Tracing Immigrants Search Strategies: Difference between revisions

Successful researchers follow a series of steps as they conduct research. This section describes the steps to take to find an immigrant's place of origin.  

= '''Step 4. Find and Search the Records'''  =

You may be able to obtain the records you need from the following:  

*'''''Professional researchers.''''' You can hire a professional researcher to search the records for you. Researchers in the country of origin may keep lists of emigrants compiled from various sources. For information on hiring a researcher, see [[Hiring a Professional Genealogist|Hiring a Professional Genealogist]]. When requesting services from libraries or professional researchers through correspondence, you will have more success if your letter is brief and specific. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope when writing within your own country. When writing to other countries, enclose international reply coupons (available from your post office). You usually need to send a check or money order in advance to pay for photocopy or search services.

Follow these principles as you search the various records for your ancestor:  

*<div>Prove that the person you found is really the immigrant.</div>

Use gazetteers and other reference tools to evaluate the information. Watch for the following problems:  

*'''''Language and terminology.''''' If you do not know the native version of a country name, you may think the country name is a town. For example—

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| '''Native Name'''  

Other foreign terms can be mistaken for place-names. “''Königreich Preußen'',” for example, means the “kingdom of Prussia” and does not refer to a town called Königreich in Prussia. Other foreign terms that may confuse researchers include—  

|-

| '''Native Term'''  

Many town names are spelled differently in the native language:  

|-

| '''Native Spelling'''  

*'''''State, regional, and provincial names.''''' Instead of the town, some sources only name the county, region, or province. Foreign states, counties, provinces, or regions are unfamiliar to many researchers. Some examples include—

|-

| '''Native Term'''  

*'''''Place-name changes.''''' Some places have been known by more than one name. Such changes often occurred when another country took over and translated the name into its language. Gdansk in Poland was known as Danzig under German rule. Some name changes were political. For example, Kitchner, Ontario was Berlin before World War I. Other changes have evolved over time. Shropshire, England is sometimes still called Salop, its old name. Other examples include—

|-

| '''Old Name'''  

|}

Foreign names are often spelled differently from common spellings. There are many reasons for the variations:  

Use comprehensive gazetteers to identify all possible towns that fit a spelling you have found. You should also be familiar with the spelling rules, phonetics, and handwriting of the immigrant's native language. The Family History Library and family history centers have word lists that explain such information for some major languages. You may also want to ask for help from another researcher who knows the culture, language, and history.  

When you find a place that appears to be the immigrant's hometown, search the civil or church records of that place. If you find records there of a person with the immigrant's name, you must verify whether the person is really the immigrant.