was named Albin according to everyone who knew him and is still alive, and according to his death certificate. However his birth certificate is Ervin C.C. (no idea what this is), census records have him as Albion, Alvin and mostly as Albin. Which name should I use when entering him into my family tree and how do I document his "other" names. Also, he named one of his sons Albin.

Thanks.

Debra

MASHEK Census vs Will

Marylyn Douthit — 17 Mar 2005 3:48:23 GMT

Was the relationship terminology used in wills required to be accurate around the turn of the century?? My grandfather ALBERT MASHEK, who never appears on a census record with his birth family (JOSEPH MASHEK and MARY HUMPAL MASHEK), was living with the family of John Mashek in Brule Co., SD at the time of the 1900 census and is listed as John's nephew. However, John's will in 1904 lists Albert as a grandson. To further complicate matters, John did in fact have a brother AND a son named Joseph so either scenario COULD be correct. Can I rely on the wording of the will to be accurate??? Thank you to anyone who can shed light on my dilemma!!

Do I record county of death as hospital or usual residence?

freemanld — 24 Feb 2005 4:44:19 GMT

How should I record the place of death in my GEDCOM file? Is it the county of the hospital where the death occurred, or the county of the person's usual residence? Obviously, the first is needed to obtain a death certificate. However, there may be other documents related to the place of usual residence (such as church records, probate records, etc.).

Finding records in NY in 1700s/1800s.

copet1 — 11 Jan 2005 6:47:40 GMT

Suggestions needed

Michelle Fletcher — 6 Sep 2004 2:33:39 GMT

I would like to obtain a copy of a newspaper article regarding my Aunts funeral. I have contacted 3 of the papers but so far no luck. My mum was sent a copy of the paper but it has since been lost. (She has just moved house after 40 years and i had a really good look for it then ! )
I don't have a date of her funeral but i do have a death date.

Any suggestions will be most appreciated
Michelle

Documentation Handy Help

AmySJenkins — 24 Jul 2006 4:08:05 GMT

Check out this handy help from The Old Front Porch

http://www.theoldfrontporch.com/genealogy_documentation.htm

Organizing Materials for Quick Reference and Lookups

dillenger51 — 16 Dec 2003 12:08:42 GMT

I am reorganizing my documents and reference materials again..........

Trying to make my documents and reference material MUCH easier to access and locate.

Am seperating 8 boxes into "Document types," i.e.,

Births
Census
Deaths
Histories
Land
Marriages
Newspapers
Obituaries
Probate

I will be using a program called "ByGones" which is free and helps your organize your research papers into easier methods to retrieve papers. Once the papers have been sorted by catagory you then begin numbering them according to the BYGONES program, which is downloadable from the net for free.
Just like to get people's opinions. Has anyone else done this method or used BYGONES program?

How reliable is the IGI?

bzawislakdick — 18 Jul 2002 1:26:01 GMT

On his church marriage record my g-grandfather listed his parents as Lawrence Zawislak and Katherine Papersak and his age at 25. His death cert states that he was born in 1868. It reconciles with the marriage age. The IGI lists "Jacobus Zawislak" as born in 1844 with the same parents. The town of birth is the same.

The IGI seems to have a great deal of information on the family but I can't reconcile the year difference. Certainly Jacob knew who his parents were! Even if he listed his grandparents instead of his parents I can't reconcile the facts because his birth year is over 20 years too early. I can't make sense out of this.

Could the IGI have the years wrong? Where does their information originate? Is it possible to contact the submitter? Please help!!

State hospital records

CTetley7034 — 5 Oct 2002 7:04:33 GMT

To whon do I write to get information regarding an ancestor who was a patient in Colorado State hospital 1930's to 1973?

Birth records

JoanChristopher38 — 27 May 2004 4:12:38 GMT

Does anyone have ideas on how to verify parentage on someone who was born in 1813 & died in 1881? Other than family Bible records. Were the births ever listed in newspapers?

Advise sought re: bureaucratic obstacles

Hardyx — 4 Dec 2003 4:55:48 GMT

Criminal archives, Canada

kmart111 — 19 May 2005 11:09:56 GMT

If a person committed a crime in 1930 in Canada then immigrated to USA, were can I get the record of the crime? Apparently after he had served time he immigrated to USA and changes his name. Any clues as to where to write?
Thanks for any help.

Funeral Home Records

trilotat — 21 Jan 2004 2:02:53 GMT

Greetings,

I've not been disappointed in this avenue of research. Maybe it will add valuable info to your collection...

I've written to the funeral home listed on death certificates asking for any and all info they can provide about the burial/cremation of my ancestors. They have always replied, even when I'm asking about people who died a LONG time ago.

I've had to be creative in finding these funeral homes, because they've sometimes changed names, been bought up buy another company, relocated, etc. Search in your favorite web search tool for name (obviously) or street address or embalmer's name, anything that will help you find it. You may even have to write to another funeral home in the town to ask what became of the funeral home for which you are searching.

So, try writing a quick note, provide as much info about the person, e.g. name, date of death, anything you can. A return envelope and an offer to pay for copies and research time and you'll probably get something back pronto and gratis.

Thoughts?

I hope this was informative,
Keith

PS I've also written to hospitals, but received little response.

Danish Census

Hugh_Watkins — 5 Sep 2005 8:04:59 GMT

see http://www.rootsweb.com/~dnkcen/sitemap.html

and http://www.rootsweb.com/~dnkcen/index.html

Hugh W

http://hughw36.blogspot.com/