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== What Do I Do Next? == | == What Do I Do Next? == | ||
=== I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now? === | === I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now? === | ||
*Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference. See below for assistance in citing this collection. Save or print a copy of the image if possible | *Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference. See below for assistance in citing this collection. Save or print a copy of the image if possible | ||
*Identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives mentioned in the record. While family members often appear in probate records, these records may omit the names of deceased family members or those who have previously received an inheritance. Also remember that the spouse mentioned in a will may not be the parent of the children mentioned, or relationships noted in the will may not have the same meaning as they do today | *Identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives mentioned in the record. While family members often appear in probate records, these records may omit the names of deceased family members or those who have previously received an inheritance. Also remember that the spouse mentioned in a will may not be the parent of the children mentioned, or relationships noted in the will may not have the same meaning as they do today | ||
*Use the residence to search for other records in that location | *Use the residence to search for other records in that location | ||
*Use the death date and estimated age to approximate a birth date | *Use the death date and estimated age to approximate a birth date | ||
=== I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now? === | === I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now? === | ||
*When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which individual is correct. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of family members, to determine which candidate is the correct person. If listed, a personal title may be a clue to property ownership or occupation, either of which might be noted in other records | *When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which individual is correct. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of family members, to determine which candidate is the correct person. If listed, a personal title may be a clue to property ownership or occupation, either of which might be noted in other records | ||
*Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name, especially in church records. See [[Abbreviations Found in Genealogy Records]] for examples of common abbreviations. Note that some women reverted to their maiden name when their husband died, and therefore could have probate records under their maiden name | *Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name, especially in church records. See [[Abbreviations Found in Genealogy Records]] for examples of common abbreviations. Note that some women reverted to their maiden name when their husband died, and therefore could have probate records under their maiden name | ||
*Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches. | *Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches. | ||
*Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the online description, if possible | *Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the online description, if possible | ||
== Known Issues with This Collection == | == Known Issues with This Collection == |
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