Marriage records are a major source of genealogical information since they mark the merging of two families and provide what may be the only source of a married woman’s maiden surname. Searching for maiden names in marriage records is one of the first priorities of all genealogy research. One maiden name brings a whole new set of ancestors and their stories into play.Marriage has always been a very public covenant, since two people were vowing to care for each other and their children, … [Read more...]
What If the Vital Record Doesn’t Exist? 3 Vital Record Substitutes You Can Use in Your Genealogy Research
In this article we explore several vital record substitutes you can use in your genealogy research when vital records are not a research option.Today, the United States Legislature governs US vital record-keeping including registering births, marriages, and deaths. These vital records make it easier to follow a paper trail from parent to child and extend our genealogies back several generations. However, some states did not mandate vital record recording until the 1900s. Because of … [Read more...]
Using the Records of the Social Security Administration
Records of the Social Security Administration are extremely valuable when completing genealogy and family history research for individuals who lived into the twentieth century. They can provide full name, birth date and place, parents, and spouse information, and are almost always well worth the investigative time needed to find and obtain them. Three records sets are of particular interest and will be discussed in this article. The first is the Social Security Death Index, the second is the … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Finding Lutheran Ancestors at the Church Registry Office in Hanover
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers all over the world to access records for our clients. We asked Sylvia, onsite in Germany, to share her experiences using the Kirchenbuchamt Hannover (Church Registry Office of Hanover) to find ancestors in the 19th century.Many descendants of German immigrants will be all too familiar with the problem: you’re trying to find that hometown in Europe, but passenger lists or documents give only "Hanover" or "Hannover" as the birthplace. (The … [Read more...]
Disease, Epidemics, and Your Ancestors
It does not take long delving into the world of genealogy to see that death and high mortality rates were more intimate and frequently encountered facts of life for our ancestors than for us in modern times. Lacking much of the knowledge and technological advancements of later eras rendered even everyday life more dangerous, and learning about disease and its impact on history can provide great insight into our ancestors – their habits, fears, superstitions, diets, religious beliefs, and … [Read more...]
Divorce and Your Ancestors: Tracing the Split
Marriage records are a core, basic record type in American genealogy, and one that even the most beginner of researchers usually knows to look for. Useful for creating a timeline, learning a woman’s maiden name, identifying family members, and a host of other possibilities, marriage records are also the most common and oldest type of American vital record in most parts of the country. Though statewide registration of births and deaths did not begin in most states until the early 20th century, … [Read more...]
Death Certificates: Both a Primary and Secondary Source
When conducting genealogical research, it is important to remember that some documents are considered a primary source, and some are considered secondary. College history classes spend entire lectures discussing the nuances between the two, but suffice it to say that a primary source is one created as close to the actual event as possible with participants in that event providing the information. A secondary source was created after the event took place and by individuals who likely were not … [Read more...]
Denied Access to a Vital Record? Try the Newspaper!
Strict privacy laws, designed to protect both the living and the dead from having their identities stolen, can create some serious problems for a genealogist. Some states permit the acquisition of birth, marriage, or death records when the individuals named in those records have been dead for 50 years, or 100 years after the event was recorded. Other states allow only immediate family members to have access to birth, marriage, or death records. When you need the information contained in a vital … [Read more...]
