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How to Find Descendants in the United States (view source)
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The goal of descendancy research is to find | The goal of descendancy research is to find the children (and spouses), grandchildren (and spouses), and so forth of an ancestral couple. Descendancy research starts farther back in time and moves toward the present. <br> | ||
'''Motives for descendancy research.''' Some researchers may be motivated by a desire to contact relatives who have moved to distant lands. Some seek to show a relationship to a famous ancestor. Others may be seeking significant genealogical evidence such as the family Bible of a common ancestor. Or, they may be looking for someone to give a family heirloom such as an old photograph. Some look for possible heirs of an unclaimed rich estate in hopes of a reward. Some genealogical societies like the New England Historic Genealogical Society publish genealogical journals in a format showing descending generations. The Board for Certification of Genealogists asks applicants to submit a 3-generation research project which may be a descending line. Some LDS researchers are looking for more names to submit for temple ordinances.<br> | |||
== '''Value of Descendancy Research''' == | == '''Value of Descendancy Research''' == | ||
Descendancy research can lead you to important clues, contacts, or records such as family Bibles that you might not find if you researched only direct ancestors. Collaborating with new contacts about the new clues you find may help you get past dead ends in your ancestral research. | |||
'''More names per generation.''' One advantage of descendancy research is the potential number of names you could find. Most families have more than two children per couple. If all those children marry and have more than two children, there is a potential to find more relatives by descendancy research than in the same number of generations of pedigree research. However, to be fair, pedigree researchers also usually research the immediate children of each couple on their pedigree. In theory, assuming each generation has exactly four children who live, marry once, and have exactly four children, in three generations, pedigree researchers would find 42 relatives (counting spouses and immediate children), and descendancy researchers would find 106 relatives. With larger families the difference can increase dramatically. This way of counting names does not change number of actual people who have lived—it only changes because of who you count as a relative. | |||
'''More clues.''' Descendancy research can lead you to important clues, contacts, or records such as family Bibles that you might not find if you researched only direct ancestors and their immediate children. Collaborating with new contacts about the new clues you find may help you get past dead ends in your ancestral research. | |||
== '''Risks of Descendancy Research''' == | == '''Risks of Descendancy Research''' == | ||
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'''Census records.''' Many governments have taken regular censuses of their citizens. In the United States, these censuses have taken place every decade since 1790. Many census records are available in a digital, searchable format. If you have census records available, you should search them for a record of your family. This record will guide the rest of your research by placing your family in a particular place at a specific time. Census records can be searched free of charge at any Church family history center with an Internet connection. | '''Census records.''' Many governments have taken regular censuses of their citizens. In the United States, these censuses have taken place every decade since 1790. Many census records are available in a digital, searchable format. If you have census records available, you should search them for a record of your family. This record will guide the rest of your research by placing your family in a particular place at a specific time. Census records can be searched free of charge at any Church family history center with an Internet connection. | ||
'''''Expert Tip<nowiki>:&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;</nowiki>'''''<nowiki>Starting in 1850, U.S. census records listed the names of each person living in the household. This census and those that followed are an effective resource for finding the names of an entire household.</nowiki> | '''''Expert Tip<nowiki>:&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;</nowiki>'''''<nowiki>Starting in 1850, U.S. census records listed the names of each person living in the household. This census and those that followed are an effective resource for finding the names of an entire household.</nowiki> | ||
Here are some hints for searching through census records: | Here are some hints for searching through census records: | ||
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From: '''[http://www.familysearch.org www.familysearch.org]''' '''Library''' > '''Family History Library Catalog''' > '''Place Search'''. Type the name of the county in the '''Place''' field. Type the name of the state in the '''Part of''' field. Click on the '''History''' link.<span | From: '''[http://www.familysearch.org www.familysearch.org]''' '''Library''' > '''Family History Library Catalog''' > '''Place Search'''. Type the name of the county in the '''Place''' field. Type the name of the state in the '''Part of''' field. Click on the '''History''' link.<span class="Apple-style-span" style=""> </span>Repeat the process, using the name of the town of residence. | ||
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Go to: '''[http://www.switchboard.com www.switchboard.com]''''' <span | Go to: '''[http://www.switchboard.com www.switchboard.com]''''' <span class="Apple-style-span" style="">to f</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">ind the telephone number of a newspaper or library in your ancestor’s town. Ask the archivist or librarian what you need to do to obtain information or to arrange an interlibrary loan.</span><br>'' | ||
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2. ''A Member's Guide to Temple and Family History Work: Ordinances and Covenants'' (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1993), 14.<br> | 2. ''A Member's Guide to Temple and Family History Work: Ordinances and Covenants'' (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1993), 14.<br> | ||
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