Hopefully no one objects, here are the Lessons I learned: In the last 3 weeks We went from knowing 'not enough' about our STEVENS/Stephens/Oakes/Potter/Conrad families to contact w/LIVING relatives in the USA., with Roots in Germany>Penns.>Montana>Washington State. LESSON 1: Review carefully what you already have! IE: I had a N/paper Marriage notice & a response from a fellow researcher, both in my possession for over three years- connecting the family STEVENS to E.Sharpsburg , Pa USA - I DID NOT pay enough attention to this Important piece of evidence! I put two & two together- in May while on a research trip to Penns. LESSON 2: Consider spelling variations- we hear this all the time - I DID NOT consider this enough, found :STEVENS/Stephens/Stevans & Steffons all in the same family group! I was focused on STEVENS! LESSON 3: DO NOT ignore possible family connections! I found a CRIST Stephens - Brother of my Grandad-Joseph- just this last month! I remember seeing this person- some years back - but thought he was NOT a family member! so IGNORED it- SPEND some time chasing down possibilities LESSON 4: Run some Scenario's..........What if's! In RETROSPECT I would have arrived at this 'Discovery' sooner had I DONE SO! Keep an OPEN mind about your family tree- do not pre-judge what it should be. LOOK for what it might be! WHY did such and such happen can provide the answer your looking for! IE: We COULD NOT find our family in any Census Record- anywhere! WHY?: because apparently our ADAM STEVENS must have died @ 1869 right before or after the birth of the last child GEORGE -Aug 1869. CAROLINE STEVENS with 9 children- 'farmed' them out to relatives & friends all over Blair & Cambria Co's Pa, USA. We are just now locating them one by one! LESSON 5:Pay Attention to your own Intuitions! IE: we knew that Carolines Dau: Mary(Oakes)Stevens was in Cambria Co as of 1900/1910 census records, but we continued to look in Blair & Bedford Co's,Pa- USA thinking the family was living there still! It turns out they left Blair for Cambria Co. late 1890's- had we looked there as thoroughly as in Blair- we would have made this 'Discovery' long ago! This is in RETROSPECT- remember- just wanted everyone to benefit from my Mistakes! LESSON 6: Look in Local Genealogy Societies, Libraries, Courthouses & Churches & Repositories for records! find a GOOD researcher in the area you are looking- She or He can be invaluable - We accomplished our Success using the contacts made as stated Lesson 1- going from the E.Sharpsburg Cemetery to the Courthouse in Hollidaysburg- finding a Will & Death record, to the Blair Co.Geno. Society- REALLY helpful people there, to the Courthouse in Cambria Co & a local Repository there, stopped at the Cambria Co.Hist. Society- as well as the one in Blair Co.- found an Important piece at EACH place- rushed down to the Library in Johnstown, Pa-USA found the ALL important Obit on G/Grandma CAROLINE STEVENS- leading us to Crist & Family- and NOW living relatives! EXAMINE closely posted info on the Local ROOTSWEB & GENWEB sites-that is where we made our connection to Our Stevens/Stephens Cousin! You can write to each of these types of places and ask for the same types of information- Including a SASE envelope for their reply! Thx for your time, Geno _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

What I have learned to do - the hard way :o) is to note all refs to the surname and add them to a list with the spelling variations in a custom dictionery on Word, I don't necessarily follow them through at that point in time, as I am too easily distracted anyway! But, when something "rings a bell" at a later date you can use Explorer to search for any variations. Just for information, in early records [pre 17th c. generally], I have found POTTER as POTYER, POTTYER, POTER, POTIER, and POTERE so far [with cross refs to prove they are the same family]. Another thing I have noted is with ref. to the use of an alias. Generally speaking, rather than alias be an indication of illegitimacy [as many researchers suggest], or that the individual is issue from a second marriage, or a step child, I have found in Essex that it is often used to indicate a mother's maiden name. For example, Elizabeth STONE alias POTTER in 1576, was a daughter of William POTTER since married to Gregory STONE. I have other similar references for different surnames, the most annoying being WICKS alias MATHEW, which is the same family as MATHEW alias WICKS. One complete branch of my WICKS family date back to a MATHEW/WICKS marriage in the early 16th century. Some of the issue continued to be called MATHEW alias WICKS, others WICKS alias MATHEW down to the 17th century when they dropped the alias and became either WICKS or MATHEW. I don't know how general this sort of practice was in England, or for how long it persisted - but I hope someone finds it useful to know. Regards Chris Wicks Bocking End Braintree Essex, England ----- Original Message ----- From: Gene Stevens <genofifty@hotmail.com> To: <POTTER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: 10 June 2001 22:01 Subject: Lesson's Learned- Researching! > Hopefully no one objects, here are the Lessons I learned: In the last 3 > weeks We went from knowing 'not enough' about our > STEVENS/Stephens/Oakes/Potter/Conrad families to contact w/LIVING relatives > in the USA., with Roots in Germany>Penns.>Montana>Washington State. > LESSON 1: Review carefully what you already have! IE: I had a N/paper > Marriage notice & a response from a fellow researcher, both in my possession > for over three years- connecting the family STEVENS to E.Sharpsburg , Pa USA > - I DID NOT pay enough attention to this Important piece of evidence! I put > two & two together- in May while on a research trip to Penns. > > LESSON 2: Consider spelling variations- we hear this all the time - I DID > NOT consider this enough, found :STEVENS/Stephens/Stevans & Steffons all in > the same family group! I was focused on STEVENS! > > LESSON 3: DO NOT ignore possible family connections! I found a CRIST > Stephens - Brother of my Grandad-Joseph- just this last month! I remember > seeing this person- some years back - but thought he was NOT a > family member! so IGNORED it- SPEND some time chasing down possibilities > > LESSON 4: Run some Scenario's..........What if's! In RETROSPECT I would have > arrived at this 'Discovery' sooner had I DONE SO! Keep an OPEN mind about > your family tree- do not pre-judge what it should be. LOOK for what it might > be! WHY did such and such happen can provide the answer your looking for! > IE: We COULD NOT find our family in any Census Record- anywhere! WHY?: > because apparently our ADAM STEVENS must have died @ 1869 right before or > after the birth of the last child GEORGE -Aug 1869. CAROLINE STEVENS with 9 > children- 'farmed' them out to relatives & friends all over Blair & Cambria > Co's Pa, USA. We are just now locating them one by one! > > LESSON 5:Pay Attention to your own Intuitions! IE: we knew that Carolines > Dau: Mary(Oakes)Stevens was in Cambria Co as of 1900/1910 census records, > but we continued to look in Blair & Bedford Co's,Pa- USA thinking the family > was living there still! It turns out they left Blair for Cambria Co. late > 1890's- had we looked there as thoroughly as in Blair- we would have made > this 'Discovery' long ago! This is in RETROSPECT- remember- just wanted > everyone to benefit from my Mistakes! > > LESSON 6: Look in Local Genealogy Societies, Libraries, Courthouses & > Churches & Repositories for records! find a GOOD researcher in the area you > are looking- She or He can be invaluable - We accomplished our Success using > the contacts made as stated Lesson 1- going from the E.Sharpsburg Cemetery > to the Courthouse in Hollidaysburg- finding a Will & Death record, to the > Blair Co.Geno. Society- REALLY helpful people there, to the Courthouse in > Cambria Co & a local Repository there, stopped at the Cambria Co.Hist. > Society- as well as the one in Blair Co.- found an Important piece at EACH > place- rushed down to the Library in Johnstown, Pa-USA found the ALL > important Obit on G/Grandma CAROLINE STEVENS- leading us to Crist & Family- > and NOW living relatives! EXAMINE closely posted info on the Local ROOTSWEB > & GENWEB sites-that is where we made our connection to Our Stevens/Stephens > Cousin! > You can write to each of these types of places and ask for the same types of > information- Including a SASE envelope for their reply! > Thx for your time, > Geno > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > > > ==== POTTER Mailing List ==== > > > > ============================== > Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com! > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp > >