In our research, we’ve got to include all the siblings in each generation. This is called collateral research. Your collateral ancestors are those who descend from siblings of your ancestors; people who are not your direct ancestors. I promise you that researching them alongside your direct ancestors will uncover new information about your family. This […]
You are browsing archives for
Category: Evaluating Evidence
Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings
I read an article recently that every genealogist should read. It is in a special issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly from September 2001 (Volume 89, No.3). This issue was completely devoted to discussion of the Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings relationship. If you are a member of NGS you can download this article […]
Searching For Enslaved Fathers
Giles Holt of Hardin County, Tennessee enslaved my ancestor Malinda Holt. Giles enslaved her and others, including another woman named Judy (or Judah) Holt. I will probably never know whether or not Malinda and Judy were biological sisters (Update, 2017: DNA research suggests they were not). Nevertheless, I track Judy’s children as my relatives. It […]
Two Death Certificates: One Person
For the first time in my research, I have found two death certificates for the same person. They were filled out by two different people. As if missing and inaccurate records aren’t enough to make me crazy, now this. While perusing the Tennessee Death Database, I found this death certificate for Miss Mary Ella Copeland: […]
Phillip Holt is Not Dead After All
It is amazing what can be discovered when you scrutinize your previous research. Sometimes it’s that new records are available that weren’t before. Other times it’s that your skills are better. I am quite happy to be my own biggest guinea pig and continue to prove this mantra be true. The Census In this case, […]
Using Land Records Effectively
My goal in this post is to outline general types of deeds, show examples, and point you to some other resources for further study. There are lots of other sites and other blogs that cover deeds more extensively. As with anything in genealogy, there are differences that will exist with regard to the records depending […]
Black Newspapers Break a Brick Wall!
Recently, I solved a genealogical mystery that I’d had for many, many years. The solution utilized many tools. However, black newspapers and the ease now of searching of them deserves the biggest praise for solving the puzzle. My friend Tim Pinnick has been preaching and teaching about black newspapers for years (you can watch one of his […]
The Joy of Probate
Probate records hold a wealth of information about our ancestors. But when researching these records, do you just limit yourself to the will and inventory? Do you neglect all of the other documents that are part of the probate process? All parts of the probate process hold potential clues. The Probate Process Estates where a […]
Deconflicting “The Same Name”
One of the most common errors for new genealogists is falling into the trap of “The Names The Same”. What we mean by that is that because we see someone with the same name, living in the same place, we jump too quickly to assume it is our ancestor (or person of interest). This is […]
Marriage Records: What Exactly Are You L...
Marriage records are a key component of genealogical research. However, when it comes to these records, are you sure of what you’re actually looking at? Types of Marriage and Related Records Are you viewing a marriage: –register or index? –certificate? –bann? –bond? –license? –license application? –announcement? –record? –intent? –return? Depending on the locality’s laws, the […]