| div id="body"> | | | | great-grandparents. Only after you've gathered all |
| Every amateur genealogist is bound to hit a dead | | | | the names, dates and places of birth, dates of |
| end every once in a while. Don't lose hope. The | | | | marriages, and dates and places of death for |
| information you're looking for IS out there...it just | | | | those who are deceased, should you attempt to |
| might take a little more digging to find it. Here are | | | | go back further. Always focus on one branch at a |
| some common problems - and their solutions -- | | | | time, and one or two names at a time. Once you |
| that trip up many family tree researchers: | | | | have all the information on those, you'll find that |
| 1. Sorting out names. | | | | the information you're looking for turns up and |
| Names can get you into a muddle if several of | | | | that there was really no need to stress over it in |
| your ancestors share a name. Names were often | | | | the first place. Also, remember to get proof. If |
| passed on from one generation to the next, so | | | | someone in the family sends you a photocopy of |
| you could find that three of your ancestors are all | | | | great-great-grandfather's birth certificate, that's |
| called James Clifton Sterling. Who's who? If you're | | | | proof. But it's not proof if someone tells you |
| confused about names, the answer is to talk to | | | | when and where they think he was born. You |
| the older members of your family, NOW. This is a | | | | could end up tracing a branch of a family that |
| vital first step. If you don't talk to them first, you'll | | | | you're not even related to. |
| have to do it later. Ask for full names and | | | | 6. I spent hours at the library and I didn't find a |
| nicknames, plus dates of birth, marriages, and | | | | thing! |
| dates of death of your ancestors. Ask whether | | | | We all have days where the pickings are slim, and |
| anyone in the family has an old family Bible. You | | | | we feel as if we're not gettinanywhere. However, |
| may even find that someone in the family has | | | | consider that you did learn that your ancestors |
| already traced his or her family tree, which will | | | | are not in those particular records. You've |
| give a boost to your own searches. | | | | eliminated those sources, and it's one more place |
| 2. Where do I start? Which line should I trace? | | | | you won't have to search in the future. |
| This is up to you. If you try to trace all your | | | | 7. I have conflicting information. |
| ancestors, it will likely take years because of the | | | | This happens more often than you'd think possible. |
| huge number of people involved. Start with your | | | | If the census documents say your great-great |
| own surname; the surname you were born with. | | | | grandfather was born in 1840, the old family Bible |
| If you're a married woman, this means your | | | | says he was born in 1852, and burial records say |
| maiden name. If you know your four | | | | he was born in 1848, which do you believe? When |
| grandparents, start with the family that used to | | | | this happens, try and corroborate one of the |
| live, or still lives, close to where you live now, | | | | dates from another source. Census documents |
| because you can use the public library and the | | | | can be wrong, as can the information in the family |
| record's office in your area. If you don't want to | | | | Bible. In the 18th and 19th centuries, many babies |
| follow that line, then choose the rarest of the | | | | died in infancy. Sometimes another child was given |
| four surnames, because, ironically, a rare surname | | | | the name of a child who died. Burial records can |
| is often easier to trace than a common one. | | | | be wrong, too - perhaps the undertaker made an |
| 3. I can't find my great-grandfather! | | | | error, or someone in the family gave the date |
| Whenever you come to a complete dead-end, | | | | incorrectly. |
| your first step is always to send for the birth | | | | 8. I can't find the family in the census. |
| certificate of the ancestor that you do know. | | | | If you're sure that your family lived in the county |
| Yes, it's frustrating to wait, but when you receive | | | | when the census was taken, but you can't find |
| the document, you'll probably see why you were | | | | them, there could be several reasons. Check: |
| stumped. Let's say you're looking for your | | | | * Alternate spellings. |
| great-grandfather, Edward Thomas Carmichael, | | | | * That you're looking at the right county in the |
| and he doesn't seem to exist. By sending away | | | | right state, several states have more than one |
| for your grandfather's birth certificate, you may | | | | county with the same name. |
| find that his father was David Thomas Carmichael. | | | | * The end of the county enumeration. If pages |
| In other words, someone's memory has failed | | | | were stuck together when they were |
| them, and they gave you an incorrect name. This | | | | microfilmed, the missed pages were then filmed |
| is very common; don't simply believe what your | | | | at the end of the county enumeration. |
| relatives tell you - people often confuse names | | | | Don't give up. It's possible that the indexer made |
| and places and one branch of the family with | | | | an error. Names were alphabetized incorrectly, or |
| another. | | | | misread, or even omitted. If the census that |
| 4. Why is it so hard to find information on | | | | you're checking was indexed by several |
| European ancestors? | | | | organizations, check to see whether your family |
| Everyone who was born in England or Wales since | | | | appears in another index. It's difficult for us to |
| 1837 should have had his or her birth registered | | | | imagine how laborious it was to write everything - |
| by the state. However, it's estimated that in | | | | and to make copies - by hand. |
| some parts of the country, as many as 15% of | | | | 8. I have two people in the same place at the |
| all births were not registered in the decades after | | | | same time with the same name: which is my |
| 1837, because there was no penalty on parents | | | | ancestor? |
| for failing to register until 1875. Also, some | | | | This is a slightly different challenge from the |
| parents believed that it wasn't necessary to | | | | above, "Sorting out names." When you find two |
| register the birth if the child was baptized. | | | | people with the same name in the same place at |
| Therefore, if you're looking for your English | | | | the same time, and either could be your ancestor, |
| ancestors, start with the birth registration. | | | | you're going to have to examine the information, |
| Genfindit at offers to find birth, death and | | | | and perhaps gather more information, so that you |
| marriage certificates for a fee. Alternatively, try | | | | can create a biography of these two people. Find |
| these free resources: | | | | official documents: did they own land? What about |
| * The English Archives Network at (Note: this URL | | | | the census documents of that era? Can you |
| will eventually be changing to | | | | locate a will for either of them? Study the |
| * FreeBMD, which lets you search birth, death and | | | | information that you have, locate more |
| marriage indices in England and Wales from 1837 | | | | information, and then work out which one was |
| to 1902, with some records also up to 1983: | | | | your ancestor. Certain names were popular in |
| 5. I'm trying to find __________ and | | | | families, and in localities, because there was such a |
| ___________ and ________ but | | | | small marriage pool: people didn't travel far in the |
| I'm getting nowhere. | | | | 19th century and earlier, because travel was |
| Your problem here is a lack of focus. Always | | | | expensive and difficult. Names were passed on |
| start with what you know: that is, with yourself, | | | | from generation to generation. |
| your parents, your grandparents, and your | | | | |