Solving Tough Research Problems—Overcoming Brick Walls: Difference between revisions

25. '''''Research neighbors and relatives.''''' People move in groups. The neighbor often came from the same place as your ancestor. Plat your ancestor's land and run the deeds of each neighbor. Find out who the witnesses on documents are.<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Rural Strategies: Correlation of Land  Other Records" (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology  Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 16 June 2005).</ref> [[Research a Family in Community Context|Study a family in community context]]. Study people in the area with the same surname and with different surnames in the same house. Identify census neighbors at least 12 before/after. Near a county/state line, study families over the line. Comb the area for same first names, origins, or jobs.<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Censuses: Analysis, Interpretation  Correlation” (lecture presented in Course 4 Advanced Method-ology  Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 13 June 2005).</ref>