Records and Sources

Genealogy involves searching for information in countless places, not just online databases or newspaper clippings. There are records, references and documents galore to dig through. Knowing your sources can help with your family tree searches immensely.

Basics of Land Deeds
Deeds can tell you more than just where a person lived. They can be a challenge to interpret though, with some unique forms of property measurement.

Criminal Records
Even those naughty ancestors who broke the law can help you shed further light on your family tree. Check out the court records.

Dawes Rolls
Census records and indexes specifically for Native Americans is a vital resource for anyone with native ancestors.

Heraldic Visitations
If you are doing any genealogical research in the UK, particularly in the 1500-1650 date range, you will find the Harleian Society's heraldic visitations to be of enormous value.

Homestead Act Records
Records from the era of granting homesteads to American settlers can hold a lot of great genealogical information if you have pioneer ancestors.

Learning from Gravestones
You can learn a lot about someone from a gravestone, much more than just a couple of dates and a name.

Newspaper Research
Don't overlook old newspapers as places to do your research. There are many different kinds of information you might find on your family in the paper.

Using Old Maps
Put your ancestors in perspective by seeing where they lived as well as how they lived.

Vital Records
Vital records are the corner-stone of all genealogy research. They are those basic documents for birth, marriage and death.

Obtaining Vital Records
Understanding vital records is half the battle. You will also need to know where to look to find those elusive documents.