Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com - Anne Mitchell

Page created by Lori Gallagher
CONTINUE READING
Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com - Anne Mitchell
Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com

                             Anne Mitchell

1
Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com - Anne Mitchell
If you would like a copy of this
presentation:
http://www.ancestry-reference-desk.com

Presentation will be available on Monday
Morning

2
Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com - Anne Mitchell
What is our end goal?
•Not a pile of papers
•Not a nice organized notebook of
 records, images and family group
 sheets

•We want to tell our family story
3
Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com - Anne Mitchell
How do I tell my family story

Method 1:
    – Do a lot of research
    – Sit down in front of Word
    – Wait for divine inspiration

4
Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com - Anne Mitchell
The Story

5
Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com - Anne Mitchell
The Story

6
Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com - Anne Mitchell
How do I tell my family story
Method 2:
1. Assemble a list of resources
2. Do not always search in the same way
3. Build the foundation.
4. Analyze what you find; write up
   random thoughts and ideas as you go
5. Ask yourself what should I do next?

7
Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com - Anne Mitchell
1. Assemble a list of resources
  (Don’t trust your memory)

8
Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com - Anne Mitchell
Search Tool #1: Place Pages
Go to http://search.ancestry.com/search
Down at the bottom, you’ll find the map. Each state has a listing of
collections specific to that state.

9
Searching and Writing Your Family History as You Go on Ancestry.com - Anne Mitchell
Search Tool #2: Card Catalog

A complete listing of all of
the data collections at
Ancestry.com

10
Search Tool #2: Card Catalog

11
Search Tool #3: Finding Local Histories
In the Card Catalog, filter down to Stories, Memories and Histories:

                        Then in Keywords type in the location you are looking for

12
Search Tool #4: Finding Surname Histories
In the Card Catalog, filter down to Stories, Memories and Histories:

                        Then in Keywords type in the name you are looking for

13
Search Tool #5: City Directories
     http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2469

14
Search Tool #6: Message Boards

15
Search Tool #7: All Hints Page

16
2. There is not one perfect
           way to search
         Vary your methods

17
Search Tool #8: First and Last name filters

18
Search Tool #9: Location filters
Use the location filter, by selecting the type ahead
                                               ahead.and then selecting
adjacent counties and working your way out geographically to expand
your search.
                                         Then selecting adjacent counties
                                         and working your way out
                                         geographically to expand your
                                         search.

19
Search Tool #10: Wildcards
Try wildcards
with exact on
names to find
unusual
spellings of
names.
Sm?th*
matches
Smith, Smyth,
and Smythe.
You must
have at least
3 characters
to use a
wildcard.

20
Search Tool #11: Limit your scope

At the bottom of the advanced
search, you can see the types of
records you will see

21
Search Tool #12: Do a Category Search

22
Search Tool #13: Use facets

23
Search Tool #14: Look for Family Member

If you can’t find who you are looking for, look for :
     • Siblings
     • Parents
     • Cousins
     • Grandparents
     • Neighbors

Use Elizabeth Shown Mill’s FAN approach:
   • Friends
   • Acquaintances
   • Neighbors

 24
Search Tool #15: First or Last Name Only Searches

25
3. Build a framework

26
Build a Framework: Time to look in the Census Records
 Find all the census records and start to pull everything out of them.

 • The United States Census Records are taken every 10 years.
 • Their purpose is to enumerate the people who are residents in the
   country. The population in specific states defines the number of
   congress representatives and electoral votes.
 • Depending on what was happening in the country at that time,
   different questions would be asked.

 27
Time to look in the Census Records
The first US Census was taken in 1790.
From 1790 through 1840 only heads of households were named.
Other family members were represented by count.

28
Time to look in the Census Records
The census records from 1850 to 1870 enumerated each person by
name. Family relationships were not stated, but the clues are there.

29
Time to look in the Census Records
The census from 1880 list each person by name AND the relationship
to the head of household.
Very few 1890 US Census Records exist.

30
Through the Eyes of the Census: 1940

Roy(?) Gillespie
No Occupation
born c. 1865, Virginia

His spouse and children
Wife Laura M, b. c. 1877, VA

Daughter Minnie L, b. c. 1898, VA
Daughter Evelyn P, b. c. 1907, VA
Daughter Helen A, b. c. 1919, VA
Through the Eyes of the Census: 1930

 Wyatt P Gillespie
 Carpenter
 born c. 1865, Virginia
 Married c. 1893

His spouse and children
Wife Laura C, b. c. 1877, VA

Daughter Minnie M, b. c. 1898, VA
Daughter Eva D, b. c. 1902, VA
Daughter Louise D, b.c. 1907, VA
Son Fred D, b.c. 1911, VA
Son Gilbert, b.c. 1914, VA
Daughter Helen A, b. c. 1919, VA
Through the Eyes of the Census: 1920

 Wyatt P Gillespie
 Carpenter
 born c. 1865, Virginia
 Married c. 1893

His spouse and children
Wife Laura C, b. c. 1877, VA

Daughter Minnie M, b. c. 1898, VA
Son Ashby P, b.c. 1900, VA
Daughter Eva D, b. c. 1902, VA
Son Clinton C, b.c. 1907, VA
Daughter Louise G, b.c. 1908, VA    Parents and Siblings
Son Fred D, b.c. 1911, VA
Son Gilbert, b.c. 1914, VA          Sister Harriett A, b. 1851, VA
Daughter Helen A, b. c. 1919, VA
Through the Eyes of the Census: 1910

 Wyatt P Gillespie
 Carpenter
 born c. 1865, Virginia
 Married c. 1894

His spouse and children
Wife Laura C, b. c. 1877, VA

Daughter Minnie M, b. c. 1898, VA
Son Ashby P, b.c. 1900, VA
Daughter Eva D, b. c. 1902, VA
Son Clinton C, b.c. 1907, VA
Daughter Louise G, b.c. 1908, VA    Parents and Siblings
Son Fred D, b.c. 1911, VA
Son Gilbert, b.c. 1914, VA          Sister Harriett A, b. 1851, VA
Daughter Helen A, b. c. 1919, VA
Through the Eyes of the Census: 1900

 Wyatt P Gillespie
 Carpenter
 born July 1865, Virginia
 Married c. 1894

His spouse and children
Wife Laura C, b. Feb 1877, VA

Daughter Minnie M, b. Jan 1897, VA
Son Ashby P, b. Jun 1898, VA
Daughter Eva D, b. c. 1902, VA
Son Clinton C, b.c. 1907, VA
Daughter Louise G, b.c. 1908, VA     Parents and Siblings
Son Fred D, b.c. 1911, VA
Son Gilbert, b.c. 1914, VA           Sister Harriett A, b. 1851, VA
Daughter Helen A, b. c. 1919, VA
Through the Eyes of the Census: 1880

 Wyatt P Gillespie
 Carpenter
 born July 1865, Virginia
 Married c. 1894

His spouse and children
Wife Laura C, b. Feb 1877, VA

Daughter Minnie M, b. Jan 1897, VA   Parents and Siblings
Son Ashby P, b. Jun 1898, VA         Father Jere (Jese?), b.c. 1820, VA
Daughter Eva D, b. c. 1902, VA       Mother Mary (?), b.c. 1840, VA
Son Clinton C, b.c. 1907, VA
Daughter Louise G, b.c. 1908, VA     Sister Harriett A, b. c. 1849, VA
Son Fred D, b.c. 1911, VA            Brother George, b. c. 1856, VA
Son Gilbert, b.c. 1914, VA
Daughter Helen A, b. c. 1919, VA
Through the Eyes of the Census: 1870

 Wyatt Paul Gillespie
 Carpenter
 born July 1865, Virginia
 Married c. 1894

His spouse and children
Wife Laura C, b. Feb 1877, VA

Daughter Minnie M, b. Jan 1897, VA   Parents and Siblings
Son Ashby P, b. Jun 1898, VA         Father Jere (Jese?), b.c. 1826, VA
Daughter Eva D, b. c. 1902, VA       Mother Mary (?), b.c. 1840, VA or Ann b.c. 1827, VA
Son Clinton C, b.c. 1907, VA
Daughter Louise G, b.c. 1908, VA     Sister Harriett A, b. c. 1847, VA
Son Fred D, b.c. 1911, VA            Brother James, b. c. 1851, VA
Son Gilbert, b.c. 1914, VA           Brother William, b. c. 1855, VA
Daughter Helen A, b. c. 1919, VA     Brother George, b. c. 1856, VA
Start a Timeline with the Census
Start a Timeline with the Census
Timeline Tips

• Add other censuses
• Layer on historical events
    – e.g., The U.S. entered World War I in 1917.
Add in Historical Events
Timeline Tips

• Add other censuses
• Layer on historical events
    – e.g., The U.S. entered World War I in 1917.

• Create a to-do list based on what you
  find.
Timeline Tips

• Add other censuses
• Layer on historical events
    – e.g., The U.S. entered World War I in 1917.

• Create a to-do list based on what you
  find
• Cite sources on your list so you’re
  prepared for any conflicts.
    – Create a template for censuses to make it
      easy.
4. Analyze what you find;
write up random thoughts
and ideas as you go

44
Write down and analyze what you see
Look at Ann Irene Feazell

     •   There is a Annie I Feazell, aged 3.
     •   She is living in Marion, Smyth, Virginia.
     •   Her parents are A Frank and Clara E.
     •   Now it is time to explore the image.

45
The 1920 Census

•    A Frank Feazell, born 1887; was the head of the household; he was born in Virginia as were his
     parents.
•    Clara Feazell, born 1891, was Frank's wife; she was born in Virginia as were her parents.
•    Ann (listed as Anna O) was born in 1917 in Virginia.
•    She has an older sister named Josephine S born in 1915 in Virginia.
•    She has a younger brother named Carl V born in 1920 who is listed as 7 months old.
•    There are no immigration years listed for anyone, which makes sense since they are all from
     Virginia.
•    Frank is listed as a farmer who rented a farm. Frank and Clara can both read and write, the
     children cannot.
•    Next door on one side is a family made of Mollie Snavely, Edna Wilmore, and Ferdinand S Snavely.
•    On the other side is John and Fairy Crow.
•    Also, listed on the page is a John D Feazell and Josephine Feazell.

•    There are 11 Feazell's living in Smyth County, Virginia in 1920.There are 22,132 people living in
     Smyth County, Virginia in 1920.

46
The 1920 Census

•    A Frank Feazell, born 1887; was the head of the household; he was born in Virginia as were his
     parents.
•    Clara Feazell, born 1891, was Frank's wife; she was born in Virginia as were her parents.
•    Ann (listed as Anna O) was born in 1917 in Virginia.
•    She has an older sister named Josephine S born in 1915 in Virginia.
•    She has a younger brother named Carl V born in 1920 who is listed as 7 months old.
•    There are no immigration years listed for anyone, which makes sense since they are all from
     Virginia.
•    Frank is listed as a farmer who rented a farm. Frank and Clara can both read and write, the
     children cannot.
•    Next door on one side is a family made of Mollie Snavely, Edna Wilmore, and Ferdinand S Snavely.
•    On the other side is John and Fairy Crow.
•    Also, listed on the page is a John D Feazell and Josephine Feazell.

•    There are 11 Feazell's living in Smyth County, Virginia in 1920.There are 22,132
     people living in Smyth County, Virginia in 1920.

47
How did I know the number of people?
Where did this come from?

     How do I calculate the number of People in
     the county?

48
How did I know the number of people?

                                       Start on the
                                        homepage
                                       and choose
                                       the year of
                                         interest

49
How did I know the number of people?

                                         Make sure
                                        you are on
                                       the advanced
                                       version of the
                                            form

50
How did I know the number of people?

                                        Choose the
                                        county you
                                       are looking at
                                         from the
                                           “place
                                          picker”

51
How did I know the number of people?

                                       Click on “Use
                                           default
                                         settings”
                                          Choose
                                        “Restrict to
                                         this place
                                          exactly”

52
How did I know the number of people?

                   Look at the Result Number

53
How did I know the number of people?

                                         Click edit
                                       Type in the
                                        last name
                                        Click “Use
                                          default
                                         settings”

54
How did I know the number of people?

                                           Choose
                                       Phonetic and
                                       Names with
                                           similar
                                         meanings
                                        Click search

55
How did I know the number of people?

             Look at the result count

56
Start the Timeline with the Census
Add information into a timeline

S

57
Create the Timeline with the Census
Add in events you know from the Census

58
Add in the 1920 Census
Add in the info from 1920

59
Update the timeline

60
1790 – 1840: Build a Skeleton Family

61
1790 – 1840: Build a Skeleton Family

62
Immigration: When and where did they come from?

1. Begin with records created by the families in the
   US
     1. 1930, 1920 censuses, military registration,
        obituaries
2. Find the immigrant in the immigration and travel
   collection at Ancestry.com
3. Use Name, Birth Details and Place Information to
   Locate Your Ancestor in International Records

63
Immigration: When and where did they come from?

64
65
How do I tell my family story
Method 2:
1. Assemble a list of resources
2. Do not always search in the same way
3. Build the foundation.
4. Analyze what you find; write up
   random thoughts and ideas as you go
5. Ask yourself what should I do next?

66
Where do you tell your family story?

67
Where do you tell your family story?
     http://geneabloggers.com/about/

68
Where do you tell your family story?
     http://youtu.be/MfRmJKn8ciA (You Tube search ancestry.com cousin bait)

69
You can also read