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Step-by-Step Alabama Research, 1880-Present



Step-by-Step Alabama
Research 1880--to the present

Table of Contents

1. Contact living relatives.
2. Online census records.
3. Births, marriages, and deaths online.
4. Obituary, cemetery and Social Security records online.
5. Military records online.
6. Church records.
7. Wills and probate.
8. Immigration records.
9. Printed local histories or biographies.
10. Historical or genealogical societies.
11. FamilySearch tools.
12. County records.


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Some online records have restrictions, due to contractual agreements, allowing them to be used only at FamilySearch Centers or FamilySearch Affiliate Library. This pop-up warning has links to lists of addresses of the many affiliate libraries that are available throughout the world.

Subscription websites such as Ancestry.com, FindMyPast, and MyHeritage and many others offer complimentary service at these affiliate libraries and at most local libraries.

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Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.

Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What information can relatives help with??

In order to extend research on ancestors, look for names, dates, and places. Any information about when and where a relative lived is a clue to a new record search. Be sure to ask questions that lead to that information, including about their occupations, military service, or associations with others, such as fraternal organizations. See also:

What documents can relatives help with?

  • Announcements of births, weddings,
    and anniversaries
  • Baby and wedding books
  • Certificates
  • Deeds, and property records
  • Family Bibles
  • Family reunion notices and records
  • Fraternal or society records
  • Insurance policies
  • Journals and diaries
  • Letters and cards
  • Licenses (business, marriage,
    fishing, driving)
  • Naturalization documents
  • Newspaper clippings and obituaries
  • Medical records
  • Military service and pension documents
  • Occupational awards
  • Passports
  • Personal histories and biographies
  • Photograph albums
  • Printed Notices and Announcements
  • Programs (graduation, award ceremonies, funerals)
  • School records
  • Scrapbooks
  • Wills and trusts


Step 2. Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.

  • A census is a count and description of the population for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day.
  • For each person living in a household (depending on the year), their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military can be listed.
  • Searching for a family in census records every ten years can identify all the children in a family.
  • Searching in earlier census records to find someone as a child can identify parents.

Using clues to lead to census record searches.

Imagine that this obituary for a great-grandfather in old papers that family members had. It gives some important clues for where and when to search in census records.
Mayor Trainham was born June 4, 1938, in Selma, Alabama.
His parents were Kenneth Earl Trainham, Sr., and Bessie Avis Cardwell.

  • 'The first step would be to look for a married couple, Kenneth and Bessie Trainham, in the 1940 census of Alabama, probably in Selma, with son, Kenneth, about two years old.
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Here is the 1940 census for the family living in Dallas County, Alabama.

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Looking for the next generation.

In 1940, Kenneth Trainham, Sr., was 24 years old, born in Alabama.

  • The next step would be to look for him as a 14-year-old in 1930, listed in his parents' home, and then again as a 4-year-old in 1920.





In 1930, there is a Kenneth Trainham in the home of Lucien L. Trainham and his wife, Sallie (a nickname for Sarah) living in Dallas County, Alabama. Ala census 2.png

Going back another 10 years to 1920, the family of L.L. Trainham and Sallie. Ala census 3.png |- |

In 1910. L.L. Trainham is listed as Lucien L., and the family is living in Texas.

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In 1900, Lucien Trainham has a wife named Fannie, possibly a first wife, with Sallie being his second wife. It appears that Garland is the son of Fannie, not Sallie. We find a birth date of Sep 1874 for Lucien, so we should be able to find him in the 1880 census listed in his father's home.

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Another generation back.

In the 1880 census, we find Lucien Trainham as a six-year-old boy, the son of John W. and and Agnes Trainham.

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Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.

Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for ancestors and their children.

States, counties, or even towns in some states recorded births, marriages, and deaths. In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations. A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.

Using census clues to lead to a birth certificate.

In addition to basic birth date and place, a birth certificate can give age, birthplace, occupation, etc. about the parents.

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Using the census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.

Finding marriage records can:

  • establish the full identity of the wife, with her maiden name and possible birth details.
  • find the names of the parents of the bride and groom.


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Using the census clues to lead to a death certificate.

Moving forward in time, older generations stop showing up in the census. That is a clue that they probably died in the last 10 years. The death certificate is important because of all the possible secondary data beyond just the date and place of death:

  • birth date and place of the deceased
  • maiden name of the wife
  • names of the deceased's parents
  • birth places of the deceased's parents.



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Tip Tip1.jpg Some of the examples shown above are index entries. That means for each of them an actual, original, full certificate exists. It is highly advisable to order the original certificate. It will contain many details not given in the index. In some cases, the image of the original is found online. Instructions are given below on obtaining the original certificate in other cases.

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Gather as many birth, marriage, and death records as possible.

How to Find the Records

There are basically three ways to find these indexes or full original certificates:

Online databases, usually indexes, with some images

  • This chart gives links to some Alabama online databases for these records:

Also, see How to Find Alabama Birth Records.

Also, see How to Find Alabama Marriage Records.

Also, see How to Find Alabama Death Records.

Records at the County Courthouse.

These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: Alabama Counties.

Order Certificates from Alabama Vital Records Department.

Almost always the full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Alabama, see How to Find Alabama Birth Records, How to Find Alabama Marriage Records, and How to Find Alabama Death Records.

Step 4: Try to find additional details about ancestors in obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records online.

There are additional record collections available, based upon a person's death: obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records. These are a great source for more details about a person. Here are some examples; notice the level of details.

Example of an obituary. Alabama obit.png

Examples of FindAGrave records. Ala FAG 4.png
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Example of a Social Security Record.

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Obituaries

Cemeteries

U.S. Social Security Death Index and Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

  • The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
  • The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
  • You can search these records online at
  • If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.

For more information, see Alabama Obituaries and Alabama Cemeteries.

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and II draft cards.

There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information.

Example of a World War I draft card.


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Example of a World War II draft card.
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Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.



For more information and additional collections, see Alabama Military Records.

Step 6: Look for church records online.

Church records function as vital records.

  • An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
  • Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
  • Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.

Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.

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Search for church records that can provide additional birth, marriage, and death information.


Anglican/Episcopal Collections

Lutheran

Methodist Collections

Presbyterian


For help with church records kept in Alabama, see Alabama Church Records.
To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

Step 7: Search for online wills and probate packets.

  • County probate records include probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
  • In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
  • Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.
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Search these indexes and images for probate records.


Probate Information in County Wiki Articles

Each Alabama county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: Alabama Counties

For more information, see Alabama Probate Records and United States Probate Records.

Step 8: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.

The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.


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Look for immigrant ancestors in shipping lists and citizenship sources.

Alabama Immigration Records

Cultural Groups

Passport Records Online

Alabama Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

For more information, see Alabama Emigration and Immigration and Alabama Naturalization and Citizenship.

Step 9: Search for printed local histories or biography collections online.

Local Histories

  • Published histories of towns, counties, and states sometimes contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
  • Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories: Alabama; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"


FamilySearch Collected Local Histories

  • Go to the FamilySearch Catalog.
  • In the "Place" field, type the name of your county and click "Search".
  • A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, or History - Indexes.

Biography Collections

These collections of biographies can be searched online. Most have a table of contents and an index. Or use the "Find" function on a computer.

For more information, see Alabama Biography.

Step 10: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.

  • Historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
  • Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
  • Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the area.
  • Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.
  • Find the society on the internet, and they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, one of their members can be hired to search the collection for you.

This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings. Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society.

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Step 11: Use other FamilySearch tools.

Historical Images

Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.


Alabama Online Genealogy Records

Search any other online records listed in Alabama Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Alabama Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.


Step 12: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Alabama.

This article focused more on Alabama state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in Alabama. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.

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