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
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Often, unpublished biographies are found among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
One of the best tools for recording family history
information is in Personal Ancestral File (PAF).
Lesson 2: PAF will help you learn about
this program and create your own PAF file.
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.
