A Union Civil War pension file I am looking at contains over 200 pages. Like most pension files of this type, it contains numerous affidavits. In this case, most of them revolve around the deceased soldier’s health and his mother’s financial status. A large number of individuals signed affidavits testifying to both those aspects of the claim. Determining which of those individuals to research first has been a challenge. How should I prioritize my research into the individuals who appear in the file? It’s important to think about what my research goals are (for me it’s completely documenting the claimants life). While it’s hard to make list ranking individuals in the file from first to last, generally speaking I am using these factors to decide which people should […]
This hour-long presentation is geared towards advanced beginning or intermediate genealogists. Our focus will be on problems in the United States between roughly 1700 and 1900. Brick wall ideas will be pulled from consultations with clients and personal research experience. Approaches will be practical and down-to-earth. Presentation approach will be through a series of examples from a variety of time periods, locations, and social classes. Handout included. Presentation made by Michael John Neill.Presentation (video/audio) and handout will be released for viewing on 21 April 2026. Pre-order price is $22–order today. Price after 21 April 2026 will be $30.
Military pension affidavits are full of statements discussing events that happened decades or even half a century before the applicant filed their claim. Sometimes the biggest value in those statements is not what is actually stated, it’s the length of the implied relationship. It’s the 1880s and the affiant indicated he was at the funeral of the widow’s first husband thirty-five years earlier. They’ve known each other at least thirty-five years, and given the event they were at, that relationship likely extends back even further than that. And the widow has to have remembered that the affiant was at the funeral–that’s sometimes something in itself. The connection between the affiant and the widow may have simply been the result of geographic proximity thirty-five years ago–or it could have […]
Probate records may mention funeral and burial expenses paid out of money from the estate. Sometimes these expenses may include the name of the cemetery. Sometimes they may not. Even a small annotation on a receipt for funeral expenses may be a clue as to the location of the burial.
Been curious about using artificial intelligence for your genealogy research? In this hour-long session, we will provide an overview of responsible and simple ways to use artificial intelligence to assist with your genealogy research. Our focus will be practical, easy-to-follow techniques to use artificial intelligence to jumpstart your research in a responsible manner. We won’t talk about ways to create images or fiction but will show you how to incorporate AI into your research in down-to-earth ways that don’t waste your time. We will see how to use AI to get research ideas, focus your research, transcribe handwriting, organize and extract information—and how to create your own research prompts. AI can be used as a research assistant that’s always available. See how to take advantage of it without […]
Whenever you are writing or talking about a person be specific. First names are rarely specific enough, particularly in some families. First and last names are best, perhaps combined with a date of birth or date of death. My mother has three Aunt Ruths. It usually took more than just “Aunt Ruth” to know to whom someone was referring. Sometimes it was clear from context, but not always. Don’t create additional confusion in the records you leave behind. Be specific.
Witnesses and informants frequently can’t remember specific dates of events. It’s possible that they: It can be difficult sometimes to tell which and it’s best to avoid rushing to judgement. Use any dates in the document itself to establish some broad time frame for when the event could have taken place. Be certain to cite the source and include the name of the known or probable informant. The information can’t be analyzed if you don’t know who gave the information and the circumstances under which it was given.
Before interviewing that relative, see if you can determine the names of any near neighbors. Names of those neighbors may generate memories of events you never would have asked about otherwise. Census records that are public (if the person is old enough) are one place to get these names. City directories are another (particularly if they are searchable by address). Telephone directories may also help, particularly for those ancestors who were rural. Ask about your interviewee’s neighbors. You may get more than you bargained for.
Sound genealogy methodology indicates that witnesses on documents should always be researched for a potential connection to the person for whom they are witnessing a document. That’s good advice. Just remember that not every witness had a connection to the person who actually was signing the document. Samuel Neill became a citizen in Hancock County, Illinois, in 1880. A quick search of the 1880 census indicated that the witness on his naturalization was the county collector who apparently had no connection to Neill other than he was in the courthouse on the day Neill naturalized. Sometimes witnesses are simply other adults of legal age who were in the vicinity of your ancestor.
While practices can vary, real estate property leases are typically not recorded in the United States. Copies of the lease are kept by all parties involved. If there was an issue with the lease itself or a need to legally enforce the terms of the lease, the records of the resulting court case may include a copy of the lease or mention its terms. If one of the parties involved died while the lease was still in effect, the lease may be recorded in their probate case file. One ancestor was renting property when he died in Illinois in 1877 and that agreement was included as evidence in his estate settlement. In another case there was a disagreement over the terms and the lease was recorded as evidence. […]
The early-19th century will of John Tinsley in Amherst County, Virginia, clearly indicated which child was to receive which piece of property. This was located early in my research when I did not know too much about records. For years I only used the will in my research. Later I discovered there was an accounting of all the receipts and disbursements that provided more information on a few of the children and better glimpse into the family’s financial state.
If possible, interview as many family members as you can about a specific event or their entire family history. Individuals who are significantly older than their siblings may remember relatives that younger ones do not. Even siblings close in age may recall different details of events or, for one reason or another, have a different perspective. Those who lived with or near their parents or extended family their entire lives may have more stories than those who moved away after growing up.
I am always a little hesitant to write about grammar, because it’s not really my thing. But we will give it a go here because these words are often used in genealogical materials and legal items. Their use is much less frequent today, especially in a non-academic setting. Old newspapers and obituaries often contain the abbreviation viz. Some genealogists wonder exactly what viz means, so in this tip we will look at three abbreviations that often are confused. Our discussion of them is not in regards to modern usage because we are generally talking about materials written or published before 1900. The reality: James Jones was born in Harford County, Maryland and his wife was born in Smith County, Ohio. They were married in Smith County, Ohio, in 1830. James […]
When using land records, always note the consideration listed on the document in addition to the real property being transferred. The “consideration” was what was given in exchange for real property. Token amounts ($1, a few shillings, or some similar value) may suggest a relationship between the parties. “Love and affection” or some phrasing indicating a personal connection between the seller and the buyer may also be stated. Small consideration amounts compared to other deeds for similar properties may also suggest a connection between the parties involved.
Generally speaking, a “reasonably exhaustive” search is one that searches for every record that a genealogist, familiar with and experienced with records in the time and place of the problem, would search in an attempt to answer the question at hand. It does not always mean to look for every scrap of paper ever created that could mention the ancestor. For the most part (with exceptions), I’ve usually done this–sometimes using a more extreme approach I call “brute force” genealogy which means look for EVERYTHING that could possilby mention the ancestor’s name. Of course not all records are created equally—some are more credible than others. It’s up to the researcher to decide which records to give credence to, which ones to take with a grain of salt, and […]
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