Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Where to Turn to For More Clues? - Or Tuesday's Tips


Where to Turn to For More Clues?

So, you have exhausted Google, you've poured through Ancestry.com, Genealogy Bank, and FamilySearch. You've looked through the state archives. You checked every online index you could find! 

Let's face it. You've simply run out of options. That bit of information you're searching for, say, great-grandma's birthday, is simply not there. And now you'll never know what date it was! You feel like a failure! You feel like your research is incomplete without the info!

Okay. Sit down. Let's get a cup of nice Earl Grey (my personal favorite), and a couple of biscuits (no not American biscuits dearie, but a couple of sweet tea cookies) and let's strategize.

Get a pad and a pen, cause we might need to make a list.

I'll pour the tea. You write. One lump or two? In your tea, silly! Lemon? Well, of course you want some lemon, it is Earl Grey after all. And do be careful! That's my great-grandmother's tea service you're drinking from!  The silver? They were a hand-me-down set of tea spoons from great-aunt Vida. You can see they're really sugar spoons, but since there are so many, they make lovely additions to the tea service, don't you think?


Yes, yes. I digress!

Got the pad and pen ready?

Well, let's start with where great-grandmother was born. Charleston, West Virginia, you say? Well, let's write that down. And her tombstone just lists the year she was born? Well, let's put that down. 1879.

Now, do we have a full death date? No? Just the year again. 1938. But you know she married great-grandfather, and what was his last name? Smith. Okay, write that down. You know her maiden name? Jones. So let's write that down.

So, we have Jane Jones born in 1879 in Charleston, West Virginia. She married John Smith. But that's all we know. Not the date of their marriage? Of course.  But we know she died in 1938 as Jane Smith? Correct?

Well, I think that will get us started! So, grab your hat, sweetie. We're headed to the Kanawha County Courthouse.

Why?

Well, we're going to do some searching! We're going to see if we can find out more information on your great-grandmother! What do you mean you didn't know you could look at the courthouse for information?

Well, let's get in the car and I'll explain on the way.

Well, of course, I'm driving! Sweetie, just because there's snow on the roof does not mean I can't drive! I am a very careful driver, and besides, I know where the courthouse is! Do you?

Careful closing the door, dearie. And don't forget to buckle up for heaven's sake!


Thank you. Yes, it is a nice car. But let's get back to what we were discussing.

Yes, your great-grandmother. You see, not all of the records that are available for research can be found on the internet! You young people are so used to having this world of information right on your smart phones and tablets and gadgets, that when you can't find something, you forget some of us didn't have those gadgets when we were younger, and we did this genealogy search without the infamous internet!

How? Leg work and hours spent in musty libraries and dusty courthouse rooms!

Okay, we're here!

Kanawha County, West Virginia Courthouse


I know you don't see the courthouse from here. It's around the corner. Why? Because it's on a one-way street, and it's simply easier to park over here and walk back around than to ... oh just grab your pad and come on! Oh, and grab that tote bag in the back seat for me. 

What? No it's not my purse! I have my purse. That's my research bag!

What's in it? Oh, you'll see!

Here we are! County Clerk's Office.

Hello there! We would like to take a look at some vital statistics. We are looking for a particular name born in 1879 and died in 1938.

Why thank you, we'd be happy to follow you!

Come along now dear, and don't dawdle! This nice lady doesn't have all day to wait on us!

Yes, we'll wait here at the table.

Well, if you must know, she has gone to get the birth register for the year 1879, and the death register for the year 1938.  Here she comes.


Gloves? I have my own here in my tote bag, but she will need a pair!

Do put them on sweetie! It's to protect the old registers from oils from your hands! The paper is quite fragile you know.

Miss? Can I take a photo of the documents with my cell phone? Or are we required to make copies? Just no flash? Not a problem! Thank you so much for all of your help.

Sit down, sweetie! Let's get this going.

Now, this particular register is in two parts. Come now, do sit down! You look as though you've never been in a climate controlled room before! No? Well, the temperature and humidity are kept at a steady place to prevent breakdown of the precious papers that are stored in these rooms. The gloves you wear will further protect the paper and ink. And by my not using a flash with my camera, we will further protect pages from exposure to UV light that can harm the paper as well.

Really? Well, perhaps you should think about such things! If not you, then who? These are precious documents and archives that could be lost forever if not preserved properly!

Okay, so we have an index in the back of the register, which was added later by the county. It contains everyone in the front of the register, in alphabetical order. So, we'll start in the back of the book under the "J's" for Jones.

Yes, yes, I know. The pages aren't easily turned when wearing these gloves. You'll notice the rubber finger tip there in my accessories bag. If you will hand me one please. What? Oh, it will allow me to grab a page and turn it without doing any harm to the paper.

Here we are, at the "J's". Let's go down to Jones, and yes, here we are. And look here! Jones, Jane. page 101. I think we've found her! You write, while I take a photograph.

Jones, Jane; date of birth April 1, 1879 to Marcus Jones and Dorothea Miller. Look sweetie! That's your great-great-grandparents!

What? No, that doesn't mean her parents weren't married! Her mother is listed by her maiden name! Now you'll know what name to look for when you begin researching that branch of your ancestry!

So, now that we have a copy of the register entry, and you've written the information, let's leave this book open to the page for the registrar.

Now, we'll do the same thing for the death register. Only this time we know she died in 1938 and her married last name was Smith. So, we'll come back here to the index....

Yes, yes! That's what I've been trying to tell you! It's so exciting!

And here are the "S's". So we'll scroll down to the Smith's. Okay, there's a lot of Smith's! But we're looking for Jane. So, here are the J's.  So, whoever did this index, simply listed everyone by their first initial and last name, and there are four Smith, J.'s.

How do we figure out which one is correct? Well, we could simply go through and look each one up. Or we could begin elimination right here! Look at this spot, each listed as Male or Female. And three of the four are Male's. So by process of elimination, we know that this must be your great-grandmother! She is found on page 2!

Look, here she is!

January 21, 1938. Oh, and bless her heart, it looks like she died from influenza.

What dear? Yes, we don't hear of a lot of death's due to the flu any more. But antibiotics and even better sanitation and hand washing have made it a lot easier to get over it these days.

So, I'll photograph the entry, and you take the notes as before.

There, now we have it.

No, don't close the books! We'll ask the clerk to make us certificates of these two! Well, yes, of course we can get regular birth and death certificates from them!

Miss! Miss! Yes, we'd like to get certificates for these two entries please!

Yes, cash of course.

What sweetie? No cash on you? That's okay. Look in my tote bag there. You'll find a change purse with some cash and change. I'm sure there's enough for these two certificates.

Now, certificates in hand, we've made a giant step forward in your family tree research today, don't you agree?

What?

Well, darn! Would you look at that. The parking meter is just about out. Hopefully we can pull away before it runs out!

No, I'm driving. You just sit over there and admire those two pieces of paper!

What? Yes, this is what you do when you can't figure out where to look next! And yes, it is just as much fun in person as it is clicking on those computer keys! So glad this white haired old lady could help you out, and teach you a thing or two after all!

And for heaven's sake! Do buckle up!

 
 

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