Lesson # 2 - Gather Family Information

Gather Family Information
Lesson 2

Finding Family Information


You can begin identifying your ancestors by gathering information about yourself, your siblings,
your parents, and your grandparents. Typically, information about these close relatives is readily
available simply by talking to them, or searching through home sources. If you have not done so
already, you should interview older close family members as soon as possible to obtain their life
histories.

Information You Should Gather

You will want to gather the following types of information:

· Name, including first name, middle name, and last name (surname). You will want to
learn the maiden surname of female ancestors (the surname at birth)

· Gender: male or female

· Birth date and place (or date and place of baptism or christening in a church)

· Marriage date and place

· Death, burial, or cremation, date and place

· Biographical information

· Religious affiliation

· Migrations

· Social and economic status, education, and occupation

· Military service

· Ethnic background

· Participation in community, organization, social, and historical events

· Naming practices

To locate living relatives, you can search Internet sites such as http://www.whitepages.com/  or
http://www.peoplesearch.com/.

Family Sources of Information

To increase your accuracy, ask family members if they have created or stored any documents
containing family history information. You should compare memories and oral traditions with
information from these other sources. Here is a list of records you or they may have:

Bibles

Family Bibles may contain a few pages devoted to genealogical records
of the family (births, marriages, and deaths). Information found in a
family Bible should be carefully evaluated, and if possible, confirmed by
other sources.

Diaries and Journals

From the standpoint of family history, diaries and journals are invaluable.
They should be carefully studied for genealogical information.
Biographies Often, unpublished biographies are found among the loose papers of a
relative. Unscholarly, poorly written, and illogical as they may sometimes
seem, they are still priceless to the family historian.

Letters

Old letters are the most informal and intimate family sources. Note the
addresses, names of the correspondents, postmarks, and dates for
useful information.

Memorial Cards and
Funeral Programs

Genealogical data on funeral memorabilia includes date of birth, place of
birth, date of death, place of burial, and age at death.
Church Records These records include certificates of birth, baptism (or christening),
marriage, advancement, death, and funeral notices.

Civil Records

Competent civil recorders prepared birth, marriage, and death
certificates usually near the date of the event.

Citizenship Records

The records of immigrant ancestors may contain citizenship papers,
dates of arrival, ports of embarkation and debarkation, and other details.

Fraternal Records

Freemasons, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Knights of
Columbus, etc., preserve biographical sketches of their membership.

Genealogical Records

Other family members and ancestors may have compiled genealogical
records. Inquire about both paper and digital files.

Histories

Occasionally, a manuscript history in the handwriting of an ancestor is
found. Verification with supporting evidence is helpful in such instances.

Legal Papers

Family members may have preserved legal documents. Included in this
category are wills, deeds, mortgages, and land grants. These are
valuable because of the names, dates, and places mentioned.

Military Records

Search for discharge papers, pension records, service records, medals,
ribbons, etc.

Newspaper Clippings

Many families have collections of newspaper clippings relevant to family
history.

Occupational Records

Apprenticeship records, awards, citations, and other occupational
achievements are often found in the home.

School Records

School attendance records and graduation certificates provide
genealogical data.

Albums

Photograph albums are among the most cherished family records. Ask
older relatives about their pictures and label them as soon as possible.

Analyzing Family Information

Occasionally, when recording information from various sources you will find conflicting
information. A document prepared near to the event date or a document created by a reliable
witness takes precedence over later records, tradition, and distant memories. However, you
should be aware that although clerks made every effort to talk to informed witnesses, they relied
on available information. Some errors have crept into original records because of forgetful or
confused witnesses who described events many years after they happened. Resolving these
discrepancies is an important part of correctly identifying your ancestors.

Keys to Correctly Identifying Your Ancestor

· Ancestors are commonly identified by their name, date and place of birth, and other
events in their lives.

· Ancestors can be linked to a spouse, children, parents, brothers, and sisters.

· Ancestors can be identified by occupation, property ownership, and physical description.

· Does the ancestor live at the right time and in the right place?

· Is the ancestor married to the right person?

· Do the names of the ancestor's children match the names you have gathered?

· The more identifying characteristics of an ancestor you find, the greater likelihood you
have found your ancestor from among their neighbors with similar surnames.

Recording Family Information

Two of the best tools for recording family history information is Roots Magic or  in Personal Ancestral File (PAF).


Assignment

Assignment #1 -- Gather Family Information

Gather information about your family either by mail, phone, email, or interview. Try to

gather 4-5 generations of information on your ancestors. Use a blank pedigree chart and

family group sheets to assist you. This information may not be turned in (check with your

instructor), but your efforts will appear on your next assignment.