Beginning Lesson #6 Government Sources DearREADERS, As we progress beyond collecting family history documents found at home or with relatives, we look to other sources for original documents that were created at the time our ancestors lived. The next logical place to look is government sources. Here are some examples of the types of <A HREF="http://ww w.itsnet.com/home/gfa/chap8.html">records</A> you are likely to run into. STATE & COUNTY : vital recors of birth, marriage & death wills & probate records pre-1906 naturalization records land transactions tax lists state/territorial census records FEDERAL: military muster rolls, service records & pension files land grants/homesteads census 1790-1920 naturalizations after 1906 passports EXAMPLE: If you are missing a marriage record for your grandparents, you'll need to contact the goverment agency that holds the old records for the place where they lived. For instance, if your grandparents were married in Erie County, Pennsylvania, you could check either the <A HREF="aol://4344:167.my961114.1399 205.532385881">Handybook for Genealogists (Everton)</A> or <A HREF="http://www .ancestry.com">The Redbook (Ancestry)</A> and discover that the county clerk has marriage records from 1820 to 1935. Since your grandparents were married in 1891, you will need to contact that county clerk. The address, city, state and zip are listed in the books as follows: Erie County Clerk 140 West 6th Street Erie, PA 16501 These books do not list the prices for marriage records, but I would forward a check for $5 with my request. You could elect to call directory information and speak with someone at the clerk's office on the phone about the charge for a photocopy of the marriage record. When preparing your letter of request for the marriage record, be sure to include: both ancestor's full names date of marriage your return address Since you are writing to a governmental agency, it is NOT necessary to include a self-addressed stamped envelope. You can also check the International Vital Records Handbook by Thomas Kemp for the addresses to order vital records from a state or foreign county. ASSIGNMENT: Determine which governmental agencies have the birth, marriage & death records you seek, by first checking the three reference books listed above. Then compose 7 mail your letters of request. When the documents arrive place them in protective top-loading sheet protectors. Remember to enter the information in your computer genealogy program. For instance, a marriage record may list the parents for each of your grandparents. If this information is new to you, add the parents, and reference the original documents which gave you the clues to their identity. References to a marriage record would then be listed in notes/sources (in your genealogy program) under each of the following individuals: groom bride parents of bride (2 more people) if mentioned parents of groom (2 more people) if mentioned So a total of 6 people could be entered into your genealogy program database and documented in notes/sources just from the one marriage record example we have used today! Beginning Lesson #7 Public Library Resources DearREADERS, You have written inquiring about public library resources, and oddly enough that is this week's scheduled topic for the Beginning Genealogy Lesson. Of course the since the size and scope of collections vary from one public library ot another, you'll have to investigate the holdings at libraries in your region of the state. Tyically public libraries with some interest in genealogy will have: passenger list indexes census indexes military records indexes printed family histories local histories how-to books on genealogy genealogy periodicals microfiche/microfilm (though limited) Ours has the complete 1850 census on microfilm because the local genealogy society purchased it for them. The Orlando Public Library has ALL census microfilms, many book indexes, but no Soundex microfilms. A public library may elect to belong to: <A HREF="aol://4344:167.gfn96120.1415596.533875663">AGLL - American Genealogic al Lending Library</A> <A HREF="aol://4344:167.my960427.1396337.514841940"> National Archives Microfilm Lending Program</A> Interlibrary loan - OCLC allows you to find books for genealogy, regimental histories and manuscripts through OCLC First Search, using their World Catalog. This is available at local public library, and through LUIS terminals at university libraries. You can fins where a book on a desired topic is held, and determine if that library will loan through interlibrary loan. You copy the information, and ask the reference librarian at your public library how to use the services of this program. Some participating libraries will lend books to your local library, but not permit you to remove the book from the library. I had a friend locate a priceless book published in the mid 1800's in Scotland. He was able to view it in person, without having to travel to Glascow for the honor. Most local genealogy societies act as volunteers at their local public library. They may publish a special catalog of genealogy holdings, maintain an obit index for the local newspaper at the library, volunteer to reshelve books or assist patrons in the genealogy section of the library, etc. Well organized reference librarians will have a handout describing the scope of the genealogy materials available. Society members tend to know which libraries in the county or adjoining county will have additional resources of interest to family historians. Other than that, you'll just have to dive in and investigate! Beginning Lesson #8 Previously Compiled Genealogies DearREADERS, As you work through the resources at libraries you will run across printed family histories, compiled indexes and CDs of genealogy data. As you browse the online file libraries, visit WEB sites on your surnames, join surname newsgroups, etc. you are also tapping into the vast wealth of information in previously compiled genealogies. As valuable as these sources appear to be, you must take them with a grain of salt. It is incumbent upon serious family historians to get to the root of the matter. Consider what documentary evidence supports the assumptions of lineage. I am currently working on my DUTTON line in England. For years, we had thought the father of our John Dutton 1693 was John. We received this information from a book on the Dutton family. However, there were no footnotes stating the source of this information. I have diligently searched the records for John Dutton's christening records in the local parish which fortunately are available on microfilm. I have not yet located his christening entry. The real kicker is the total lack of references to any Duttons in the parish registers for the place where the family was reputed to live for three generations. In fact, a review of extant church records for the entire shire indicate that Duttons are only found in one parish about 50 miles east of the area in question. Getting back to the concept of evaluating previously compiled genealogies... Its possible to use them to find good clues. Better still are those which cite the sources of information for each point. Your job is to verify each source mentioned. (You would want a copy of the wills, census, marriage and christening records anyway, wouldn't you?!) See if you arrive at the same conclusions of relationship as the original researcher. You may have additional information which was not available at the time of publication. Don't be afraid to rock the boat.