| Starting to trace your ancestors, you may have | | | | is definitely "yours". You are always working from |
| quickly realized that it can be very challenging to | | | | the "known" to the "unproven", so you do already |
| identify which William Brooks is your ancestor, | | | | know the name or names of children of your |
| when there are three or four in the right town in | | | | ancestor. Those children with your ancestor and |
| the right decade! Sometimes it seems the only | | | | wife may help you be more certain you have the |
| thing to do is to slog through all the possible | | | | correct ancestor. Using several censuses may |
| records in order to eliminate one after another. | | | | help, for example, or finding specific names on a |
| There does not seem to be any shortcut to this | | | | will, or a widow's application for a pension, details |
| digging deep process - or is there? Here are a | | | | of an obituary in historical newspapers: these are |
| few ideas to help you in your genealogy name | | | | just a few ideas to use when researching your |
| searches. | | | | family history. |
| Find all the details you are certain that you know | | | | Make a list of the sources you have searched |
| about your particular ancestor: | | | | that did NOT have your correct ancestor's details: |
| Take one piece of paper, and with your problem | | | | Negative information is still excellent information - |
| ancestor's name and birth date at the top, list all | | | | and it will save you doing the same search over |
| these details down the left side, and try to keep | | | | and over again for that same wrong person! Keep |
| the details in a chronological order. For instance, | | | | a record of your research. It is possible that the |
| you will write down many of the following details: | | | | "wrong person" is actually a sibling or cousin of |
| full name, birth date, place, residence(s), names of | | | | your ancestor, and you may want to go back to |
| his parents and their country or place of birth, | | | | that record source in the future. |
| with their birth dates, names of your ancestor's | | | | Research records of brothers and sisters to |
| brothers and sisters in full with their birth dates | | | | confirm information on their parents: |
| and place of birth, occupation(s) of your | | | | If you are having difficulty in identifying a |
| ancestor's parents and grandparents and siblings | | | | particular direct ancestor, you may have more |
| as well as your ancestor, religion and specific | | | | success with the siblings' (brothers, sisters) |
| church (place) if possible, military service (what, | | | | records. For example, if you are looking for a |
| when, where, medals, pensioned), land ownership, | | | | great-grandfather and his wife, perhaps the |
| named in wills or land purchase/sales, marriage | | | | records of a grandfather's sister or brother may |
| details including witnesses and priest, minister or | | | | be searched for details. I was able to find both |
| pastor. Everything. | | | | great-grandparents' full names and countries of |
| In this way, as you look at the various potential | | | | birth from a death registration of a grandfather's |
| ancestors, you will soon see that one person can | | | | sister. Researching through siblings can be very |
| be eliminated because, for instance, the children in | | | | rewarding, and may help confirm details you need |
| one of the censuses have very different names - | | | | to prove one more generation back in time. |
| they do not match the usual naming patterns. Or | | | | Shortcuts? There are no real shortcuts in |
| because his wife's birth date shows she would | | | | genealogy research, BUT there are excellent |
| have been too old (over 45) to have had those | | | | ways to help you as you research your ancestors |
| three children. | | | | and build a family tree with all the correct |
| Write down possible sources you could search | | | | individuals! When you are having challenges with |
| which would help you prove your ancestor: | | | | identifying which ancestor is yours, follow the |
| On the right side of your long list, start thinking | | | | above guidelines for greater success. Enjoy your |
| about what kinds of resources might have | | | | searches. |
| information to help you decide on which ancestor | | | | |