#3 in my Series on Tombstones and Cemeteries

Now that you know, from reading my first two articles in this series, all the incredible things you can learn from your ancestor’s Tombstones and how to find their Cemeteries, you need to know how to photograph those weathered and eroded tombstones so you can read their inscriptions.  That’s what this post will cover.

Hey, you’re thinking, what’s so tough about taking a photo?  Just point the camera and press the button.  Do that and you might get a photograph like the ones below.  If you can read these, let me know what’s on them.  And yes, that is my foot in the first one.

These photos are why I know that you can’t just depend on the ole’ point and shoot method.  It doesn’t always work. 

Let’s start from the top.  You’ve read my informative and witty Tombstone and Cemetery posts, notified your local genealogical society that I have a wonderful website and told them they would benefit from visiting it frequently.  You’ve also printed out my posts to refer to during your trip to your ancestor’s cemetery.  Very smart.  

You’ve picked the day for your adventure, gassed up your car, laid out your maps, charged up your laptop computer and you’re ready to go.  First thing to think about, where are you going, what are you wearing and what are you carrying with you?

The Perpetual-Care Cemetery

If your ancestor is buried in one of these, your day should be pretty easy.  No special clothes are needed and you need just a few items: 

Camera—digital or regular, a photo card or lots of film.  Make sure the camera is fully charged or you have extra batteries.  A video camera could also be used.

Paper, pencil or pen to manually record the information on the tombstones.  If your photos are lost, destroyed or unreadable, your trip will be useless without the written record. 

When you arrive at the cemetery, go to the office to find out where your ancestor is buried.  While there, find out what information they have on file for her/him.   Ask if there is other family buried in the cemetery.

The only thing left to do is to find your ancestor’s grave, photograph it and pay your respects.  Very civilized.  I envy you. 

The Abandoned Cemetery

If the cemetery you’re visiting is not civilized, but instead is in the abandoned and overgrown category, you need to dress appropriately.  Wear shoes that fully cover your feet.  Mud, bugs and rocks are lurking everywhere, plus the occasional snake.  Wear long pants and bring a long-sleeved shirt in case of thorns or sticky stuff.  I advise not wearing cologne or using scented shampoo that can attract bugs. Take with you:

Camera equipment, as listed above under Perpetual-Care Cemeteries, as well as the paper, pencil or pen to manually record the tombstone information.

Brush made of soft, plastic-bristles to gently clean the tombstones of moss or lichen.

Plant clippers to remove brush blocking tombstones.

Mirror to highlight eroded carvings for photographs.  Many experts recommend a full-length mirror, but I think toting a full-length mirror on a hike to an abandoned cemetery is nuts.  Reflected light is very helpful, though.  Best idea, a smaller mirror or stiff piece of reflective paper.  Better yet, use aluminum foil wrapped around a large chocolate brownie!  Okay, maybe the foil wouldn’t work very well, but I still like the brownie.

Device to block out too much light.  Never happy, are we?  First we’re strapping full-length mirrors on our backs to reflect more light, next thing we’re worried about too much light.  But it’s true.  Sometimes the sun is in the wrong place and we can’t take a decent photo.  I usually visit old cemeteries with my cousin, so I have him stand in the right spot to block out the sun while I take photographs.  If you’re traveling alone, use something large and stiff that will block the sun (like the back of that stiff piece of reflective paper that you carried along to throw light onto eroded carvings) or just wait until the sun moves to another angle.

Water to wet tombstones to darken them for better photographs.  Include enough to drink, too, after you’ve trudged to the cemetery through the wild, rugged wilderness—or a grassy field.

Junk Food to replenish your strength after your task is completed.  And remember, carry it in, carry it out—which means don’t leave any trash behind, not even orange peelings.  Besides, oranges aren’t junk food anyway.

These next two items I’m not recommending, only mentioning because many people do them.  I hope you won’t.

Cleaning substances for tombstones.  Never, ever use household cleaners, soap, bleach, vinegar or similar items on tombstones.  These contain corrosive chemicals that eat away at the stone, eventually destroying it.  If you really want to use a cleaner, the Association for Gravestone Studies Field Guide #4, Cleaning Masonry Burial Monuments, has excellent recommendations for safe cleaners.

Substance to make eroded carvings stand out for photographs.  The most frequently used item is shaving cream.  Never, ever use this.  Even the most environmentally-friendly cream can damage stones no matter how well you clean it afterward, plus the cream that’s washed off can harm the surrounding area.  Chalk is also used, but many chalks have chemicals added to them that can harm a stone, plus chalk is abrasive and can erode carvings.  An alternative is flour, but it’s messy and lumps when wet.  (Never use self-rising.  It will rise in an animal’s stomach, causing pain and possibly death.)  Alternatives that darken the carvings are charcoal, which is dirty to use, and dirt itself.  Best idea:  Record the information manually.  Take the best photograph you can.  Call it a day.

Photographing Tombstones

Take multiple shots of each tombstone; straight on, from each side, from the top looking down, dry, wet, with a mirror, without.  The different angles give you a better chance at having at least one that will allow you to read badly eroded carvings.  If not, the various angles provide options for manipulating the photos into legibility with an image-enhancer computer program, such as Photoshop, once you’re returned home. 

Along with individual photographs of the tombstones, take area photographs to set your ancestor’s tombstone in relation to neighboring stones, which may be for relatives.

Take an overall shot of the whole cemetery.  If there’s a cemetery sign, photograph that to complete your cemetery record.

A lot of people do rubbings of tombstone carvings.  This is criticized as causing harm, especially to older tombstones where the pressure used in rubbing causes faster decay of fragile carvings.  Best idea, figure out what the carving says, write it down, take the best photo you can and leave the stone the way you found it. 

While you’re in the cemetery, photograph all the tombstones, even if they don’t belong to your family.  Submit the transcribed information and photographs to a local library, historical society and an appropriate Internet site.  This will keep other people from having to visit the cemetery and possibly causing harm to the tombstones.  Plus, hundreds of old cemeteries are being destroyed every year to make way for roads and buildings.  You could be the last person to ever see the cemetery that you’ve visited.  Don’t let its invaluable information be lost forever. 

Tips for Abandoned Cemeteries

Always find out who owns the land where your ancestor’s cemetery is located and ask permission to visit it before you enter their land. 

Look in high grass for fallen stones and in trees surrounding the cemetery for stones that may have been cast aside when the cemetery was mowed or the field was plowed.  Check for tombstones that have been “swallowed” by a growing tree.  Look inside bushes and under collapsed fences.

Small, unmarked stones close to your ancestor’s tombstone may be for unnamed children who died at birth.  Children who died young were also frequently buried at the feet of or between their grandparents.

Close family members may be buried near your ancestors.  Look for tombstones of parents, grandparents, siblings and grown children.

Look for rocks positioned as gravestones.  These imply that the cemetery was in use before the family began using carved tombstones and may mean that your family lived on the land longer than you realized.

Flowers on your ancestor’s tombstone may indicate relatives living in the area.  Look for these people to discover their connection to your family.  Ask the person who owns the land or cares for the cemetery, at local churches, the post office, flower shops, old people in the community and neighbors of the cemetery.

If you can’t visit your ancestor’s cemetery, write the local historical society, area churches or other local social organizations.  Explain that your ancestor is buried in a nearby cemetery, you are unable to visit the area and you’d like to have a photo of the tombstone.  Enclose a disposable camera, a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for its return and a small donation to the organization (as a bribe).  Request a full shot of the tombstone and a closer photo so the carvings can be read.  Ask the Good Samaritan to look around to see if there are nearby tombstones with the same surname and request photos of those tombstone also.  Most people are kind enough to help a stranger with a request like this if the cemetery is easy to access.  If your ancestor is in a perpetual-care cemetery, send the camera to their office and ask for photos.  No donation necessary, just the SASE.

Okay, now you’re ready to find your ancestor’s cemetery and photograph the tombstones.  Until next time, happy ancestor hunting!

©2010 Genealogy Help and Hints. All Rights Reserved.

#2 in a Series of 3 About Tombstones and Cemeteries

Cemeteries are wonderful places to research Family History, as I discussed in Tombstones, Our Ancestors’ Monuments to Genealogy Research, my first post in this series where I gave examples of the many things that can be learned from tombstones.  Even if you’re lucky enough to know the name of your ancestor’s Cemetery, finding it can be an archaeological task worthy of Indiana Jones, especially with lost family cemeteries or towns that have changed names or disappeared completely.  However, as always with Genealogy, the rewards can be well worth the effort, so cue the theme music and our search is on!

The first thing you need to know to find your ancestor’s Cemetery is where your ancestor died.  This comes from your Family File.  Your research will have revealed either exactly when and where your ancestor died from a county death record or you should’ve been able to ascertain the location of your ancestor’s last known residence from tax lists and land deeds.  In the latter case, you may be hoping that your ancestor’s tombstone will give you her/his date of death.

The next step is to discover the name and location of your ancestor’s Cemetery.  Death Certificates are the best places to find Cemetery locations—see my post In the Beginning on how to find death certificates.  Next best source, family interviews and your family’s papers, which may include Cemetery deeds or funeral papers.  Something I’ve found extremely useful is funeral home Memorial Folders, which are given out at wakes and usually kept by families in memory of loved ones.  These list place of interment or burial, along with other valuable family information. 

Another valuable source of Cemetery names and locations is funeral homes themselves.  Obituaries include the name of the funeral home handling the “arrangements,” which includes the burial.  Call them and see ask where the burial was, along with any other information they have on file, no matter how old the obituary may be.  If they’ve gone out of business, call the county or other local mortuaries and ask where the defunct funeral home’s records were transferred.

Check with the church where your ancestor’s funeral was held.  Not only do a lot of them have their own Cemeteries, but they may have a record of where your ancestor was buried after the service.  

If you know the name of your ancestor’s Cemetery but not its exact location, only the state or county, you have a lot of options.  Call information.  The Cemetery may be one of those nicely manicured places with an office and full-time staff.  If so, the tombstone isn’t your only option for information.  The office has a file on who paid for the grave, the burial and the headstone.  That’s valuable information you should collect, too.

No phone number?  Get online with the US Board on Geographic Names (USGS) which has the exact location of many Cemeteries, both big and small.  Input Cemetery for Feature.  Search Google for your Cemetery’s name.  Call city and county clerk or tax offices.  Contact area funeral homes and churches.  Ask not only if your ancestor’s Cemetery is located in their community, but also if they have interment lists and can confirm that she/he is indeed buried there.

If you can’t find any trace of the Cemetery, it may have changed names.  If it’s a small cemetery, it may be known locally by a different name than what you have listed in your files.  The name of the town may have changed, too.  Check place name books and the USGS, this time inputting the name of the town for Feature.  A church may have changed denominations, causing its attached Cemetery to be more difficult to find.  Roads and buildings frequently create the need—which I deplore—for graves to be moved.  There have been cases where small, abandoned Cemeteries were simply bulldozed over before a community could have a construction project stopped long enough to have the graves moved.  Consider all these possibilities in your search, whether you know the name of your Cemetery or not.

Next, finding your ancestor’s Cemetery when you don’t know its name.

Your research should have revealed if your ancestor lived in a town or on a farm.  This will make a difference in where you look for their Cemetery.  Farm ownership will mean they were most likely buried on their own land.  Town dwellers would have been buried in a group cemetery in or near the town.  Alternatives to both of these would be church cemeteries.

The first place to look for information is, as always, the Internet.  Search Google for the community and county where your ancestor last lived to see if any Cemeteries or burials are listed.  Remember that the majority of this information is transcribed data.  Very few websites contain photos of actual tombstones.  I’m hesitant to use transcribed data because it may contain errors, plus the original viewer of the gravestone may have missed clues about your ancestor (see my first post in this series) that won’t be included in the transcription.  Use this type of transcribed information only as a clue to help you find valid, verifiable data—not as actual Fact.

If you’re unable to visit your ancestor’s Cemetery in person and must rely on Internet resources, look for websites where a transcription includes the researcher’s name, the date of the Cemetery visit and its exact location.  This indicates that the researcher has done more than just the minimum amount of work and has strived to provide accurate information.

In reference to the websites with photos of tombstones, this eliminates the transcription problem, but does create the problem of possibly missing valuable Cemetery information if there are family stones nearby.  However, once again, if you are unable to visit the Cemetery in person, these websites are an excellent resource.

Your next step in finding your ancestor’s Cemetery is contacting the same places you should’ve written while originally researching your ancestor; genealogical societies, local historians, libraries, etc.  This time, add churches and funeral homes to the list.  Tell them you’re searching for where your ancestor’s buried and need a list of local Cemeteries, including those on old farms or private Cemeteries.  If they have interment lists, ask them to check for your ancestor. 

Contact the current owner of your ancestor’s land to see if there’s a graveyard.  Check with neighboring landowners.  Several homesteads may have shared a burial site.

Other ways to locate abandoned Cemeteries is via topographic maps, tax maps, utility company survey maps, town plans, plat maps, and burial registers in county and city offices.  Most public libraries, college and university libraries, as well as state, county and federal offices have map collections you can access, and you can buy topographic maps of the area you’re researching.  I’ve even found old country Cemeteries on MapQuest by looking along roads in a community.

Once you’ve arrived at the area where your ancestor lived, if you still aren’t sure where the Cemetery is or if there is one, you still have options.  Ask old people in the community.  Go to a sporting goods store that sells hunting supplies and find out who the hunters are in the area.  They’ve been tramping around the woods in that region for years and probably know where every Cemetery is for fifty miles. 

And finally, the way that’s worked best for my cousin and me, drive around the area close to where your ancestor lived and ask people if there’s an old Cemetery nearby.  I’ve had total strangers leave their yard sale and lead me several miles to a turnoff to a Cemetery. I’ve walked into a church building project and been invited to share their potluck lunch while the congregation finished eating before someone could lead me to the road I needed.  Once, my cousin and I were taken into a woman’s home, offered iced tea and told to wait while she called someone who not only gave us directions to our ancestor’s Cemetery, but also the nearby address of a member of our family we’d never known about, who I immediately interrogated—I mean questioned—about anything he could add to our family’s history. 

Unfortunately, he was unable to provide us with any meaningful information.  He’d spent most of the day cutting hay and was now relaxing in a way that made his concentration illegally unfocused.  He tried to be helpful, but the only thing we learned was that he kept the Cemetery where our mutual ancestors were buried neatly mowed and he didn’t have any photos of the people buried there—probably.

Okay, now you know how to find your ancestor’s Cemetery and, from the first post of this series, all the wonderful things you can learn from a Tombstone.  Next time I’ll tell you what to take with you to the Cemetery and how to take the best possible photos of those weathered, almost unreadable stones.  Check back soon!

Links:

Trails.com  - Includes Cemetery Maps

American Revolutionary Grave Search

Dowsing Rods For Lost Graves

©2010 Genealogy Help and Hints. All Rights Reserved.

#1 in a Series of 3 About Tombstones and Cemeteries

Even before I began researching my Family History, I loved visiting Cemeteries.  Aunt Betty and I once found a grave completely capped in copper.  I wanted to know why, but there was no one to ask.  In Arizona I saw Tombstones of settlers marked with “Killed by Apaches.”  I wondered if Apaches marked their graves “Killed by Settlers.”  And the graves of my own ancestors caused me to ask if I looked like them, were they pirates and why were they were buried so far from where we lived? 

Although Cemeteries have always inspired me to ask questions, Genealogy changed that.  Now I go to Cemeteries to look for answers. 

Tombstones can tell you:

• The correct spelling of your ancestor’s name
• The dates your ancestor was born and died, although birth dates may not be reliable on old tombstones
• What your ancestor looked like
• The name of a spouse
• Maiden names
• Parents’ names
• Siblings’ names
• Grandparents’ names
• Emigrants’ Country of Origin
• Armed Forces Service
• Favorite Bible Verses
• Boring Poetry
• Occupations, Examples: 
  • Carpenters – handsaw
  • Blacksmiths – hammer and anvil
  • Farmers – plow or scythe
  • Stonemason – hammer and chisel 
• Club Memberships, Examples:            
  • Daughters of the American Revolution
  • Freemasons
  • Knights of Columbus
  • Veterans of Foreign Wars
• Stone Carvings with Symbolic Meanings, Examples: 
  • Beehive – industry or domesticity, also a symbol for Mormons
  • Crescent Moon and Star – a sign for Islam
  • Harp – Heavenly music , also a symbol of Irish Heritage
  • Crown – reward of a faithful Christian
  • Yahzeit (looks like Aladdin’s Lamp) – Jewish commemorative symbol  

There are many other Symbolic Carvings used on Tombstones.  The Association of Gravestone Studies has an inexpensive field guide, #8, titled Symbolism in the Carving of Gravestones.  It contains an excellent list of organizational and religious symbols.

Photo Examples of Tombstones:

Tombstone with an image of the deceased displayed on a Porcelain Plaque.

Tombstone with an organization symbol of the Freemasons.

Tombstone with Armed Forces Service Information from WWI.

Tombstone erected by a descendant giving Genealogical Information—this data would need to be verified with definitive sources, however, before being accepted as fact.

While you’re in the Cemetery, don’t forget to look on the back of Tombstones.  I’ve been told there can be important information carved there, too.  I’ve never seen anything on the ones that I’ve visited, but I don’t remember ever looking, either, which leads to the horrible nightmare of wondering what I’ve missed.  In the words of Charlie Brown of Peanuts’ comic-strip fame, “ARRGH!”

You may have noticed the Occupations listed above didn’t include a scrub bucket, canning jar or diapered baby, which means traditional “women’s work” has never been considered worth the cost of carving.   But sometimes love triumphs over cost.  I know of a beautiful Tombstone designed by a husband who wanted to give his wife one final romantic gift.  The carving on her stone is a box of candy, a spray of roses and music notes.

My next post will be about how to find your ancestor’s Cemetery, then number three in this series will be about what to take with you and how to take the best possible photograph of a Tombstone.  Yes, bug spray and snack foods are on the list; but how to find your ancestor’s Cemetery is first, and that comes from Facts, so get your Family File in tip-top shape and check back soon!

Links to Tombstone Carving Interpretations:

Tombstone Initials and their Meanings

The Meanings of Tombstone Carvings

Wikipedia 

©2010 Genealogy Help and Hints. All Rights Reserved.

We all do it.  We search and beg and pound the keyboard mercilessly, desperate to find someplace to glean just one little bit of information that will break down that unassailable brick wall that keeps us from the Holy Grail of Genealogy—The Unfindable Ancestor.   I’ve destroyed my share of keyboards and still have a brick wall so unscalable that I truly believe my Unfindable Ancestor was beamed up by aliens, which may explain my siblings’ love of science fiction books, my crush on Chewbacca and my obsession with the genealogy program Reunion for Mac, which includes a person status for Alien Abductee.

During my many years of Maalox-assisted genealogy research, I’ve accumulated a list of unusual places to look for genealogy, which I’ll share with you here.  Some of the links are provided only as examples.

Antique Stores and Flea Markets

Look for these in the area where your ancestor lived.  See Bookstores below for the types of Books to look for, plus search for; Personal Papers, Photos, Photo Albums, Bibles, Postcards (sent to your ancestor), Account Books, Journals, Letters, Signed Quilts and any Personal Property that can be definitively traced to your family.  Don’t be taken in by unscrupulous dealers when buying Personal Property.  Require evidence.  Ask for receipts, interview neighbors to see who bought your family’s possessions and check court records for estate sale lists.

Atlases

Old Atlases may reference renamed towns, old trails or streams that will help you locate where your ancestor lived.

Bookstores

Look for New and Used Bookstores in the area where your ancestor lived.  Search for published and self-produced Family Histories, Family Bibles, Regional Histories, old Maps and Atlases, Local Place Names (See Place Names below) and Regional Traveling Preacher or Doctor Memoirs that may reference your ancestor.  Also check Online Bookstores for these same books.

Churches

Research old Churches in the area where your ancestor lived.  They may have records that include your ancestor.

Company Records

If you know where your ancestor worked, see if the Company’s records still exist.  The Federal Census sometimes includes an employer’s name.

Coroner’s Reports

Doctor’s Records

Encylopedias

Try Wikipedia online and regular Encyclopedias.  Look for your ancestor’s name and the town or region where she/he lived.

Estate Sales and Sale Bills

These are the same thing, but referred to differently depending on the era and region.  Don’t look just for your ancestor’s Estate Sale record, but also look for other peoples’ sales during the time your ancestor lived.  You may find your ancestor buying items from a neighbor’s Estate Sale, thereby proving that your ancestor lived in that region.

Executions

Family Reunions

Check online for Regional Reunions and Family Name Reunions.  These are great places to learn about your family’s history and to find lost family members.  If you can’t attend, contact the organizer and see if there are other ways to interact.

History Books

Our ancestors made History.  Read Regional Histories to see what happened where your family lived and if your ancestor was involved.

Hospital and Asylum Records

These are usually very hard to find.

Insurance Records

Look for Fire, Flood and Life policies.

Journals

Look not only for personal Journals for your ancestors, but also for Journals written in the same region your ancestor lived during her/his lifetime.  Perhaps your ancestor is mentioned.

Juries

Men were called to serve on Juries if they were property owners.  Their names will be listed in court records, thereby proving they lived in an area during a certain time period.

Land Records

Don’t just look for your own ancestor’s Land Records.  Search other deeds in the same area and time period to see if your ancestor is mentioned as a neighboring landowner, thereby proving she/he lived in an area during a certain time period.

Lawsuits

People sued each other frequently throughout America’s history.  A search of court records may reveal your ancestor involved in a legal brawl, thereby proving she/he lived in an area during a certain time period.

Lodges

Was your ancestor a Mason or other Lodge member?  See if the lodge still has records that may include your ancestor. Check your ancestor’s tombstone to see if a Lodge affiliation is carved on it.

Maiden Names

A woman’s Maiden or Family Name can be difficult to discover if a marriage record can’t be found. Look for the surname of close neighbors, then see if one of your ancestor’s sons has the same first name.  This method of naming was used to honor the wife’s family name.  I’ve even found a Maiden Name used for a daughter—Grizzell.  

Check the wills of people in the area to see if anyone left property to your female ancestor.  If she is listed as a daughter, you’ll then know her Family Name.  However, if the will is for your ancestor’s mother and she remarried following the death of your ancestor’s father, the mother’s name on the will would then be in the name of her second husband and not your ancestor’s Family Name.  Also, men leaving land to “sons” in their wills who aren’t actually their sons.  This term was frequently used for a son-in-law in legal matters.

Soon after a daughter’s marriage, a father may make a “gift of deed” to his new son-in-law.  Check for these in land records to provide a Maiden Name for a woman.  Other land deeds might help provide a wife’s family name, so pay attention to land purchases with or sales between close families.

Museums

Small city and county museums frequently have historical records of local people.  See if these include your ancestor.

Newspapers

Check indexes for your ancestor’s name.  Contact your local libraries—public, college, university and the LDS Family History Center—to order microfilm of all newspapers published where and when your ancestor lived.

Obituaries

For recent Obituaries, contact all living people listed to see what family information they may have.  If they’ve died, search for their surviving family. 

Old People in your Ancestor’s Neighborhood

Elderly people can be a goldmine of information.  They may remember your ancestor, have photos of your family, own things that once belonged to your family, know where your family’s cemetery is located back in the woods and even be able to identify people in those old family photographs you have. 

Online Auction Sites

Search for articles with your Family Name, then look for individual items with your ancestor’s name, such as a Family Bible.  Also look for items such as those listed in Antique Stores and Bookstores, as listed above.

Orphan Records

Parks

National, State, County and City Parks may have historical information that could include your ancestor.

Phone Book

That’s right.  If you’re missing a relative, try looking them up in the Phone Book.  Maybe Uncle Oliver forgot to tell you thirty years ago that he moved to the suburbs.

Photographs

Don’t think only of the Photos that you own.  Go through your relatives’ collections.  My first question to the new relatives I meet online is, “Do you have any photographs of our ancestors?”  There are also city, state, museum, college and university archives with Photo collections.  Do a Google search for Family Photographs for your surname. Also see Antique Stores, Online Auction Sites and Parks from above for other places to look.  I found a photo of one my gr-gr-grandfathers in a book about coal miners in a State Park gift-shop in West Virginia.  I discovered they had a collection of miner’s photographs from which they selected to produce that book.

Place Names

Many Place Names are derived from people who founded towns, discovered mountains, rivers or streams, and people who owned mills or factories.  If anything where your ancestor lived has the same name as your ancestor, trace the origin of the Place Name to see to whom the honor belongs.  (The link for Place Names only works for large cities.)

Police Reports

Poor Houses

Prisons

Road Orders

Many early roads in America were built by requiring manual labor as payment for a man’s property taxes.  Some of these Road Order lists still exist, but will not be included with tax records.  Search for Road Orders online or in state and county archives, where they are frequently housed in the Department of Transportation.

Roadside Historical Markers

School Records

Town Historians

If there’s no Town Historian, check with the Town Council office to see if they have information about their town’s history.  Some places print history pamphlets for visitors that reference their most famous founders.

Travel Books

In America’s early history, there were adventurous people who traveled widely and wrote about their experiences.  Check these travel books for ones that cover the area where your ancestor lived to see if she/he is mentioned.

Trial Witness

In addition to Juries and Lawsuits, this is a frequently overlooked Court Record that can be used to prove your ancestor lived in an area during a certain time period.

Unclaimed Letters

Unclaimed Property

We’ve all seen news reports of how a guy looked on his state’s website for Unclaimed Property and found $80,000 that he put in a bank account twenty years ago and forgot about (idiot!).  Why not check to see if your lost relatives are on one of those state lists?  Okay, you’re saying if the state can’t find your relatives to give them that money, how are you supposed to find them?  Because the state is trying to give away money, not collect taxes.  If your relative owed the state $80,000 in back taxes, they wouldn’t be listing her/his name on some list on the Internet.  They’d be out there with dogs and cops and bazookas blowing up any obstacle in their way looking for your lost relative.  So you pretend that your lost relative has the only clue to unlock all the secrets to your biggest genealogical puzzle, get out your own Bazooka (bubblegum) and go get ‘em!

I also covered two other unusual places to research in my posts Using Google to Find Your Ancestors and Tax Records.

I’m working on a new post about an unusual and rewarding technique to use for ancestor research right now, so check back soon.  And if you know of any Unusual Places to look for Genealogy, let me know.  I’d love to hear from you!

©2010 Genealogy Help and Hints. All Rights Reserved.

Genealogists spend most of the time looking for old documents, however we should spend a little time preserving not only our historical documents, but also the ones we produce in our daily lives.  If a disaster happened in your life today, would your papers and photos be safe or would you be devastated by the loss of all your research, in addition to your insurance papers, property inventory, tax records and birth certificates—everything you need to start your legal life over again?   We all need to take the time right now to preserve our paper treasures not only from disasters, but also for the future.

Start by pulling together your documents, old and new, and your most important photos.  For me, these are my oldest photos.  Everyday photos need to be preserved, too, but it’s overwhelming for most people to do everything at once.  I’ll discuss those photos later is this post.  For now, let’s deal with documents and old photos.

Everything should be scanned.  The prices of scanners are low enough that almost everyone can afford to add a good quality scanner to their home computer setup.  If you have a lot of documents and photos to preserve, a scanner is an essential expenditure.  And for most people, it will be less expensive to buy a scanner now than to attempt to recover the lost paperwork of a lifetime after a disaster. 

Scan your documents and photos at a dpi (dots per inch) resolution that’s high enough to be printed clearly, which requires 150 dpi for black and white documents.  For color photos, 300 dpi is standard for good print images.  I scan historical documents at 300 dpi, also.  This gives me more to work with if I have to enlarge script that’s difficult to read. 

After each item is scanned, make certain the image is good, then save it.  I use a JPEG format, which can be read by most programs.  Check your genealogy program to see what format it accepts as links because you’ll want to link historical documents and photos to people in your Family File.  I keep my saved scans in an image storage program.  You can also use an image processing program or just a regular file folder on your computer desktop.  After scanning and storing your image, add a description or caption.  Examples:

Documents:

Home Ins Policy Pg 1-2008

Westfall-Black Marriage VA 1802

Photos:

Weston, Mary E Roanoke VA 1881

Put in as much information as space allows in the description field.  It should answer what, where and when. Many photo storage programs allow for an extended description.  Take advantage of this to record everything you know about the image.  By utilizing this expanded description field, I was able to use my image storage program like a Digital Scrapbook.  I burned the file on CDs and sent a copy to everyone in my family.

After scanning and cataloguing your most valuable documents, backup your files.  My motto is you can never have too many backups in too many places.  Remember, backups can fail and can be destroyed in disasters. Subscribe to an online storage company to keep your backups safe from fires and floods.  Or burn multiple backups onto DVDs or CDs.  Keep one copy in your safe-deposit box, one at work and mail another copy to a relative or friend in another state.  Send them a new copy every month or so.  This way if your home or community is destroyed, at least one backup copy should survive.

And when you’re making those backups, include your Family File from your genealogy program.  You don’t want to lose that information, either!

After scanning and backing up your files, you need to store your original documents and photos safely. I put mine, along with my first-day issue of the Elvis stamp, into archival plastic sleeves.  These can be purchased at office supply stores, Wal-Mart or online.   Be sure to use Acid-Free, Archival Quality plastic.  After they’re protected in the archival sleeves, put them in a waterproof container, such as watertight Ziploc bags, and lay them flat in a fireproof safe.  Everyday documents, such as insurance, property inventory and mortgage papers, should also be protected in waterproof bags and placed in the safe.  It’s your choice whether to use archival sleeves on these.  I don’t consider my everyday papers to be historical documents, so I don’t use the sleeves.

Although I live in an area where floods are not an issue but wildfires are, I place my documents and photos in waterproof bags because most safes are not waterproof.  As a result, my documents could be damaged by water from a fire hose.  If you live in a flood area, you should double encase your documents and photos in waterproof containers—the best you can find.  That way if one fails, you have a backup.  Then they should still be placed in a fireproof safe because anyone can be victim to a home fire.  Bolt your safe securely to the framing of your house so it won’t be washed away in a fast-moving flood. 

If you decide not to use a safe, place your documents and photos in a stiff-sided box or briefcase—something not used for anything but this one purpose.  Mark the container so everyone knows what’s in it. 

Now, where are you going to put your safe, box or briefcase?  Old documents and photos should never be stored anywhere that’s hot or humid.  That rules out the attic and basement, which is the first place to flood anyway.  The best area is the second story of your home.  Only have one story?  If you’re using a safe, buy one of the small, portable ones and put it up as high as possible.  Do the same with a box or briefcase.  Any of these three can be easily taken with you in an evacuation.

Okay, now you know how to save your important documents and oldest photos.  Now we’ll take care of those everyday photos.  Don’t panic at the sight of that big stack.  All you have to do is sort them, scan, save and store.  Before you know it you’ll be done, the photos will be safe and you’ll never have to worry again about losing them in a disaster. 

I poured all my photos out in the middle of the floor and started by sorting them into groups. You’ll have to decide on your own categories based on your life experiences.

First Group, Family and Friends.

Second Group, Pets. I selected the best photos for each pet. The remainder I didn’t scan.

Third Group, photos of our house as it was being built. These I didn’t scan.

Fourth Group, tossed in the Recycle Bin.  These included:

Photos from vacations that had no people in them and I couldn’t recognize the location, were boring or out of focus. 

People that were out of focus, but only if I had good photos of those same people. 

Neighbors I didn’t remember or didn’t like.

Wild animals in my parents’ yard (I hope my mother doesn’t read this).

People from the office where I used to work.

Wow, sorting helped a lot!  Many photos were recycled and the ones not being scanned could immediately be placed in plastic bags, put in photo boxes and stacked in a storage closet.  The remaining pictures were stacked on my desk.  I selected ten to work on at a time and wrote on the back of each its description and date.  After that, they were treated just like the old photos in the first part of this post—scan, save and store.  The only difference was this time the pictures went into an archival photo album before being placed in a plastic bag and the safe.

You can make this a family project.  Everyone old enough to scan photos has a set number to do each week.  You write the description on the back of the photo.  Your children and spouse do the scanning and type in the captions.  You take care of the expanded descriptions.  Before you know it, everything will be done. 

That’s it. Your documents and photos are as safe as they can get.  The only thing you have to do is add new items to your files as they come in, delete expired documents and shred the corresponding originals.  Remember to backup your files and mail a copy to Aunt Ophelia in Poughkeepsie every month.  She’ll like it that you remember her and you’ll like it that your papers are safe.  Just tell her not to keep the CD in the attic, basement or over the stove and everything will work out perfectly.  So don’t wait even one more day before you start preserving your treasured documents and photos.  Until next time, keep out of the path of fires, floods and political candidates!

72 Hour Emergency Checklist

©2010 Genealogy Help and Hints. All Rights Reserved.

Without question, losing a family member is the most devastating thing that can happen in a disaster.  The second hardest loss is Family Photos.  Going back to what is left of your home and seeing the remnants of your former everyday life is unbelievably painful.  And seeing those irreplaceable photos lying in a water-soaked heap will break your heart.

What should you do with that heap of wet photos?   Many people think they are hopeless and throw them away.  Don’t.  Here’s what you can do to try and save both them and wet documents, which should be treated basically the same.

The photos should not be allowed to dry out unless they’ve been cleaned.  Otherwise mildew will set in, which can cause irreparable harm.  But if they’ve already dried out, rewet them.  There will be still be mildew damage, but if these photos are all you have, it’s worth the attempt to salvage what you can. 

If you’re able to send them to an expert for cleaning and restoration, do it.  If not, then you’ll have to do it yourself. 

Are your photos and documents still wet and you don’t have time to clean them right now?  Freeze them. Put them in small clumps in sealed plastic bags or containers and leave them frozen until you have the time to deal with them correctly.  If time allows, place pieces of wax paper or paper towel between loose photos before freezing them.  Take photos out of frames and pull the mats off, but leave the photo and glass together and freeze them in a sealed container.  For wet documents, lay them flat, preferrably with something heavy weighing them down, put them in a sealed plastic bag or container, and freeze them.

For slides and negatives, don’t freeze them.  Wash them gently in clean, cool water.  Dry them by hanging them up with wood or plastic clothespins, or lay them flat to dry keeping the dull-looking side facing up.  Keep them out of sunlight. 

Ready to clean your photos now?  Let’s go.  

Work in a cool, airy, humid-free room out of direct sunlight.  It will take hours, maybe even overnight, to dry your photos so chose your space carefully.  Keep an oscillating fan blowing to keep the air moving while you’re working and while the photos are drying.

You should wear rubber gloves in case the photos have been exposed to bacteria or toxins in the floodwater.  I recommend the gloves fit closely to avoid damaging the photos.

Start with photos that aren’t irreplaceable until you feel secure with your abilities. 

Don’t work with more photos than you can finish at one sitting.  And on your first try, work with just a few until you have the routine down.  Even then, don’t work with too many at a time while you keep the rest frozen.

If the photos are stuck together, work with them gently underwater to pry them apart. Have patience.  If they won’t come apart right away, leave them soaking a little longer before you try again.  Or even drain them and refreeze them to see if that helps.  No matter what you do, you may have to live with damage caused by stuck photos.

Immerse your damp or frozen photos in clear, cold water.  Distilled water is best, but clean tap water will work, too.  It will also help retard the growth of mildew while you’re working with the photos.  Don’t add anything to the water to kill the bacteria or remove the toxins.  This could destroy the photos. 

Don’t run water directly on the photos, just swirl them around in the water.  You can have water running into the tub or sink you’re using to keep it fresh and clean, but don’t run it onto the photo directly.

Wash the dirt off by swirling the photo in clean water.  Gently brush off any stuck mud or grime with soft balls of cotton.  Don’t touch the front of the photo roughly with the cotton or with your fingers at all—you may wipe off the emulsion, which is the photo itself.

A good idea when the photo is clean enough to see is to immediately photograph it.  This will preserve what you’ve been able to recover just in case damage occurs during drying.  Don’t scan it—placing it face down while wet on the scanner could cause the emulsion to stick to the glass. 

Hold the wet photo up and allow as much excess water as possible to drain off.

You can hang the photo to dry with a non-metal clip or clothespin or lay it flat to dry.  The best method is to hang it because it will keep water from pooling on the photo and causing water spots.  It also keeps circulating around the photo, allowing it to dry evenly.  But hanging it can also allow the edges to curl and damage the photo.

The alternate method is to lay the photo flat—face up—on blotter paper or something similar that will absorb water, such as plain white paper towels.  Don’t use newspaper!  The print will bleed into the photo and ruin it.  You could even use window screen material so air will circulate completely around the photo and it will dry evenly.  Use new screening to be certain no dirt or staining is transferred to your wet photos.  Place something slightly weighty on the edges of the wet photos so they don’t curl.  Whatever you use shouldn’t rust or bleed color when it gets wet or your photos will be ruined.  You might try using long, thin pieces of light-colored wood that can flatten the edges of an entire row of wet photos.  To avoid water pooling on the front of the photo and making water spots, try tilting up one end of the drying table so the water runs off the photos.  Having the oscillating fan gently blowing across the weighted down photos might help, too. 

Using less important photos on your first attempt at cleaning will allow you to experiment with the best method for keeping water droplets from forming no matter which method you use for drying, hanging or laying flat.

Now, what do you do with those photos that were in frames and now have just the glass on the front of them?  First, clean them in clear, cold water by swirling them around.  When the photo is easily viewable, scan or photograph the photo to preserve it before attempting to remove it from the glass.  That way, if there is any damage, you have a record of it.  Now, with the glass and photo wet, use clean tweezers to gently lift the corner of the photograph from the glass.  Take the lifted edge in your fingers and gently pull the photo away from the glass.  If it sticks, immerse the glass and photo in water again to rewet them.  If the photo comes away cleanly from the glass, wash any remaining dirt from the photo and dry it.  However, if part of the emulsion of the photo has transferred to the glass, you will need to leave the photo where it is permanently.  Place a weight on the back of the photo while it dries to keep it from wrinkling.  Later, try sending it to a professional to see if it can be saved.

For wet documents, peel them gently away from anything to which they’re stuck.  Lay them flat between sheets of absorbent paper.  Make certain it has no color of any kind that will bleed into the document.  Change the absorbent paper as it becomes damp.  Allow the document to air dry in this manner.  After completely, absolutely dry, brush the document gently to remove dirt and mud.  Press flat by laying something heavy on top.

Here are a few articles I recommend for additional information on saving wet photos and documents:

Northwest Conservation Center; How to Save Flood Damaged Photos

National Archives, Emergency Salvage of Flood Damaged Family Papers

The DIY Network; Photo Salvaging Project – Includes examples

Never underestimate the power of a photo.  For many Genealogists, they are the most interesting items in our Family History files.  I can tell my cousins that we had an ancestor on the first boat to Jamestown and they say how nice, but they thrill to a newly discovered photograph of our great-great grandmother. 

If homes in your town have been damaged by a flood, whether it’s your own home, your neighbor’s or a stranger’s across town, do what you can to save every heap of water-soaked photos.  These are our windows to the past.  Don’t let even one be closed forever.

©2010 Genealogy Help and Hints. All Rights Reserved.

I don’t know a lot about the Military, other than I’m grateful for every person who ever served our country and that I never had to go through boot camp myself, but I do know that Military Records are proof that the American Government loves Genealogists.

For example, let’s take a look at the Civil War Pension Index Card below for my great-great grandfather, Lewis Young Blackwell. 

Doesn’t look like much does it?  The purpose of this card is exactly like a library catalog card.  It lists the soldier’s name and directs the user to information regarding his pension application and certificate.  But let’s see what else we can learn from this catalog card itself:

I can tell it’s from the Civil War, not only because that’s the card catalog index where I found it, but also from the “Date of Files” on the left, 1887 and 1912.  Although 1887 could refer to a pension period covered by the War of 1812, the subsequent date of 1912 is unlikely to refer to anything other than the Civil War.  And since the 1887 date refers to an Invalid application, that’s a little late to be filing as an invalid for the War of 1812. 

Although the card doesn’t state that it’s for a Union soldier, I can tell that Lewis Y. Blackwell served in the Union Army because he was in a WV Infantry.  Only Union troops served in West Virginia regiments, because it became a Union state after it succeeded from both the Confederacy and from Virginia.  Strangely, Lewis is also listed as serving in Company H of the 8th Missouri Infantry.  The reason for this will take some research, but it’s probably because at some point during the war, the 4th WV and the 8th MO were combined for a short time.

I now know the names of the two regiments and companies that Lewis served in, so I can research them to learn what battles he fought in, find who he fought with, and maybe even discover information about him in regiment histories.

Lewis filed for an invalid pension on Sept 24, 1887 in WV, which means he was alive and living in that state on that date. This tells me where to look for him on the Federal Census and tax lists, which will lead me where to look for him in deeds and court records.

Lewis’ wife is listed on this certificate, too.  Her name is Mary J.  She filed for her widow’s pension in WV on April 12, 1912, probably quite soon after his death.   This is excellent information because now I know to whom he was married when he died, I know when to look for his will and who would’ve probably filed his probate records.

So, we’ve learned a lot from one small pension card, which looks like it has barely anything on it.  And after I order the pension files from the National Archives for both Lewis and Mary, I’ll know even more. 

Lewis will have had to prove his military service, possibly with copies of his duty and discharge papers, or maybe statements from witnesses about his term of service.  Most likely there will be a personal account by him about his service, too.  He’ll also have had to prove that his disability was from being wounded in the war so we’ll know what happened to him.  And Mary will have had to prove that he is dead, so we’ll know exactly when and how he died. And after her death there will be a record to discontinue her pension, so we’ll learn that date, too.

Almost any Military Record can provide good information about your ancestor, and possibly not just military information, either.  I’ve found some Revolutionary War records where in the regimental roll call they listed the height, complexion, and hair and eye color of the men.  A few men even had their occupations listed.  WWI and WWII draft registration cards had these personal statistics, too, along with who their wife was, their current address, and where they worked.  If they weren’t married, their parents’ names were listed.  What a treasure all this information is! 

What you need to do is find out which wars your ancestor lived through, then research to see if you can find military records for him.  It may not be easy.  The older the war, the harder it may be to find records.  Remember, wars themselves destroyed a lot of records.  A fire in the National Archives in 1973 destroyed more.  So it’s not a guarantee that your ancestor’s records are out there.  But you don’t know until you try.

As for where to look for Military Records for your ancestor, the first place I always look for everything is Ancestry.com, which requires a subscription.  You can also order microfilm of Military Records from the Latter Day Saints (LDS) Library, but best of all they allow anyone to use Ancestry.com for free at their local Family History Centers.  (See my post on Feb 15, 2008 about the LDS Library.)  Also try your local public library to see if they have an Ancestry.com subscription.  If not, request that they subscribe.

There’s also Footnote.com, which gives free, limited access to its databases that include Military Records.  A subscription is required for unlimited access. There are other online websites.  If you’re familiar with them, try them. I’ll list more places to look for Military Records at the end of this post.   Just remember to be certain that any information you find has a valid source—which means it is documented so you know that it’s a fact.  We only want facts in our family files and facts come from solid, verifiable sources.

I have a few ancestors who, age wise, should have been in military service because they lived during some of America’s big wars, yet I can’t find any records of their service.  Either they didn’t serve due to bad health or religious beliefs, or they paid someone to substitute for them, which was common in early wars.  Or maybe I just haven’t found their military records yet.  I may never know what happened, but it won’t be from lack of trying. 

We’ve all heard the cliché—which was true.  The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard always strived to cram as many pieces of paper into a typewriter as possible from the moment carbon paper was invented.  They wanted every form typed in triplicate, every card completed, every copy filed away, every file cabinet organized and every cabinet stored away . . . somewhere.

All we have to do is find all that paperwork they generated.  At least we don’t have to go through through boot camp to do it.  As for all the people who did . . . Thanks.

As promised, here are a few other places to look for Military Records:

For Revolutionary War records, check out the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). They have an excellent library, plus an online Patriot Index Lookup service that I’ve used with excellent results, and it’s free.

National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, Patriot Grave Search.  I’ve only used this a few times, but it was accurate on those occasions.

The State of Kentucky has Virginia Revolutionary War Land Warrants from one to 4627 that can be accessed online.  Logically, if a man had a land warrant issued from the Revolutionary War, then he served in the war, although the warrants could be assigned, or sold, to someone else.   The online records state this, however.  Land Warrants above the 4627 that number are held at the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus. 

For Civil War records, I love the Alexander Street Press’ database, but their records are only open to the public through June 30, 2008, so hurry.  After that, try local libraries or colleges to see if they subscribe to this database.  It’s excellent.

Also for the Civil War, there’s a free database operated by our government, the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System.

A list of Medal of Honor Recipients from 1861 to the present.  

The Library of Virginia has online Military Records for Virginia.

Pennsylvania State Archives Military Records.

The Online Searchable Military Records & Databases has a lot of links to military websites.

If you can’t find your ancestor’s service in early wars, and especially to look for his service during Indian conflicts and in Militia companies, check historical and genealogical societies, and state and regional archives where your ancestor lived.  They may have information about the Military units drawn from that area, and perhaps even information about your ancestor.

One of my favorite places to look for everything is Personal Property taxes (see my post on March 22, 2008.)   Look specifically during the times of early wars, including the years leading up to them.  The taxes may be called Military Taxes during these periods because Militia units were responsible for tax collection during these times.  Through these you’ll learn to which Militia area your ancestor was assigned and the Captain of his unit.  With that information, you can research the activities of that Captain’s regiment to see if your ancestor actively served.

And, finally, Google your ancestor and the name of his regiment and/or the war.  See what pops up.  (See my post on Jan 22, 2008.)

©2010 Genealogy Help and Hints. All Rights Reserved.

I was recently contacted by Genealogy.com, at which time their spokesman stated:

“We have stopped adding information to Genealogy.com . . . ”

Ali, Genealogy.com

It’s sad to hear this.  Genealogy.com has been a great addition to family history websites for many years.

If you are currently a subscriber to Genealogy.com, there is no reason to cancel your membership.  Just remember that they will no longer be adding new data to their existing holdings.  Anyone wanting to join with a new subscription should also be aware of this limitation. 

Genealogy.com is still an online library of great value. (See my post of Feb 8, 2008.) But once you’ve obtained from them all the facts you can glean about your ancestors, your subscription dollars would be best spent elsewhere.  

©2010 Genealogy Help and Hints. All Rights Reserved.

What a great announcement!  A portion of the National Archives‘ massive holdings is going to be digitized by Ancestry.com and uploaded to its online subscription database.  Oh happy day!

Although digitizing the National Archives’ records will be a five-year task for Ancestry, their reward will be adding a huge dollop of vital statistics, immigration and military service data to their website.  The National Archives will also receive a copy of the digitized records for use in what they are calling “archival control.”  Without a doubt, that doesn’t mean free, online, public use.  Too bad.  However, I understand that the task of digitizing even this small percentage of the National Archives’ wealth of information is a huge undertaking.  It requires a lot of money for a job like this and for too long our government has had little interest in improving the archive, library and education systems—which are all interlinked in my opinion—of our country.

It’s sad that the only way to access part of our National Archives’ resources on our home computers will be through a private subscription service, but this current digitizing project by Ancestry.com should be looked at as just the first step to total online access.  Perhaps someday the license for Ancestry’s exclusive online use will expire (I don’t know this, I’m only hoping) and this data will be available for everyone to access.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed. 

In the meantime, every year we should all write to the President and our Congressional Representatives to demand there be a huge increase in the national budget for Education and Public Libraries, plus a large allowance so the National Archives can digitize their own records for public use.   It’s our History.  We should have access to it in more ways than by driving to a Research Room or mailing a request and a check for a copy of one record or by subscribing to a database that many people and public libraries can’t afford.

©2010 Genealogy Help and Hints. All Rights Reserved.

The first place many people begin looking for their family’s history is in a Bible, and I’m not talking about Adam and Eve or all those begets.  If we’re lucky, one of our ancestors started a tradition of writing their family’s marriage, birth and death records in their Bible.  If we’re even luckier, we know where that Bible is today.  If we’re Lotto-winner lucky, the information is correct.

That’s right.  Just because it’s in the Bible doesn’t mean it’s true.  If the records were recorded as they happened, then they’re usually right.  But if someone entered the who, what and when in hindsight, then Heaven help the person who relies on those names and dates to be facts.  I did that and wasted nine months researching the wrong names. 

How can you know if the information in your Family Bible is accurate?  Verify it.  Check the data with county and state records the same way you’d look for any vital statistic.  And right there is the biggest problem with many Family Bibles.  A lot of people didn’t record where the events happened.  To overcome this problem, start with the latest dates in the Bible and work your way backward through the names, the same as with any family history.

What if you don’t have a Bible filled with generations of invaluable facts? Try looking online to see if there is a Bible out there for your family.  The Internet is filled with websites where lovely people have taken the time to list the family records from Bibles in their possession.  Remember, though, this data still needs to be verified.

Many libraries, museums or archives, historical and genealogical societies, colleges and universities have Family Bibles in their collections.  While some have websites listing their holdings, only a few have online Bible databases.  Do not write these institutions asking if they have your family’s Bible if they have online catalog access.  Check their holdings to see if they have Bibles.  Verify the catalog to see if they have a Bible with your surname.  Call the library’s assistance number to ask how you can access the family record information in that Bible, either via interlibrary loan of a microfilmed copy of the Bible or photocopies of the pertinent pages.  If by photocopy, you’ll want the Title Page, Copywrite Page, and all the Family History Pages; plus any extras inserted or written in the Bible, such as personal notes, newspaper clippings, etc.

If the repository does not have online resources, such as a historical or genealogy society in the area you’re researching, write and ask if they have any Family Bibles in their collection.  Give the surname you’re researching and, if known, the wife’s surname before marriage.  If you know the exact area where the family lived and the time period, include that.  Keep your letter short and professional.  Include your email address, phone number and a self-addressed stamped envelope to give them a choice in responding.

eBay is a good place to look for lost Bibles, though it would be a miracle to find one for your own family.  Also antique stores and flea markets located near your ancestors’ old homestead. Can’t travel to the area you’re researching?  Check online for regional antique stores.  Rescuing a lost Bible, even though not your own, from a seller and donating it to a preservation facility like those listed above would certainly assure a researcher a place in Genealogy Heaven. 

Once you’ve found a Family Bible with the same surname as yours, how do you know if it’s your family?

1.     Verify that the information in the Bible is correct. 

2.     Try to link the names in the Bible to the people in your Family File.  Compare names, marriage dates, etc.  

3.     You don’t find any links.  What is the reason?

a.     If the life spans for the Bible names are during the period your Family File covers, this isn’t your family.  It may, however, be an aunt, uncle or cousin’s line you haven’t yet discovered.  Consider saving the names in case a connection is found later. 

b.     If the life spans for the Bible names are older than the period your Family File covers, save the Bible names until you grow your family tree higher.  Then try to connect to it again.

You may never find a Bible for your family.  Don’t sweat it.  You can live a full, healthy genealogical life without it.  Having one, however, is one of those wish-come-true things every genealogist dreams of . . . I wish I had a faster Internet connection, I wish I’d inherited the Getty fortune, I wish I had an accurate Family Bible.  We can’t all be born lucky, but now we all know where to look for lost Bible records.  Until next time, remember to verify your Family Bible!

©2010 Genealogy Help and Hints. All Rights Reserved.