| Everyone knows that Portland is in Oregon, don't | | | | to the residence found for one of your ancestors. |
| they? But did you know that in earlier times, it | | | | People moved around as land opportunities |
| was in the Oregon Territories? Hmm. And when | | | | opened up, but often, they moved just across a |
| did Saskatchewan become a province, eh? These | | | | county border, and can be easily found - IF you |
| details about states, provinces, counties, and | | | | know which counties border each other! |
| other events, can be overwhelming if you try to | | | | Here's an important point. We are used to |
| remember them all. Don't. Start to develop a file - | | | | registering every event with the government, but |
| either papers in your Genealogy folders, or create | | | | such was not the case in our ancestors' days. For |
| a computer folder in your Genealogy master | | | | example, passenger lists were not required to be |
| folder with specific dates and places to keep | | | | recorded and filed until 1865 in Canada, 1820 in |
| track of. | | | | the USA, 1837 in much of England. In Germany, |
| For example, you may need to know when your | | | | some vital statistic registrations began in 1792, |
| ancestors emigrated into the USA, in order to | | | | others not until 1876, varying by state, and not |
| determine where to research their entry. Although | | | | kept in a central repository. In general, birth, |
| you may think you know a great deal about Ellis | | | | marriage, death registrations were not required |
| Island and immigration, did you know that it was | | | | until a state/county or province was formed and |
| used for screening immigrants from these dates | | | | had a center for records. This date of "vital |
| only? - January 1,1892 to 1924. However, over | | | | statistics" is remarkably varied throughout the |
| 400,000 immigrants were screened via the Barge | | | | world, and you will need to have the details for |
| Office (at the tip of Manhattan) in 1891 before | | | | each place, in order to search successfully and |
| the official immigration office was opened. Those | | | | efficiently for your ancestors. |
| dates, 1892-1924, would be useful to have in a | | | | My personal Resource File includes the following |
| handy form. Before that time, Castle Garden | | | | (based on my particular ancestors): |
| (Castle Clinton) at the southern tip of Manhattan, | | | | 1. Canadian Provinces/Territories, dates of |
| NY City, was an immigrant receiving center from | | | | Confederation and Civil Registration - and maps! |
| August 1,1855 to April 18, 1890. Search "US | | | | 2. Canadian ships passenger lists source (at Library |
| immigration, timeline" for more information, | | | | & Archives) |
| including how to search both Ellis Island and Castle | | | | 3. Border Crossings dates, and Passport |
| Garden records. | | | | requirements for both US and Canada |
| Did your ancestors come to North America from | | | | 4. Canadian land grants periods |
| another country? Ireland, for instance? It would | | | | 5. U.S. States (PA, CT, NY, MA, WA, OR) and |
| help to know when the major famines happened | | | | county borders, history of formation |
| in Ireland, (search "famines, Ireland") as well as | | | | 6. Immigration dates for Ellis Island, Crystal |
| where most emigrating Irish families landed in | | | | Garden |
| Canada or the United States. Or, if they crossed | | | | 7. US cities receiving immigration ships; dates |
| the sea to England, where might they have landed | | | | 8. Dates of US wars from 1600-1945 |
| there? If you are searching censuses in England, | | | | 9. UK Civil registrations, where held |
| did you know that many counties changed | | | | 10. UK counties, border changes, where to find |
| boundaries several times, particularly after the | | | | details |
| 1974 Boundary Changes. But some changed prior | | | | 11. Scotland, Ireland church registrations, census |
| to that time. One line of my family lived in the | | | | dates |
| Black Midlands, and their town (Dudley) changed | | | | 12. The German Palatine emigration paths |
| counties several times between Staffordshire and | | | | 12. Blank Census forms for Canada, USA, UK |
| Worcestershire. I was sure that others must | | | | And much more! Pensions, social insurance |
| have recorded the county incorrectly, until I found | | | | records, railway historical maps - there is no end |
| an article detailing the various changes in | | | | to the resources available to help you. |
| boundaries! Search online for "British counties, | | | | I also have maps of all sorts - villages, land grants, |
| changes" and you will find several excellent sites | | | | towns, county borders, and more; plus details of |
| with details. | | | | various historical events which might have |
| You can imagine how important this can be when | | | | impacted on my ancestors' lives. All of this makes |
| searching through state/province/country | | | | your research more efficient and accurate, plus |
| Censuses! I've learned to check on maps, and | | | | these resources will allow you to provide correct |
| look in nearby counties, states, provinces, when | | | | citations of the sources you find. Enjoy your |
| researching an ancestor's residences over time. It | | | | research! |
| helps to have a map to see which county is close | | | | |