Genealogy Online

by Elizabeth Crowe

  How to Judge

  Be aware that just because something is on a computer, this doesn’t make it infallible. Garbage in, garbage out has always been the immutable law of computing. The criteria for the evaluation of resources on the Web must be the same criteria you would use for any other source of information. With this in mind, ask yourself the following questions when evaluating an online genealogy site.

  Who Created It?

  You can find all kinds of resources on the Internet—from libraries, research institutions, and organizations such as the National Genealogical Society (NGS), to government and university resources. Sources such as these give you more confidence in their data than, say, resources from a hobbyist, or even information from an online query. Publications and software companies also publish genealogical information, but you must read the site carefully to determine whether they’ve actually researched this information or simply posted whatever their customers threw at them. Finally, you can find tons of “family traditions” online. And although traditions usually have a grain of truth to them, at the same time, they are usually not unvarnished.

  How Long Ago Was It Created?

  The more often a webpage is updated, the better you can feel about the data it holds. Of course, a page listing the census for a certain county in 1850 needn’t be updated every week, but a pedigree put online should be updated as the author finds more data.

  Where Does the Information Come From?

  If the page in question doesn’t give any sources, you’ll want to contact the page author to acquire the necessary information. If sources do exist, of course, you must decide if you can trust them.

  In What Form Is the Information?

  A simple GEDCOM published as a webpage can be useful for the beginner, but ideally, you want an index to any genealogical resource, regardless of form. If a site has no search function, no table of contents, or no document map (a graphic leading you to different parts of the site), it is much less useful than it could be.

  How Well Does the Author Use and Define Genealogical Terms?

  Does the author clearly know the difference between a yeoman farmer and a yeoman sailor? Does the author seem to be knowledgeable about genealogy? Another problem with online pages is whether the author understands the problems of dates—both badly recorded dates and the 1752 calendar change. There are sites to help you with calendar problems.

  Does the Information Make Sense Compared to What You Already Know?

  If you have documentary evidence that contradicts what you see on a webpage, treat it as you would a mistake in a printed genealogy or magazine: Tell the author about your data and see whether the two versions can be reconciled. This sort of exchange, after all, is what online genealogy is all about! For example, many online genealogies have a mistake about one of my ancestors because they didn’t stop to analyze the data and made erroneous assumptions.

  In Figure 1-4, you can see a transcription of the 1850 Census of Lake County, Indiana.

  FIGURE 1-4. Census records sometimes need careful study and interpretation.

  The column labeled HN is for household numbered in order of visitation; the column labeled FN is for families numbered in order of visitation. You can see Abraham Spencer (age 58) and his wife Diadama (age 56; her name is misspelled on the census form) have children Stephen through Elisabeth, and underneath are Amanda, age 27, and then three children under the age of 5. Some genealogies I have found on the Web assume that Amanda and the following children are also offspring of Abraham and Diadama, but if you look at the ages and how the families are listed—with Amanda and the younger children under the youngest of Abraham and Diadama’s children—you see this doesn’t make sense. On the other hand, if you were to look at the mortality schedule for the county for that year, you would see that Orsemus Spencer (Amanda’s husband and Abraham’s son) died in February before the census taker arrived in October. Amanda and her children moved in with her in-laws after her husband’s death. The three youngest ones are part of the household, but they aren’t Abraham Spencer’s children; they are his grandchildren.

  Note

  A mortality schedule contains data collected during a census about those who died before June in the year of the census. For each person, the following information is listed: name, age, sex, marital status if married or widowed, state or country of birth, month of death, occupation, cause of death, and the length of the final illness. In 1918 and 1919, many of these records were returned to the states; others were given to the Daughters of the American Revolution. Many volunteer-run genealogy websites have posted transcribed mortality schedules for counties around the United States.

  With this in mind, becoming familiar with the National Genealogical Society’s Standards for Sharing Information with Others, as shown in Appendix A, would help. Judge what you find on the Internet by these standards. Hold yourself to them as you exchange information, and help keep the data on the Internet as accurate as possible. After you have these standards firmly in mind, a good system to help you track what you know, how you know it, and what you don’t know, as well as the surnames you need, is simply a matter of searching for the facts regarding each individual as you go along.

  Sources That Can Help a Genealogical Researcher

  • Vital records Birth, death, and marriage records can sometimes be found on state government sites. However, many states did not require these before the twentieth century.

  • Court records Wills, adoptions, land and property bills of sale, tax rolls, deeds, naturalization, and even lawsuits.

  • Church records Baptisms, marriages, burials, etc.

  • Newspapers and magazines Not only obituaries, marriage, and birth notices, but also social news; perhaps parents, siblings, or cousins are mentioned.

  • Military records Enlistment, commission, muster rolls, and veterans’ documentation.

  • Fraternal organizations Organizations such as the Elks, Knights of Columnbus and college fraternities and sororities can be helpful.

  • Ships’ passenger lists Not only for immigrants to your country, but also for travel within. Also, some rivers, such as the Tennessee, were the site of many pioneer marriages.

  • Family History Centers These have resources such as the International Genealogical Index, Ancestral File, and Old Parochial Register.

  • State archives and libraries Many of these are online!

  • Census records Not only federal, but also local and state.

  • Published genealogies Most local libraries have at least a few genealogies in their reference section.

  • Relatives This includes aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and folks who knew them before you were born.

  Standards of Genealogical Research

  Genealogy is a hobby for most of us, and we do it for fun. The average genealogist is not doing this for fame and fortune, but because of an insatiable curiosity about the people who came before us. Given that, this little section may seem a bit too serious, even “taking all the fun out of it.” Still, I believe that if you approach this hobby with the right attitude and care, it will be more rewarding than if you just dive in without giving a thought to the best practices and ethics. Despite the fact that there are no official “rules” to this when you are a hobbyist, following guidelines and standards can, in the end, make your experience easier and more enjoyable.

  As mentioned previously, in the appendixes to this book you will find the latest standards and guidelines from the National Genealogical Society (www.ngsgenealogy.org), and I suggest you study them. Though you can (and should) take many excellent courses in genealogy, if you review and understand these documents first, you will be better prepared to proceed on your family history quest in the best manner.

  Briefly, the NGS standards and guidelines emphasize these points:

  • Do not assume too much from any piece of information.

  • Know the differences between primary and secondary sources.

  •
Keep careful records.

  • Give credit to all sources and other researchers when appropriate.

  • Treat original records and their repositories with respect.

  • Treat other researchers, the objects of your research, and especially living relatives with respect.

  • Avail yourself of all the training, periodicals, literature, and organizations you can afford in time and money. Joining the NGS is a good first step!

  • And finally, mentor other researchers as you learn more yourself.

  Another good outline to the best way to practice genealogy is the Board for Certification of Genealogists Code of Ethics and Conduct on their website at www.bcgcertification.org/aboutbcg/code.html. This is also a guide to choosing a professional, should you decide to get some help on your genealogy along the way!

  How to Write a Query

  Genealogy is a popular hobby, and lots of people have been pursuing it for a long time. When you realize that, it makes sense to first see whether someone else has found what you need and is willing to share it. Your best tool for this is the query.

  A query, in genealogy terms, is a request for data, or at least for a clue where to find data on a specific person. Queries may be sent to one person in a letter or in an e-mail to the whole world (in effect). You can also send queries to an online site, a magazine, a mailing list, or another forum that reaches many people at once.

  Writing a good query is not hard, but you do have to use certain rules for it to be effective. Make the query short and to the point. Don’t try to solve all your genealogical puzzles in one query; zero in on one task at a time.

  You must always list at least one name, at least one date or time period, and at least one location to go with the name. Do not bother sending a query that does not have all three of these elements, because no one will be able to help you without a name, a date, and a place. If you are not certain about one of the elements, follow it with a question mark in parentheses, and be clear about what you know for sure as opposed to what you are trying to prove.

  Here are some style points to keep in mind:

  • Use all capital letters to spell every surname, including the maiden name and previous married names of female ancestors.

  • Include all known relatives’ names—children, siblings, and so on.

  • Use complete names, including any middle names, if known.

  • Proofread all the names.

  • Give complete dates whenever possible. Follow the format DD Month YYYY, as in 20 May 1865. If the date is uncertain, use “before” or “about” as appropriate, such as “Born c. 1792” or “Died before October 1850.”

  • Proofread all the dates for typos; this is where transpositions can really get you!

  • Give town, county, and state (or province) for North American locations; town, parish (if known), and county for United Kingdom locations; and so on. In other words, start with the specific and go to the general, including all divisions possible.

  • If you are posting your query to a message board, it is helpful to include the name, the date, and, if possible, migration route using > to show the family’s progress.

  • Finally, include how you wish to be contacted. For a letter query or one sent to a print magazine, you will want to include your full mailing address. For online queries, you want to include at least an e-mail address or your user name on that site.

  Note

  Do not ever send a letter or query that says, “Send me everything you have on the Jones family” or words to that effect. This is not a game of Go Fish. It is rude and unfair to ask for someone to just hand over years of research. When you ask for information, have some data to exchange and a specific genealogy goal to fill. Also, always offer to pay copying and/or postage costs.

  Here’s a sample query for online publication:

  Query: Crippen, 1794, CT>MA>VT>Canada

  I need proof of the parents of Diadama CRIPPEN born 11 Sept 1794 in (?), NY. I believe her father was Darius CRIPPEN, son of Samuel CRIPPEN, and her mother was Abigail STEVENS CRIPPEN, daughter of Roger STEVENS, both from CT. They lived in Egremont, Berkshire County, MA and Pittsfield, Rutland County, VT before moving to Bastard Township, Ontario, Canada. I will exchange information and copying costs. [Here you would put your regular mail address, e-mail address, or other contact information.]

  As you can see, this query is aimed at one specific goal: the parents of Diadama. The spelling matches the death notice that gave the date of birth—a secondary source—but because it is close to the actual event, it’s acceptable to post this with the caveat “I believe.” It has one date, several names, several places, and because this one is going online, a migration trail in the subject line (CT>MA>VT>Canada). If the author knew Diadama’s siblings for certain, they would be in there, too. When you have posted queries, especially on discussion boards and other online venues, check back frequently for answers. If the site has a way to alert you by e-mail when your posting gets an answer, be sure to use it. Also, read the queries from whatever source you have chosen to use, and search query sites for your surnames. As you can see from the example, queries themselves can be excellent clues to family history data!

  Documentation

  Document everything you find. When you enter data into your system, enter where and when you found it. Like backups of your work, this will save you countless hours in the long run.

  A true story: At the beginning of her genealogy research in the late 1960s, my mother came across a volume of biographies for a town in Kansas. This sort of book was common in the 1800s. Everyone who was “someone” in a small town would contribute toward a book of history of the town. Contributors were included in the book, sometimes with a picture, and the biography would be a timeline of their lives up to the publication of the book, emphasizing when the family moved to town and their importance to the local economy. One of these biographies was of a man named Spencer and included a picture of him. He looked much like her own grandfather, but the date was clearly too early to be him. Still, she photocopied it, just in case. However, she didn’t photocopy the title page or make a note of where she had seen the book, which library, which town, and so forth.

  Fast-forward 15 years to the early 1980s. At this point, my mother is in possession of much more data, and in organizing things, came across the photocopy. Sure enough, that biography she had found years before is of her grandfather’s grandfather; she had come across enough primary sources (birth certificates, church records, and so on) to know this. And now, she knew this secondary source had valuable information about that man’s early life, who his parents were, and who his in-laws were. However, all she had was the page, with no idea of how to find the book again to document it as a source! It took days to reconstruct her research and make a guess as to which library had it. She finally did find it again and documented the source, but it was quite tedious. Just taking an extra two minutes, years before, would have saved a lot of time!

  Backup

  Back up your data. I’m going to repeat that in this book as often as I say, “Document your sources.” Documentation and backup are essential. On these two principles hang all your effort and investment in genealogy. Hurricanes happen. Fire and earthquakes do, too. Software and hard drives fail for mysterious reasons. To have years of work gone with the wind is not a good feeling.

  If you are sticking to a paper system, make photocopies and keep them offsite—perhaps at your cousin’s house or a rental storage unit. More and more people are using “the cloud” or online backup—that is, using someone else’s computer to hold your data files.

  Online storage services are a convenient way to store offsite backup copies of critical information. Some services that are free until you reach some level of use are XDrive, box.net, Mozy, DropBoks, iBackup, eSnips, MediaMax, OmniDrive, openomy, and more. If you need more than the basic free space, they all offer additional storage, costing from $5 to $30 a month, depending on how much room you need.
Several of these services will let you make some files available to other people while keeping other files secret and secure. Although all of them will work with both Macintosh and PC computers, some of them are picky about the web browser you use. Experiment with several of these services and find the one with the right fit for you. Then use it often!

  Publishing Your Findings

  Sooner or later, you’re going to want to share what you’ve found, perhaps by publishing it on the Internet. To do this, you need space on a server of some sort. Fortunately, your choices here are wide.

  Most Internet service providers (ISPs) allot some disk space on their servers for their users. Check with your ISP to see how much you have. Many other sites offer a small amount of web publishing space for free, as long as you allow them to display an ad on the visitor’s screen. Just put “Free Web Space” in any search engine and you will come up with a current list.

  Some software programs will put your genealogy database on the software publishers’ website, where it can be searched by others. Some websites, such as WorldConnect, let you post the GEDCOM of your data for searching in database form instead of in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Finally, genealogy-specific sites, such as ROOTSWEB and MyFamily.com, offer free space for noncommercial use in HTML format.

  Some of the programs, however, don’t give you a choice of where you post your data. Some will post your data on a proprietary site. Once there, your data becomes part of the company’s database, which may be sold later. Simply by posting your data on the site, you give them permission to do this. There is quite a bit of discussion and debate about this privatization of publicly available data. Some say this will be the end of amateur genealogy, whereas others feel this is a way to preserve data that might be lost to disaster or neglect. It’s up to you whether you want to post to a site that reuses your data for its own profit.