Family History Library Research Retreat, 27 Oct-l Nov 2008. Family History Library, 36 North West Temple St., Salt Lake City, UT Register at http://www.familyhistoryexpos.com. Arlene H. Eakle–I will speak each day, with an emphasis on US and British Isles (including Ireland)research and then be available to consult with you on your own genealogy research. Focus: Your Search for Ancestor Origins: Genealogy Source Collections at the Family History Library.
l. Genealogies, Family Histories, and Pedigree Charts. Your genealogy may already be compiled–a survey I did of my clients’ surnames and the compiled sources at the Family History Library in 2000 revealed that more than 80% of these client surnames had one or more compiled genealogy records already on file in the Library! Break your Losing Streak! Search these sources. And first! You can get up to 300 years of genealogy in one source.
2. Sources of Birth, Marriage, Death, and Divorce. What sources yield births, marriages, and deaths? Did you know that there are at least 16 official marriage records and more than 125 different sources with marriage evidence? Most of us give up too soon in our search for these vital dates. And evidence of ancestor origins appear in cemetery data more than any other source.
3. Census Records, Inhabitants Lists, and Census Substitutes. More than 30 different kinds of census enumerations will be discussed. We will also examine pre-1850 lists and how to use them, matching them with other records to identify the members of the household. No other source category is better indexed, has such uniform and consistent data fields, or is as easily searched. Special search strategies will be demonstrated that yield “hidden” evidence most often overlooked.
4. Probate and other Court Records. Over 95% of all American adults have appeared in at least one court during their lifetimes. These records are essential to your genealogy and ignoring them or by-passing their data usually leads to an incorrect lineage or a connection to the wrong origins.
5. Land and Tax Records. Tax records list most persons who live in a given area–they are recorded annually. Some localities record their population every 6 months! We will discuss at what age persons can own land, buy and sell land, and gift land to others. Does the land come from the husband’s family or from the wife’s relatives? How do you read a deed? Are witnesses related to the people named in the documents? And many other questions will be answered as we examine specific collections of property records.
Promise yourself that you will do something great for your ancestors before 2008 is gone–attend this very special Family History Research Retreat 27 Oct to 1 Nov 2008. Jimmy Parker, one of the most knowledgeable genealogists in America will also be on hand to instruct and consult with you. Register today–while there is still room!
Your favorite genealogist, Arlene H. Eakle http://www.arleneeakle.com