Beginning Genealogy

Beginning Genealogy An introduction to researching your family history Begin in the Present Collect information from resources you own Birth, marriage, and death certificates Baptismal or other religious records Bibles, diaries, and albums Funeral programs and obituaries Wedding announcements Collect information from living relatives Make a list of living relatives Contact relatives to fill in important details Ask relatives for information about ancestors Record, Record, Record! Methodically record information Keep records organized Make notes of missing information so you know what you still need to find Record where information was found Keep record of discrepancies Organization & Methods: It's up to you! Organization Genealogical software Digital documents in computer files Hard copies in paper files Organize by family Methods Choose one line Explore multiple lines Direct lineage or wide focus The World of Genealogical Resources Ancestry (ancestry.com) Heritage Quest (heritagequest.com) Ellis Island (ellisisland.org) Family Search (familysearch.org) US Immigration Service (uscis.gov US GenWeb Project (usgenweb.org) Cyndi's List (cyndislist.com) The Neighborhood of Genealogical Resources Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County (http://www.hvcn.org/info/gswc) Family History Center, Saline Ann Arbor District Library Detroit Public Library Library of Michigan Detroit Historical Museum Fort Wayne Washtenaw CountyClerk The Local Community of Genealogical Resources Public libraries Historical societies and museums Cemeteries Religious institutions Local archives and directories County records offices US Census Taken every ten years since 1790 US census records 1790-1930 currently available Most of 1890 census has been lost due to fire and water damage US Census 1790-1840 Incomplete Hard to read Name only the head of household 1850-1870 Name all members of household Do not give relationships between household members 1880-1930 Name all members of household Specify relationship of each person to the head of household Accessing Recent Censuses 1940 Census will be available in 2012 Delay in making records public to protect privacy: 72 years as "natural life cycle" Age Search Service through US Census Bureau allows access to limited census information that applies to one's self, or legal heir or legal representative Ancestry.com Library edition only available at AADL Personal subscriptions 12.95/month Multiple data sets http://www.ancestry.com Censuses from US, UK, Canada, Germany, & Australia (1790-1920) Birth, marriage, and death records (SSDI) Military Records Immigration & emigration records City directories Best place to start Heritage Quest Accessible from home via AADL Provides access to: US censuses Family and local history articles Revolutionary War records Freedman's Bank records US Serial Set Inflexible search engine http://www.aadl.org Ellis Island History and timeline Flexible search engine Many search fields in Advanced Search Passenger records Name, ethnicity, last residence, arrival date, age at arrival, marital status, ship, port of departure, & image of original record http://www.ellisisland.org Family Search Non-profit service sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints International genealogical records Collective effort for past 100 years http://www.familysearch.org US Citizenship & Immigration Service USCIS.gov>Resources>Other>Genealogy Index Search: $20, retrieves record citations Record Copy Request:$20-35, retrieves copies of records if user has citation Available Records: Naturalization Certificates (1906-1956) Alien Registration Forms (1940-1944) Visa files (1924-1944) Registry files (1929-1944) Alien files (numbered below 8 million and documents therein dated prior to May 1, 1951) Roots Web US GenWeb http://www.uscis.gov Online network that "connects people so that they can help each other and share genealogical research" User-contributed content Mailing lists & message board Volunteer project dedicated to "keeping Internet genealogy free" User-created content Organized geographically http://www.rootsweb.com http://www.usgenweb.com Cyndi's List Index of online genealogical resources Organized by subject A great place to find relevant resources Start with the Beginners page http://www.cyndislist.com Vital Stats on Vital Records Vital records are birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees & death records Vital records were not kept consistently in the US until the early 20th century Usually contain full name(s), date of event, and location of event Accessible through the county, state, or country, or Ancestry.com Tips & Tricks Find US information first Join local or regional genealogy organizations Some provide easy access to vital records Newsletters contain valuable information Keep records and stay organized! Don't give up! Ancestral Chart Also known as "pedigree," "family tree," "lineage," and "ascendant chart" Starts with an individual (e.g. you) and moves back, listing the individual's direct ancestors Individuals are numbered (men, odd; women, even. The starting individual is #1) Contains names and the dates and locations of birth, marriage, and death Family Group Record For recording information on a family unit Contains: Dates and locations of births, marriages, deaths, & burials Occupations Military records Names of parents and other spouses Religious affiliations