Category: Research Page 10 of 14

Anything and all related to research

Cemetery Records

On 12 February 2015

Most genealogists are quite familiar with cemeteries. I often see bumper stickers with something like “I brake for cemeteries” when going to genealogy conferences or meetings. I also love how at those meetings you can say you were wandering around a cemetery and there would be no strange looks!

Photo Taken by Copper Leaf Genealogy

Finding a Gravestone

There are many useful tools for finding an ancestor’s gravestone. Findagrave.com and BillionGraves.com are two of the most popular websites for finding gravestones online. These are all volunteer run and can be excellent if you can’t get to where your ancestors died.

Also, some areas have indexes, images, or other records available online through local genealogy societies or even through their own county/city/church websites. It’s always a wonderful idea to see if this is available for you.

There are also some published books from the DAR with transcriptions of some of the graves found in cemeteries they visited. Keep in mind that not all the information you would want is transcribed in these books. As always, it’s best to see the original but this can give you clues if you weren’t sure where the grave was. The Family History Library also has some of these books in their microfilm collection.

Finding a Cemetery Record

One thing that some people may not think of doing is getting the actual cemetery record for that gravestone. How do you do that? You need to find out who runs the cemetery. It can be the city, county, or even a religious institution. Sometimes, there is a sign in front of the cemetery that states who to call for the office or where the office may be. Sometimes the office is right there on the cemetery grounds, but I don’t find this very often. For older cemeteries, there usually isn’t a sign at all, (including a sign with the name of the cemetery) so your best bet is to then check with the city the cemetery is in.

Sometimes contacting the city parks will get you the information you need or at least possibly point you in the right direction. The library or a local genealogical society is also a good choice if available. There are many small, rural cemeteries, that may no longer have records attached to them or the records exist but no one knows where. If you can find a death record, that can help point you in the direction of a funeral home that could have more information as well if the funeral home still exists. This is also a good idea if the ancestor is buried in a private family cemetery.

The Cemetery Record

So, why is a cemetery record so valuable? It tells you who owns the plot! This can be WONDERFUL if you hit a brick wall, like with a female relative, especially if they died young and may be buried with their family rather than with their husband. This has given me clues to help with my brick wall on Lily McLeod. It is a wonderful resource!

Usually what you find in a cemetery record will include the deceased’s name, their position in the cemetery, dates of birth/death, next of kin, and sometimes references to books. If that is so, ask to see if these books still exist as it can show a diagram of the plot and include people who may not have a marked grave. Sometimes a picture of the plot is also included in the individual’s record or in the plot owner’s record. Get both of those records if you can!

Mortuary Records

As mentioned already, the funeral home can have some information for you as well if it still exists. That can include mortuary records as well and can sometimes have more information than is on the death record or even on the cemetery’s record.

Funeral home records are kept privately by the business itself so getting these records depends on them. Some are more than willing to share and others are not. Also, these records are as accurate as the person who gave the information so keep that in mind!

Gravestone Inscriptions

Gravestones can give you many clues or leave you with very little information. They vary quite a bit! Sometimes they state the full date of birth or death. Sometimes, it’s just the year or an age. It can also mention something historic – like that they were some of the first people in the area, or something about their career.

It’s also best to see who is around the gravestone as those could be relatives as well. Families tended to be buried near each other.

There are many cemeteries that are in very bad condition. In these cases, it is sometimes very difficult or even impossible to find the gravestone. The older the stone, the more likely it has been destroyed by weather or lack of upkeep. Not every cemetery is supposed to be kept well either. In some cultures, they leave the cemetery alone so as to not disturb the dead. So if you happen to visit a cemetery where it is covered in vines, weeds, grasses, etc., see if the reason for it is a cultural one. Otherwise if you try to clean it up, it could be seen as rude or even against the law.

Rubbings

A gravestone rubbing is where you put a piece of paper or something over the tombstone inscription and use something like a charcoal pencil to rub over the words. DO NOT DO THIS! It harms the stone, especially the older ones. It can cause the stone to fall over or even crumble under the pressure of the rubbing.

There are alternatives to this. The best is to visit the cemetery during a sunny day and take pictures from different angles so you can read the writing. Taking a mirror to reflect the light is also a good idea, especially if the stone doesn’t get much light. This is really one of the safest methods for getting the information without ruining the tombstone and it is the one I personally use.

The National Genealogical Society’s UpFront with NGS blog posted about how to read an unreadable gravestone that I recommend reading.

Tombstone Designs

Tombstones can also tell you a lot about your ancestor just by the look or design of them. For example, those who participated in the Civil War can have different shapes on their tombstone depending on what side they fought on. Amy Johnson Crow from No Story Too Small describes this in one of her blog posts.

Some tombstones can also have a symbol on their gravestone that can give you clues as well. The Freemason symbol is a common one as well as a star for Civil War Veterans with GAR written in it. I have seen this outside of the actual gravestone too, like in my 2x great-grandfather’s grave:

Cemetery’s can be a great place for quite a bit of information! Leave a comment below if you feel I left something out or if you just want to comment on searching for ancestors in cemeteries.

Happy hunting!

Religious Records

By Nichelle Barra

On 10 February 2015

In Research, Resources

Religious records are a wonderful resource, especially if a vital record no longer exists. Religious records can contain baptism records, marriage records, burial records, and more. Sometimes there are cemetery records if the organization is connected to one. This article will focus on some religious records you can find in American genealogy.

I apologize now that this does not include all religions. If you know of records found in religions that are not mentioned, please post in the comments below with what you know.

By Pubdog (talk).Pubdog at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

Figuring Out The Religion Of Your Ancestor

Figuring out what religion your ancestor was a part of can be a bit of a challenge. Obituaries can sometimes give you an answer but there obviously weren’t always obituaries. Sometimes you can figure it out based on what religion your family has currently, but if your ancestors are anything like mine, that changed often.

There are some known associations – like that Germans tended to be Lutheran (but can be Catholic if came in the mid 1800’s and later), Scots tended to be Presbyterian, English tended to be Anglican or Congregationalist, and the Dutch tended to be part of the Dutch Reformed Church. Of course, there are always exceptions to this but it can give you a place to start.

The best idea would be to check to see what religious organizations were around the area of where your ancestor lived when vital record events happened. If you know, for example, that there were only two churches available at the time of your ancestor’s death, you have a narrowed down list and a starting point. If you happen to know what cemetery they are buried in, that is also a clue. A religious organization could be associated with the cemetery at the time of your ancestor’s death or even currently. Also note any clubs or organizations your ancestor was a part of as those can be sometimes linked to a religious organization.

Records

Birth/Baptism Records –

These can be the actual certificate but you’ll most likely find a register book with this information.
Keep in mind that not all denominations practice infant baptisms. But if they do, a baptism record can give you an idea of the date of birth. Also, these records can name the parents and sponsors (who are most likely related).
Jewish synagogues may have circumcision records. Also birth records are noted in Synagogue Minutes Books and Bulletins.

Marriage Records –

These are most likely kept in register books.
The information varies as much as religious practices. Normally you’ll find the bride and groom’s names, date of the marriage, and the officiate. Sometimes it’ll include parent’s names, witnesses, current residences, ages, birthdays, etc.
Sometimes you’ll find only that a marriage was planned or intended. These are called banns in a number of churches. These can sometimes be kept in a banns book, separate from a marriage register.
Quakers are another group where the couple would have to get permission first. The couple would have to appear before meetings to make their intent known and to receive permission to marry. The marriage should be noted in a meeting report later on.

Burial Records –

Again, this could be in a register book or the certificate but most places would likely have a register book.
Information can include name, date of death, date and place of burial, age, and spouse or next of kin.
Some register books, especially in smaller areas, can give more information on the person and the person’s death.
Here is where you may find cemetery records if there is a cemetery associated with the institution.

Other Records –

Business records
Transfer/Removal Records
Membership Records (these can also have death information in them)
Bar/Bat Mitzvah and Confirmation Records
Minutes or Meeting Records (Quakers and Jewish Synagogues may have these)

Where to Find the Records

The Place Itself – sometimes the actual institution will still have records. The church I grew up in, for example, has a number of records BUT there was a fire that destroyed all the earlier records. So, a person wrote down an account of what he knew about the beginning of the church since the original records were lost but it is obviously incomplete. The religious institution may not know where the older records are kept but it never hurts to ask!
Archives/Historical Societies – Some religious institutions have a historical society or archive dedicated to old records. Records can also be found in state archives and local historical societies as well. If the church doesn’t have the records, see if a library, historical society, museum, or local genealogy group has more information for you.
Microfilm – Some microfilm may be online for viewing as well. FamilySearch.org has a number of religious records available on microfilm, which you can pay to borrow and have it sent to a local LDS church near you for you to view.
Online Sites – places like DAR have some transcriptions in their library catalog. Also, some local genealogy communities will put an index online of religious records as well as how to get to the original record. Doing a simple search on Google or checking with Cyndi’s List are also good ideas.

Please feel free to comment and add to the conversation! Not all religions follow the general guidelines above so please add any information you may have about other religious records.

Happy hunting!

Local Genealogy Societies

By Nichelle Barra

On 5 February 2015

In Research, Resources

Many of us no longer live in the same area as the majority of our ancestors. That means that to find out more about those ancestors, we sometimes need to travel to the area. This isn’t always possible, of course, and I’m thankful when I find some records online. However, there are other avenues we can use if we want more information about our ancestors. I already mentioned local libraries but there are also local genealogy societies.

Most of the time, a simple search for the county or area genealogical society will get you what you need. There is also the Federation of Genealogical Societies which has a place for you to search for societies in the area you’re looking for.

Don’t forget about looking on social media as well! Facebook has many genealogy groups, and not just society groups either. There are groups for surnames, geographical areas, or even subject areas (like DNA).

I’ll give you a wonderful example of how a society helped me. I was looking for a probate record from Gaines, New York from 1832 recently. I found an index for the record on FamilySearch.org and wanted to know if the record itself still existed and where it would be. So I called the courthouse and I was then directed to the Orleans County Genealogical Society.

I searched online and couldn’t find a database so I decided to email the president of the society for help. About half an hour later, I had an email back! I was sent a link to an index, which answered my questions and gave me more information. I thanked the president for the information and got an email back asking if I wanted the records as they were already searching for them. I, of course, said yes! This conversation happened in the evening and I didn’t know that this was something the society had on hand. Within a few hours, the record had been scanned in and emailed to me! The complete record!

Talk about going above and beyond the call of duty!

Of course, not every society will be as active or as able to do something like the above example, but they are still wonderful resources of information that any genealogist could use! Some times, it can take quite a bit of time too. I mailed a question (and payment for what I was asking for) to a society and didn’t hear back from them for so long, I wrote off the check as missing. However, after I had forgotten about it, I got a wonderful file in the mail with everything I had been looking for!

Do any of you have stories of how a local genealogy group helped you in your search? Share below!

Happy hunting!

Land Records

By Nichelle Barra

On 3 February 2015

In Research, Resources

Some of my favorite records to work with are land records! I love figuring out the Rectangular Survey System or the Metes and Bounds and then working with plat records. They really are a lot of fun! Plus, mapping out an ancestor’s property on a plat map, can show you their neighbors over the years. This is especially helpful when you hit a brick wall and want to see who their associates could be!

Many of you may already know at least one ancestor in recent history that owned land. How do you find out more information about that land? Was part of it sold over time? Was it bigger or smaller than it is now?

County Recorder

For all that information, you’ll usually go to your County Recorder. What you’ll find there will also vary from county to county, so call and be sure that the office will have land records available for researchers.

Sometimes these can be digitized in the office. My current county has that done, which is wonderful! The older records aren’t word searchable but everything is on their computer and they have a station set up for researchers. This isn’t always the case! My hometown’s information is in a small room, which I was allowed in and they showed me the indexes for the records for me to search through. Once I found the record I wanted, I could then look up the book.

There are also some counties that have their land records searchable online. That is a wonderful thing and I’ve noticed more and more are doing that. So be sure to do a web search to see if you are in one of those lucky counties!

Also, check the Family History Library microfilm to see if the land records were microfilmed. This is useful if you can’t physically go to the county.

The Record

First, search the indexes. These can be arranged by the grantor (the seller of the property) or by the grantee (the buyer of the property). The index will tell you where to find the record – the volume, page number, file number, etc. Normally you’d find the deed which describes who bought what from whom and where a property description.

There are other types of land records you can find too: mortgage deeds, warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deed of gift, dower release, etc. Once you find the deed you are looking for, make a copy of it if you can or transcribe it and then you can research the type of deed for more information on it if you wish.

The Information

The genealogical information that can be found can be:

The grantor(s) -the seller(s) of the property
The grantee(s) – the buyer(s) of the property
Location and description of the land
Cost of the land
Dates
Signatures

Sometimes the record will also give the information on who the seller bought the land from and who that person bought the land from, etc.

The Description of the Land

Here’s where it gets fun!

There are two ways of measurements for land records. In the thirteen original states they normally used something called Metes and Bounds. A typical description has a starting point, then follows with directions and measurements to plot out the land. The measurements can include physical features (like some sort of waterway) as well. FamilySearch has a wonderful example of this on their wiki: Metes and Bounds.

The other way of measuring is how the rest of the country measures lands called the Rectangular Survey System. The description goes from the smallest to largest part of the map. You’ll find something like this:

Citation is on the record

It reads: “… North half of the North East Quarter, and the North half of the North West Quarter of Section No. 12, in Township no. 16. North of Range No. One West containing one hundred and sixty acres.” [1]

To explain this, I’ll go from largest section to smaller.

Meridian: The meridian runs north to south and the base is from east to west. In the above case, that is on the Michigan-Toledo strip. This isn’t necessary to know in most cases but can help map it out if you need it. The FamilySearch wiki on Rectangular Surveys has a map you can view for more information.
Range and Township numbers: The range is the east to west line on the meridian and the township is the north to south on the baseline. Think of the X Y axis you learned in math class – same principle here. The numbers will then pinpoint an area on the map where that land resides. The townships are divided into 36 sections which each contain one square mile.
Sections: The sections themselves hold 640 acres of land and can be divided. It can be divided into halves (the north and south halves), quarters, (the north east/west and the south east/west quarters), and even smaller. As the above example shows, my ancestor received the North half of the North East Quarter and the North half of the North West quarter.

You can map this out on graph paper to create a visual to help you. I always do this!

Plat Maps

This information is very useful with plat maps. I take the description information to the local library or wherever I know the plat maps are kept, and then use it to find more information on the area surrounding my ancestor and to see who his neighbors were as well. This can lead to clues when researching an ancestor.

Earlier Records

So what about earlier records? Say when someone bought the land from the state?

Federal Land Records are for the areas outside of the thirteen original states. To find those records, like the example I showed above, you can go to the Bureau of Land Management General Land Office Records website (I call it the glorecords website). Here you can search for your ancestors, find an image of the certificate, and even look at plat maps. You can also find ordering information if you wish to order the file from the National Archives.

If you’re looking for records from the original states, those are colonial land grants. These can be found in the state’s archives or even still in the state land office. You’ll want to contact the state archives to find out where you can find your particular record and if they still exist as not every record has made it through the years.

Chime in on the comment section if you’ve found some wonderful things through land records! Or, if you feel I left something out, please let me know!

Happy hunting!

[1] Sylvester Erway (Midland County) cash entry file, certificate no. 7199, Genesee, Michigan, Land Office; Land Entry Papers, 1800-1908;Records of Land Management, Record Group 49; National Archives, Washington D.C