Genealogical Resources Online  

                                          

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 Genealogical Lingo

Before you start your journey to find those ancestors you need to understand the genealogy lingo which can be found at the following sites. 

 

Genealogy Dictionary - Search for a Glossary or Subject Dictionary for genealogy

Genealogy Terms - Sam Behling page of Genealogy Terms       

Glossary of Genealogical Terms and Abbreviations -Understanding exactly what is stated in any record is vital before attempting to move to the next generation. Inexperienced or impatient genealogists undervalue the quality of their research by applying present-day definitions to documents created in an earlier century. Take the time to use the glossary provided here and other excellent dictionaries, genealogical reference books and encyclopedias to interpret documents correctly.       

 USA People Search Genealogical Dictionary - Learning some of the more basic terms from the genealogy dictionary, it will be easier to do research and understand what everything means.

 

Looking for records

 

Start first my asking your parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles or close personal friends if they know or have any of the following information baptismal, births, deeds, death, diaries, divorce, family bibles, family letters, insurance policies, marriage, membership cards, military records, mortgages records, naturalization records, newspaper articles, obituaries, titles, wills.  Use these records to find your family at Libraries, Courthouses or on the Internet.  The Internet may be the last place to look rather then the first place you look. 

                    

Ancestry First Steps - How to get started with your family history research. Discovering your Heritage

Step by Step Guide - How-To" Guide contains addresses and experienced researchers that will find useful. 

It also has step-by-step instructions for locating different types of family information and printable census, 

correspondence and other forms to speed up your research.     

 

 

 Land Records 

 Local land records may tell you many things so this makes them a very valuable tool.

 

Analyzing Deeds for Useful Clues  - How does one properly analyze a deed? Sure, we know to copy all the relevant data; but how do we harvest nuances, implications, and indirect connections that move beyond the realm of fact to the more-nebulous world of clues worth pursuing?

Cyndi's list land records  

Generations Press Town plans and Maps - variety of genealogical books and research tools in the areas of Jewish genealogy, Southern California resources, immigration research, and map reproductions

History & Use of Land Records - By Linda Haas  Land was the symbol of power, wealth and social status in the Old Word and immigrants flocked to the new world to acquire the one commodity the New World had to offer in rich abundance - land.  

How to Search Deeds - From DoHistory. Deeds are records of land ownership and transactions. They can date back to before the American Revolution. They reveal much more than ownership, however. They may also give information about relative land values, about who could hold land, and about relationships between people.

PCL Map Collection - Online Maps of Special Interest

Terminology of Deeds & Land Transactions - Land Record Reference sponsored by Direct Line Software, makers of DeedMapper mapping products for the PC.

TIGER Maps of U.S. Areas - The term TIGER® comes from the acronym Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing which is the name for the system and digital database developed at the Census Bureau to support its mapping needs for the Decennial Census and other Bureau programs.

U.S. Land and Property Research - This is a self-paced set of lessons on the basics of land and property research in the United States.

U.S. Surname Distribution - Enter a surname (last name) into the form and you'll get a map of the United States showing the distribution of people with this surname within the 50 United States. This map is often helpful when trying to determine a starting point for genealogy projects.

                   

 

Soundex Number 

The Soundex system is based on the sound of a name rather than the exact spelling. You need to learn your soundex numbers before you try to look up some of the later census records.  Learn how to do your soundex so you can use the census records from 1880 - 1920 that use soundex more effectively.  I need to tell you that the Soundex is subject to human mistakes.  The indexes were done by humans so you may find some mistakes,  some coding  may be wrong.  If you are unable to find your ancestor and you know they should be there you will have to go line by line.  There are many countries besides the US that use soundex. Soundex Converter

 

 

Charts/Forms

Have genealogical forms on hand at your library, Census, Family Group Sheet, and Pedigree Chart/Family Group Sheet (html format).

 

 

 

Surname Information

If you can, start with a more unique name the first time you go online.   You want to be able to find your surname without going through page after page of information.   You want to be able to have a better chance of finding something your first time surfing the net.  

 

 

Do not overload yourself

Do not try to do all your families all at the same time.  Go slowly and start with the surnames you have the most information on.  If you go too fast you run into getting too frustrated and confused and your online experience will not be successful.  

                         

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