Have you got Irish ancestors who were living in Ireland early in the last century? If so, here’s what you can do to find out about them. The complete Census of Ireland in 1901 has been put online, making more than 4.5 million records available to genealogists, historians, and anyone who want to look into their family history. Some countries charge for access to such records, but this is a non-commercial, government service, and is free to use. The census was taken on the night of Sunday, 31 March, 1901, and some 850,000 households on the island were covered. The Irish Minister for Culture Mary Hanafin said the launch of the service was “an...
When we think of American migration in the mid-1800′s, the imagination often wanders to images of wagon trains and pioneer families trudging westward across the plains. “Westward, Ho!” was a reality, a great migration spurred by the opening of new territories and the California Gold Rush. Our “one-way” vision of migration toward only the west has been perpetuated by Hollywood movies. The reality was not so tidy. Our ancestors actually the ability to travel in all directions! The first steamboat on the Mississippi, the major North-South waterway, was launched in 1811. The first transcontinental -railroad was completed...
When you begin a family tree you find yourself playing a detective, just like in an Agatha Christie novel or like Sherlock Holmes. Some of the best reasons to begin searching our ancestors are who we may turn up as a relative. Black Beard the pirate or Robin Hood. The possibilities are endless. This year with the census being conducted again makes one think of all the records that have been kept over the years. On the internet you can look up old census from over 100 years ago. With that thought you think why not check out some relatives and see what turns up. It is usually easy enough to start with your grandparents. If you can narrow their date...
An excellent resource for researching your family tree is the United States government. They have vast treasure troves of genealogical information – military service records, Social Security death records, immigration entry records and much more. In addition to great databases of historical family information, they have a huge selection of articles about genealogy and how to research family histories. The U.S. Government considers this such a national treasure that they have an entire section of the National Archives website devoted to it. You can access the Archives Genealogists/Family Historians website at their website. The National...
Compulsory Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths came into force in Scotland on 1st January 1855. Prior to that, baptisms and marriage proclamations were recorded in the Church of Scotland Old Parish Registers. Here are 7 tips when searching for your ancestors prior to 1855. 1) If you know that your ancestor was in Scotland in 1851, then I advise that your first port of call be the 1851 census. The name can be looked up in the census indexes, and hopefully you should be able to identify the relevant individual. Note however, that if your ancestor had a common name, such as John MacDonald or James Wilson, there will be numerous index...
The 1810 to the 1840 censuses are not especially helpful for tracing your family unless you find them in the 1790, then the 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840 and in the 1850 censuses. You do see the county, state, name of the head of the family, the number of free white males, females and other free souls and the number of slaves. Ages are listed as 0-10, 10-16, 16-26, 26-45, 45 up on the 1800 and 1810 census. The 1830 census age is listed up to and over 100 years. If you are certain of your family surname and their approximate ages and where they lived, then these censuses are useful for finding your ancestors. China, the country with the largest...
When I started researching family history by using the 1841 Census in England, I found it thoroughly frustrating. Very little seemed to make sense and in many cases the 1841 census just opened up more questions that it answered. But as I have learnt more about the 1841 census and how best to use it, it has become a vital census in bridging the gap to my ancestors in the 1700′s. Here are 5 tips on how to use the 1841 census effectively. Tip 1 – Adult Ages Are Not Exact In the 1841 census the ages of adults over 15 are not recorded exactly. Enumerators were instructed to round down an adults age to the nearest 5 years. Before I learnt...
The foundation of genealogy research is built on official government census records. Read More →
Have you ever wondered: How can I find my ancestors including finding family history facts about them that have been hidden or unknown? If so, you’re on the right track because the federal census records of Canada, USA, and England and other countries, frequently provide great treasures family history information including the individuals names, many details about their lives, and other relatives that were living with them – often including parents of either the male head of household or his wife. Starting the process of exploring the details of census records can seem almost overwhelming, but in this age of computers and the internet...
Census records may be the single most utilized search tool online for family tree research. From 1930 back to the founding of the country, the records of every census are available online. By using census records you may be able to trace your family tree back to when your ancestors first came to America. Whether they were immigrants who came ashore at Ellis Island, or were here to fight the British during the Revolution, the census records may well show you a piece of their lives. Census records are available online and have truly aided the search of the genealogist, whether amateur or professional, since their introduction. Using the combined...