Genealogy

I have a Genealogy web site for the Estes family.

The best web site to start with on the internet would be:
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet

Then try the Latter Day Saints (Mormon church) at: Family Search

This is intended as general advice on how to start your genealogy research. It comes from personal experience, and I am by no means an expert, so take it for what it's worth.

But, first try this. Go to www.google.com and type in your name or the name of the person you are looking for. Its best if you put quotes around the name.

1. The place to start your genealogy research is with family members. Call or write your parents, grandparents, great Aunts and great Uncles, your parents' cousins, or any other "elder" family member you can think of. Interview them or ask them to write down all the information they can think of, including:

  • full names
  • birth dates & places
  • marriage dates & places
  • maiden names
  • death dates & places
  • place of burial
  • military service
  • interesting stories

Let me emphasize the importance of family stories. Too often genealogists can get caught up in "just the facts". I think these invaluable family stories put life and character into these facts, without which it is all just an academic exercise. I took my video camera with me when I went to interview my 93 year old great-Aunt. She was the last surviving member of her generation. Not only did I get stories and info from 2 and 3 generations ago, I also have a wonderful remembrance of her.

2. I think the next step is census records. These are usually the easiest records to access and often provide very good information. The first US Census was taken in 1790. They were taken every 10 years thereafter. Until 1850, the census recorded only the name of the head of household and specified how many members of the family were male, female, age 1-5, age 6-10, etc. Starting in 1850, you will find the names of all members of the household. Various other information was also provided in subsequent census (see table below).

99% of the 1890 Census was destroyed by fire in 1921. Only a few counties remain from the states DC, GA, IL, MN, NJ, NY, NC, OH, SD, & TX. There was also a Special Schedule of Union Veterans and Widows. Unfortunately, this was also partially destroyed. Alabama through Kansas, and about half of Kentucky's returns are gone. If your ancestor was from one of the remaining states, then you are among the lucky.

Because of privacy laws, the 1930 census was due to be released in the year 2002.

UNITED STATES CENSUS RECORDS
CENSUS YEAR INFORMATION PROVIDED
1790 Residence; name of head of family; # of free white males 16 yrs up; free white males under 16; # free white females; # slaves; # other persons.
1800 Residence; name of head of family; # of free white males and females under 10, 10-16, 16-26, 26-45, 45 up; all other free white persons except Indians not taxed; # slaves.
1810 Same as 1800.
1820 Residence; name of head of family; # free males & females, same age categories as 1810; foreigners not naturalized; male & female slaves & free colored persons under 14, 14-26, 26-45, 45 up; all other free persons except Indians not taxed; number of persons (including slaves) engaged in agriculture, commerce, and manufacture.
1830 Residence; name of head of family; # of free white males & females in 5 yr age groups to 20, 10 yr age groups to 100, over 100 yrs; # slaves & free colored persons in six broad age groups; # deaf & dumb under 14, 14-24, 25 up; # blind; foreigners not naturalized.
1840 Residence; name of head of family; # free white males & females in same age groups as 1830; # slaves & free colored persons in six broad age groups; # deaf and dumb; # blind; # persons employed in each of seven classes of occupations; # in school; # white persons over 20 illiterate; # pensioners for Revolutionary or military service.
1850 Residence; names of all household members; ages; sex; color (white, black or mulatto); profession, occupation, or trade for each male person over 15; value of real estate owned; place of birth; whether married within the yr; whether attended school within the yr; whether illiterate over 20; whether deaf & dumb, blind, insane or idiotic; whether a pauper or convict. Supplemental schedules for slaves listing slave's age, sex, color (B or M), fugitive from the state, # manumitted, deaf, dumb or idiotic.
1860 Same as 1850 plus value of personal property. Supplemental slave schedule adds # of slave houses.
1870 Same as 1860 plus whether parents were foreign born; month of birth if born within the yr; month of marriage if married within the yr; male citizens 21 and over, # of such persons denied the right to vote for other than rebellion.
1880 Same as 1870 minus citizen info plus street address; relationship to head of family; whether person sick or temporarily disabled, if so what condition; whether maimed, crippled or bedridden; place of birth of father and mother.
1890 Same as 1880
1900 Residence with street address; relationship to head of family; color or race (white, black, Chinese, Japanese, Indian); birth month & year; age; marital status; # yrs married; # children of wife; # children living; place of birth; parents' place of birth; citizenship; yr of immigration & # yrs in U.S.; citizenship status; occupation; can read, write & speak English; ownership of Home or Farm. Separate schedules for institutions, military establishments, and Indian reservations.
1910 Same as 1900 plus mother tongue of person and parents; whether out of work during the year; school attendance; whether a survivor of Union or Confederate Army or Navy.
1920 Residence with street address; name; relationship to head of family; sex; race; age as of Jan 1, 1920; marital status; if foreign born, yr of immigration, whether naturalized, and yr of naturalization; school attendance; literacy; birthplace of person & parents; mother tongue; ability to speak English; occupation, industry, and class of worker; home owned or rented, if owned whether free or mortgaged.

For more info on the census', see U.S. bureau of the Census.

Additionally, all census' have been indexed. 1790 - 1860 are in book form by the state. 1870 has an ideal index, which is one index by name for the entire United States. 1880 & 1900 has a soundex, for which you will need a soundex guide. 1910 has miracode, for which you will need a miracode guide. Unfortunately, only a few states are indexed in miracode for 1910. 1920 also has a soundex.

For information on the soundex, see Using the Census Soundex.

3. Once you know the names of the people you are searching for, you can start getting vital records to further your research. These are birth certificates, marriage certificates and death certificates. The birth certificate will give you parents names. You can get birth certificates back to 1910 for sure, usually as far back as 1880's. Death certificates will sometimes give you the names of parents and birthplace, and will usually tell you where the person is buried. These are generally available from the 1880's. Marriage certificates are more dicey. The information contained in them varies widely, with later years providing more information. You will usually get a "Miss" or Mrs." for the bride to tell if she was previously married or not. Some tell the place of birth, parents names, and even parents' place of birth. On the up side, marriage certificates are some of the oldest records available, though by no means were all marriages "officially" recorded in the old days.

4. Now you can look for other records that are available for your research. These records include:

  • Probate Records (Wills)
  • Cemetery Records
  • Naturalization Records
  • Land Records
  • Court Records
  • Military Records

     

Don't forget "unofficial" records such as obituaries, family Bibles, library genealogical files, and, of course, Internet files. These will run the gamut of accuracy and should not be used as conclusive proof, but they can give you valuable clues.

5. I highly suggest you document every piece of information you get. On the family sheets that you use to record your information is an area to cite your source. Do that in detail. Write it so that five years later you can immediately find that information again. For example:

"History of Johnson County" by John Smith, copyright 1935. 978.158 at Johnson County Library.

5. I've saved the best for last. The final piece of advice I have is to contact local historical societies. These can give you the proverbial pot of genealogical gold.