A woman recorded as a widow may have had a husband who was still very much alive. The Myth When a historical record identifies a woman as a widow, the obvious conclusion is that her husband had died. Usually, that may be exactly what the word meant. But in historical records, the description widow is […]
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Finding your ancestor in an orphanage record does not necessarily mean that both—or even either—of their parents had died. The Myth Today, the word orphan usually brings to mind a child whose mother and father have both died. When genealogists encounter an ancestor described as an orphan—or discover a child living in an orphan asylum—it […]
If you don’t know exactly what you’re trying to prove, almost every record becomes a distraction. Successful genealogy research begins with a question—not a search. Many researchers sit down at the computer, enter an ancestor’s name, and begin collecting records without first deciding what they are trying to discover. While this approach may uncover interesting […]
Your ancestor may be hiding behind a spelling they never actually used. One of the most common genealogy research mistakes is searching for only one spelling of a surname or given name. Names have changed throughout history for many reasons. Clerks spelled names as they heard them. Census takers made mistakes. Newspapers contained typographical errors. […]
The census record may list your ancestor’s entire family—but that doesn’t mean anyone in the family supplied the information. The Myth It is easy to picture the census process this way: an enumerator walked up to your ancestor’s home, knocked on the door, spoke with the head of the household or another family member, and […]
The best genealogy record is rarely the first one you find. Modern search engines have trained us to believe that the first result is usually the best result. Genealogy research doesn’t work that way. Search results are influenced by indexes, search algorithms, spelling variations, and the information you entered. The first record returned may simply […]
Your ancestor may not have moved—but the county lines might have. One of the easiest ways to miss important genealogy records is to search only the county that exists today. County boundaries changed constantly as populations grew and new counties were created. An ancestor who lived on the same farm for fifty years may appear […]
Family stories often contain a grain of truth—but not always the whole truth. Family stories are one of the greatest gifts passed from one generation to the next. They preserve memories, traditions, and clues that might otherwise have been lost forever. But memories change over time. Stories are simplified, details are forgotten, names become confused, […]
Many genealogy breakthroughs happen one search after most researchers quit. Every genealogist eventually encounters a brick wall. A record cannot be found. An ancestor seems to disappear. Search results come back empty. After repeated unsuccessful attempts, it is tempting to conclude that the records simply do not exist. In many cases, they do exist—but they […]
The right family in the wrong place is still the wrong family. Many towns, counties, and even states share the same or very similar names. Without paying close attention to geography, it is easy to attach records belonging to someone who lived somewhere entirely different. Genealogy research depends on placing ancestors in the correct location […]