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eLearning Series: Geneology
My Family Tree is Important to Me
( 50 articles in this series )
8
Vital Tips When Searching Census Records
Census
records may be the single most utilized search tool online
for family tree research. From 1930 back
to the founding of the country, the records of every census
are available online. By using census records you may be able
to trace your family tree back to when your ancestors first
came to this country, whether they were immigrants who came
ashore at Ellis Island, or were here to fight the British during
the Revolution, the census records may well show you a piece
of their lives.
Census records are available online and have truly aided the
search of the genealogist, whether amateur or professional,
since their introduction. Using the combined power of the internet,
high speed computers, and the extensive research of the federal
government, all at your fingertips can make research a breeze.
When searching census records, there are several things to
remember. First, have a good idea of alternative spellings
of your family name. Many family names had the spelling changed
to make the names seem more American, and help the individuals
blend into American society without standing out, with what
seemed like foreign sounding names. Other names were changed
because the immigration officials made typographical errors,
or could not spell or pronounce the names involved. And many
names simply had multiple spellings that were all considered
correct at the time, especially since so many people didn’t
read or write at the time. Also, trying to decipher
other people’s handwriting can cause anyone problems. A person may make an
r that looks like an n or any one of dozens of other mistakes
from bad handwriting. With that in mind, know all of the alternative
spellings.
Next, make a list of all of the family names you are looking
for, and all of the information you have relevant to the ancestors
you want to learn about. Keep this information in a notebook
handy, or in an online data base. And be prepared to write
in the notebook or add to the data base as you acquire more
information. When making a list of names, remember that Smith
for instance is sometimes written at Smithe, or Smythe. Johnson
can be Johnston or Jonson. Madux can be Maddux or Maddox. Know
the combinations and alternatives and you will aid your search.
After that, know
what states your ancestors were probably
living in. If your ancestor lived in New Jersey that is the
census you want to check out, not New York. And know the geography.
If you can’t find your ancestor in New Jersey, but believe
he was in the area at the time, then New York as an adjourning
state is the next place to check, followed by Pennsylvania
and all of the other states in the area where the ancestor
could have lived.
Know
something about the spouses and the spousal families. If you can’t find your great, great, great grandfather, but
you know whom he married, then you can check out the spouse’s
family and perhaps find some information there. The more information
you have to start with in your research, the better for you,
the more extensive the research will be, and the less time
it will take.
Then have a good idea of the time
period in which the ancestor
lived. If your ancestor lived in New York in 1900, then that
is the first census to check. Then checking the 1890 and 1910
census records will help determine when he moved there and
when he left. But, there is no need to check the 1920 census
or the 1880 census if the time periods don’t match.
There has never been a better time in history to do genealogical
research for many reasons, one of the main ones being census
records availability online. Other things that help the genealogical
researcher these days include the popularity of the hobby,
the abundance of good software to help in the research, and
the Internet itself. With the Internet it is possible to find
online chat rooms, groups, message forums and other places
to meet like minded people researching their own families.
And as these things go, many people start their research on
one branch of their own family and then tie into other branches,
tying into other people’s research, and helping everyone along
the way.
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by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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