Beginning Lesson #18 RESEARCH LOGS After nearly four months of genealogy research, you are beginning to feel the confusion that typically befuddles family historians. You realize now you are working on more than one surname at a time. While waiting for results on letters you've written to family members, you are ordering microfilms, and getting copies of vital records from state or county authorities. Switching gears between projects is beginning to get a little difficult. To remedy the situation, it is advisable to begin keeping both a research log, and a pre-printed checklist of things you might consider doing in the future. We'll talk about the first one this week and tackle the checklist in next week's lesson! PURPOSE: To readily advise the family historian of the current status of research on a particular individual on his family tree. This sounds crazy, but sometimes it takes 6-8 months to get a reply from a letter. By then a lot of water has gone under the bridge. My memory is pretty good, but its easy to get confused about the particulars when so much time passes! A glance at the research log puts one back on track. FORMAT: There are pre-printed research log forms produced by Bill Dollarhide (Managing a Genealogy Research Project), Everton Publishers, the LDS Family History Library and in most beginning genealogy guidebooks. You can also make your own using your wordprocessing program. Print out lots of blank forms, enough for each person on your pedigree chart you need to research further. Basically you'll need the following information at the top of the page: SURNAME: GIVEN NAME: BIRTH DATE: LOCALITY: OBJECTIVES: Then you can have spaces or columns below this to list each type of research you are doing, the date and results of your work. One of my forms looks like this: FROMAN, PAUL born 1705, died 1783 GOAL: To determine/prove service in the Revolutionary War, for my DAR Application. _______________________________________________________________ DATE: 10/18/95 SOURCE: Orlando Public Library - HISTORICAL REGISTER OF VIRGINIANS IN THE REVOLUTION by John H. Gwathmey 1938, reprint 1975. Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore. FINDINGS: Index listing for Paul Froman, Captain at Fort Nelson in 1791 T-DV1P422. (The abbreviation key states that "T" denotes that the material is to be found in the Virginia State Library under George Rogers Clark Manuscript, photocopied, bound and indexed. Serial D Volume 1 Page 422.) NEXT STEP: Contact friend Audrey, to obtain copy of record when she goes to the Virginia State Library. _______________________________________________________________ DATE: 1/23/96 SOURCE: Tampa Public Library - Index to Revoltionary War Service, transcribed by Virgil D. White. National Historical Publishing Company, Waynesboro, Tennessee 1992. FINDINGS: Our ancestor, Paul Froman not mentioned. However, other unknown Fromans are listed. NEXT STEP: When at the National Archives in May 1997, obtain copies of the service records for Alexander, Bartholomew, Elijah, Ephriam, Henry, John, and Temple Froman to learn more of the Fromans. _______________________________________________________________ DATE: 3/04/96 SOURCE: Bradenton LDS FHCenter - Microfilm # (forgot to write the number!) - Will Book A, Lincoln County Kentucky, Page 46. FINDINGS: Paul Froman will lists Elizabeth as wife and children, including our known ancestor, Jacob Froman. NEXT STEP: File in Froman notebook as proof of relationship father to son. Beginning Lesson #19 DOCUMENT CHECKLIST DearREADERS, We discussed a research log last week. Now let's talk about using a checklist when attempting to collect documents about our ancestors. This is the truly fun part of family history research. Finding your ancestor mentioned in a will or in an old newspaper clipping adds dimension to our understanding of him as an individual. Sometimes we get so bogged down looking at only one type of record (perhaps census records) that we forget to look for other documents which might mention our ancestor. Here's a little checklist I made to help you remember what type of documents you'll typically find. It is by no means exhaustive. Print it out on a separate sheet for each ancestor. Then check off those items you have located. Don't forget to place copies of the documents you collect in those wonderful mylar top-loading sheet protectors! Name Birth/Place Marriage/Place Occupation Death/Place Buried/Place ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------- Vital: birth cert ____ christening cert ____ marriage cert ____ marriage bann/bond____ death cert ____ cemetery index____cemetery____ tombstone inscription____ social security death index____ SS#________________ School: report card____ graduation cert____ Colonial/Federal Census: right to bear arms ____ rent roll ____ city directories____ 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1900 1910 1920 Soundex: 1880 1900 1910 1920 State Census: ________ ____ ________ ____ ________ ____ Military: federal index to pension/service____service____ pension ____ unit history ____ map of service areas____ historical overview of war of service____ state index to militia____ DAR/SAR membership papers____ Land: tax list ____ grantee/grantor____ bounty land grant____ land lottery____ Sanborn fire maps____ Bureau of Land Management____township maps____ Immigration/Naturalization: passenger lists ____ emigration lists____ Ellis Island Database____ baggage claim lists ____ oath of allegiance____ first papers____ final certificate ____ Newspapers: society page ____ business____ obit____non-related ads of the day____ Family Papers: letters____ diaries ____ bible____ cookbook____ Photos: childhood____graduation____marriage____ military____tombstone____other____ Compiled Sources: Ancestral File dated ( ) ____ IGI International Genealogical Index ( ) ____ state "early pioneer" book ____ PERSI (Periodical Source Index) ____ surname books in LDS Family History Library Catalog____ manuscripts at Library of Congress____ Internet: ROOTSWEB Surname List ____ Family Tree Maker Online____ OCLC____ Ancestry Reference Library (http://www.ancestry.com)____ Beginning Lesson #20 Marriage Records I checked The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy, which adds on page 76 notes on the subject of marriage intentions.These are similar to marriage bonds in that they were filed with the local government. Noted genealogy instructor, the late Norman E. Wright states in Building an American Pedigree, pp 128 that "With the exception of New England towns, the county has been the most important jurisdiction recording marriages in the United States. Many counties and towns initiated marriage registers at the date of their organization and havemaintained records since then. ( ) A variety of marriage documents have been created over the years in America, including applications, banns, bonds, certificates, consent notices, intentions, licenses, proclamations, register entries and returns." This means that to access marriage records, one would first expect to contact the county of jurisdiction at the time your ancestor was married there. Review <A HREF="aol://4344:167.my961114.1399205.532385881">The Handybook for Genealogists</A>, Where to Write For Vital Records (US Government Printing Office), The Vital Records Handbook or Ancestry's Redbook. These sources will list the name and address of the government office holding the records. For pre 1900 marriage records, try checking the <A HREF="aol://4344:167.my9602 16.1389948.508976354">LDS Family History Library Catalog</A> under the locality in question. You will then be able to determine if the original records and any indexes are available for viewing at your local LDS Family History Center. The value of marriage records lies in the fact that you will have the full names of both the bride and groom. This is particularly helpful when trying to determine her lineage. Check who is posting the money and who signs as a witness. They are often close friends and family members related to the bride and groom. Unless the couple eloped, one could expect to find land and tax records for the bride's father in the same area as the posted marriage bond. With any luck the land record will have further clues. Also check the census records for that area for the federal enumeration just before and just after the marriage bond date. Further Reading: Cerny, Johni, editor, <A HREF="aol://4344:167.my961022.1413693.530663245">The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy</A>. 1st edition, 1984. Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing. Chapter 3, pp 90-129. Wright, Norman E., Building an American Pedigree. 1974, Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press. (out of print) Beginning Lesson #21 Interviewing Relatives Your letter prompts all sorts of ideas on the fun of interviewing your living ancestors. All too often, when we are younger, we shied away from our elders. The lure of the rocking chair on the front porch was somehow outweighed by the fun of tire swings, swimming holes, playing leap frog, and skipping school. Family dinners (with kids and adult tables) and the ever-attendant "required" kisses from face-pinching maiden aunts were things to be endured, on pain of evil-eye-stares from our mothers should we not submit. The last thing on a kid's mind was to ask gramps about the "olden days." We were young and had no concept of mortality. We were too busy exploring the present to worry about the past. But we're older and wiser, and before it gets any later, let's make a point of calling and arranging to meet with Dad & Mom, their siblings and cousins. The summer is a GREAT time for even informal family get-togethers! Invite yourself over or invite them down for pie a la mode. Don't forget the tape recorder, the camcorder, the camera, the digital camera. Here are some interview ideas! places I've lived... my parents would die if only they knew... favorite teacher... life wasn't easy when... the best part of growing up was when... Grandma(pa) had the unusual habit of... He/she taught me to... I remember their home was... remembering them gives me the feeling of... making friends has always been ... there are times when following the crowd can... true friendship means... being out on my own... the advent if the war meant... I remember life before ...(telephone, tv, computers, stereos, etc.) when the US put men on the moon I felt like... when the Berlin Wall came down it make me think... I met that special someone when I felt a bit... we managed to overcome the odds and... to this day, my spouse doesn't know I secretly wish to... our own family traditions include... the most rewarding hours spent together was when... if I could share anything with future generations... seems you can accomplish anything in this life if... my favorite saying is... my hope for my children and grandchildren is... As you can see, this would also work well for a personal life-history composition on your part! If you have the joy of visiting your relative in his or her home, be sure to ask lots of questions about the photos, old pieces of furniture and other memorabilia out and about. This opens the floodgate of memories. Its also a tactful way of getting the "interview" going along without having to be stiff and formal, and intimidated by the recording equipment. Just let it happen, free form. Go with the flow as the kids these days say! Beginning Lesson #22 SURNAME GROUPS ON THE WEB Subj: Some Instructions Date: 97-05-28 18:36:40 EDT From: [email protected] Hi Family.... Below is a web site for Rootsweb. If you click on the Surname/Family List and do not see the one you want, keep going back. Karen, Larry, and Brian are adding lists daily. All of us are learning our new home, and no, its not easy for most of us. Everything is different than it was at Maiser, but its going to be a lot easier. Lets hang in together!!! <VBG> Elinor Roots WEB User List (is located at): <A HREF="http://www.rootsweb.com/~maillist/">http://www.rootsweb.com/~maillist /</A> If you are reading this article while online with AOL or from the Ancestry WEB site, you only need to click on the blue underlined hypertext to be taken directly to the WEB site. However, I recommend you print out this page before continuing! Once you get to that WEB page, you will find the following links to articles and surnames: USER MAILING LISTS Table of Contents About Mailing Lists How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe General Interest Lists Surname/Family Lists A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z National, State, and Local Area Lists Ethnic Group Lists Miscellaneous Lists Information for Listowners (and Potential Listowners!) I just went to the WEB page and found the following from the portion labeled H ow to Subscribe and Unsubscribe : "It's easy -- just click on the list you want. When the "mail-to" window pops up, write just the single word subscribe in the body of the message. That's all. If you want to unsubscribe from a list, click on it and write just the single word unsubscribe in the body of the message." Ok, in plain English, this is step-by-step what I did to subscribe to the EVANS surname list. 1. While reading this article online, I double-clicked on the hypertext internet address(URL) <A HREF="http://www.rootsweb.com/~maillist/">http://www .rootsweb.com/~maillist/</A> to launch the request through the internet. (My WEB browser then looked for a connection to that site and a new screen came up titled USER MAILING LISTS.) 2. I clicked on the letter E following SURNAME/FAMILY LISTS to get to that portion of the alphabet. (The ROOTSWEB computer then gives me a screen listing the currently available surname lists beginning with the letter E.) 3. I used my mouse on the right scroll bar, to scroll down the list of surnames until I found the EVANS L and EVANS D listings. NOTE: Subscribing to EVANS L will provide EACH message in its entirety to be sent to your e-mail box as they are posted on the WEB. Subscribing to EVANS D will provide a periodic e-mail DIGEST which lists the first message (up to 2K) and then just the subject lines of subsequent messages. If one appears interesting, I may request the complete message later. 4. Since I would like to see EACH message to get the hang of the process, I clicked on EVANS L. This prompts an e-mail screen to come up, with the addressee already filled in. It happens to be: [email protected] 5. In the body of the e-mail form where I normally type letters to my kids, I typed: SUBSCRIBE 6. I added the word SUBSCRIBE for the subject of my e-mail, only because my e-mail program will not send without a subject line completed. Some of you may not have to do this. It doesn't affect your subscription. The ROOTSWEB computer is looking for step 5. 7. I clicked the SEND button. 8. I received a confirmation of my request to subscribe to the EVANS Surname list about 15 minutes later. I printed out this e-mail since it also showed me the rules for subscribing, unsubscribing, etc. I should mention that ROOTSWEB has many other genealogy-related lists you can subscribe to from time to time. My traveling companion, Audrey (aka cpyqueen) found great info on her GWATKINS from VA -ROOTS. May I suggest that you NOT reply to messages for at least a week or two. Just read the messages and print out the ones that really interest you. This way you can get the main idea of protocol, WEB manners, etc. There is nothing more aggravating than having a newbie start with "My name is Smith, can anyone give me my family history back to Adam on a silver platter, by 5pm today if possible." I wouldn't want you to get a bad reputation right off the bat. The people who maintain the lists (like Elinor above) are volunteers. The people who write the messages are healthy mix of beginning to fairly dedicated researchers. We all have to start somewhere, I am just asking your to get the lay of the land before you barge in!