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Tracing English Immigrants From Abroad: Difference between revisions
Tracing English Immigrants From Abroad (view source)
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Here’s a quick-list of home record sources:: | Here’s a quick-list of home record sources:: | ||
* Personal diaries and journals | *Personal diaries and journals | ||
* Old letters: old addresses may provide an all-important locality | *Old letters: old addresses may provide an all-important locality | ||
* Handwritten family histories, biographies, autobiographies in private | *Handwritten family histories, biographies, autobiographies in private possession within the family or sometimes found in library/archives | ||
* Funeral home records: may give excellent information | *Funeral home records: may give excellent information | ||
* Family Bibles: sometimes give specific localities of vital events | *Family Bibles: sometimes give specific localities of vital events | ||
* Obituaries: often contain locality-specific residence or place of birth | *Obituaries: often contain locality-specific residence or place of birth | ||
* Certificate copies of vital records of marriage, death & births: often give parents names and specific place of residence and/or of birth and more | *Certificate copies of vital records of marriage, death & births: often give parents names and specific place of residence and/or of birth and more | ||
* Military papers, i.e. discharge, pension, enlistment, court martial, or awards of merit, valor: usually provide a place of birth and sometimes parents names | *Military papers, i.e. discharge, pension, enlistment, court martial, or awards of merit, valor: usually provide a place of birth and sometimes parents names | ||
* Baptismal records, membership records, letters of recommendations | *Baptismal records, membership records, letters of recommendations | ||
* Naturalization papers: from three to as many as five different papers; one or more may indicate specific locale within an England city | *Naturalization papers: from three to as many as five different papers; one or more may indicate specific locale within an England city | ||
* Trace as many living descendants as you can in telephone directories (particularly ones with uncommon surnames); also in the U.S. try www.zabasearch.com; then— | *Trace as many living descendants as you can in telephone directories (particularly ones with uncommon surnames); also in the U.S. try www.zabasearch.com; then— | ||
* Interview or correspond with—the more elderly members of extended family members and distant relatives which can prove very effective in obtaining clarifying information on specific locales for in-common ancestry and for obtaining assistance in collaborative research efforts | *Interview or correspond with—the more elderly members of extended family members and distant relatives which can prove very effective in obtaining clarifying information on specific locales for in-common ancestry and for obtaining assistance in collaborative research efforts | ||
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. | 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. | ||
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Compiled family history sources include published or manuscript family histories, family pedigrees, local and community histories (especially in U.S.), and donated family research files, biographies and autobiographies. Online archival and (research) library catalogs and inventories grant researchers convenience in determining availability of these local history sources in their collections. Some of these institutions also have additional databases available online for free searches. These institutions and societies may include: | Compiled family history sources include published or manuscript family histories, family pedigrees, local and community histories (especially in U.S.), and donated family research files, biographies and autobiographies. Online archival and (research) library catalogs and inventories grant researchers convenience in determining availability of these local history sources in their collections. Some of these institutions also have additional databases available online for free searches. These institutions and societies may include: | ||
* Local - city/township/county archives | *Local - city/township/county archives | ||
* State archives | *State archives | ||
* National archives | *National archives | ||
* State historical societies | *State historical societies | ||
* County historical societies | *County historical societies | ||
* Research libraries, i.e. Newberry Library (Chicago, IL), Allen Co. IN Public Library, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Society of Genealogists, London, Genealogical Research Library, Bampton, Ontario, Society Genealogists in both Australia & New Zealand | *Research libraries, i.e. Newberry Library (Chicago, IL), Allen Co. IN Public Library, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Society of Genealogists, London, Genealogical Research Library, Bampton, Ontario, Society Genealogists in both Australia & New Zealand | ||
* Library of Congress, Washington DC, | *Library of Congress, Washington DC, | ||
* National Libraries, i.e. New Zealand, Australia & Canada | *National Libraries, i.e. New Zealand, Australia & Canada | ||
* British Library, London | *British Library, London | ||
* City [public] libraries with genealogical sections: ie. Houston, or Dallas TX public libraries, Birmingham, Manchester Central Libraries | *City [public] libraries with genealogical sections: ie. Houston, or Dallas TX public libraries, Birmingham, Manchester Central Libraries | ||
* Academic libraries: major university & college libraries have archival sections | *Academic libraries: major university & college libraries have archival sections | ||
* Societies: Archaeological, local history societies or local studies reading rooms | *Societies: Archaeological, local history societies or local studies reading rooms | ||
* Googling the Internet for websites: by 1) family surname, 2) place-name—both city and/or county names and 3) “genealogy” (or “family history” in quotation marks)<br> | *Googling the Internet for websites: by 1) family surname, 2) place-name—both city and/or county names and 3) “genealogy” (or “family history” in quotation marks)<br> | ||
<br>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: | |||
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: | |||
===== North America ===== | ===== North America ===== | ||
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• The Genealogical Research Directory, published annually by Keith Johnson 929.1025 G286grd, vols. 1983-2006. | • The Genealogical Research Directory, published annually by Keith Johnson 929.1025 G286grd, vols. 1983-2006. | ||
• County family history societies publish annual “Member Interests” lists in their respective genealogical or family history journal publications.<br> | • County family history societies publish annual “Member Interests” lists in their respective genealogical or family history journal publications.<br> | ||
Before proceeding to Step 3, here is a consideration: When you are researching an uncommon surname (as the above case), or someone with a very unusual first given name, such as Sebastian, or Provis, or Pleasance, etc., it’s quite possible to skip steps 1 to 3 outlined in this study and proceed directly to Step 4 and obtain a copy of an actual baptismal record or birth certificate, etc., in the original records of England. | Before proceeding to Step 3, here is a consideration: When you are researching an uncommon surname (as the above case), or someone with a very unusual first given name, such as Sebastian, or Provis, or Pleasance, etc., it’s quite possible to skip steps 1 to 3 outlined in this study and proceed directly to Step 4 and obtain a copy of an actual baptismal record or birth certificate, etc., in the original records of England. | ||
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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. | 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. | ||
This is very possible to do when you have the benefit of researching an ancestor with an unusual or uncommon surname; it can save you the time necessary to search in any or all sources in any country-- indexed records or not! | This is very possible to do when you have the benefit of researching an ancestor with an unusual or uncommon surname; it can save you the time necessary to search in any or all sources in any country-- indexed records or not! | ||
==== Step 3: Search Indexes: Key to Finding Immigrants' Specific Place of Birth ==== | ==== Step 3: Search Indexes: Key to Finding Immigrants' Specific Place of Birth ==== | ||
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*Naturalization | *Naturalization | ||
* Merchant marine | *Merchant marine | ||
* Assisted/unassisted ship passenger lists | *Assisted/unassisted ship passenger lists | ||
* Social Security Death Index – Form SS-5—“Social Security Number Record Third Party Request for Photocopy” | *Social Security Death Index – Form SS-5—“Social Security Number Record Third Party Request for Photocopy” | ||
* Military U.S. and Canadian (“C” series) records may give birthplace/parentage | *Military U.S. and Canadian (“C” series) records may give birthplace/parentage | ||
* Consulate records of births, baptisms, marriages &amp; deaths in countries | *Consulate records of births, baptisms, marriages &amp; deaths in countries | ||
It should be emphasized that death and marriage (and even birth certificates of the children of immigrants) in Australia, New Zealand, United States, and to some extent, Canada, provide (potentially) some of the most crucial birth information to be found anywhere! | It should be emphasized that death and marriage (and even birth certificates of the children of immigrants) in Australia, New Zealand, United States, and to some extent, Canada, provide (potentially) some of the most crucial birth information to be found anywhere! | ||
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Nationally throughout Australia, in New Zealand, South Africa, most provinces in Canada and now, in a majority of U.S. states, the availability of online indexes makes searching much easier, more convenient and quick. Thus via the state of Utah’s online deaths index, Florence’s death entry is found and her certificate of death obtained for the year 1950 (see below). Her certificate indicates her birth in “Hampstead, London, England” in the year 1884, with the added bonus that it includes the names of both her parents—“Thomas Bradsell” and Catherine Harriet—including her mother’s maiden surname of “Brock”! You’re now ready to search other important records in England in order to confirm this data and for discovering the next generation back. The birth data on death certificates must always be considered secondary source information only and thus used with considerable caution. | Nationally throughout Australia, in New Zealand, South Africa, most provinces in Canada and now, in a majority of U.S. states, the availability of online indexes makes searching much easier, more convenient and quick. Thus via the state of Utah’s online deaths index, Florence’s death entry is found and her certificate of death obtained for the year 1950 (see below). Her certificate indicates her birth in “Hampstead, London, England” in the year 1884, with the added bonus that it includes the names of both her parents—“Thomas Bradsell” and Catherine Harriet—including her mother’s maiden surname of “Brock”! You’re now ready to search other important records in England in order to confirm this data and for discovering the next generation back. The birth data on death certificates must always be considered secondary source information only and thus used with considerable caution. | ||
The next step of the task is to obtain a copy of Florence’s birth certificate for the year 1884. Her certificate of birth will provide and confirm her birth date, birthplace, and parents’ names. | The next step of the task is to obtain a copy of Florence’s birth certificate for the year 1884. Her certificate of birth will provide and confirm her birth date, birthplace, and parents’ names. | ||
==== Step 4: Researching in England’s Records to Determine and Prove Place of Birth ==== | ==== Step 4: Researching in England’s Records to Determine and Prove Place of Birth ==== | ||
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Before presenting a list of indexes for large city researchers, first, let’s identify the most prime and reliable genealogical records—original records held and preserved in archives and record repositories which should be used to prove ancestry in England’s big cities from the present, back to early times. Here’s a list of the more used genealogical record sources of England used to compile family genealogies: | Before presenting a list of indexes for large city researchers, first, let’s identify the most prime and reliable genealogical records—original records held and preserved in archives and record repositories which should be used to prove ancestry in England’s big cities from the present, back to early times. Here’s a list of the more used genealogical record sources of England used to compile family genealogies: | ||
* Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began July, 1837-present; at General Register Office, London (the national level) | *Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began July, 1837-present; at General Register Office, London (the national level) | ||
*Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began July 1837 to present; at the local or registration district level throughout the country | |||
* | *Census records 1841-1911: all at the National Archives, Kew, Surrey England; many also are available at county record offices | ||
* | *Church registers 1538-present: registers of the Church of England and nonconformist church registers provide vital information and must be used to compile family pedigrees during this period; are at county record offices, sometimes at the local parish church, or many online indexes and transcribed records are available for roughly 60% of the ancient parishes of England. You can (and should) also Google the following three (or more) terms in order to find names of ancestors in church registers: | ||
*Google: city or borough or regional place-names, or name of record type, i.e. for baptisms or marriages or burials, census, military, and other records; also can add such terms as “index” or, in quotation marks, “surname index“ | |||
* Google: city or borough or regional place-names, or name of record type, i.e. for baptisms or marriages or burials, census, military, and other records; also can add such terms as “index” or, in quotation marks, “surname index“ | |||
* City Directories – identify occupations, addresses, tenure of residence | *City Directories – identify occupations, addresses, tenure of residence | ||
* Occupation, guild, trade or professional records – often give lineage-linked data | *Occupation, guild, trade or professional records – often give lineage-linked data | ||
* Tax assessment – land tenure and value, address; may suggest ancestral links | *Tax assessment – land tenure and value, address; may suggest ancestral links | ||
* Probate records from 1304 to 1858 – including wills, administrations (admons), calendars, inventories, etc. | *Probate records from 1304 to 1858 – including wills, administrations (admons), calendars, inventories, etc. | ||
* Manorial records – comprise mostly court rolls including court leet, court baron, court customary—all of which dealt with such issues as behavioral, tenancy, land conveyance and management, breaches of custom, crime, trade offenses, and nuisances, etc. [Note: Few of these records have been indexed] | *Manorial records – comprise mostly court rolls including court leet, court baron, court customary—all of which dealt with such issues as behavioral, tenancy, land conveyance and management, breaches of custom, crime, trade offenses, and nuisances, etc. [Note: Few of these records have been indexed] | ||
* Land Registry of Deeds – Middlesex from 1708 to 1988 | *Land Registry of Deeds – Middlesex from 1708 to 1988 | ||
===== Indexes to England's Key Genealogical Record Sources ===== | ===== Indexes to England's Key Genealogical Record Sources ===== | ||
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===== 1. Census records ===== | ===== 1. Census records ===== | ||
* www.findmypast.com (1841-1901; also links to the 1911 census) | *www.findmypast.com (1841-1901; also links to the 1911 census) | ||
* www.rootsUK.com - 1841 | *www.rootsUK.com - 1841 | ||
* www.ancestry.co.uk – 1841-1901 online | *www.ancestry.co.uk – 1841-1901 online | ||
* http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/ www.thegenealogist.co.uk] – extensive census 1841-1901; probate &amp; church registers indexes or transcriptions | *http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/ www.thegenealogist.co.uk] – extensive census 1841-1901; probate &amp; church registers indexes or transcriptions | ||
* www.nationalarchives.gov.uk – census indexes 1901-1911 | *www.nationalarchives.gov.uk – census indexes 1901-1911 | ||
* www.genesreunited.org.uk – compilation of tens of millions of entries including living relatives | *www.genesreunited.org.uk – compilation of tens of millions of entries including living relatives | ||
* Google on the words--“place-name” and “census”, or census “year” and the word “index” | *Google on the words--“place-name” and “census”, or census “year” and the word “index” | ||
* The Family History Library’s Patron Desktop “Favorites” links (see under the county name; then listed under the Census” subject heading; access online at http://fhlfavorites.com/) | *The Family History Library’s Patron Desktop “Favorites” links (see under the county name; then listed under the Census” subject heading; access online at http://fhlfavorites.com/) | ||
* Familysearch.org – numerous indexes/databases www.familysearch.org for mostly 1881, 1851; some 1841, 1861 and 1891 | *Familysearch.org – numerous indexes/databases www.familysearch.org for mostly 1881, 1851; some 1841, 1861 and 1891 | ||
* Federation Family History Societies – great resources offered by county societies; most produce long and significant lists of transcribed census records ($) www.ffhs.org.uk | *Federation Family History Societies – great resources offered by county societies; most produce long and significant lists of transcribed census records ($) www.ffhs.org.uk | ||
* FindMyPast.com – nearly 70 million online parish and church register database ($) | *FindMyPast.com – nearly 70 million online parish and church register database ($) | ||
* Society of Genealogists, London – www.sog.org ($) – holds a significant collection of published/transcribed census records and indexes o Freecensus.org.uk | *Society of Genealogists, London – www.sog.org ($) – holds a significant collection of published/transcribed census records and indexes o Freecensus.org.uk | ||
===== 2. Civil registration indexes ===== | ===== 2. Civil registration indexes ===== | ||
* www.freeBMD.rootsweb.com – over 160 million birth, marriage and deaths | *www.freeBMD.rootsweb.com – over 160 million birth, marriage and deaths | ||
* www.ukbmd.org.uk – various county births, marriages and death indexes to many registration districts o thbmd.co.uk/search.php - Tower Hamlets civil registration index online | *www.ukbmd.org.uk – various county births, marriages and death indexes to many registration districts o thbmd.co.uk/search.php - Tower Hamlets civil registration index online | ||
===== 3. Parish church registers ===== | ===== 3. Parish church registers ===== | ||
* County Record offices – i.e. London Metropolitan Archives and Library. Some big city County Record Offices have transcriptions and indexes to many parish registers and other records, as well as the original records in their collections | |||
* City Archives – i.e. Birmingham City Archives | |||
* Private collections of transcriptions and indexes – i.e. Marriage Indexes: Nimrod Index (Wiltshire), Baxter Index ( Essex) | |||
* The Family History Library (see the FHL Catalog online [https://familysearch.org/#form=catalog at Family History Library Catalog ] o ’Look up’ exchanges – volunteers respond to your emailed request to search i.e. parish register, transcriptions or indexes to same (see [http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/index.html http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/index.html] (type “subscribe” in the subject box) or [http://www.parishregisteruklook-upexchange.co.uk/ http://www.parishregisteruklook-upexchange.co.uk/]) or http://aztecrose.tripod.com/LookupExchange.htm | |||
* Federation Family History Societies – great resources offered by county societies; most produce long and significant lists of transcribed parish registers ($) | |||
* FindmMyPast.com ($) – nearly 70 million online parish and church register database ($) | |||
* Society of Genealogists, London – www.sog.org ($) – the most vast collection of transcribed parish registers to be found anywhere; and much more | |||
* Online Parish Clerk Project (OPC) currently online; an absolutely project currently under way for the following counties with large cities: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Essex, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincoln, Somerset, Sussex, Warwickshire, and Wiltshire. Similar projects available for Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Durham. "Google" to find these. | |||
* “Google” name of county and the word “index” and by name of record type, i,e, “marriages”; [Note: there are numerous free online county-wide and/or parish indexes depending on the county; search parish by parish and county by county] | |||
* Origins.net ($) – numerous indexes/databases | |||
* Atlas & Index of Parish Registers by Phillimore; Co. publishers ($) – see county section in back for church and census indexes and addresses | |||
* Thegenealogist.co.uk ($) – numerous indexes/databases | |||
* The Family History Library’s Patron Desktop collection of approximately 7,000 data-rich England Internet links; visit [http://www.fhlfavorites.info www.fhlfavorites.info] and search under county name; then i.e. “Church records” links to numerous free, countrywide, county-wide and parish by parish database transcriptions online | |||
* parish register transcriptions online; Genuki.org.uk | |||
* Ancestry.co.uk ($) – numerous national databases for numerous records | |||
* Freereg.org.uk – nearly 7 million baptismal, marriage, and burials entries | |||
* Worldvitalrecords.com – numerous indexes/databases | |||
* Familysearch.org – numerous indexes/databases | |||
* Family History Library – has thousands of in-house indexes/databases | |||
* See or purchase booklet: Marriage and census indexes for family historians by Hampson; Gibson | |||
* Bmdregisters.co.uk – free index to non-parochial registers transcriptions with a free index, pay-per-view for each transcribed entry – about 8 million online | |||
===== 4. Probate records: ===== | ===== 4. Probate records: ===== | ||
* www.fhlfavorites.com under “England”, then [Name of] “county”, then “Probate”; most England counties now have extensive online indexes! | |||
* Google the following words: 1) [name of] “county”/big city; 2) “probate”; 3) “index” | |||
===== 5. Occupational records: ===== | ===== 5. Occupational records: ===== | ||
* www.nationalarchives.gov.uk o Guildhall Library: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk - extensive holdings for UK | |||
* Family History Library thousands of microfilm holdings for “occupations” | |||
*FHL - [Name of] “County” or [Name of] “City - Occupations” - order; search films at FHCs worldwide | |||
* www.britishorigins.com $ - apprentices of Great Britain online (1710-1774) | |||
* Society of Genealogists (www.sog.org) $ – have some; have a “lookup” service o www.FindMyPast.com $ – Civil service index online | |||
* Family History Library “Favorites” – see online at www.fhlfavorites.info under the county names’ “General” folder, under “Occupations”. Many sites! | |||
===== 6. Newspapers, etc.: ===== | ===== 6. Newspapers, etc.: ===== | ||
* Gentleman’s Magazine – hundreds of thousands of indexed entries – at http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/ilej/journals/srchgm.htm | |||
* London Times from 1790 with index at www.godfrey.org/ | |||
* London Gazette from 1665 at www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ <span id="fck_dom_range_temp_1247680984646_524" /> | |||
* Newspapers in the UK: http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs/ | |||
'''7. Land Registry of Deeds '''– Middlesex from 1708 to 1988: at the London Metropolitan Archives and Library; visit: www.cityofLondon.gov.uk; email: ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk; or call (tel): 020 7332 3820 | '''7. Land Registry of Deeds '''– Middlesex from 1708 to 1988: at the London Metropolitan Archives and Library; visit: www.cityofLondon.gov.uk; email: ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk; or call (tel): 020 7332 3820 | ||