California Settlers Genealogy Research Tips Index | About/Contact

Contents

Sources
Record Keeping
Basic Strategy
Research Kit
Creating Memories
Books Magazines
Web Sites
Terms

Sources


Previous Research (Secondary Sources, Compiled Records)
Research of other family members
Books
Online Data Bases

Original Records (Primary Sources) Census Entries Vital Records (Birth, Death Marriage) Birth/Marriage/Death Certificate Property Records, Deeds Probate, Wills Cemetery records/Headstones

Where to get help/information Societies Web Databases Message Boards LDS Family Hisory Library Correspondence/telephone/e-mail

Record Keeping


Basic Strategy


Start with Previous Research: Relatives, family history books, Internet Databases and Message Boards and mail lists (I've even found 1st cousins who had information I didn't know about)

On your own: Once you reach dead ends with previous research you have to put on your investigator's hat.
A good place to start is with census records. Census records from 1850 on will show where a person was born, so you can go back to that location and find census records for that family. Census records for 1850 on will also show members of a household so you can associate children with parents.
How do you associate children with parents prior to 1850?
1. Try property records and will probate records. Parents commonly pass property down to children.
2. Vital Records (Towns and Churches) may also have birth records.
3. Local (County/Town) histories.

Research Kit

  • Note tablet (I like tear out sheets with 3 hole punch for binder and pockeets for copies.)
  • Mechanical Pencils (some libraries don't allow pens)
  • Magnifing glass
  • Small Stapler
  • Hole punch
  • folder case
  • Existing family records on laptop, floppy disk ...(printout best because some
  • history centers still don't have Internet access or PC's you can use.)

Creating Memories


Books Magazines


Web Sites


Terms



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last updated 22 Jul 2002