Post by backstick on Mar 22, 2008 11:29:32 GMT -5
I have been doing this about 10 years now and can tell you that there are several helpful, free sites out there to use. I'll list those at the end of my post. If you are just starting out, you will need some basic info. Birthdates, place of birth, place of death and social security numbers are excellent information to start with.
The first thing you need to do is bite the bullet and get a genealogy program. I use Family Treemaker and got a free Ancestry.com subscription for a limited time. Get something to manage and organize all of the information you are about to find. I started out with a notebook and made copies of everything I found. I put them in it by category, ie, census records, family groups, birth records, death records and correspondence.
I started out looking through census records. If you have an estimated age, and/or name of spouse you can get quite a bit of info about an ancestor up until around 1840. Census records from 1830 and backward are just lists of the head of households with the number of males and females, slaves and free blacks. They are much harder to interpret. Most 1890 census are either incomplete, or non-existant due to a fire in the records building in Washington.
When I check a census record, I usually copy the entire family. Then I look at the surrounding households. It was not unusual to find other family members nearby.
Contact the county records clerk and request a copy of your ancestor's birth, marriage and/or death certificate. It's relatively cheap. Again you will need some basic information.
Whatever you do, always verify your information. Take all of your information with a grain of salt until you can prove or disprove it. Especially death certificates and census info.
A few free sites that are extremely helpful:
familysearch.org-the Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has the largest genealogy library in the world. Information is not always documented, so be careful. Remember to verify what you find.
interment.com-A list of cemeteries throughout the US. While not complete, can still be useful. Check back often, they update.
cyndislist.com-Tons of research sites here. Cyndi has been doing this a looooong time.
rootsweb.com-This search engine has merged with ancestry.com. Some info is free and they have an excellent area to post and search surnames and areas. Go to rootsweb.com and click on message boards. Under find a board, click on the letter of the surname you want to search. When you post, make sure you include as much information as possible.
genforum.genealogy.com-a good site for message boards. I've posted quite a few things on this and rootsweb.
familytreecircles.com-A relatively new site, but worth it if you have a rather common name.
censuslinks.com-A very useful link to find census records.
DAR.org-If you have an ancestor you know was involved in the Revolutionary war, you can go to the DAR website. The catch here is that you must have a DAR member number to search the site.
I've gone as far as googling an ancestor. Sometimes you can find information, if you are willing to wade through thousands of results.
Always leave a post if something you see on a message board looks interesting. People are usually very helpful and willing to share their info. Don't be offended by anyone who isn't willing to share. They are few and far between. They are probably are writing a book and don't want someone else to steal their thunder.
I don't usually post my email until someone contacts me. Usually message boards will give you the option to be contacted when someone replies to a query you have posted.
If you have any questions or need help. Reply to this post and I'll be happy to help!
Good Luck and let me know what I can do to help.
The first thing you need to do is bite the bullet and get a genealogy program. I use Family Treemaker and got a free Ancestry.com subscription for a limited time. Get something to manage and organize all of the information you are about to find. I started out with a notebook and made copies of everything I found. I put them in it by category, ie, census records, family groups, birth records, death records and correspondence.
I started out looking through census records. If you have an estimated age, and/or name of spouse you can get quite a bit of info about an ancestor up until around 1840. Census records from 1830 and backward are just lists of the head of households with the number of males and females, slaves and free blacks. They are much harder to interpret. Most 1890 census are either incomplete, or non-existant due to a fire in the records building in Washington.
When I check a census record, I usually copy the entire family. Then I look at the surrounding households. It was not unusual to find other family members nearby.
Contact the county records clerk and request a copy of your ancestor's birth, marriage and/or death certificate. It's relatively cheap. Again you will need some basic information.
Whatever you do, always verify your information. Take all of your information with a grain of salt until you can prove or disprove it. Especially death certificates and census info.
A few free sites that are extremely helpful:
familysearch.org-the Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has the largest genealogy library in the world. Information is not always documented, so be careful. Remember to verify what you find.
interment.com-A list of cemeteries throughout the US. While not complete, can still be useful. Check back often, they update.
cyndislist.com-Tons of research sites here. Cyndi has been doing this a looooong time.
rootsweb.com-This search engine has merged with ancestry.com. Some info is free and they have an excellent area to post and search surnames and areas. Go to rootsweb.com and click on message boards. Under find a board, click on the letter of the surname you want to search. When you post, make sure you include as much information as possible.
genforum.genealogy.com-a good site for message boards. I've posted quite a few things on this and rootsweb.
familytreecircles.com-A relatively new site, but worth it if you have a rather common name.
censuslinks.com-A very useful link to find census records.
DAR.org-If you have an ancestor you know was involved in the Revolutionary war, you can go to the DAR website. The catch here is that you must have a DAR member number to search the site.
I've gone as far as googling an ancestor. Sometimes you can find information, if you are willing to wade through thousands of results.
Always leave a post if something you see on a message board looks interesting. People are usually very helpful and willing to share their info. Don't be offended by anyone who isn't willing to share. They are few and far between. They are probably are writing a book and don't want someone else to steal their thunder.
I don't usually post my email until someone contacts me. Usually message boards will give you the option to be contacted when someone replies to a query you have posted.
If you have any questions or need help. Reply to this post and I'll be happy to help!
Good Luck and let me know what I can do to help.