| Being able to get a new clue or a link in your | | | | did live the normal life span but people did live to a |
| family research gives new signs of hope of finally | | | | much older age also. |
| tracing your family history. Its a common reaction | | | | You have to research further, look at the |
| that gives you thrills of excitement but | | | | closeness of their homes, how each of them |
| sometimes you have to control your emotion for | | | | named their children, and court records to see if |
| the possibilities of let downs. You might not handle | | | | they witnessed each other's documents. |
| desperation and will discourage you to go on with | | | | Don't assume that your Jr. you found has the |
| your family research. Things like these happen | | | | exact same name as Sr. Years ago the words |
| probably more times than you expect. Before | | | | aunt, uncle, Jr., Sr., and cousin were also used |
| leaping with joy you better keep your cool and | | | | when the individual was no relation; in other words |
| follow up your new evidence with more proofs. | | | | they were used very loosely. For example, you |
| Below are some theories that most people | | | | may have found land records that have Jr. and |
| commonly use and end up quitting because they | | | | Sr. listed but these 2 men just happen to have |
| lack the ideas of finding possibilities and | | | | the same name so to distinguish between the |
| investigating further more. Do not rely on the | | | | two, Jr. and Sr. were used. |
| data that you have gathered easily. If you have | | | | Do not always assume that the name of an |
| easily acquired some useful resources of your | | | | individual is a boy or girl's name. Parents |
| family history, its advisable to make independent | | | | sometimes just liked a name and to us it sounds |
| studies about the data you have in hand. By doing | | | | like a girl but back then it was a boy. Some |
| this, you are unlocking mysteries and making your | | | | names years ago were originally boys name but |
| family research more accurate. | | | | now they are girls. Parents also named their |
| Always check the number of marriage | | | | children after a famous person or a long ago |
| Never conclude that the children have a common | | | | relative. |
| mother or father. If you are basing your research | | | | Don't always assume that a female that has the |
| from the man's point of view, the children could | | | | same last name as her father isn't married. |
| be off springs from other women. They could | | | | Women did marry men that had the same last |
| come from this present wife, or his wife | | | | name as they did. This happened a lot back when |
| previously or even a wife after the one you have | | | | household were scattered far apart and relation |
| found. Remember that parentage is one of the | | | | lived fairly close to one another; cousins married |
| hardest things to document, unless you know for | | | | distant cousins and cousin's married distant uncles |
| sure. Women died in childbirth all the time. It was | | | | or aunts. |
| not uncommon for a man to have 2 or more | | | | Keep in mind that divorced women did sometimes |
| wives. | | | | take back their original name and widows |
| If you can't find a marriage record to support | | | | sometimes did the same. |
| your family research its maybe because of these | | | | Don't assume that your ancestor died in the same |
| reasons: | | | | place he or she was born and never moved |
| - A lot of early marriages were not documented | | | | around. It wasn't uncommon for individuals to |
| at the time of the marriage. It could have taken 5 | | | | move their families many time but as they did |
| years or so before the marriage could be written | | | | get older, most moved back to live closer to their |
| down in a courthouse. - There might have not | | | | family. The best way of working on this is to |
| been a courthouse around or even a church; lots | | | | create a time line and research many of the |
| of early marriages took place in homes. - | | | | areas that they lived. |
| Hundreds of records were burned during the Civil | | | | If your ancestor lived in one town or county and |
| War. | | | | then you loose them, don't just assume that they |
| Extend your family history research and consider | | | | picked up and moved. There are other reasons |
| every possible turn of events in the past | | | | you may have lost them. The county that your |
| Don't always assume that your ancestors came | | | | ancestor lived could have been broken up into |
| from the same state that their neighbors came | | | | several counties or they could of lived on the line |
| from. Family genealogy includes possibilities of | | | | dividing 2 counties. You have to research the |
| migration. In this case migration routes were | | | | surrounding counties. |
| basically the same but not every person follow | | | | Being a genealogist or family historian, |
| the same route. You have to research further. | | | | assumptions is what keeps the research going but |
| If you don't find your ancestor in the next census | | | | you have to recognize the trick as an assumption |
| record and you assume it's because they were | | | | and prove or disprove them with further |
| old and died, don't just assume. Yes, most people | | | | evidence. |