Tracing English Immigrants From Abroad: Difference between revisions

Once you have gleaned as much information as possible from home sources, but still lack a specific birth place or residence then proceed to Step 2. If you succeeded in obtaining the specific township or parish in which your immigrant ancestor was born or resided before emigrating, then proceed to search in records of the specific England locale mentioned in Step 4.  

Commencing your emigrant ancestor's research in original records, you must, like a research scientist, thoroughly seek for and study the research compilations of other researchers. The research scientist first seeks out every possible compiled source pertaining to the narrowed field of study so as not to duplicate or re-do research previously performed by other researchers. To do otherwise means the likely loss of critical funding or financial sponsorship for research! Why? Because why would the private funding sponsor or government provide funds for research already uncovered by another scientific researcher!  

• County historical societies  

• Library of Congress, Washington DC,  

• British Library, London  

• City [public] libraries with genealogical sections: ie. Houston, or Dallas TX public libraries, Birmingham, Manchester Central Libraries  

• Societies: Archaeological, local history societies or local studies reading rooms  

Learning what critical databases and/or indexes are available allows you to more quickly find helpful details of your ancestor. Then you can gain access, via in-house staff or a record agent/searcher; or, through the services of a local volunteer to provide you with the critical search or lookup services. Contact the local archives or repository/library via e-mail for their fees, or for a list of searchers to get the lookup service you want. Here are some helpful websites for finding local volunteers to do a free “lookup” service:  

1. http://www.raogk.org/ - Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness  

2. http://www.usgenweb.com - U.S. GenWeb network  

1. http://www.curiousfox.org.uk/  

6. http://www.genuki.org.uk/indexes/MailingLists.html - subscribe then request help  

1. Most countries (the counties, or province/states within countries) have volunteers or for-hire agents; ‘google’ to find them  

• http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp; note: search the Ancestral File, Pedigree Resource file and in the future, the forthcoming new.FamilySearch.org databases  

Another research aid for assisting researchers to find family genealogical compilations is the social network websites with genealogical intent and content. These sites can have far-reaching capabilities for finding living relatives who are working on or who have already compiled data on in-common family lines and genealogies. They can be a wonderful and a welcome resource. Such websites are great tools for finding distant relatives with an interest in in-common ancestry and with whom you may work cooperatively to identify, share and/or prove in-common ancestral connections. It can further ignite enthusiasm and motivation in the discovery of many more generations of ancestors! Most of the following sites are United Kingdom-based, including:  

• http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/ - best online family history social-networking  

• http://www.kindredkonnections.com/ - good offerings for numerous genealogies  

   

Also, the following published sources can help you identify relatives who have or are currently tracing in-common family lines in England’s large cities:  

Example of an Uncommon Surname - Example 1: Let’s say that Florence Beatrice Bradsell Dunn, came to the United States in the year 1946 but all that’s known is that she was born in “London" but it’s not known precisely where in London. Let’s also suppose you’ve just searched through your family records, and those of extended family members but your searches provide no solution to the precise place of birth. As you search your list of compiled sources, you discover in the www.FamilySearch.org website an entry from one of the databases called Ancestral File, possible clues suggesting her birth could have occurred at Hampstead in the year 1884. With an open mind and using this tidbit of birth data, you directly focus your research now in England’s civil registration indexes and certificates for a possible birth for Florence in the years roughly 1875 to 1895. With such an uncommon surname, you find only one likely birth registered—in the whole of England in the 4th Quarter of 1884 and order her birth certificate. The certificate is hers and it reveals and confirms that Hampstead was in fact her place of birth. The names of parents match that which was already known among living descendants and that which appeared in the compiled source. Thus, this single birthplace clue from compiled sources in the country of settlement (i.e. a source within www.familysearch.org), led your search directly to not only a “London” birth entry, but it helped you verify and confirm her precise birthplace in primary records, and narrowed your search from the whole of “London” with its 28-plus registration districts which comprise Greater London—and quickly helped you locate her precise birth place, birth date and parentage.  

==== Step 3: Search Indexes: Key to Finding Immigrants' Sspecific Place of Birth  ====