Marilyn Markham, AG, MLS
Records can tell you a great deal, even when the information is not directly stated. Without saying so, records can give you information about an ancestor’s birth, marriage, death, immigration, and much more.
Analysis is a way of looking at information you have about your ancestor logically and creatively. What do the facts say? What could they mean?
Consider the source. Who gave the information, family, neighbor, doctor? Why would they know?
When did they record the information? Were they there when the event happened or did they hear about it later? Who was their source?
When you read a record, whether an original record or research done by others, think about the following:
1. Dates a. What happened when? b. How much time between events?
2. Places – What happened where?
3. Relationships – Who was related to whom and how? Fan Club = Family, Associates, Neighbors
Ask yourself:
1. What are the facts?
2. What hypotheses can be assumed from the facts?
3. Does this information match other information I have about this family or individual?
Does it disagree? How?
4. Is the new information possible?
5. What information is given that suggests something more? a. For example:
1 st child was born in Germany in March 3, 1863.
2 nd child was born in Minnesota in July 20, 1865.
This indicates that the mother at least emigrated after March 3,
1863 and before July 20, 1865.
6. How could ‘facts’ be misleading?
7. What records could prove the hypotheses?
8. Ask often: What is the likelihood that this is true?
Consider name variations for an ancestor (see FamilySearch Research Wiki - Name Variations in United
States Indexes and Records):
1.
Nicknames
2.
Spelling variations
3.
Middle name versus first name
4.
Initials
5.
Language changes
6.
Misreading of name

Consider what the information tells about your ancestor:
1.
Occupation
2.
Literacy
3.
Economic status
4.
Social circles
5.
Fan club
Look at the history of the area(s) where the family lived:
1. When did the town, county, etc. begin? Before or after your ancestor was there?
2. When did the ethnic group of your ancestor go to that area?
3. Consider: a. Places with duplicate names b. Name changes c. Spelling variations
4. For more information about a place, check: a. Omni Gazetteer b. State or county gazetteers c. State, county, or town histories d. Handy Book for Genealogists (US/Can book 973 D27e) e. Ancestry’s Red Book (US/Can book 973 D27rb) f. Internet sites:
I. www.google.com/maps
II. www.trails.com
III. www.mapquest.com
Terminology
1. Words used by ancestors could have different meanings than now
2. Check: a. New A to Zax (US/Can book 973 D26e) b. What Did They Mean By That? (US/Can book 973 D26d) c. Black’s Law Dictionary (US/Can Reference 340.03 B564L) d. Internet sites:
I. Glossary of Genealogy Terms = genealogypro.com/details/glossary.html
II. Genealogy Terms = homepages.rootsweb.com/~sam/terms.html
Resolving disagreements in records or between records
1. Look in additional records, such as censuses, church records, vital records, land records, military records, probate records, etc.
2.
Look at records of relatives, especially siblings
3.
Look at records of neighbors
Timelines and writing reports can be great helps. Both help you notice discrepancies, problems, or previously unnoticed information. They also can help you see additional information you need or records you haven’t tried yet. They make you stop and think.
If not sure what to do or search, find what was the norm for people in the place and time of you ancestor.

Some records and what to notice in them:
- Family group records and pedigrees – check differences of ages between husband and wife, between siblings, between wife and children; make a timeline; check where everyone was born and married
- Family histories, county histories, biographies – what information was given, what were the sources, how valid were the sources
- Probate – who were the heirs, who owed money, what does the inventory indicate concerning literacy, economic status, and social status
- Vital records – who was the informant; check the records of all the children
- Census – check ages, where born; add to timeline; add notes about occupation, immigration, naturalization; compare across censuses
- Naturalization – compare where children were born; compare where parents were born, married, died
- Obituaries – look for obituaries for the entire family and compare what was said
- Passenger lists – compare with family history; look at other passengers on the ship
- Military – compare ages with war years to decide if you ancestor may have fought or been impacted by a war
If ancestor was born between
1600 and 1760
1700 and1770
1742 and 1800
1781 and 1830
1800 and 1846
1833 and 1883
1834 and 1887
1872 and 1901
1896 and 1929
Check records of
Colonial Wars
Revolutionary War
War of 1812
Mexican War
Civil War
Spanish American War
Philippine Insurrection
World War I
World War II
War Years
1607 to 1773
1775 to 1783
1812 to 1815
1846 to 1848
1861 to 1865
1898
1899 to 1902
1917 to 1918
1941 to 1945

Only Use Until Have More Specific Information
Marriage
• Couples usually married in the bride’s town.
• Couples usually lived in the groom’s town.
• Couples usually were married within one year before the first child was born.
•Before motorized transportation:
–A man without a horse usually courted women within three miles of where he lived.
–A man with a horse usually courted women within six miles of where he lived.
• People usually were in their 20s when they married for the first time.
• If a person was older than 30 when married, often he/she had a previous marriage.
• A woman usually married a man about the same age or a little older for her first marriage. For later marriages, the age difference was greater. She seldom would marry a man more than 1-2 years younger.
• A man usually married a woman close to his age for his first marriage. For later marriages, he often married a woman much younger than he was.
• When a woman married, her husband became the owner of all she possessed.
Children
• The first child was often born near the town where its parents were married.
• A child was usually christened in the same town where it was born.
• Usually when two children in the same family have the same name, the first child died or was very sick before the second child was born.
• Usually there are about 1.5 to 2.5 years between births of children in a family. A larger span of years may indicate: death of a baby; an unknown child; death of a first spouse and a remarriage
• Parents often named their children after their parents, siblings or themselves.
• A woman usually had children when she was between the ages of 18-45.
• A man usually had children when he was between the ages of 18-60.
Death
• A person was usually buried soon after death.
• The person who gave the information about the deceased for an obituary, tombstone, certificate, etc. may not have known the real facts about the deceased.
Migration & Immigration
• People often traveled with and/or settled near relatives, friends or people from the same town.
• People moved more often than we think.
• Until roads & railroads improved, people usually traveled on or near water.
• For new settlements, people preferred living near water.
• People usually migrated to the West, but sometimes they went back East.
• When immigrating to America, colonial family members usually came together. For later immigrants, the father of a family might come first, then the rest of the family.
Activities
• Before the Civil War, most free men owned land and usually farmed it.
• Men usually acquired land soon after moving to a location.
• In colonial times, men aged 16 to 65 probably were in the militia.
• People usually ignored boundaries (state, county, etc.) when deciding where to marry, farm, die, etc.

Religion
• The Congregational Church was the main church in New England.
• The Anglican Church was the main church of the Southern states.
• The Presbyterian Church was strongest in Mid-Atlantic and Southern states
• Quakers were strongest in:
- Pennsylvania near Philadelphia
- New England
- Mid-Atlantic states
- Southern, especially North Carolina
- After the Revolution, many went to Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.
• The Baptist Church is strongest in the Mid-Atlantic and the Southern states
• Methodist Church: By 1850, about 1/3 of American Protestants were Methodists. From 1820 to 1920,
Methodism was the largest Protestant denomination.
People from:
Scandinavian
Northern Germany and northern Switzerland
Southern Germany and southern Switzerland
Usually were:
Lutheran
Lutheran
Roman Catholic
The Netherlands Dutch Reformed Church
Latin America, Spain, France, Portugal, and Italy Roman Catholic
Greece Greek Orthodox
Russia Russian Orthodox
Check church records of the town first
- If not in town church records, check county church records
- If your ancestor lived in a small town, check the records of all the churches in that town.
Usually Catholics did not go to a Protestant church, and usually Protestants did not go to a
Catholic church.