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How to Recognize your United States Ancestor (view source)
Revision as of 11:11, 28 July 2010
, 28 July 2010Rewording and adding headers
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= Build the identity of your ancestor = | |||
As you research, your goal is to build an identity of your ancestor. This allows you to recognize him or her in the records you search. Your ancestor's identity also helps you not be sidetracked when you find other people with the same name. | |||
As you build that identity of an ancestor through your research, you will find records of people with the same name. The skill is to be able to recognize You can tell by the events of their lives which of two or more possible matches was your ancestor, or whether none of the possible matches was your ancestor. | |||
Too many genealogists find a hopeful individual with the right surname and then try to establish a connection between that person and their known ancestors. Almost always, such attempts end up with erroneous connections. Correct connections must be built by working back from known information to the unknown. | Too many genealogists find a hopeful individual with the right surname and then try to establish a connection between that person and their known ancestors. Almost always, such attempts end up with erroneous connections. Correct connections must be built by working back from known information to the unknown. | ||
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You must develop the skill of analyzing carefully to come to good conclusions. | You must develop the skill of analyzing carefully to come to good conclusions. | ||
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Getting Started | Getting Started | ||
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As you compare what you already know about your ancestor against the new information you found in a record, you can decide whether you can feel reasonably sure that you have located your ancestor. | As you compare what you already know about your ancestor against the new information you found in a record, you can decide whether you can feel reasonably sure that you have located your ancestor. | ||
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What You Are Looking For | What You Are Looking For | ||
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You are trying to decide whether the person you found in a record is your ancestor. | You are trying to decide whether the person you found in a record is your ancestor. | ||
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Steps | |||
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Once you have found a person in a record who may be your ancestor, the following 5 steps will help you determine if you have, in fact, found your ancestor. | Once you have found a person in a record who may be your ancestor, the following 5 steps will help you determine if you have, in fact, found your ancestor. | ||
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Step 1. Review what you already know about your ancestor. | Step 1. Review what you already know about your ancestor. | ||
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<br>See the following time line for an example of known information: | <br>See the following time line for an example of known information: | ||
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MY ANCESTOR Time Line for My Ancestor: Samuel Richman/Richmond (name)<br> | MY ANCESTOR Time Line for My Ancestor: Samuel Richman/Richmond (name)<br> | ||
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Use an analysis chart to help you identify what you already know about your ancestor and to evaluate what that information may suggest. The following chart is a sample: | Use an analysis chart to help you identify what you already know about your ancestor and to evaluate what that information may suggest. The following chart is a sample: | ||
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MY ANCESTOR Analysis Chart for My Ancestor: Samuel Richman/Richmond (name)<br> | MY ANCESTOR Analysis Chart for My Ancestor: Samuel Richman/Richmond (name)<br> | ||
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To print a working copy of an analysis chart, click here. | To print a working copy of an analysis chart, click here. | ||
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<br>Step 2. Identify what you know about the person who is a possible match. | <br>Step 2. Identify what you know about the person who is a possible match. | ||
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Use an Analysis Chart to help you identify what you know about the possible match person and evaluate what that information may suggest. The following chart is a sample of an analysis chart: | Use an Analysis Chart to help you identify what you know about the possible match person and evaluate what that information may suggest. The following chart is a sample of an analysis chart: | ||
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POSSIBLE MATCH Analysis Chart for a Single Record: Samuel Richman and others (name of person) Woodstown Methodist Church Records, Salem Co., NJ (name of record) <br> | POSSIBLE MATCH Analysis Chart for a Single Record: Samuel Richman and others (name of person) Woodstown Methodist Church Records, Salem Co., NJ (name of record) <br> | ||
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<br>To print a working copy of an analysis chart for a specific record to be used with a possible match, click here. | <br>To print a working copy of an analysis chart for a specific record to be used with a possible match, click here. | ||
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<br>Step 3. Analyze and compare what you know about your ancestor with what you know about the possible match. | <br>Step 3. Analyze and compare what you know about your ancestor with what you know about the possible match. | ||
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See Tip 2 for questions to ask yourself as you compare these two time lines and analysis charts. | See Tip 2 for questions to ask yourself as you compare these two time lines and analysis charts. | ||
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<br>Step 4. Make a decision about the possible match. | <br>Step 4. Make a decision about the possible match. | ||
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To decide about the possible match person, do one of the following: | To decide about the possible match person, do one of the following: | ||
<br>Confirm the person as your ancestor. <br>Suspect that the person may be a relative with the same name. <br>Eliminate that person as your possible ancestor. <br>Decide that there is not enough information yet to confirm or eliminate this person as your ancestor. In that case, see Tip 3. | <br>Confirm the person as your ancestor. <br>Suspect that the person may be a relative with the same name. <br>Eliminate that person as your possible ancestor. <br>Decide that there is not enough information yet to confirm or eliminate this person as your ancestor. In that case, see Tip 3. | ||
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Step 5. Write a brief summary of your research findings. | Step 5. Write a brief summary of your research findings. | ||
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Be sure to include in your paragraph the title, author, and call number of the book or film of all records you have searched. | Be sure to include in your paragraph the title, author, and call number of the book or film of all records you have searched. | ||
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Tip 1. How do I make a time line? | Tip 1. How do I make a time line? | ||
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You can also do a time line for just one specific record to help you see clearly the contents and value of that record. To print a working copy of a time line for a specific record, click here. | You can also do a time line for just one specific record to help you see clearly the contents and value of that record. To print a working copy of a time line for a specific record, click here. | ||
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Tip 2. Is this my ancestor? | Tip 2. Is this my ancestor? | ||
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<br>5. Do the relatives and associates of your ancestor appear in records with the possible match? | <br>5. Do the relatives and associates of your ancestor appear in records with the possible match? | ||
<br>Check land records of the possible match person for neighbors and witnesses of deeds to see if their names are the same people you know associated with your ancestor. <br>Check marriage records of the possible match person and his children to see if the bondsmen and witnesses are persons who you know associated with your ancestor. <br>Check church records of the possible match person to see if the names of members in the congregation were also associates of your ancestor. <br>Check other records to see what the possible match person did after this record was made. Migration can be a good clue: | <br>Check land records of the possible match person for neighbors and witnesses of deeds to see if their names are the same people you know associated with your ancestor. <br>Check marriage records of the possible match person and his children to see if the bondsmen and witnesses are persons who you know associated with your ancestor. <br>Check church records of the possible match person to see if the names of members in the congregation were also associates of your ancestor. <br>Check other records to see what the possible match person did after this record was made. Migration can be a good clue: | ||
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- If the possible match person migrated to a new location, does that eliminate him or her because you have a burial record or other proof that your ancestor remained in the old location? - If the possible match person migrated to a new location, could this be your ancestor, and you did not know he or she had moved? <br> | - If the possible match person migrated to a new location, does that eliminate him or her because you have a burial record or other proof that your ancestor remained in the old location? - If the possible match person migrated to a new location, could this be your ancestor, and you did not know he or she had moved? <br> | ||
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The name of a person was commonly spelled differently in different documents. For more information, see Name Variations. | The name of a person was commonly spelled differently in different documents. For more information, see Name Variations. | ||
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Tip 3. If I am still not sure I have found my ancestor, what should I do next? | Tip 3. If I am still not sure I have found my ancestor, what should I do next? | ||