| TIP: Keep a file folder of maps, dates and places | | | | they may have lived there. And I understand |
| handy! | | | | what kinds of resources I might search for details |
| Were you like me in high school? I hated all those | | | | of an ancestor living in that decade. |
| historical events, places, and dates that we were | | | | For example, I have a sheet detailing dates and |
| told to memorize. So, I would dutifully memorize | | | | places of major events relevant to my particular |
| them for an exam and then, promptly forget | | | | family history. These include all the dates, places |
| them! I never had a reason to use those dates, | | | | of wars and skirmishes in the U.S., both World |
| names, places, events after school, so they seem | | | | Wars, various ship-building centres in the UK, the |
| to have disappeared out of my memory. | | | | Irish Famine years and Irish emigration, |
| Oh dear, I am building my family tree and am | | | | information on the Palatine emigrations, and so on. |
| running into many challenges. For example, right | | | | These are my personal history references to turn |
| now, I am researching my greatgrandfather's | | | | to when I check the date of immigration, and |
| military service - there is a family story that he | | | | realize for example that a family came to the |
| fought in the Spanish-American War - but I have | | | | USA before Ellis Island was set up to process all |
| no idea when the Spanish American War began, | | | | immigrants. Therefore I will not be able to use |
| except that it was before 1900. It would | | | | that specific Ellis Island database, but will need to |
| obviously be very helpful to have those dates in a | | | | look in Crystal Garden or other sources for their |
| simple chart of dates/places/names of wars or | | | | immigration records. |
| skirmishes. | | | | There are many historical resources which can be |
| Here is another common problem in many | | | | very helpful in uncovering your family's particular |
| countries: states, provinces and counties changed | | | | history. Start by asking lots of questions: What |
| boundaries, changed names, or became official | | | | was happening at that time, in that decade? |
| entities at specific dates and how can anyone | | | | Where exactly were they living? Is there a |
| possibly remember which or when! Is it | | | | history written of that area? What area of the |
| important? Oh yes! For example, if a particular | | | | country was being sold or annexed? Where was |
| Canadian province wasn't formed until 1906, I | | | | the seat of government, and when was it |
| cannot expect to find a government birth | | | | established? Where were records kept in that |
| registration for a child born there in 1894. I will | | | | year? Were there newspapers published in those |
| have to look elsewhere for that information. I | | | | places? Where did ships arrive, and from where? |
| have a family in England who have their birth, | | | | Are there passenger lists available, indexed, online? |
| marriage, death registrations, plus census records | | | | By asking such questions, I searched and found |
| showing the same town in two different counties | | | | the record of my grandmother Harriett G. and |
| at various times. I thought it was a silly error, until | | | | her 6 children including my dad, sailing to Canada |
| I found out that the county boundary changed | | | | from England on the ship "The Virginian" in |
| several times. Maps of boundary changes are now | | | | November 1914. I have a photo of this ship as |
| my friend! | | | | well as an image of the Nov 1914 passenger list in |
| Over the years, I have learned to gather both | | | | my family binder. |
| specific and general maps of relevant areas and | | | | Details such as these make your ancestors' |
| dates. This way, I will have more success finding | | | | history come alive, and your tree much more |
| my ancestors in the correct places at the times | | | | intriguing to others in your family. |