In
Step 1, we encouraged beginning
genealogists to start their project at the best point—with the
information they could remember about their family. Beginners
were encouraged to ask themselves basic questions about each
significant event in their lives and in the lives of their
immediate family. These basic questions are: who, what, where,
when, and why—the cornerstones of good genealogical research.
Once this information is recorded on note cards, pedigree
charts, family group sheets, and a research log (the "tools" of
the genealogist), the beginner is ready to move to step
two-looking for information that is close at hand.
It is amazing how
much family information can be discovered by taking a very
short, inexpensive trip. Actually, beginners may not even have
to leave home because "generations" of information might be
resting in their own attic or basement. Since we had no real
genealogical treasures in our home, we began our search by
taking a short trip to Jim's parent's home.
It began with a
telephone conversation in 1968. While talking with Jim's mother
about our new hobby, we asked if she might have any information
at her home that would be useful. Specifically, we were hoping
there might be an old family Bible with names and dates
hand-written on the inside jacket. These dates would be records
of births, deaths, and marriages that had occurred in the family
over the years. We were taking a local history course as part of
our undergraduate studies and had learned that many families
followed this practice in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and
nineteenth centuries. Our professor, an amateur genealogist,
indicated that a family Bible was one of the real treasures of
family history; any student whose family had one would get a
bonus grade by bringing it to class. Our concern was not so much
the grade as it was the information we might gather.
We were informed,
though, that there was no family Bible, at least that she knew
of, but that two boxes in the basement might have something
useful in them. When we sat down with the boxes we discovered
more valuable information than we had dreamed possible. Armed
with our pedigree charts and family group sheets, we spent four
rewarding hours pouring over the contents of those two boxes.
While your
experience will be different, here are examples of what we found
and how it all proved useful in our research. In this discussion
we will begin with the obvious items and then move through to
less obvious ones.
The contents of
the boxes had been divided between family sides, so items from
Jim's father's family were in one and Jim's mother's family in
the other. In the box containing records of Jim's paternal
family, the first items that proved useful were birth
certificates of his grandparents. These documents yielded
another generation of names. In addition, the place of birth was
given which provided a valuable clue to the marriage location of
their parents. Birth certificates are common sources that one
can find around the house and are one of the most valuable
primary sources a genealogist can find.
A second major
find (and another primary document) in this box was Jim's
great-grandfather's will. It was a simple document, yet one that
named his wife, all of his children, and the location of his
home and property. It also named two more people in a preceding
generation, filling in more of the blanks on Jim's pedigree
chart. Likewise, names were filling in on a family group record
for another family.
We also
discovered Jim's grandfather's hand-written business ledger,
used for one of the businesses he had owned in his lifetime.
While this ledger provided no genealogical information, it did
place his grandfather in a particular place at a particular
time. More importantly, he wrote notes on the pages, almost in
diary format, where he commented on events such as family
births, local politics, world happenings, the weather, and even
his observations on prevailing business practices. This
information gave us insight into Jim's grandfather's
personality, provided much anecdotal material for the family
history we were pursuing, and began to "flesh in" the project.
Also in the box
were Jim's father's high school report cards. Again, while this
did not provide us with genealogical information we were not
already aware of, these progress reports did name his parents
with their signatures, and listed the address the family was
living at each year. This last clue could prove useful in
leading to other sources such as property records or census
information.
The final items
in Jim's paternal keepsake box included property deeds, old
newspaper clippings containing articles of interest to the
family, military discharge papers, and, of course, pictures. (A
future column will discuss these sources in greater length.)
The box
containing items from Jim's mother's family proved equally
rewarding. Her parents had been emigrants from Quebec, Canada,
and this one significant difference from his father's family led
to many different items in the box. Perhaps the most significant
find in the maternal storage box was his grandfather's
application for naturalization. As with many immigrants during
the first decades of the twentieth century, his grandfather
wanted to become an American citizen. His application listed his
full name, wife's name, living children, occupation, date and
place of birth (the most significant clue), and signature. This
one document told us more about Jim's grandparents than we knew
up to that point, and ultimately led us to several more
generations of information.
Since his
grandparents were Catholic, there were also some religious items
that provided clues for us to follow. Among these were burial
mass cards—small documents, similar to obituaries that are
distributed at the funeral mass held for the individual.
Information on these cards note the deceased spouse, children
(if relevant), and even parents' names. These proved to be a
real asset in compiling family group sheets on Jim's great aunts
and uncles. Other helpful items of a religious nature were
baptismal, confirmation, and marriage certificates. These
documents were created by the priest at the time of the event
and in some cases listed parents' names and addresses at the
time of the event.
One other item of
note in the box was a train ticket. While seemingly unimportant
at first, it turned out to be a ticket purchased by Jim's
grandparents for their honeymoon trip to Old Orchard Beach,
Maine, just after the turn of the century. It so happened that
Jim's grandfather got off the train while it was stopped for
water about sixty miles from their destination. He responded to
an advertisement for employment, took the job, and secured
housing for he and his bride—they didn't continue any further.
Forty years and sixteen children later, they finally made it to
Old Orchard.
These boxes
proved to be an invaluable wealth of information for us in
beginning our genealogical project. We derived individual or
family data on seventy-one different relatives/ancestors from
these two boxes. While some of the information was piecemeal at
best, there were enough clues to lead to other potential
sources.
The process of
uncovering one clue and following it to additional information
is the essence of doing genealogical research. While your
experience will be different from ours, we hope you uncover
items that will benefit your research. Listed below are
additional items that you might find around your home or a
family member's home. Review the list we have provided and use
it as a guide whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Valuable home sources:
Letters. Some family boxes have one or more packets of
letters. These letters may yield some valuable insight into the
relationships of two or more people. Even if there is no
genealogical information, reading letters written by an ancestor
can provide a unique glimpse into that person's world and his or
her personality.
Scrapbooks.
Some of the most interesting and useful information can be found
in these momentos that so many people keep. While they may not
contain direct genealogical evidence, they do provide
documentation of certain events in that person's life such as
athletics, vacations, and entertainment. These certainly provide
a unique peek into one's life and add wonderful anecdotes to a
family history.
Military
memorabilia. Military records are a major source of
genealogical data and will be covered in length in a later
column. Here we are referring to items that may have been saved
because of their unique or emotional value. Items such as group
pictures, weapons, uniforms, or unit histories put an individual
at a particular place and time. This information could lead to
further supporting evidence.
School
records. We mentioned report cards earlier, but there are
other school-related records that may prove valuable. Examples
include registration papers that name parents, school yearbooks
with pictures, a student essay written by your relative,
certificates of achievement, diplomas, etc. Again, all such
materials give the genealogist a look into the world of the
individual being researched.
Licenses.
Some family memorabilia may contain old driver's licenses,
professional licenses, or hunting/fishing licenses. Any of these
make interesting sources.
Keepsakes.
Some potentially helpful items may not be stored away but are
actually prominently displayed in one's home. We have seen
jewelry passed down from parent to child-each with its own
story. Some have engravings that provide a very valuable clue to
the owner. Likewise, we have seen furniture built by an ancestor
and kept for generations; furniture built from wood taken from
an old family home; mirrors with each generation of ownership
inscribed on the back; and numerous other examples of useful
household items that are valuable to the genealogist.
Genealogy is all
about clues, and there is no better source for these clues than
within the home. We have provided a list but remember, this is
only a suggestion. It is by no means the only list a beginner
should refer to. The important thing is to be creative. Imagine
what might be around your home, utilize what you have, keep
records on your note cards, pedigree charts, and family group
sheets, and be certain to record the source of your information
on your research log. Above all, have fun. Genealogy is a hobby
that provides great pleasure.
