Maine Research Tips and Strategies

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Maine

Research Tips and Strategies

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page The Maine Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Maine. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

Maine Research Strategies

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Maine

Finding Maine Birth, Marriage or Death Records

• Finding Maine Births, Marriages, and Deaths using Guided Research

Finding Maine Records

• Maine Record Finder

Maine Statewide Databases

• Maine Online Genealogy Records

Maine Research Process

• Step-by-Step Maine Research, 1880-Present
• Step-by-Step Maine Research, 1850-1910
• Maine Descendancy Research
• How to Find Birth Records
• How to Find Marriage Records
• How to Find Death Records

Maine Research Tips

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Maine:

Birth and Death information:

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• Statewide registration: The state began registering births and deaths in 1892, with full compliance by 1928.
• Town Records: Town records included information about birth, marriage, and death before state registration in 1892. Town records can start as early as the 1650s or when the town was established.
• Access to records: See Maine Vital Records for more information about birth, marriages, and deaths in Maine.

Substitute Records:

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• Secondary source: Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth, marriage, and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but they were not recorded at the time of the event and they are not an official record of the event.
• Accuracy: Because the information about an event in substitute records was not the official recording of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records) inaccuracy may occur. Use other substitute records to help varify information.
• List of substitute records: See Maine Substitute Records for more information.

Finding Parents:

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• Death records: Early death records may contain parents of the deceased. However, state recorded deaths starting in 1892 required birth and parent information. Information was not always provided and the accuracy of the information was limited by the grieving relatives' memory.
• Obituaries: Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members. See Maine Newspapers and Maine Obituaries for more information.
• Church records: Knowing the denomination of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See Maine Church Records for more information.

Census Records:

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• Check all census years: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See Maine Census Records for more information.
• Clues to other records: There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
• Finding families: Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed in the census. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.

Further Maine Research

• Maine Family History Library Research Outline
• MEGenWeb - Maine GenWeb Project
• Cyndi's List - Maine genealogy websites
• Maine Genealogy Trails - collection of transcribed data for the state of Maine
• Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness - State of Maine Records Guide