Don’t Know Much About Genealogy

Kathy PetlewskiPlymouth District Library

2013

Where in the World Do I Start?

What is genealogy?What tools will I need?Which books should I

read?

The great document search begins … often with your relatives

Family Records to GatherBirth & death

certificatesMarriage / divorce

recordsJournals or diariesOld scrapbooks / photo

albumsAutograph booksMemorial or prayer

cardsOld address books

Family bibleMilitary discharge

papersCitizenship papersWillsNewspaper clippingsSchool & church

recordsInsurance policiesDeeds

4 Generation Ancestral Chart

Family Group Sheets

1. After filling in your pedigree chart, look at the blank spaces.

2. Decide which branch is your focus– and who to start looking for first.

3. Analyze the information you have, and brainstorm ways to get what you will need.

4. Get a map and a history book relating to the area you are researching. Read for background information.

Plan a Search Strategy

It’s Never to Early to Start Organizing!

Binder System Commercial Genealogy Software

http://genealogy-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

U.S. Census RecordsMilitary RecordsFederal land recordsImmigration & Naturalization

RecordsNative American & African

American records

Searching Federal Records

1790 Census form 1790 Census

1930 Census for Plymouth

Military RecordsMuster RollsPayrollsCompiled Service

RecordsBattle ReportsCourt-Martial Cases

& DesertersPrisoners of WarCasualties & Deaths

Pensions (applications, declarations, indexes)

Bounty-Land GrantsBonusesBurialsCensuses of VeteransSoldiers’ HomesPardons

(Confederate)

Record From Ancestry Library Ed.

Michigan Military Records

Revolutionary War Pension Recordsfrom HeritageQuest.com

Civil War Regiment Details fromNational Park Service

World War 1 Draft Registrationfrom Ancestry Library Edition

Immigration & Naturalization1820-1890 – Customs

Passenger Lists for US ports.

1891-1954 – Immigration Passenger Lists.

Ship Passenger Lists.Many Indexes for

Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia & some minor ports.

Generally, naturalization was a 2-step process that took at least 5 years.

File 1st papers (Declaration of Intent) after 2 years of residence.

Petition for Naturalization after an additional 3 years.

What Info should you have before looking for Ship Records ?

1. Full name of your ancestor.

2. Approximate age at arrival in America

3. Approximate date of arrival in America

Using Ancestry for Passenger Lists

Ancestry Library Edition

Must be used in the Library

Both pre 1820 & post 1820

Info also taken from books.

Other Sources for Passenger Lists

National Archives – AAD web site

http://aad.archives.gov/aad

Choose “genealogy” & then “passenger lists.”

Have both name files and ship files

Naturalization Process – Exceptions to the Rule

Derivative citizenship granted to wives and minor children of naturalized men. From 1790 – 1922, wives of naturalized men automatically became citizens.

In 1922, women who were 21 years of age and older were entitled to citizenship. Residency requirement to file a declaration of intention was waived.

From 1824 to 1906, minor aliens who had lived in the US five years before their 23rd birthday could file both their declarations & petitions at the same time.

Naturalization Process – More Exceptions to the Rule

With the passage of the 14th Amendment in 1868, African Americans automatically became citizens.

Special Consideration given to veterans – After 1862, any veteran could become a citizen after having been here only 1 year. (1918 law allowed over 192,000 aliens from WW I to become citizens immediately after serving in the War.)

The Citizen Act of 1924 provided that all “non-citizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States” be citizens.

Pre-1906No uniform standards for amount or type of

information asked on Naturalization Records.No special place to store these records – could

be in any court of record, in libraries, archives – or destroyed.

Very little biographical information found in these older records.

Naturalization Records

Naturalization RecordsAfter Sept. 27,1906Bureau of Immigration & Naturalization

required standardized forms including age, occupation, personal description, date & place of birth, citizenship, present & last foreign addresses, ports of embarkation & entry, name of vessel and date of arrival in US.

Duplicate copies of these forms were sent to Bureau of Naturalization in Washington DC & a third copy kept in naturalizing court. (Original went to citizen.)

Naturalization Process - Petition for Naturalization

Declaration of Intention, 1930

30 public land states created from public domain

All states west of Mississippi River except Texas & Hawaii

States created from old Northwest Territory and old Spanish & Indian Lands

Federal Land Records

Land Patent from Bureau of Land Management

Lineage books from patriotic societies – ie. D.A.R

Family genealogiesCompiled biographies based on state or

region – ie First Settlers of New EnglandCompiled biographies based on religious

or ethnic groups – ie. Quakers, Palatines

Published Genealogies and Histories

Other Materials Containing Possible Genealogical

InformationCemetery IndexesHistories of towns,

counties, other countries

Employment records (mining, railroad records)

Fraternal organization records

Local and state historical museums & societies

County courthousesFamily History Libraries (LDS)Burton Historical Collection (DPL)Allen County Public Library (Fort Wayne,

IN)National Archives / Library of Congress

Other “Brick & Mortar” Resources

Know the basics before you go online – then continue to practice the same rules of evidence that apply for print resources!

Verify, Verify, Verify !!See if the state/county/city you are

researching has mounted vital records online.Come to next week’s presentation to learn

about commercial subscriptions, important free sites, social networking and more!THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24th at 7:00 PM

Doing Genealogy on the Web

Time for Questions & Comments

Thanks for attending tonight!