Welcome one and all to the last chapter of my adventures at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree!
Part 1 is here, and an intro to me, and the Genealogy side of this blog, is here. ;-D
I had planned to attend 11 sessions at Jamboree, but added 1 more Friday morning.
Only 1? It sure felt like I went to many more!
And I mean that in a good way, because I learned so much over the 3 days.
Over the week after Jamboree, as I struggled with Computer issues, I knew I wanted to share some of my notes that I took on many of the classes, here, as a way of giving you, dear reader, an idea of the information discussed, and shared.
During this time I relied on my Co-Blogger, Nikita, to organize my notes for me, and let him write the report I am about to present here.
In the 2 pictures seen in this post, with him in them, I can be seen going over, and discussing, the report with Nikita, checking to see if it was presentable for posting.
In case you are wondering what a Cat is doing blogging about Genealogy, then you may not be a regular reader of this blog. ;-D
Last month Nikita posted his 1st Genealogy Contribution!
Cat Genealogy: Prowling Past in Purrsuit of Pussy Paternity
It is my hope that if you find this report useful, and informative, that you spread the word to anyone that you think might benefit from it.
So, without further ado, here are my notes, as organized by my Feline Best Buddy, and Co-Blogger!
I. ADVANCED BEGINNING GENEALOGY by Lynne Parmenter:
1. Just becasue it's online doesn't mena it's tru. if you can't see the original just use the info as a clue.
2. Family stories are 1 part true, 1 part fiction, and all about pride: Try to document and research them.
3. Collateral lines lead to missing people.
4. SOURCES: Cite everything! This answers the question - How do I know this?
5. Info is only as good as the sources.
A. Primary data - Witness at time of event.
B. Secondary data - Not a witness. Info is from a source later than the event.
6. Save EVERYTHING found, or gathered, in your research that could provide clues.
7. Missing 1890 Census - Use State Substitutes.
8. Follow Parents, one at a time, backward. Follow their sibblings forward. Repeat with Grand-Parents, and so on. This sets Genealogical Stakes in the ground.
9. Census collects you where you are, the day the Census Taker records you.
10. Census, and other records, are all about the year, and the Government Jurisdiction.
11. People can live in 1 place for years, yet the jurisdiction can change over time; Towns, villages, cities, parishes, counties, states, provinces, and even countries can change their boundaries, jurisdictions, and even names.
12. CENSUS SUBSTITUTES: State and territorial census, Mortality Schedules (All deaths 365 days before a census is taken.), Slave Schedules (With Land Record this gives economic status.).
13. Watch for errors, and ommissions, in census, and other records.
14. Use City Directories, land records, old and new maps and gazaeteers, county histories, mortuary records, and military records.
II. PORTS OF OUR PAST - A GUIDE TO U.S. PORTS, AND RECORDS by Elaine Alexander:
1. Official U.S. Passenger Lists begin in 1820, and stopped in 1924 due to a new Visa Program.
2. Electronic Government Records can be found in Federal and National Archives, State Archives, County Archives, and City Archives of Seaport Cities.
III. FINDING LOST RECORDS, AND SOURCES, OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY by Arlene Eakle:
1. Don't stop with what relatives say...dig deeper.
2. Don't let Library resources dictate your Pedigree results.
3. Get out of the Library!
4. Read the Footnotes of a book first because this could lead to new information not found elsewhere.
5. Your information may require effort to get from other sources.
6. Pay attention to Migration Patterns because they are important for your research.
7. If an ancestor is important...look for information on them from the time of their height of notariety, not just after they died.
8. Research family treasures for locations where they were made, and by whom.
IV.PUTTING FLESH ON THE BONES by Ron Arons:
1. Concentrate on 1 person at a time, and explore them by going beyond Who, What, When, and Where, to WHY.
2. Backward looking documents can be hazardous to your research.
3. Starting with a target person...look into their parents, siblings, children, and other relatives, and their events, and locations.
V. GENEALOGY AND THE CHANGING MAP OF EASTERN EUROPE by Stephen Danko:
1. Julian and Gregorian Calendar dates, both, may appear on some documents.
2. Sources to identify Immigrant Ancestors, learn when they arrives, and where they lived, include: Family Records, Census Records, Military Records, Vital Records and Church Records, Passenger Manifests, and Naturalization Records.
VI. 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE GENEALOGISTS by Dear Myrtle:
Beyond starting the habit of effectively learning from others, the 7 include the following:
A. Document everything, and source it.
B. Start filing right away.
C. Learn from the experts.
D. Adhere to the Genealogical Proof Standards.
E. Use technology wisely.
F. Consider the archivist, or librarians, point of view.
G. Share with others.
1. Just because it's on the internet, or in a book, does not mean it's your person, or even entirely accurate.
2. use binders, and hanging file folders, for filing.
3. Scan images onto your computer.
4. Check out the website of Light Impressions Direct for preservation materials so you can work from photo copies instead of your originals.
5. Attend conferences, and read books, and websites, so you can learn from them.
6. Perform a reasonably exhaustive search; This provides a wide range of high quality sources, and helps you avoid a too hasty conclusion.
7. RESEARCH IDEAS: Check Family Search Catalog, Check US GenWeb, and World Genweb, for Locality Searches, use Libraries in the localities where your ancestors lived (Ask a Librarian for help.), use Historical Societies in the localities where your ancestors lived.
8. Citing sources helps us , and those who come after us.
9. Analysis and Correlation of collected info: Provides for a sound interpretation, should be done for each source, and helps your conclusion reflect all the evidence.
10 Don't Embelish: Take Info at face value until proved.
11. Conflicting Evidence? How about telling your story in notes in order to flesh out what you know?
12. Analyze, and pull together evidence, to resolve conflicts.
13. Soundly reasoned, and coherently written conclusions, eliminate bias, and explain evidence: RESEEARCH! RESEARCH! RESEARCH!
14. Spelling doesn't count in Genealogy! There may be 20 variations of a name!
15. Read every page of a Census, front to back.
Librarians, and archivists are not there to do the research for you: Don't forget to compliment them! This will make them more helpful, and responsive to your requests, and questions...hee, hee! ;-D
