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SOME
ADVICE ON HOW TO TRACE YOUR TREE
15 Useful Tips for Researching Your Ancestors
1. Talk to everyone in your family about what they know about
the ancestors, keeping in mind that memories can fade and that some of their
information is inaccurate or embellished, i.e. Great Great
Grandma was a full-on Romany Gypsy, or, as is often found in U.S, genealogy,
“Our ancestors were related to UK Royalty & came over with the Pilgrim
Fathers” are two examples of information that is said over & over that is
usually not true. Write down what you've found out and try to assess what is
fact, fiction or faction!
2. Buy, create or download a genealogy program to organize your
information. If you can afford to join one or more of the commercial genealogy
websites, (well worth a visit to the excellent Family
Tree Magazine website to assess the best providers), most will provide you
with your own “area” to hold your data & share with other members. This way all of your information is organized
and can be emailed to someone easily
3. Explore Genealogy Resources in your local libraries. In
these places you will also find many links to great websites for beginners.
4. Use all types of spellings when you look for records. Many
times, the spelling changed, e.g Coventon to
Covington or Covernton, or the person writing down
the information had trouble deciphering the script. The "s" looks
like "f" in some old script, so Smith could look like Fith to an apprentice transcriber. Don’t forget that
literacy levels before the 20th century were generally poor, so many local
birth, death & marriage records were not always spelt by the reporter &
left to someone else to spell it how he/she sought fit.
5. Use any of the various search engines available on the web.
However, be aware that as society has become more protective of personal data,
many previously available documents are now unavailable to view. Bring out the
“Investigator/Detective” within yourself!
6. Post a query on the query board. There are a number of
different query boards on genealogical websites.
7. Check census records in the county and in surrounding counties,
where your ancestors were raised. The great thing about these records is that
whole families are listed together. Over the years, more info was held. Tip –
cross check your selected name with others living within a nearby geographical
area, as it could well provide a family link.
8. Check the Cemetery records and, maybe, plan a visit. There
are quite a few on online and there are links to other's pages that have
records.
9. Check the funeral home listings. Quite often, people did not
have money to buy a tombstone, but their remains were handled by an undertaker.
10.
Check the birth,
death and marriage records. Those may list parents’ names, etc. Get copies of
these records by ordering them from the appropriate source, but be careful as
it can prove expensive if you buy the wrong John Smith’s certificate!
11.
Check the court
records index. If you find something of interest, try to order the record from
the County Clerk. Also know that they are short-staffed and may not be able to
fill your request. You may have to make a trip to the area or hire a researcher
to get the information for you.
12.
Check out
Military Records. Historically the military are very thorough when it comes to
asking pertinent questions, now extremely valuable to genealogists, i.e. next of kin, birth place and dates, physical
characteristics, etc. From my personal experience, I first found my great-great
grandfather’s full name from the Military Records of my great grandfather.
13.
Check the old
newspaper records, many are now available online, or a visit to the paper’s HQ
may be necessary.
14.
Join your local
Genealogical Society. They're a great source of information and can help with
the "How do I ...?"
15.
And finally,… don't take every piece of information someone
sends you as gospel! Trust but verify the information! Have an open mind! Even
you could be mistaken!
I
have recently been contacted by Zane Robertson who has provided a link to a
site that gives some very useful tips on how best to approach your Family Tree
search. It’s well worth a visit at Understanding Your
Family History & Tips For Curating Genealogy
Resources & Research (lettersolver.com). An additional useful resource
has been sent by Joe Laurel and provides good advice on tracing European family
roots it can be reached at https://ourpublicrecords.org/europe-family-records/
OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES
In the past The Family Records Centre in London was a major
source of material. However, this facility is no longer open to the public with
all Indexes, etc hidden away in the National Archives. Birth, Death &
Marriage Certificates can be obtained online at www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate
A birth certificate will give you: place & date of
birth, sex, full names, parent's names, including mother's maiden name and
father's occupation.
A marriage certificate shows: place & date of marriage,
names, ages, marital status, occupations and addresses of bride and groom,
names and addresses of both fathers and names of witnesses.
A death certificate gives: place, date, cause of death, full
name, sex, age at death, occupation of deceased and name of informant.
As at 2020, certificates cost £11 and are sent 4 days after
you apply. If you do not have a GRO index reference number, you’ll have to pay £3 extra for each search. Certificates are
sent 15 working days after you apply. If you need the certificate sooner, you
can use the priority service for £35. It’ll be sent the next working day if you
order by 4pm.
The Society of Genealogists, 14 Charterhouse Buildings,
Goswell Road, London, EC1 is well worth checking out, particularly the Great
Card Index and Boyd's Marriage Index. A full day searching costs £18 (2020) for
non-members, although you can visit for 2 hours (£5) or 4 hours £10) and you
will need to provide one of the standard forms of personal ID. It will help if
you are well prepared, having already got a good knowledge of your family tree.
Annual membership is £80 for full membership with Associate membership costing
£56. See website for opening hours & further details of the info they hold
at www.sog.org.uk
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints main Family History Centre used to be based at The National Archives at
Kew Gardens in Richmond, Surrey, however this is no longer the case &
records can only be accessed online in the UK at familysearch.org/en/. Well worth a
visit to the site and no need to become a Mormon! Even better is the fact that
access is free of charge.
Most of the commercial genealogy sites charge fees to access
their files, which is understandable considering the investment in time &
programming required to bring all this data to the worldwide web. Many,
however, offer the incentive of a free trial, so that you can experience what
they have to offer & thereby see if their site suits your needs and is
worth the ongoing investment. The Marketing Manager of www.dnatestingguides.com, Maria
Jones, recently contacted me with the following “This article was created by a
friend of mine who is an avid genealogy enthusiast:
https://www.ireviews.com/best-genealogy-sites/ - The 25 Best Genealogy Sites - The Definitive Guide”
It’s well worth a visit.
The UK National Archives can provide you with valuable
information on a wide range of subjects www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
DNA RESEARCH
In recent
years access to DNA information has provided a wider opportunity to track down
lost family members. Wikipedia describes the concept as follows: A genealogical
DNA test is a DNA-based
test which looks at specific locations of a person's genome,
in order to find or verify ancestral genealogical
relationships or (with lower reliability) to estimate the ethnic
mixture of an individual. Since different testing companies use different
ethnic reference groups and different matching algorithms, ethnicity estimates
for an individual will vary between tests, sometimes dramatically.
Three
principal types of genealogical DNA tests are available, with each looking at a
different part of the genome and useful for different types of genealogical
research: autosomal, mitochondrial (mtDNA),
and Y-DNA.
Autosomal
tests may result in a large amount of DNA matches (other test persons that the
individual may be related to), along mixed male and female lines, each match
with an estimated distance in the family tree. However, due to the random
nature of which and how much DNA is inherited by each tested person from their
common ancestors, precise conclusions can only be made for close relations.
Traditional genealogical
research, and the sharing of family trees, is typically required for
interpretation of the results. Autosomal tests are also used in estimating
ethnic mix.
mtDNA and Y-DNA tests are
much more objective. However, they give considerably fewer DNA matches, if any,
since they are limited to relationships along a strict female line
and a strict male line respectively. mtDNA
and Y-DNA tests are utilized to identify archaeological cultures and migration
paths of a person's ancestors along a strict mother's line or a strict father's
line. Based on mtDNA and Y-DNA, a person's haplogroup(s)
can be identified. Only men can take Y-DNA tests, since women lack a Y
chromosome.
There are a
number of good sites giving all the latest links & advice/data available,
some of these can be found at:
https://www.dnaweekly.com/ for general DNA info
and for comparison of the most popular commercial sites
https://www.dnaweekly.com/blog/myheritage-vs-andme-vs-ancestrydna
https://www.dnatestingguides.com/blogs/the-ultimate-beginners-guide-to-genealogy/
https://knowyourdna.com/reviews/what-is-the-best-dna-test/
https://www.top10bestdnatesting.com/
Dr Dan Wharton by e-mail at: pelhamdan@aol.com
BRITISH NAMING CONVENTIONS
Modern habits for naming children often focus on what sounds
good to the new parents, and what sounds good is heavily influenced by popular
culture. For this reason, such names as Henry, Ollie, Charlie, Boris, Megan,
Justin and Kylie have become the most popular- names in recent years. Many
“old”
In older Great Britain, other norms governed the naming of
children. For example, family researchers might run across Biblical names, such
as Abraham or Benjamin, or names for religious principles, like Faith, Hope,
and Charity. Such names were not common in England and may suggest that the
family was particularly committed to their religious beliefs and may have been
non-conformist dissenters (belonged to a church other than the Church of
England, or Anglican). This can be a significant hint to the family researcher.
The most common convention, however, was for the parents to
choose names that honoured people. Sometimes the people so honoured were
powerful people, such as a local, wealthy landowner. Sometimes the names
honoured royalty. So, in the U.K. there were many Henrys, named after King
Henry and many Georges named after King George. For the U.S., you’ll find many
named after Presidents. The most common persons to honour, however, were the
gender appropriate grandparents and parents. This can provide another hint to
differentiate between two sets of same-name parents having children in the same
town or village or to the likelihood of a “missing” child in a family. It also
introduces the concept of “replacement named” children.
Nowadays, few parents, who have sadly lost a child, would
consider giving a future child the same name. Since many children died in the
17th and 18th centuries, parents had no problem with re-using the name of a
dead child for a subsequent birth. A family might, therefore, have several John
or Jane children. Occasionally, the same name was given to more than one living
child, but this was rare. When you find the re-use of a name it almost always
meant that the first child with that name had died, even if no death record has
been found.
There
was even a convention in the order in which the ancestors were honoured –
probably to avoid insulting anyone. Although it was far from universally used,
the usual British naming convention was as follows:
•
The first son was named after the paternal grandfather
• The second son was named after the maternal grandfather
• The third son was named after the father
• The fourth son was named after the oldest paternal uncle
• The fifth was named after the second oldest paternal uncle or the oldest
maternal uncle
• The first daughter was named after the maternal grandmother
• The second daughter was named after the paternal grandmother
• The third daughter was named after the mother
• The fourth daughter was named after the oldest maternal aunt
• The fifth was named after the second oldest maternal aunt or the oldest
paternal aunt
If
there was duplication (for example, the paternal grandfather and the father had
the same name), then the family moved to the next position on the list.
Throughout
your research you may find references to such relations as say 3rd
cousin or Great/Grand Aunt. This link to a Cousins Chart
produced by Family Search IGI should explain their respective direct links to
yourself.
OTHER
USEFUL LINKS
Given Names
& Nicknames –
link to USGenWeb Project info
A very useful site showing the popularity, meaning and
origin of Christion or given names can be found at https://www.names.org/
Meanwhile the most popular birth names for 2020 according to
www.babynames.com are:
|
Rank |
Boy Names |
Girl Names |
|
1 |
Oliver |
Charlotte |
|
2 |
Liam |
Ava |
|
3 |
Ethan |
Amelia/Emilia |
|
4 |
Aiden/Aidan |
Olivia |
|
5 |
Gabriel |
Aurora |
|
6 |
Caleb |
Violet |
|
7 |
Theodore |
Luna |
|
8 |
Declan |
Hazel |
|
9 |
Owen |
Chloe |
|
10 |
Elijah |
Aria/Arya |
|
11 |
Henry |
Scarlett |
|
12 |
Jackson/Jaxon |
Isla |
|
13 |
Grayson/Greyson |
Abigail |
|
14 |
Levi |
Freya/Freja |
|
15 |
Benjamin |
Adeline |
|
16 |
Finn/Fynn |
Sophia/Sofia |
|
17 |
Miles/Myles |
Nora/Norah |
|
18 |
Alexander |
Adelaide |
|
19 |
Sebastian |
Emma |
|
20 |
Leo |
Mila |
CENSUS RECORDS
Census Records are definitely going to a part of your
research. The U.K. Census, collected every 10 years, was first taken in 1801.
Unfortunately, the 1801, 1811, 1821 & 1831 returns were not collected
centrally, vis a vis individual names. Local record
offices will, however, hold some of the data of interest to us. The good stuff
for genealogists starts from 1841.
What information can you see on the census?
Each householder was required to complete a census schedule giving the address
of the household, the names, ages, sex, occupations and places of birth of each
individual residing in his or her accommodation.
On the 1841 census you will see: Name, Age, Sex, Occupation
and Address. Please note, when searching the 1841 census, ages up to 15 are
listed exactly as reported/recorded but ages over 15 were rounded to the
nearest 5 years (i.e. a person aged 53 would be listed
on the census as age 50 years}.
In 1851, householders were asked to give more precise
details of the place of birth of each resident, to state their relationship to
him or her, marital status and the nature of any disabilities from which they
may have suffered. In 1891, householders were asked how many rooms (if less then five) their family occupied and additional
occupational data was collected. The same was true for 1901
The 1911 is the most informative to date. It was the first
census to be completed by the householder (your ancestors) rather than an
enumerator. It included extra valuable data such as nationality, duration of
current marriage, number of children born within that marriage, number of
children still living and number of children who had died. Details vary for
each census return, with the 1911 census being the most detailed.
The census data is protected for 100 years and is held by
The Office of National Statistics where it remains closed to the public until
its release date.
While the 1939 Register is not a census, it is arranged
along similar lines and includes similar, if less detailed, information. It
does, however, show exact dates of birth where census returns simply give a
person’s age. The Register, provides a snapshot of the civilian population (no
military personnel included) of England and Wales just after the outbreak of
the Second World War. As the 1931 census for England and Wales was destroyed by
fire during the Second World War and no census was taken in 1941, the Register
provides the most complete survey of the population of England and Wales
between 1921 and 1951, making it an invaluable resource for family, social and
local historians.
The 39 Register is available to search and view on Findmypast.co.uk
(charges apply) and Ancestry.co.uk (charges apply).
Access to Census records can be done in a number of
different ways. Here is a list of good online Census Resources and, of course,
the major pay sites provide access.
England & Wales. -Census Information from
National Archives website
United States
Worldwide
&
IMMIGRATION RECORDS
There can be a lot of information available to you if you
can find the immigration papers of your ancestor. The US National Archives are
only available via a visit to Washington DC, but most of the pay to join
genealogy sites offer online access
The
following link, providing some useful advice on researching immigrants into the
U.S. has recently been sent to me by a young man named Thomas Wyler, who had
found it on the internet & felt it would be of interest to others History
of Ellis Island. It is well worth a read.
Records of
Passenger Lists are a very useful resource, and our thanks are due to Amanda, a
student with the Rutland County, Vermont Historical Society, for providing the
following excellent link. Researching
Your Family's History from Ships Passenger Lists
MAPS
As you progress your genealogical development there is no
doubt that you will become more & more knowledgeable about the geography
& history of the local environment for your individual quarry.
Maps can, therefore, be a valuable genealogical tool. Some
geographical research will probably become necessary in your search as early
county lines were in flux, towns and townships changed names and other
geographical changes occurred. You might need to know what was located near to
a certain village, town, river or settlement and other things like that.
CALENDAR INFO
There is a very useful site Calendar
Information and Date Formats – Here you will find a lot of information on old calendars,
date changes, double dating, etc.
OTHER GENEALOGICAL LINKS
Here are links to other pages that
will help you either get started or get over the brick wall. I have also
provided links to specialty sites like document preservation, old photograph
preservation, bible preservation, passenger & ships records, special ethnic
sites and much, much more. Good luck and happy researching!
Cyndi's
List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet - Links to every topic you can think of.
Family Search Internet Genealogy Service - This is the online version of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints Family History Center.
Genealogy Exchange & Surname Registry - Lots of great info and there is even a Kid's Corner!
Genealogy
Gateway - A great deal of good info and
links to many, many other sites.
How to trace ancestors who were slaves – article by Jasmine Taylor-Coleman BBC News, Washington
DC, 11 Sep 2016.
Genealogy &
Family History – “Our Top 22 resources to explore who you are” by Sarah Perowne
JUST A LITTLE DEEPER INTO
FAMILY HISTORY
After you have compiled your family tree, you may look at
the sheets of paper in front of you and ask the following question about each
individual on your chart; "Who was he, or she? What were they really like?
Where & how did they live?" "Where did they work?", etc,
etc.
Within my database records, wherever found, I have included
a brief pen-picture about each individual, but this only tells you a very small
amount about the person. It tells you little about lifestyle, surroundings, or
the state of the country at the time of his life. Nowadays, we take so much for
granted that our ancestors couldn't possibly enjoy. Take out electricity, motor
cars, running hot & cold water, television, overseas holidays, city centre
stores and supermarkets from our current lifestyle and our existence would seem
a little bland. However, if one believes the saying "You don't miss what
you've never had", we can be happy that our ancestors were not too
disillusioned with their lot.
A particularly sad element of their lifestyle was the
enormity of the number of child deaths which occurred. It seems quite
commonplace, for a couple to lose 3, 4 or 5 children before they were 1 year
old. It is difficult, nowadays, to relate to this situation, as very few birth, or early childhood, mortalities occur. Today, when
they do happen, they are usually classified as still-births or blamed on cot
death, very occasionally some serious physical ailment, such as heart, lung or
kidney malfunction is responsible. However, in years gone by, many, now
insignificant, illnesses such as Measles and Whooping Cough resulted in infant
death. Many, simply didn't make it through the trauma of actual childbirth,
where few, but the offspring of the very rich, would have been delivered by a
qualified physician.
According to the 1851 census, out of 1000 live births, 154
died before reaching 1. In 1986 it was 9.6 deaths per 1000. Those that did
survive circa 1841, lived to an average age of 41. Today the average age at
death is nearer 75. An interesting website covering the subject of historical
child mortality can be found at Our World In data
An example of how we often forget how things used to be
struck me when I was researching my Great Grandfather's life. I had found that
he had been a driver in the Royal Artillery. Not a bad job, I thought,
chauffeuring the Colonel around perhaps, or maybe even driving the ammunitions
truck. But no, because in 1880 there were very few limousines or Bedford
trucks, Driver Charles James Covington was actually in charge of a team of
horses pulling a gun carriage. Many of his family were agricultural labourers
or straw plait workers, all working in a very labour intensified industry with
no tractors or combine harvesters to help in those days. No wonder they died so
young!
Often a good place to start when trying to get a wider
picture of your Covington is the place where he or she lived. Whilst the
majority of buildings over 200 years old have long since disappeared, you will
usually be able to visit the church where your ancestor was baptized, married
or buried. A visit to the nearest library can help with useful background
information, sometimes old street maps and photographs add to your view of what
life was like.
Don't be only satisfied with the local environment, it is
interesting to find out What taxes were payable? Who was King, Queen or
President? (Would your ancestor have actually even seen a picture of the
Monarch?). Who was Prime Minister? Were they at war? What schooling was
available? (many children started work in the U.K. at
9 years of age right up to the end of the 19th century). If nothing else, it
makes History a much more interesting subject than I can remember it being
during my schooling years An interesting approach, is
to list your own lifestyle, showing your job description, salary, pastimes,
food, holidays, means of transport, communication, entertainments and clothing,
and then trying to compare them with your chosen ancestor. It is only when you
begin to see how your ancestors lived that you perhaps feel a little less
dissatisfied with your own lot!
Simply
typing an historical event or date in your preferred online Search Engine can
often be the simplest route, however, I have recently been provided with a very
detailed resource, primarily aimed at helping History teachers to prepare their
school lessons. It can be found at World History Teaching Resource and is well worth a visit. My thanks to Katie Hylton for
suggesting the link.
So, go on, get stuck into a hobby
that is constantly maturing with you.
Please send e-mails to: covingtonhistory@mhcovington.plus.com
Visit the Covington History search engine