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Compiled Sources & Where to Find Them

Revision as of 18:26, 14 December 2011 by Lembley (talk | contribs) (fixing more bullets)


Introduction

Regardless of your experience as a family history researcher in using primary and original records, and no matter how many years of experience in researching family trees, this important checklist of Compiled Sources will help you more comprehensively search for data already constructed on your family lines. Family history seekers are guaranteed a pleasant surprise as they strike ‘gold’ by discovering already completed research on at least one or some in-common ancestral family lineages. This list helps you to more meticulously search in secondary or what genealogists call compiled sources. It’s to help you identify, then search as many of today’s offerings for completed family genealogical (research) work which in today’s world has become a quantumly more complex and unwieldy task than ever, from library and archival catalogs and published inventories of collections, to online databases, family websites and surname-specialty sources!

So, how does one keep current on all the repositories, web sites, and other places holding "compiled (or survey) sources" in order to implement this fundamental step in the research process?

The ‘lists’ of compiled sources in this article are a great start. Collectively, these literally represent family history 'silos' containing billions of ancestral names with some already compiled data about them! The searches in these sources should be performed before you begin actual genealogical researching in original record sources.

The Preliminary Search Standard

Your search in "compiled sources" should include four fundamental steps:

1. Preliminary search in home sources

2. Preliminary search for compiled genealogies, biography, local history

3. Search in compiled indexes sources (and then in the original record) in the host country of settlement

4. Search in compiled indexes sources (and then in the original record) in the country of origin (works as a first-step IF surname is not too common)


Step 1. Home Sources

Thoroughly scour all home sources (including family history papers, copies of records, pictures, old letters (i.e. with an old address), family Bibles, journals/dairies, copies of vital record certificates and church records, memorabilia, interviews with extended family and close relatives’--and ensure the searching their home premises for family records, as well as interviewing old neighbors--all of which may prove very helpful! If we do not seek these and scan all to ascertain important details about our immigrant ancestors, we cannot honestly say that our (preliminary) search is completed.

Step 2. Compiled Genealogies, Biography, Local history

The preliminary search continues by requiring you to initiate the next vital step—the standard procedure—of seeking for and searching compiled sources. Such compiled sources to search for includes published or manuscript sources on families found in libraries and archives; pedigrees, biographies, autobiographies, town and local histories, and online family genealogies. To some, this is the ‘ugly duckling’ aspect of the research process but nevertheless, a vital phase of doing standard (proper) due diligence. Like in the field of science, a post-graduate who seeks an advanced degree, or the research scientist seeking a government-sponsored grant to fund a campaign of forensic or frontier research in a chosen field of study, the proper preliminary search-protocol requires diligent and broad-spectrum searches for, and in, compiled sources to determine what’s already researched and thus far discovered in the chosen area of scientific study. Every researcher—family history 'beginner' or scientist—must do the same, diligently!

In seeking to locate compiled sources on your family lines, it pinpoints on a ‘map’ more precisely where you’ve ‘arrived’, in your research. If you don't learn what’s already “known” or a given, about your family, how will you know where you want to go if you don’t know the current point to where you’ve progressed in your family’s historical research? If your preliminary searches stop with closet, attic, or the basement-shelves searches in family and home sources, then you are in danger of ignoring a whole world of additional compiled sources beckoning you to discover them. Do not restrict nor limit your chances to discover ancestry [as] compiled by competent researchers who have made a galant effort to research ancestral connections and genealogies in a comprehensive and thorough manner! To smugly fold the arms, cock the head back and think, ‘That’s all I need to know; now let’s start researching in original and primary record sources’—is naïve at least and, at worst it short-circuits the comprehensive research process (which includes a thorough investigation into obtaining all available compiled sources)! This heavily ignored ‘Second step’ is still a viable vital step in the research process and is to be a part of every researcher's search strategy. Every researcher should employ the step to seek out and search for outside (home/family) "compiled sources" by the (especially) genuinely competent researcher[s], who've made their "findings" public. Regrettably, it is the most overlooked part of the research process, and is routinely discarded and usually is rarely considered standard procedure. Millions worldwide currently seek their ancestry; most of them have made some progress and are or have shared their findings by making them accessible in some form or manner. Why not expend the effort to seek and obtain these “findings”? Conversely, why would any "researcher" turn the nose up at someone else's documented compilations who clearly have lavished an intense passion, thousands of hours of research work, and if not, sacrificed thousands in monies to appropriately document their genealogy! For those who may argue that the compilations of others aren't worth the time spent to "find" them, due to "mistakes", fuzzy data and/or incorrect conclusions, we should ask: Why would any true genealogist or passionate family history buff discard this standard of seeking and searching in compiled sources outside the home, by narrowly considering that no one else is “qualified” to research? For every thousand family history compilers, there are some very competent researchers and writers among them who have researched and compiled a credible--if not well-polished, or professional-level family history. It is especially for these latter "credible" compilations of competent researchers of which make it especially worthy of our time spent to seek-out, review and assimilate their compiled data.

Every researcher should employ this ‘Second step’ in the research process—and yet it is also the most overlooked part of the research process and not always considered standard procedure.


Find and Search “Compiled Sources”: A List

Here’s a great place to start for a "list" of resources of where to begin to find online, or published and manuscript (compiled) sources on family surnames and lineages: Online family genealogy sites, pedigrees, family history, etc. sites:

  • World catalog at http://worldcat.org/. In the 'Subject' field enter the surname plus the word “family” e.g., Prescott Family. This searches the catalogs and displays the results from thousands of especially U.S. libraries at once.
  • Periodical Source Index (PERSI) at http://persi.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/do/persi/search/people People Search] allows searches for a family name in over a million article titles in genealogical periodicals. If the Article “Results List” is too long, redo the search but in the Keyword field add the two-letter postal abbreviation for the state where they lived.
  • Google books at http://books.google.com - type in the surname and another key word such as the locality, i.e. town, or county or state/province
  • The Family History Library Catalog at www.familysearch.org. Do a “Surname” search. This searches the world’s largest genealogical library holdings for published works catalogued by surname.
  • Genforum www.genforum.com – has 170 million names; quarter of million a week
  • Ancestry.com – has about the largest database listings of compiled data on families
  • USGenweb.org or Canadagenweb.org or BritishIslesgenweb.org–numerous aids & databases online by state & county
  • Genealogy.com (FamilyFinder) - has enormous databases (300m entries) for families
  • MyTrees at www.Kindredkonnections.com - a fabulous site for surnames
  • www.MyHeritage.com – has over 353 million names worldwide
  • www.GenesReunited.com the largest UK site with over 650 million UK names; perhaps the most effective, powerful web site whose offerings allow researchers to find distant cousins working on in-common ancestry
  • www.lostcousins.com - a wonderful site that provides access to hundreds of millions of UK-based and other ancestral names throughout many parts of the world
  • www.Onegreatfamily.com - has over 130 million names worldwide
  • Family History Library “Favorites” links may be viewed at www.fhlfavorites.info – see “England”; and pay particular attention to “General”; “Book search” or “England”; “General” ;”Genealogy”
  • Guild of One Name Studies or www.one-name.org. – with nearly 8,000 UK surnames registered
  • Google on 1) family “surname”, 2) “family history” or “genealogy” and 3) “town” or “city” name
  • Ancestor Hunt at www.ancestorhunt.com has numerous databases and links to databases for those seeking compiled data on families; a great website
  • Roots UK at www.rootsuk.org has census and family links
  • World Vital Records at www.worldvitalrecords.com with over a billion record entries
  • Ancestral Findings at www.ancestralfindings.com has several offerings worth searching
  • Fold3 (formerly Footnote.com) works with US government agencies and provides hundreds of millions entries with data on families
  • Rootsweb.com at www.rootsweb.com is a well known site providing a search of nearly 300 million names with already completed data Repositories and libraries Search those libraries and prepositories holding the largest collections of compiled sources with online catalogs. Many of them especially hold published or manuscript family histories, genealogies, biographies and other compiled family and local histories (and many of which may have one and often more—internal alpha-arranged listing or index or related database[s]). If an publication is found, often you can order it through the Inter-Library Loan Service. Here’s a list of actual repositories and libraries possessing the best collections for genealogists--including the above sources as well as town and local histories, biographies, newspaper gleanings, and more:
  • Family History Library (FHL) – collections
  • National Archives of Canada – large collections of original record sources
  • New England Historical & Genealogical Society – magnificent collections
  • Dallas TX Public Library
  • Chicago’s Newberry Library - largest collection of published family histories
  • The National Archives (NARA) U.S. – enormous national records collections
  • The Genealogical Research Library, Toronto, Canada – significant Canadian
  • The National Archives - UK
  • Provincial archives (Canada)
  • A2A (Archives to Arch.) at The National Archives, UK
  • The British Library, London
  • Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
  • County records offices – have numerous family genealogies and pedigrees – Google for their websites and search online catalogs or inventories
  • Local Public Libraries—often have published and/or typescript family histories
  • Aim25 at: www.aim25.ac.uk (100 archives within 25 miles of London)
  • Public Libraries in UK (may hold some local family histories, genealogies, biographies) General List of Repositories, Archives, Libraries and Societies Compiled sources manuscripts or typescripts on family histories, genealogies, biographies, and pedigrees tend to find their way into any country around the world, which have been deposited, generally may be located at:
  • State, provincial archives
  • County or local Archives
  • National Archives, i.e. U.S. National Archives, of Canada and The National Archives, UK
  • Library of Congress; and the UK equivalent--British Library, London
  • Research libraries, i.e. Genealogical Research Library, Toronto, Dallas Public Library or Allen County IN – have important genealogical collections
  • State or county or regional historical societies have libraries or reading rooms, i.e.www.americanancestors.org/ and the D.A.R.–have significant records including, biographies, family Bibles, and much more
  • University and college archives - i.e. University of York; BYU Lee Library-- with extensive and significant collections
  • County or township genealogical societies
  • College of Arms (London), Lord Lyons (King of Arms in Scotland)
  • Large to very small local public libraries often have rich local genealogical holdings


Step 3: Search compiled sources or indexes in the host country of settlement

Key indexes and databases to original record sources to search can be found in the following record sources (clue: first search for "indexes" to each record-type; i.e. just about all 50 states and most Canadian Provinces now have some indexes available online. And nearly all have at least manuscript indexes to most of the following record-types!):

  • vital (esp. death & marriage certificates; sometimes birth; i.e. see wiki.familysearch.org or fhlfavorites.org --see US/Can/ UK , etc.)
  • church (see fhlfavorites, familysearch.org--search IGI and/or its FHLC [online catalog]
  • obituaries (see fhlfavorites under i.e. USA)
  • passenger lists (10% or less give specific birthplace; ancestry.com has largest database of immigrants)
  • census (FindMyPast.com, Ancestry.com)
  • Other "indexed" original records may include:
  • naturalization (FHLC, Naturalization Indexes--USA
  • tombstones
  • local (county & county) histories
  • military
  • deeds

Step 4: Search in indexes (and in the original record) sources in the country of origin

After tracing for and obtaining the specific place of origin, researchers can then access the following indexed sources to England's major genealogical records and with confidence, identify the name[s] of ancestors to find them in these sources:

  • civil Registration
  • city/county directories
  • church records
  • newspapers
  • census
  • wills
  • military
  • church records
  • marriage indexes
  • society: member interests
  • county surname collections
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