One Strategy You and I Overlook

A story to begin-

"I have searched everywhere for this ancestor and can't even get a hint of who he/she is! None of my past strategies have worked; I am starting to think they never existed!"

I feel your pain- I've been through this scenario far more than I'd like to admit but I have hope for you. My strategy for you is to alter the spelling of the last name.

Tips on how to change the spelling to increase the chances of finding them-

• Examine their FamilySearch Profile- their profile on FamilySearch may provide multiple insights.
• Research the history of the name- yes, pull up google and type in the last name your looking for and add "name" or "history of _" to it. Ex: "Parker name"

Changing the spelling of a last name is very helpful for the following reasons- 

• The ancestor could have changed the spelling (who knows why?)
• If they immigrated, the immigration officer may have spelled it differently accidentally. 

                           

A Last Resort

• Ancestry.com has nothing.
• FamilySearch has nothing.
• The people at the Family History Library have no idea. 
• Using Google is overwhelming

Do you give up looking for this ancestor?

No sir! If you find yourself stuck in the details, it's time to back up and look at the big picture. Some questions to ask-

• What was happening politically in this country?
• Birth and Death- are both events in the same country? If not, why?
• Do they show up in documentation in other members of the family?

Hopefully this will help challenge and change your thinking.

Example- 

• Your ancestor was born in Ireland and dies in U.S.
• You believe they must've immigrated around 1850 because, they don't show up in other documentation of their family who died in Ireland.
• Looking at the big picture- In 1850 Ireland was in the potato famine, on of the largest in history.
• You might ask- What was the "last straw" to make them leave? 

Never Forget Anything Again

• Under the Memories Tab on FamilySearch click Photos
• Shows every picture you've ever uploaded.
• Click the green plus sign to upload more photos 
• Once you've uploaded photos you can "tag" your ancestors in the photo and it will be linked to their profile

• Photos bring your ancestors "to life" and makes family history research a lot more enjoyable when you can put a face to a name. 
• Now is a good time to start work on your own history- your FamilySearch profile is completely private. Upload pictures, stories, documents, anything you want! No one will see your profile until you die. Ask yourself, "What do I want my family to know about me when i am gone?"

"I Read About it in the Newspaper Today."

Historically, newspapers included more than they do now. If someone had a party, you could expect an article about it in the paper- who hosted, the purpose of the party, who attended, what people wore.

Some newspapers were similar to a gossip column- who got a new job, who got married, who had a baby... you get the idea.

Helpful websites to get you started-

• ancestry.com
• utahdigitalnewspapers.org
• ProQuest Obituary Database (accessible through a Family History Library)
• 19th Century British Paper Archives (accessible through a Family History Library)

Feel free to comment on any of my posts- if you have questions, if I wasn't clear on something, if you're struggling with research, or if you had success on a certain strategy. 

It's What Brings Us Together

Marriage Records!

These can be a gold mine of information including- the name of the spouse, parents of the bride, and parents of the groom.

Websites that may be useful for U.S. marriages -

• abish.byui.edu/specialcollections
• utahdigitalnewspapers.org
• Older newspaper articles often give detailed information about the wedding (i.e. what the bride wore, who attended) 

If you have the time to go to a Family History Library/Center you can get access to more newspaper archives. 

Descendancy Research Will Never Be The Same

• Go to www.puzilla.org
• Sign in using FamilySearch login
• Shows up to 12 generations ancestors
• Red Circle = Female
• Blue Square = Male

• Hover over an ancestor - a box should appear with their information
• Click on the symbol to keep the box - click descendents
• It may take a few minutes to load, seeing the descendants all at once shows you were you need to focus your research.
• Sliders on the left side will help sort through the descendants. 

One Record Will Help You Find...

When searching for an ancestor not already on your family tree, start with the most recent event and
work backwards-

1. Death
2. Marriage
3. Birth

When finding a birth record, it will be easier to look for a Christening record first. It sounds odd I know; nevertheless, the christening record will often include a birth date on it. Churches have a more standardized process of recording new borns so it will be easier to find. 

In addition to christening records, you may want to look for midwife journals and family bibles- these may be online, a relative may have it, or it may be at a Family History Library.