CHAPTER SIX
The most unused source in genealogy is LAND RECORDS. Land records were kept long before Vital Statistics were required. These are found mainly in court houses. These records list every transaction for all parcels of land no matter how big or small. They list the grantor (giver) , grantee (receiver), description of the land , often from where the buyer came originally, if the land transfer is because of death, the distribution to heirs, mortgages and settlements, petitions to the court to settle titles and land disputes and other miscellaneous items. No family history is properly completed without these records being searched.
The Federal Government holds the original LAND PATENT records. The address for obtaining copies of these is:
Federal Land Patents,
Bureau of Land Management,
Eastern State Office,
7450 Boston Boulevard,
Springfield, VA 22153
The indexes to these on CDs are located in the Secretary of State office for each state. Another place to find very good land records is abstractors offices.
While you are making this additional trip to the court house, you might also find value in looking at some of the miscellaneous records peculiar to each state. TAX LISTS, MILITARY DISCHARGE CERTIFICATES, LIVING WILLS, POWERS OF ATTORNEY, PROFESSIONAL LICENSES, FARMERS’ BRANDS, CRIMINAL and CIVIL COURT RECORDS are just a few to be found by the true researcher and all contribute information vital to really knowing your ancestor. A good rule to follow is SEARCH ALL RECORDS FOR ALL TIME PERIODS your family lived in the area.
By now you should have most of the information needed to properly fill your family group sheet. What do you do if the records conflict? You need to EVALUATE your sources. Was the record made at the time of the event? Who made it? How legible was it? Is the source reliable? Events recorded at the time they occurred are called PRIMARY SOURCES. Events written long after the occurrence are subject to much more error and are called SECONDARY SOURCES.. A birth from a Family Bible where the entries all have slightly different writing and different ink show they were probably written near the time of event. Also check the publishing date If published after the dates written in , it may not be so reliable and is considered secondary. Courthouse records are usually considered Primary as are federal and church records. Obituaries, newspaper items, indexes of all kinds, and printed family histories are included among those usually listed as secondary sources as they are often erroneous. Never use an index alone, go to the source and see the original. This includes Internet Records as well. If secondary sources are all you can find, then go with PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE. This means that if all records point to one conclusion you may accept it for the time being as right, but keep your eyes open for other records in your searching.
Hopefully , by now, you are well on your way and enjoying successes. Now is the time to go to your local library and check out a book on doing genealogy. Then READ it. Despite our many years of teaching genealogy, we read every new book offered on that subject. We never fail to learn something more. Nobody knows it all. Each author has something of value to offer. Their experiences lead them down different pathways. Often they discover little known records in obscure places. Refresher courses keep us on our toes.
One other piece of advice should be given here. DO YOUR USA LINES FIRST. The easiest researching will be done this side of the water. There are so many records available to us as alternate sources. When .you finally do research overseas, the records probably will be in a different handwriting style or/and a different language.
This short guide to “Beginning Genealogy” is not meant to be all-inclusive. Now that you have read this, feel free to go back to the Genforum Chat Room and ask questions. The great folks in there love to help, are quite knowledgeable, and search all over the world. URLs have been deliberately left out of here because they are constantly changing. Our resident genealogists keep on top of changes and can usually steer you to the right ones for your challenge. Be sure to POST YOUR SURNAMES AND QUERIES with Genforum and check back often to see if any replies are there.