HOW TO FIND YOUR ROOTS
By Dixie K McCaskill Lewis, FSA Scot
Migration Director
Clan MacLeod Society USA
2001
INTRODUCTION
Our lives are woven by weavers of time in patterns we cannot see.
Tracing your family is not nearly as complicated or hard as you may think. When taken in steps, it is a methodical and exacting science which will yield results. The key is simplicity and the ability to analyze. Following is general basic information which will help you find and record your roots.
GETTING STARTED
First determine which surname you are going to trace. Do NOT trace more than one surname at a time. Do not continue a secondary surname beyond the basic "married into" category. Use a separate notebook for these allied families.
Make a list of all the different ways a surname - and a first name - an be spelled (ie. McLoud, Loud, Lowd, MacCloud; Margret, Margaret, Marguerette, etc) Also make a list of nicknames (ie. Elizabeth is Betty, Liz, Beth, Liza, Libby, etc.)
ALWAYS work backwards from yourself.
A. CHARTS
A pedigree chart is your basic map. Fill it in to the best of your knowledge. Then, take a good look at it to see where the gaps are. Guess at ages and places. Attached is a copy of a Pedigree Chart.
The next step is to have a separate sheet of paper for each person on this chart. It is not necessary to buy elaborate charts & forms. A simple notebook page will do. Attached is a copy of a Family Group Sheet.
B. NUMBERING
You must use some sort of system to keep your lines in order. Either use a numbering system or an alphabetical system.
If you choose to use a numbering system, keep it very simple - don't attempt to denote birth order or generations.
Remember that numbering is simply to help identify someone. This is particularly useful when you have lots of Johns with a wife, Mary, who has no surname.
Do it like this: give each person a sheet with their name on it. Give this person #1. Give each of his children #2, #3, etc. Next, consider person #2 (child of). On his sheet, write "son of ____#1 and the name(s) for #1. Number his children with the next number. If you later discover a person older than #1, or need to add additional children, you can either renumber of give this person the next consecutive number. Do NOT give a number to those who married into the main line you ware working with. File your sheets alphabetically in a notebook.
An alphabetical system can be even easier. Unless you are planning to publish your genealogy, I recommend this system because of its simplicity.
Using this system, you can search and retrieve back and forth across generations. Example: Lyle Miller's parents were Frank G. Miller & Almira Jerusha Beers. Go to the Fs and find Frank G. with a wife Almira and a son, Lyle.
C. ORGANIZATION
Search only one surname at a time.
Keep your information in order. To do this, follow these guidelines:
Get a big notebook & use indexing tabs. Arrange your individual sheets alphabetically.
As you record information, use footnotes to tell you the source and where the source is located.
Once information is recorded, put it in a box, folder, etc. labeled Positive Sources.
If information cannot fit anywhere, put it in a box labeled Pending.
Keep a written list of both Positive and Negative sources with notations:
______________________________________________
Ancestor Source Source Location Comments
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
This is the way you keep track of where you have been and what you have seen there so that you don't keep backtracking.
Write down everything you see regarding the surname you are searching. You may find it useful later. If the source is too lengthy, exerpt it, or make a xerox copy of it.
Keep a good bibliography on each source no matter on which type of form you record it.
D. GENERAL RESEARCH TIPS
Make concise notes with bibliography and where the source was found.
Xerox whatever you can.
Before searching, ask the librarian/archivist what indexes are available and read these first. This may save you innumerable hours.
Go armed with the pedigree chart or a concise list of things you need to look for.
Women may be omitted from indexes.
Indexes may not be strictly alphabetical and there may be many lumped together in one volume/reel. Again, search every possible spelling and don't neglect M', Mc and Mac nor a name that does not have that prefix (for example Lewis and McLewis)
Read the introduction to every record: census, indexes, lineage charts, published genealogies, etc.
Make a biographical profile of each individual. This brings your family to live and allows us to gain new insight into an ancestor which might just give a clue for further research.
GLOSSARY
It is necessary to become familiar with some general terms.
Archives (national/federal): records pertaining to national activities such as war and census
FAQ means frequently asked questions.
Archives (state) : records pertaining to state and local activities such as marriages, court proceedings.
Bounty lands (1788-1855) : to encourage enlistments or reward military service. North Carolina gave 640 acres to a private in the Continental line. Massachusetts grants were in Maine.
Claims Court: common grievances ie. unfairness, pensions, etc.
Deposition: a written statement sworn to under oath in lieu of being on a witness stand
Desert Land Act (1877) gave 640 acres to many western states.
Docket: a calendar of pending court cases
Emigrate means to leave; immigrate means to enter.
Equity cases: probate disputes, estate divisions, divorce, adoptions, property rights, dissolution of partnerships.
Headright: bringing oneself or another person to the colonies entitle the importer to a headright of 50 acres of land. Southerners rarely gave headrights.
Homestead Act (1862) gave settler 160 acrs for living on the land 5 years if they were a citizen or were intending to be a citizen.
Judgements: a minute entry with abridgement of the case & its resolution.
Litigant: the looser in a court trial.
Measurements: 16 1/2' equals a pole, rod or perch
Mesne Conveyance: for deeds, property rights, plats, etc.
Minutes: descriptive entries of all actions in court.
Original jurisdiction: authority to begin a case.
Pleadings: starting a court action.
Probate Court: for wills, adoptions, guardianships, marriages, deaths.
Public Domain land: land no one owned...sold at auction as early as 1787 in NY.
Land to finance military road, for river improvement, etc.:
1841-1853 land donated to early settlers in Florida, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico and Arizona.
Tacksmen: In Scotland, they were usually the younger sons or other close relations of the Chief of a clan. They enjoyed great social prestige, had the same rank as belonged to men of landed property in other parts of Britain, were called Gentlemen, had a lease title for land sometimes continuously for 300 years, were military lieutenants and warriors, acted as bankers, magistrates, administrators etc.
Warrant: like a deed. Issued to veterans. A warrant could be sold.
Writ of Summons: a command to appear before the court.
Photocopy old, discolored newspaper clipping on a color machine.
HISTORY
Because your ancestors lives were shaped by current events, just like yours are, it is necessary to know general historical events of importance such as wars, famines, epidemics, natural disasters. By knowing these things, you have a clue where to look for information. You need the history for all nations concerned with your ancestor as well as state and county histories.
The National Endowment for the Humanites project, "My History is America's History, or "My History guidebook".
Ethnic composition and frontiers underwent profound changes because of the American Revolution. Large numbers of Colonists were loyal to England and 40-50,000 went to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Montreal. Canadian history except for the Revolutionary time would generally be the same as British history.
GEOGRAPHY
Because state lines and county lines often changed course and new counties were formed from old counties, it is necessary to have maps for various periods in time. For example, colonial maps show that South Carolina reached from the Atlantic all the way across the continent to the Pacific. Where did your ancestor live in colonial times, and where would they be living now.
Also, towns are built and town disappear. Access a gazeteer for information on communities and towns. Some towns were born because of a gold rush or because of a large group of ethnic immigrants. Sometimes they ceased because a tornado obliterated the town, or everyone died from an epidemic.
Also know the geography of the land your ancestors left.
Without knowing these facts, you cannot ascertain where to look for records. Get this information from archives.
Check with local archives for the dates your state entered the Union.
Some American territory was once Canadian: the current states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois (1783), Maine (1842) and Washington and Oregon (1846).
WHAT YOU NEED & WHERE TO FIND IT
A. FINDING INFORMATION
Now you have a pedigree chart and some individual sheets. This is where you begin your search and where you begin to fill in the gaps.
B. ASK RELATIVES.
If writing, divise a simple form similar to individual sheet you are recording on. Don't ask too much at one time and include a self-addressed stamp when writing. Record the conversation if it is an oral interview.
Often the person being questioned will say they don't know. Use your knowledge of history and ask pertinent questions (ie. was he in World War II?) This will give you a clue for dates and further searching. In this case, the man was probably born about 1920 and you can get his induction/military record showing where he enlisted thus showing where he was from.)
Don't forget to ask personal questions such as "What school did you go to?" "Was there an epidemic in your area?" "What was your mother like?"
If you have an address of a relative who is deceased, address a letter to Occupant. The present resident of a house may know someone who knew your family.
C. BIRTH & DEATH CERTIFICATES.
Contact the Departmentof Health or Vital Statistics in the capitol of the state you are concerned with. Official recording varied from state to state. For births & deaths prior to the required date of recording, town clerks, ministers, and sometimes county courts recorded these events.
For early northern or New England records, and often for small towns throughout the United States, town clerks existed and kept these basic records. Inquire with the state archives whether there are, or were, town clerks.
I recommend first getting a death certificate which, most of the time, will generally give the persons birthdate & place and the parents names. This automatically has taken you back another generation. This means, also, that you've located the parents of someone born as long ago as 1820. Birth records would not include this person nor any of his descendants for about four generations.
Other notations of birth, death and christening will be on microfiche with the Mormon Church Library's IGI file.
D. CENSUS REPORTS
Often communities or states took census separately. Check with local archives to see if this was done.
Census records can often show family ties for people lived near their kin. They also married who they knew, and with travel usually so difficult, they knew primarily those in the same community.
Mortality Schedules are important. They do not seem to be available after 1860.
They were done at the same time as a census.
Census forms carry the following information:
1800-10: free white males & females (by age groups), slaves
1820: free white males & females (by age groups), foreigners not
naturalized, agriculture, commerce, manufactures, free
colored and slaves
1830-40: free white males & females (by smaller age groups),
slaves, free colored, foreigners not naturalized. The 1840
asks for military pensioners
1850 & 1860: page of census, dwelling number, family number. Also
age, sex, color, occupation, value in real estate,
birthplace, married within the year, school within
the year, cannot read or write, date (for each person
listed)
1870: in addition to questions in the 1850 and 1860 census are the
following for each person: father foreign born, mother
foreign born, month married in year, school in year and eligible
to vote.
1880: page, dwelling number, family number, name. Also
color, sex, age prior to June 1, relationship to head of house,
single, married, widowed, divorced, married in census year,
occupation, cannot read or write, place of birth, place of
birth of father, place of birth of mother
1890: none exist
1900: street, house number, dwelling number, family number, name.
Also relation to head of family, color, sex, month of birth,
year of birth, age, marital status, number of years married,
mother of how many children, number of children living,
place of birth, place of birth of father, place of birth of mother,
year of immigration to US, number of years in US, naturalize-
tion, type of occupation, number of months not employed,
number of months attended school, can read/write/speak
English, home owned or rented, farm or house, home owned
free of mortgage.
1910: In addition to 1900 questions, is employer or wage earner on
working on own account, out of work 4/15/1910?, number of
weeks out of work in 1909, no. on farm schedule, Civil
War veteran, blind, deaf/dumb.
1920: In addition to 1910 questions, parents native tongue
Primarily concern is with federal census conducted every ten years (in the United States, the census is every even year - ie. 1810, 1820, etc./in Great Britian, the census is in odd years - ie. 1841, 1851.)
Begin with the most recent one, which will soon be 1930.
Census exist from 1790 and are by county so you must be able to pinpoint where your ancestor was from. It is very important to use the census index first. This saves time and effort.
The 1790 census for Virginia, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey and Tennessee were destroyed during the War of 1812. Here you need to rely on tax lists or other court documents.
The census prior to 1850 lists only head of household and groups of people by number and gender. Often you can find your ancestors when you analyze complete data and make comparisons with those listed in the earlier census.
The 1840 census asks about military pensioners.
The 1870 census lists all persons together regardless of race. Be careful with it.
Later census are 'indexed' in a Soundex. This means all names that sound alike are grouped together. It gives the location of the person so you can pull that microfilm and access complete information.
Census can be reviewed in archives or ordered through libraries and the Mormon Church for review. Cost is about $5 a reel. Always refer to an Index first.
Most of the 1890 census were destroyed by fire. Rely on other records such as voter registration, tax rolls, court records, deeds, etc.
E. WILLS & ESTATE SETTLEMENTS
If one died without a will, he is said to have died intestate. In this case, there would be an estate settlement. Often, however, our ancestors had nothing or records were lost. Also, distances to court houses and the cost of filing a will were just too much, so nothing was done.
Pay attention to witnesses who signed. Often these were close friends or relatives. This can give a clue for further searching.
These records, if not in the state archives, will be in county courthouses.
Probate courts also is concerned with Guardianship. When a child became 14, they could choose his or her own guardian. Often, in the very early years of this country, a Guardian would be appointed for a child even if there was a mother.
When checking old court documents filed in court jackets, make sure you have reviewed all the papers in that file.
F. DEEDS, PLATS & LAND GRANTS
Sometimes these documents will tell where a person came from or where he went. Pay attention, again, to witnesses.
Elderly parents often wrote deeds of support which gave land or property to a child if that child would care for them in their old age.
Land was granted (given) in early colonial times to settle the country. It was often granted after that to help settle the western regions (western meaning, sometimes, the immediate other side of the Appalachians. It was also given in lieu of payment for military service
A plat is a map of the land. It will give, also, the owners of adjacent land. Again, these were often, sooner or later, friends or relatives. It can also tell you the general vicinity the old homestead was located.
These records will be either in state archives or in county courthouses.
A potential land owner in the Old South cut blazes on a perimeter of trees that surrounded his newly pick tract of wilderness. Then he went to the land office and got a deed.
Four ways to acquire first title to land: request to take up land, the right to the land, a survey, a title.
"Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants Awarded by State Governments (from Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore) is a master index to approximately 35,000 persons from Ct, Mass, NC, SC, GA, PA, NY, MD and Va.
The federal government gave no bounty land for military service after 1855, but Union veterans of the Civil War receivd special homestead rights.
When searching in Nw England, know how land was inherited and how personal property was disposed.
G. PUBLISHED GENEALOGIES
Sometimes you will be lucky enough to find someone has already traced most of your family and published the findings. If this is the case, take it with a grain of salt. Unless the work has documentation and quotes sources, it is only a tool for further research.
Check local and genealogical libraries. Here are some major ones:
The Mormon Church
Harwood Library, Taos NM (a lending library of books concerning the Scottish Clan MacLeod Society)
Ellen Payne Odom Genealogical Library in Moultrie, Ga. (a research, lending library which houses many Scottish clan documents and publications)
The New England Genealogical Library in Boston
The Historical Genealogy Collection in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
The Los Angeles Public Library
The New York City Public Library
The Charlotte-Mechlenberg Library in Charlotte, NC
The Daughters of the American Revolution Library in Washington DC
H. CHURCH RECORDS
Before census, and often in lieu of filing legal documents, church records existed. Sometimes notations were made by a particular minister and not filed with the church office. Often they were. These records may just list who belonged to a church, or who left a church, but often they will contain parents, children, r spouses names. At the least, it will tell when someone lived in a partiular place.
Check local and genealogical libraries for published books containing written activities of ministers or contact the headquarters of the denomination you are concerned with (ie. Montreat NC is the home of the Presbyterian Church).
The Mormon Church will also have christening records.
Pay close attention to the religious background of your ancestors and educate yourself on religious practices. For example, Quakers traveled and settled together.
I. MARRIAGE & DIVORCE RECORDS
Marriage records often are indexed three ways thus making them easier to research. Before law required them to be recorded in court houses, these records were kept by ministers and notations were made in family Bibles.
Very early divorces were granted/not granted by the state legislatures so their records were kept in court minutes. Later, records were kept by clerks of court. Often divorces were not sought for the way to the court house and the cost in time and money were too much. Spouses simply left.
Use analytical thinking when trying to figure out when and where a divorce might have occurred. For example, if a photo shows a child with her father in a sailor uniform in California in the early 1940s, and in no later photographs, this is a clue that a divorce took place out west. Where out west? Maybe Reno?
Check Departments of Health and or Vital Statistics in the capitol of the state that you are concerned with. Also check libraries for books published based on minister's notes, excerpts from county court houses.
The Mormon Church will also have marriage records, and/or banns of marriage records.
J. ADOPTION RECORDS
Often, in early times, adoptions were not common, but the child living with someone else, or being raised by someone else, was common. In early times, mostly guardianship papers were issued by the court. Guardianship was often awarded to an uncle even though the mother may be still alive and raising the children. This is because women had no legal rights until 1920. Check county court houses.
K. PENSION RECORDS
Pensions existed for wars before the days of social security. For Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, you might check the DAR books which contain lineages. These are usually available in libraries. Pension applications are on microfilm and are often applied for by the widow or a child. Later military action pensions may be through the Department of Defense in St. Louis, but the best thing is to contact the national archives nearest you for information.
L. MILITARY RECORDS
Few actual records exist which give genealogical data. Check with the national archives first. State archives may also have some records - particularly on the Confederacy - even though these records are very sketchy. Records for World Wars, Korea and Viet Nam are with the Department of Defense. They may or may not be available.
Contact this address for veterans: The Department of Veterans Affairs (National Cemetery Administration, 810 Vermont Ave, NW, Washington DC 20420.
M. IMMIGRATION & PASSENGER LISTS
It truly is not necessary to find on what ship an ancestor immigrated. Its just an added interesting fact. What can be important is where the ship departed or where it landed. Prior to the Revolution, primary ports were New York, Philadelphia, and Wilmington, NC. There are several books by Wm. Filby (Passenger & Immigration Lists) and by David Dodson (concerning Scottish immigrants) that you can find in your library which are helpful.
Prior to the opening of Ellis Island in 1855, the State of NY began processing immigrants through the facilities at Castle Garden.
Southern ports of entry include Wilmington and Beaufort NC, Charleston SC, Savannah Ga and New Orleans La
Keep in mind that immigration and passenger lists are scarce for it has little importance or they were lost. Also keep in mind that names were spelled as they sounded, thus MacKay could even be Mackie.
Scottish tacksmen made up the bulk of early immigration until the mid 1800s when primarily poorer people immigrated.
Emigration due to "the Clearances" in 1770 and early 1800s was because of forcible eviction from homes, genants moved to coast to supplement crofts by fishing, sheep farming was more profitable, small crofts were absorbed into bigger holdings, clan system was broken up, and land was confiscated.
American Migration Routes
In early days of America, inner migrations followed roads:
a. Indian trails were widened
b. The King's Highway (later Boston Post Road) originally went from Boston to New York. After 1685, it went from New York to Philadelphia to Norfolk, to Charleston.
c. After 1744, the Great Road led from Philadelphia west, then
southwest along eastern edge of the Appalachians. Later it
joined the Wilderness road which passed through the
Cumberland Gap on to Louisville.
d. The Pittsburg Pike wound through Harrisburg to Ohio River in the
early 1800s.
e. The National Road extended from Cumberland Maryland to the
Indiana territory.
f. The Federal Road went from Athens, Georgia to just north of Mobile, Alabama.
g. The Erie Canal was opened in 1825 and was a big factor in the early settlement of the Northwest Territory.
h. By 1870, railroads were carrying people west.
i. The first wagon train for Oregon started in 1842.
The Oregon Trail went along the south side of the Platte River
to Western Wyoming, then turned northwest OR southwest
through the High Sierras to California.
j. The first wagon train for California was in 1844
The Sante Fe Trail went south to New Mexico and then over the
Old Spanish Trail through the desert to California.
k. Most trains were made up in Independence, Missouri
The ports of immigration in the 1770s were New York, Philadelphia, and Wilmington, NY. In 1855, it was Castle Garden in Manhattan. In 1892, it was Ellis Island.
Emigration to North Carolina:
350 emigrants sailed from Campbelltown in July, 1739 to Brunswick NC on the "Thistle". They traveled 90 miles or so upstream to Cumberland Co. and settled in area where grants were available (sandy hills or upper Cape Fear Valley). The first emigrants were known as the Argyll Colony. There were no McLeod in this group.
Emigrants from the same district in the Highlands settled where family had settled.
The Potato Famine of 1845-75 also affected Scots and many emigrated to the United States or elsewhere.
Immigration to Canada:
Before 1850, Scottish Highlanders emigrated to Ontario and then crossed over into the United States. Since 1862, 4 million Canadians have emigrated to the States.
Irish Emigration:
Scots-Irish (Scotch-Irish) were transplanted Lowland Scots who emigrated to Ulster North Ireland during the reign of James I in the late 1600s. It was through Scots could better control the Irish than the English could. Many Scots-Irish settled in the Appalachians and went "West".
Scots and Scots-Irish transplanted to Ireland in 1775 was due to economic depression, clearances, overpopulation, land hunger, increased rents, disease and hopes of a better life. They emigrated primarily to the Shenandoah Valley, the North Carolina piedmont, the Northeastern coastal states and Prince Edward Island.
The Scots-Irish were generally Scots who emigrated to Ulster (North Ireland) during the reign of James I. It was thought they could do a better job of controlling the Irish than England could. Irish land was taken and Irishmen were left landless and destitute. Hostilities still alive because of this but now blamed on religion.
Scots-Irish immigrated to Senandoah Valley, NC, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, Maine and Pennslvania. Many settled in the Appalachians and then went west.
The Belfast Telegraph and the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland have come together to create a website for Irish emigration in the 1800s.
From 1845-75, many Irish from central and southern Ireland left because of the Potato Famine.
M. GENERAL COURT RECORDS
Before 1800, use printed volumes or abstracts for searching.
After 1800, ask for index to court cases, then case packet or docket number.
Request a copy of indexes or dockets for the surname you are searching.
N. MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS & LOCATIONS
The Mormon Church
The IGI (international genealogical index) is a list of marriages, deaths, christenings, births, and sometimes tax rolls. These records are on microfiche, by last name, by county, by state, by country. Thus you can find records for ancestors no matter where they came from - even from Europe, Australia, etc. Again, it is necessary to work backwards and copy down everything that seems pertinent. Because there will be so many records regarding a surname in a certain area, it is wise to have the librarians there make a copy of the microfiche so you an examine it completely at your leisure.
The Family Registry File is a way to contact others in your family line. People send in family histories with addresses. Data is on microfiche and surnames are listed alphabetically regardless of residence. It contains first names, vital statistics about the person, and who you can contact for further information.
Other
For information on a state's Historical Commission, contact the Archives or major public library. Write to them for information on local history or for genealogical information they may have.
Genealogical Societies often publish newsletters or have a small archives of work done by society members. Check with the state archives for addresses. Some major ones are:
American-Canadian in Manchester NH
Federation of Genealogical Societies, Richardson, Tex.
Irish - St Paul, Minn
Jewish - NY NY
Orphan Train - Springdale, Ark.
Scandinavian - St Paul, Minn
Scottish Societies have genealogists who often keep detailed genealogies. The Highlander Magazine can give you lists of these societies and where to write. Of go on-line.
Genealogical publishers such as Everton in Salt Lake City or the Genealogical Publishing Company in Baltimore have catalogues from which you can order.
Genealogical Magazines can be subscribed to. Often they carry queries from researchers, ads for books and software, and articles about by-gone times and the people who lived then.
Family Societies often publish newsletters. Going on-line is a good way to access these addresses. Sometimes genealogical societies will have contact addresses. Also refer to Directory of Family Associatios by Elizabth Bentley, Genealogical Publishing Co, Baltimore Md.
Historical Societies are in Tuscaloosa, Fayetteville, Ark, San Francisco, Denver, Hartford, Savannah, Baton Rouge, Boston, Jackson Ms, NY NY, Charleston, Nashville, Austin, Richmond, etc.
Patriotic Societies have lineages which were required for membership. Sometimes these are in published book form, but often you will have to write the individual societies. This is where deductive reasoning comes in...how old was your ancestor, might he have fought in a war?
Some general addresses:
Daughters of the American Revolution, Washington DC
Descendants of Loyalists & Patriots of the Revolution, Bloomington, Minn.
Society of the War of 1812, Mendenhall, Pa.
Societyof the Mexican War (Aztec Club of 1847), Wshington DC
Sons of Union Veterans, Holt Mich
Daughters of the Confederacy, Richmond, Va
Sons of the Confederacy, Columbia Tn
Military Order of World Wrs, Alexandria Va
Society of California Pioneers, San Francisco
Sons of the Republic of Texas, Dallas
Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth Mass
Sons & Daughters of Oregon Pioneers, Portland Ore
Sons & Daughters of Pilgrims, Minneapolis Mn
Colonial Dames of America, NY NY
National Society of Americans of Royal Descent, Rosbury Ct.
National Society of Magna Charta Dames, Philadelphia Pa
Religious Societies
Hugenot Society of America, NY NY
Archives
National Archives are located in Watham, Mass, NY NY,
Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Denver, Ft Worth, Seattle, and Anchorage
Computer Clubs offer sources for genealogical research and some have offshoots of Genealogy Clubs.
The Internet is full of sites for genealogy. Just type in genealogy and click. You'll see virtually hundreds of places to access. Often you will click, and click, and click to get to something which has substance. Also try typing in a family name, or a society, or a town.
Good books to purchase:
Genealogy via the Internet (by Ralph Roberts) which lists many genealogy web pages.
My History Guidebook and My History is America's History
In Search of Hamish McBagpipes (a concise guide to Scottish Genealogy) (by Douglas Bruce Goldie) for tips on research in Scotland - which is more or less the same as research here.
Scottish Roots (by Alwyn James)
The Source (by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking )
Town historians often have records from years ago. They often know who to put you in touch with. Sometimes, your correspondence will be on file for a long time and someone will come along, see it, and respond to you. This type of response led to my being eligible for the Mayflower Society.
Cemeteries give excellent clues. Even roughly hewn field stones like those commonly used in the 1700s and early 1800s can give clues. Gently run your fingers over it until you feel something that could be a letter. Names were usually scratched on the surface. A great idea for more information is leaving a laminated note on the headstone of the ancestor you have found. Someone may see it and contact you. A good way to read a tombstone is this: pull a paper bag over the stone, stick you head and flashlight inside the bag. Shine the light sideways on the inscription.
Obituaries can be ordered from libraries in the area where your ancestor died. Pay for copying and postage and give a donation.
Directories hve been published in some cities since the 1700s. They can help locate families. Generally access these through your library.
SEARCHING ELSEWHERE
Do NOT order an advertised genealogy from postcards/letters sent to you through the mail. These are generally hoaxes. The only redeeming value is that there are often lists of individual's names and addresses which you can write to.
Small museums have exhibits that enrich the understanding of a community and may also have local history libraries and archives.
Searching outside the United States is very difficult because it has to be done in writing and most record keepers will not respond. Before writing overseas, or hiring a genealogist, it is imperative that you find out as much information as possible by searching sources listed above, particularly the Mormon Church files.
The Grand Lodge of Scotland Museum and Library contains a most unusual archive with records from 1598.
A. CANADIAN RECORDS
The Archives will make a limited search. Contact them in Ottawa, Ontario.
Birth, marrige and death records can be ordered from the Department of Public Health. Call phone information, or access on-line, for addresses for the different areas of Canada.
Canadian military records were not kept until after 1900 but there are some records from 1812.
The Archives have data relating to United Empire Loyalists. These are colonial citizens who were loyal to England during the Revolution. There are also rcords of Loyalist claims for losses during that war. Keep in mind that many Scots fought on this side for fear of loosing to Britain again.
If the Archives cannot give you addresses of genealogical societies, the Ontario Genealogical Society at Box 66, Station 0 in Toronto, Ontario M4T 2L7 might.
Birth, marriage and death records:
Registrar of Vital Stats, Dept of Health, St. Johns Newfoundland
Registrar General, Dept of Public Health, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Division of Vital Stats, Dept of Health, Charlottetown, PEI
Registrar General, Dept of Health, Fredericton, New Brunswick
Registrar General, Population Register, Dept of Social Affairs, Quebec, Quebec
Deputy Registrar General, MacDonald Block, Queens Park, Toronto, Ontario
B. IRISH RECORDS
Northern Ireland: Birth, marriage and death records for Catholics have been recorded since 1864; for Protestants since 1845. The orignial certificates are with the General Register Office in Belfast. Old Ulster wills are at the Public Record Office for North Ireland in Belfast.
Ireland: Birth, marriage and death certificates go back to 1864 and are in Latin. Contact
Office of Register- General, Custom House, Dublin.
General Register Office, Fermanagh House, Ormeau Ave, Belfast
Irish wills were destroyed by fire in Dublin 1922 but copies from N. Ireland wills can be ordered from Public Record Office for Northern Ireland, Law Courts Building, May St, Belfast.
Property records from 1708:
Registry of deeds, Henrietta St, Dublin 1
Presbyterian records can be obtained from Presbyterian Historical Society Church House, Fisherwick Place, Belfast.
The National Library of ireland is part of the Genealogical Office. They have their own collection and can be commissioned by mail to make searches. Write The Genealogical Office, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2.
Irish research addresses are:
Irish-American Genealogy, 1510 Cravens Ave, Torrence Ca 90501
Irish Ancestor, % Miss Rosemary Folliott, Pirton House, Sydenham Villas, Dundrum, Dublin 14
Irish Genealogical Research Society, Mr. F. Payton, Glenholme, High Oakham Rd, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England
The Ulster-Scot Historical Foundation, 66 Bilmoral Ave, Belfast
N. Ireland Tourist Borad, River House, 48 High St, Belfast
The National Library is part of the Genealogical Office in Dublin.
Aid to Irish research can be found in the quarterly publication: Irish American Genealogy out of Torrence, California.
Also write the Irish Genealogical Research Society (Glenholme, High Oakham Rd), Mansfield, Nottingham, England.
C. SCOTTISH RECORDS
Compulsory registration of vital statistics began in 1855. The registrar general in Edinburgh has custody but will not help you.
Registrar House has records of every vital stat since that time. Do not go to Scotland thinking you can just walk in and search. You must do all work at home first to save valuable time you need to explore Scotland.
Searches may be undertaken by the Scots Ancestry Research Society, 3 Albany St, Edinburgh EH1 3PY.
Old Parochial Records were in existance for years before 1855. One must pay to have a record recorded so they are incomplete. The Registrar House has lists of them and the Mormon Church has extracted many of them.
There were 900 parishes in Scotland. These are religious districts (small areas)
HIRING A GENEALOGIST
How To
Get a name from the archives, a genealogical society, a patriotic society, or a genealogical publication.
Write first to the genealogist. Inquire about credentials and fees. Ask the turnaround time for answers. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Assess what you need in particular. Do not write asking for a search of too many things at once...one or two items is sufficient per correspondence.
Provide all the information you have that would be needed to conduct the search. For example, if you are interested in finding the maiden name of your ancestor with marriage date, place and parents' names, provide the ancestor's full name, date and place of birth, date and place of death, places lived, children, and parents.
Put your request in the form of a questionnaire.
Contract with the genealogist to do only three or four hours at a time and send you a report. If you need further information, contract for another three or four hours. Do NOT just give open-ended permission to search for it could go on forever and cost a fortune. Also, sometimes just one little bit of information uncovered can give you a clue for further searching.
The report should include places searched, sources checked, documentation in full for every piece of information unearthed. If it doesn't, don't go this route again.
In the back of Scottish Roots by James Alwyn is a list of specialists in family research.