Archives for June 2016

Why are we looking for this information?

• You may want to be officially entitled to arms by inheritance or maybe you have a family history in a certain country stretching back centuries and you would like to display the authentic family coats of arms/family crest for your family.
• As a hobbyist genealogist you might have advanced in making your family tree and finding out things about births, deaths and marriages in your family, and now it is time for you to know if there is a family shield for any of your family branches.
• You are just curious to find out if any of your surnames are related to a family shield. Heraldry can be a fantastic window to your family past and at the end, learning more about your family and its history is learning more about yourself.

Any of the above could be a good reason to embark yourself in family heraldry.  Of course, as soon as you start, you will find that there are quite a number of divergent attitudes to Family Crests/Coats of Arms.  Some people even discuss the existence of family coats arguing coats of arms can just belong to one person. The answer to this question really depends on your attitude and your purpose.  However a wider interpretation prevails and there is a general acceptance to the use of historic coats of arms whenever:

• You are a direct descendant from the original owner/creator of a family coat of arms.
• If your ancestors are from Ireland, a Family Crest identifying your surname can apply to you. This assertion was made by no less than Edward MacLysaght (1887-1986), the former Chief Herald of Ireland and one of the foremost Irish genealogists of the twentieth century.

  

Some other countries have more strict regulations –always talking about official use- .

• Arms and armorial insignia are granted only by the Kings of Arms in England, by Lyon King of Arms in Scotland and Ulster King of Arms in Northern Ireland.
• To be entitled to arms by inheritance in England, a family of today must be able to prove a direct legitimate male line descent from an ancestor who is on the official record of the College of Arms as being entitled to the same arms.
• If you have English ascendants, take in account that “The College of Arms” is the corporation of heralds responsible for controlling, granting, and confirming arms in England under the general supervision of the Duke of Norfolk in his capacity as Earl Marshal. The Official Registers of the College include the armorial bearings granted or confirmed to English and Welsh families from the fifteenth century until today, and family trees of thousands of families of English and Welsh origin. It was established under the reign of Richard III in 1444.
• The regulation of Scottish heraldry differs considerably from the system in England, and all persons using arms are required to register or “matriculate” their right to arms in the Court of Lord Lyon King of Arms.

Origins of heraldry

Heraldry can be regarded in some aspect as a precedent of our actual brands, and as we know it now, has descended from ancient practices that evidenced the need of armies to distinguish friend from foe in a battle -or in times of peace, in a tournament or similar event- therefore clothing, helmets, armors, and shields had to be marked with symbols and distinctive colors. These marks were also useful at the time of identifying rank and identity.

• Greeks wore images of animals on their shields to identify their home city state. The Athenians bore an owl, the Thebans a sphynx, and so on. These images represented shorthand of an important, defining myth about their city state or its patron deity.
• Roman bore standards with distinctive symbols on them to identify each legion. It is believed that the Welsh dragon, a famous symbol in British heraldry, originally derived from the standard of a Roman legion posted in Wales.

Though heraldic arms first appeared during the reign of Charlemagne, true heraldic symbols that were passed down through noble families did not appear until the12th century.

• At first, heraldic symbology had no rules. People simply designed their arms as they pleased.
• Rules for heraldry soon began to develop when different people used similar images, making it difficult to tell them apart.
• Another need for rules grew up from the practice of joining arms onto one shield to show acquisition of lands through marriage or important parentage.
• In addition, multiple sons required slight variations in the family shield to distinguish each one, as at its origins the design was unique to an individual and even sometimes, the individual only had rights to the coat of arms during his lifetime. However, other times he was allowed to pass it down to his descendants, and it became the family coat of arms.
• The establishment of heralds-who were able to identify armory- was key for the development of the rules of
• Rules of heraldry have roots in the early practices from northern Europe, mostly in France, England and the Holy Roman Empire, but their use extended as far east as Poland and as far south as Spain.
• Heraldry began as a strictly military insignia for rulers and their dynasties. The practice soon spread to the nobility, from high to low. From the mid-14th century onward, it also began to be used by rich non-nobles in non-military settings.
• Heraldry is not limited to people.  Different kinds of corporations both public and private, i.e. professional associations, commerce chambers, municipal governments, etc. do have coats of arms as well.

What do the different images in a coat of arm show?

• Images employed in a coats of arms can show rank and hierarchy, thus showing a king recognition to a noble.
• Images are sometimes used to make a statement or to show events like annexation of a territory, by means of war, military alliances or matrimony.
• They can also commemorate a special victory or show the extent of the owner´s territory.
• Besides images, some family coats might include a motto that can be placed above or under the shield itself.
• Colors employed also have a significance and thus are used as symbols as well.

At http://www.digiserve.com/heraldry/ you can use Pimbley’s Dictionary of Heraldry or one of the other dictionaries listed or to identify the various charges and symbols found on coats of arms.

In Medieval times they were a big deal, like our modern brands, and could be used in different elements besides military equipment, from flags to jewelry.

Coats of arm search: what information do we need to gather?  Is it hard to get this information?

• It is advisable that you first do your family tree, so as to identify family branches, and then you can embark yourself in the fascinate activity of finding out if there is a coat of arms for any of the branches. The further you can go in your family tree for direct ascendants, the better.
• In England, the College of Arms is unsupported from public funds and access to its records is therefore limited. However, the heralds do undertake searches in the records on payment of professional fees, and if an enquirer wishes to consult a particular manuscript, appropriate arrangements can be made. Enquiries should be addressed in the first instance to any individual herald or to the Officer in Waiting, College of Arms, Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4BT.
• Searching in libraries can also be of help, especially for the best known English surnames, as some British periodicals, such as Gentleman’s Magazine (1731-1907), contain excellent information. American academic libraries are usually the best source for such publications. Details about the pedigrees of armigerous ancestors of the 16th and 17th centuries can usually be found in the manuscripts known as the heraldic visitations,many of which have been published by the Harleian Society. Numerous university and genealogical libraries have these publications.
• Besides England, some other countries have today Colleges or Arms and/or Heraldry Associations, that deal with all issues related both to historical and modern coats of arms. At: http://www.theheraldrysociety.com/treeview/links.htm you will find links to all Heraldry Associations in the UK and abroad (Africa,  Australasia, Europe and North America), to the International Associations (The International Association of Amateur Heralds, L´académie internationale d´heraldique and La Confédération Internationale de Généalogie et d´Heraldique) together with some other resources that could be useful to your search.
• Cindy´s List does also provide useful resources at: http://www.cindyslist.com/heraldry/societies
• At http://www.digiserve.com/heraldry/ you will find help to conduct heraldry research on the internet as there are links to the various sources of heraldic material available. However, you can also look for a family name coat of arms.
• Check http://www.coatofarmsdetective.com/ This page has great links that will help you to find out if your family has a coats of arms.
• Another way to quickly find out if your family has a coat of arm is searching House of Names. They provide history about the surname and location and dates when a coat of arms for your surname was first used.

Visit House of Names at http://www.houseofnames.com

Is there a coat of Arms for every surname?

• If your ancestry is from a country with a tradition of Heraldry (Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, and most of Europe) then the chances of finding an accurate Family Crest/Coat of Arms for your name is greatly improved.
• Even then, there are countless family names, even of ancient origin, for which no heraldic design could yet be found.
• However there is nothing to prevent you from creating one for your own name and either keeping it for the use of your own family or releasing it into the public domain to be used by anyone else of the same name. For example The International Association of Amateur Heralds, can help you with the design and emblazonment of coats of arms which follow the established rules of heraldry. The design process is a collaboration between you and an IAAH-approved herald, who makes him- or herself available to explain the heraldic science, consult with you,  propose design options, and assist you  to arrive at a design both pleasing to you and in keeping with the laws of heraldry.  As this Association is web based, you can contact them at http://www.amateurheralds.com

Terms used in heraldry that you should learn before embarking yourself in your own family heraldry search:

• Coat of Arms: is a design whose symbols are meant to represent the achievements of the person to which the arms were granted. A coat of arms consists of several parts: the shield, the mantling, the helm, the wreath, the charges, and the crest (note that not all arms have crests).
• Crest: is the device/object attached to the top of the helm (helmet). However, this term can also be seen as an equivalent to “coats of arms”. This is due to the fact that the crest can be used as a simplified symbol when the full coat of arms is too detailed.  It should also be considered that whenever sons used a modified version of their father coats of arms the crest was rarely modified, so it had a more “permanent” character.
• Herald: the term “heraldry” derives from the word “herald”. Heralds were the expert people who had the ability to “blazon” (read) an approaching knight’s arms and determine his identity. This skill became so valuable that even smaller military groups and minor nobles employed a herald when going to battle.
• Blazon: official way of describing a flag or coat of arms.

By, Carmen Vazquez Sibils

How relevant are vital records?

Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental (or previously ecclesiastical) authority, including birth, marriage and death certificates.

When doing your genealogy research getting vital records is essential as they can provide details on the most important milestones in your ancestors’ lives.  As they were typically created at or near the time of the event, are supposed to be accurate.  They include information like the event date and place, parents’ names, occupation and residence. Many birth certificates (and baptism faiths) do also include names of grandparents besides the newborn ‘parent names.

Image 1: view of my grandmother´s birth certificate, where both, parents and grandparents names are stated.

The cause of death is also included in most death records.

Image 2: view of my great-grandfather´ death certificate where cause of death is indicated.

• Names and other relevant data of witnesses -that can be either friends or relatives-are also included in these certificates and can be a good source for additional clues.
• Once exhausted family sources for birth, marriage and death certificates, you can start your search both online and offline.
• There are a number of ancestry sites on the internet that contain old birth, marriage and death records. Online indexes at places like com and FamilySearch.org can help you request copies from vital records keepers, and in some cases the images of actual records. Some indexes link to images of actual records.
• In other cases, there are indexes that contain information that will help you request the record. If you find your ancestor in an index, be sure to click on the database title and look at the description to learn how to request the actual record. The full record will typically include details not found in the index.
• Census registers are also available on the better known genealogy sites, and are with no doubt very useful as an additional source of information, as census records indicate data such as the age of the person being censed, thus this allows for example to compare the age of our ancestor at the time of the census with the birth date from the birth certificate, and helps you at the time of distinguishing your ancestor from homonymous people. In the same sense, as census registers do also provide other relevant data such as marital status and other people living in the same house, by analyzing all the data in this context we can undergo mistakes.

 What are the best search strategies for birth, marriage (divorce) and death certificates?

• Look for the death record of an ancestor first as this event is more recent than his birth or marriage. It is usually best to work from recent events backward.
• Death certificates contains age data (that leads to birth date) and may also contain other relevant data, such as the name of the spouse, and sons left.  For example, reading the death certificate of one of my great grandparents, I got to know he was married by 2^nd time.
• A death certificate does also indicate the place where your ancestor died, and last lived, even if both places are not the same.  This can be a good indication to look for additional information in local archives.
• Death records may contain burial data, which can lead to other relevant data, even from other family members.
• However it was not until the beginning of the 20^th century that many countries adopted laws to properly organize civil registration. Therefore it is also a good idea, for example to check baptism faiths, as in many countries, church registers began much before than civil registers, and church registers for baptism, do also indicate birth date, parents names and even grandparents names and have useful information on places.  The same applies to religious marriages.

Image 3: this is how a baptism faith looks like.  This particular document was collected by my mother in the Church of San Feliu de Guixols, Spain.

What else should I know before embarking myself in the search for vital records (and even vital statistics)?

Birth, marriage and death records availability vary depending on the country you are searching in.

• In many countries like the United States, Canada and France, civil registration (birth, marriage and death records) is not a federal jurisdiction Birth, marriage and death records are administered by each province and therefore are sometimes not available in a unique database. Therefore, it is advisable that you check local archives. Search birth, marriage and death indexes on genealogical websites such as Findmypast and Ancestry.
• In other countries the birth, marriage and death records availability vary depending on which country you are searching in. It is best to check with one of the genealogical sites listed as follows to see what records are available.

Is it possible that the vital record I am looking for is not available?

Unfortunately, the answer is yes.  Vital records might not be available for different reasons:

• a record was never kept
• The information might have existed but was destroyed for different reasons like war, earthquakes, fire, etc.

But it is also possible that:

• Your ancestor might have lived in a different place from where you are looking for the birth, marriage, or death.
• Your ancestor may have used a nickname or a different surname, or the name was wrongly written at the register (or was adapted to local language).
• Your ancestor might have lived at a slightly different time from the years you are looking.

Top ten places on the web to research vital records:

• Ancestry.com
• ancestry.co.uk
• ancestry.com.au
• archives.com
• myheritage.com
• familysearch.org
• findmypast.com
• findagrave.com
• geneanet.org
• geni.com

By, Carmen Vazquez Sibils

Do I need to consult with a professional for genealogy research?

Genealogy Research – You may be curious about your family history and while you may hope your family tree leads you to famous personalities others might want to know more about the ethnic and cultural backgrounds of their ancestors so as to keep this legacy alive.  Some even may embark themselves in genealogy research just for citizenship purposes, as some counties like Italy, have laws that allow descendants of Italian emigrants to get Italian citizenship provided they can give proof of their origins with their ancestors´ birth, marriage and death certificates. When this curiosity, cannot be any longer satisfied just with what you are able to search by yourself , is time to think about getting some professional help.

• Even if nowadays it is easy for anyone to get started in genealogy research as anybody can create an online tree or take a DNA test, at some point you will run out of things to search online. Genealogy research has become easier over the years due to the increase in the amount of information put at public disposal on the web, but there is still a lot of information offline, and to know what archive or library holds the records you need to take the next step is not easy.
• It may happens as well that at some point you find yourself  stuck for not being able to determine if a data found on line belongs to an ancestor or a homonymous person.
• Once exhausted your online sources, you might take a DNA test, but still conclusions need to be taken from the relationships revealed and you might find out that you do not have enough knowledge to get the right ones.

What does a genealogist do?

• A genealogist is a person who traces or studies the descent of persons or families and makes from this activity a way of living.
• Genealogists research both on line and offline, spending many hours on libraries and state offices, combing through old papers and documents on microfilm yet to be digitized and placed online.
• Nowadays, thanks to DNA tests like the ones offered by ancestry.com, they are able to analyze DNA results and work with matches to determine the validity of the research
• Thanks to DNA tests, they are also able to help people locate biological family members by comparing existing family trees of various cousins to identify biological family for adoptees.
• They do also work on conflicting evidence.
• Genealogists use to work on research projects with other genealogists and this team-working is good for all sides as genealogists have different skills and varying knowledge of records availability, thus collaboration makes their work faster and more effective.
• Most professional genealogists tend to specialize in specific geographic areas, time periods or types of research.

How much does a professional genealogy research cost?

Rates charged by genealogists vary widely. A researcher specializing in an area that not many researchers are competent in may charge more than researchers whose expertise is relatively common. Most genealogists charge an hourly rate plus expenses. Others charge a daily rate or a flat fee per project.

Most genealogists base their hourly rate on their education, training, skill, experience, and credentials. Rates may be as low as $20.00 per hour, but could be over $100.00 per hour. The average rate charged by most competent genealogists’ ranges from $35.00 to $60.00 per hour. Record searchers often charge between $15.00 and $25.00 per hour.[i]

Expenses usually include:

• Costs of copies of records, certificates, and other documents.
• Fees paid to other researchers to search records in distant cities.
• Field travel (auto, meals, lodging).
• Admission fees paid to courthouses, repositories, and other record facilities.

To keep control on your expenses you should:

• Provide your genealogist with as much information about your family as you reasonably can gather, so as to avoid making the professional duplicate work already done by yourself (give good photocopies, never your originals) .
• Clearly specify whether the genealogist can bill for additional services and under what conditions it is appropriate to do so.
• Break a large project into smaller tasks and pay periodically.
• Make other family members join you, so as to share costs.

Where do I find genealogy researchers for hire? Is it hard to get this information?

The keys to finding a good genealogist are the same as those for hiring other competent professionals.

• Reputable genealogical websites like Ancestry.com can help you finding a competent genealogist.

• In general each country has its own official Genealogical Society or even more than one. Googling the name of your city or state and “genealogy society” will help you locate those organizations. Genealogists are generally not required by law to be licensed or certified, but this kind of organizations usually gives them credentials and even offer arbitration if problems arise.

Find as follows a list of some relevant genealogy organizations:[ii]

• The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA)
  14 Charterhouse Buildings
  Goswell Road
  LONDON
  EC1M 7BA
  United Kingdom
  Contact form
  Web: agra.org.uk/

• The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG)
  O. Box 40393
  Denver, CO 80204-0393
  United States of America
  Web: www.apgen.org/index.html

• The Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland (APGI)
  Email: info@apgi.ie
  Web: apgi.ie

• Australasian Association of Genealogists and Record Agents Inc (AAGRA)
  The Secretary,
  GPO Box 4401,
  MELBOURNE, Victoria, 3001
  Australia
  Email: info@aagra.asn.au
  Web: www.aagra.asn.au

•  Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG)
  PO Box 14291
  Washington, D.C. 20044
  United States of America
  Web: www.bcgcertification.org

• Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG)
  PO Box 260981
  Plano, TX 75026
  United States of America
  Contact form
  Web: www.forensicgenealogists.org

• The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen)
  PO Box 4464
  Salt Lake City, UT 84110-4464
  United States of America
  Telephone: toll-free 1-866-813-6729
  Email: information@icapgen.org
  Web: www.icapgen.org

I have already got a list of genealogists, how do I choose the right one for myself?

Before making up your mind for a particular genealogist, contact several whose skills and credentials seem appropriate (consider the genealogist´s areas of specialty, including language skills if needed) and discuss your research problem, the materials you already have, and what your goals are.  Try to seize the genealogist’s interest in your project.  You should also check the reporting procedure (you may even ask to see a sample report), rates and billing procedures. Just then, decide which one will best meet your needs.

Conclusions and final tips:

• Hire a professional genealogist whenever you need to take your genealogy research further away than you are capable of getting by your own means.
• If you cannot afford to hire one for a long term research try to have a professional genealogist take a look at your family tree and whatever you might have already done by yourself, and give you constructive feedback: you will learn more about your strengths and weaknesses as a genealogy researcher by seeing it through someone else’s eyes.
• Before hiring a professional genealogist, clarify your research problem and determine what you want the genealogist to do. If you define your research goals early, you are more likely to be satisfied with the results. [iii]

Sources:

[i] https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Hiring_a_Professional_Researcher

 

[ii] List taken from: https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Hiring_a_Professional_Researcher

iii Lifehacker – Career Spotlight, interview with Crista Cowan, genealogist who works with Ancestry.com  http://lifehacker.com/career-spotlight-what-i-do-as-a-genealogist-1711464950

By, Carmen Vazquez Sibils

Am I related to any celebrities, or famous personalities?

 Why are we looking for this information?

• Many families have stories –in many cases not documented- about famous personalities –contemporaneous or from the past- being related to the family. In some cases, these histories might seem something more like “family legends” than real stories.  But as the refrain says, “When the river sounds it might be carrying stones”, and these stories might end by having real sustain.  Maybe you are at that point of your life when you decide it is time to finally check this up, and see what is true about these stories.
• On the other hand, some people live their lives unaware of the fact that they are quite directly related to famous historical people they might even admire. When starting to do your family tree for some other reason, you might find clues for a possible connection to a famous historical personality and,  if at the end of the journey you prove the connection, you might even be willing to go further and get a better insight on the historical time and the circumstances in which your ancestor lived to gain a better understanding of your ancestor’s involvement in a famous historical event, so as to preserve the information for the family and even for your community.
• Some others might want to check their relationship to famous personalities or people from the royalty just for curiosity. I.e. your surname is Clooney and you want to check if you are somehow related to the actor George Clooney.

How do I find out if I am related to famous historical people?

The figure of a tree has been adopted by genealogists, because a tree is a perfect representation of a family, each branch being a lineage.  If I start my family tree by myself, ascendants increase in a geometric progression, as each of them bring their own lineage.  That is, each of us has 4 grandfathers, 8 great-grandfathers, etc. etc. For a hobbyist genealogist it is usually very difficult to reach as far as more than 10 generations, at least in all branches.  With the help of a professional genealogist you might be able to get further away… Just consider the following:

3rd. generation – 4 grandparents

4th. generation – 8 grandparents

5th. generation -16 grandparents

6th. generation – 32 grandparents

7th. generation – 64 grandparents

8th. generation – 128 grandparents

9th. generation – 256 grandparents

10th. generation – 512 grandparents

11^th. generation – 1.024 grandparents

12^th. generation – 2.048 grandparents

13^th. generation – 4.096 grandparents

14^th. generation – 8.192 grandparents

If you consider that besides your grandparents, you have cousins in many degrees, there are really some chances that you find famous historical people among your ancestors –or at least among your indirect ancestors- so that your research time might really be rewarding.

• For years I heard that I am a descendent of the second founder of Buenos Aires, Juan de Garay (this historical event took place by 1580). Family information says that this comes from my maternal branch, and that my connection with Juan de Garay is through Urbana Ricardo y Garay (born abt. 1840 in Argentina), which is my maternal grand-mother´s grand-mother (my 5^th. generation).

Image 1 – Painting on the 2^nd foundation of Buenos Aires, Argentina by Juan de Garay. At present in exhibition at the Conference Room of the Government of Buenos Aires, courtesy of: http://argentina.indymedia.org/images/garay2x.jpg.

I was not born in Buenos Aires, but have spent most of my adult life there, so a while ago I decided to go and check for this. Thanks to family interviews I´ve got to know that when the 300 anniversary of the foundation of Buenos Aires was celebrated by 1880, the organizers sourced the living descendants of Juan de Garay and Urbana and her family were invited to attend.

I have not yet arrived to my 14^th generation, that is the one where I estimate I will find the connection with Juan de Garay (for someone born in 1970 like myself the 14^th. generation will be around 1550) but in my way I was able to prove in the same branch a non-direct connection with another historical personality of Uruguay, Mr. Leandro Gomez (1811-1865) who happens to be the brother of  Urbana´s mother in law. Besides great respect and esteem for this historical personality I have recently found out things in common with him like our great admiration for another historical personality of our country,  Jose Gervasio Artigas, our national hero.

Image 2 – Monument to Leandro Gomez Calvo, courtesy of: http://www.paysandu.gub.uy/index.php/component/joomgallery/image?view=image&format=raw&type=orig&id=3282

Image 3 – Leandro Gomez Calvo in a coin of N$ 500, year 1986, courtesy of :http://www.gadu.org/wp-content/uploads/1821-MLU4632677065_072013-O.jpg

How do I find if I am related to a famous person from present times?

• If what you want to check is if you are related to a famous person from present times, i.e. a President or an actor, what you have to do is to work both, on our own family tree and on the family tree of the famous personality whose relation with you, you would like to find out, so as to be able to compare both trees.
• However, bear in mind that famous personalities sometimes are known per names different from their birth ones, so if you are searching your connection with a famous personality, make sure you are working on the real birth name.

Is it hard to get this information?

• It is not that hard to get information on famous historical people or famous personalities, as their family trees are usually available on the web, and mostly on a free basis. What is harder is to “refine” both family trees to make the connection.
• There are websites with family trees of famous people available, i.e.: https://www.geni.com/popular. This site offers family trees for contemporaneous personalities like Barak Obama, Donald Trump, George Clooney, as well as for famous historical people like, Catherine II “the Great” Empress of All Russia and  William Shakespeare,  among others.  It is also advisable to check places like http://famouskin.com/ (besides personalities they include topics like Royalty, Mayflower ‘descendants, etc.)
• On the other hand, the more popular genealogy sites -same sites you choose for making your own family tree- like ancestry.com, FamilySearch.com, MyHeritage.com, etc. will probably have records of the person whose connection with you, you are intending to find. And through the various search resources they provide, you would probably be able to refine the most difficult part of your search.
• It is astonishing how much information you can get just from writing in Google the name of the person you would like to find followed by the word “genealogy”. Google search engine does also have images of famous people family trees available.
• Your local library or the local library of the place you suspect or have for sure the famous personality from the past could have lived, can also be a great source of information, especially those libraries who have a genealogy section, or that keep historical records in microfilm. Famous historical personalities have influenced their communities and thus are part of their Community History, and local public libraries usually keep records on local history and are thus a great information source.

When looking for information at the web, it is a must that you are persistent and careful so as to be able to get the right information.  Take in account that just finding your surname is not a guarantee, other issues like dates and connections to other known people must be checked so as to make sure you are picking up family data and not just data from homonymous people. For example when looking for information about my father´s grandmother, I found some homonymous women, but with most documents it was easy to discard wrong data once checked husband or other relatives, and dates.  However, some documents like census reports were not conclusive. Ancestry.com has an interesting tool for non-conclusive cases: whenever you are looking for information from their site, if you find something you would like to keep for further check-up, you do not need to save the information to your family tree but you can save it to a “shoe box” where you can keep it until you have time to review it or to compare it with new documents.  I believe this is a great tool for whenever you are sourcing without much firm ground.

By, Carmen Vazquez Sibils

Can I do a genealogy search at my local library?

You do already have a good reason for searching for your ancestors. You might have already gathered primary information from family sources and family owned documents and other pieces of evidence. You might have already looked for some additional information on the web, and you might have even started to make your genealogy search or even your family tree on line with the help of on line software or you might have even bought some downloadable genealogy software.  Your family search might have taken you to Ancestry.com, and thanks special features provided by them like the so useful “hints” you might have already obtained new information, or filled in the blanks of partial information previously obtained from family sources. FamilySearch.org might have let you pick up on line copies of relevant documents like baptism faiths or marriage certificates. But you are still missing relevant documents and you are wondering which is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to get copies of them. Well, consider a local library to be a good source of information that might not yet be on line, but would be very relevant to your research.

What can I get at a local library that is relevant to my search?

• Local libraries usually have specific records on microfilm such as census, births, deaths, and marriages.
• They may also offer in print or family history databases.
• Many local libraries have a Family History section equipped with microfilm, fiche readers, printers, photocopiers and dedicated computers with Ancestry Software.
• Local libraries usually offer books and photos on local history.  They do also use to have phone books and directories going back a number of years.

 Let me give you an example. A few years ago, my mother travelled to Barcelona.  She was aware of the fact her paternal branch -whose surname is “Sibils”-  was original from a town close to Barcelona city called San Feliu de Guixols.  So she decided to take this opportunity to carry some research about this side of her family while visiting this enchanting town by the sea.

IMAGE 1 – Photo taken by my mother at San Feliu de Guixols (Spain).  This photo captures exactly the same view of a painting her great-grandfather brought with him to America.

She brought with her all the data she had, and the local library from this town, turned out to be a great place to deepen up her search. She found out that besides documents on microfilms they had extensive information on the history of her family and she even got indications so as to reach to her original family house!

IMAGE 2- Photo taken by my mother at San Feliu de Guixols (Spain) that corresponds to her great grandfather house, whose address she found at the local library.

What information do we need to gather?

• Local libraries contain a number of records that can help you in your family history research, among which are the following: Federal census records, State and local census records, passenger lists – these records identify the name of the ship your ancestor sailed on, the date it arrived, and the port it arrived at. Depending on the library, this may be a microform record, or in an index book.
• Many local libraries that offer records for genealogical research also have copies of family histories previously published by others. These records can be useful to you if you discover that you’re related to one of the families covered in these genealogies, and they can also give you ideas on how to format your own family history in case you are planning to  publish it.

Is it hard to get this information?

• If you check with your local library or –as my mother did- the local library of the town the branch of your family you are conducting your research on comes from- they should have a lot of information on genealogy.
• If adequate information is provided and extensive research is not involved, the librarian can assist you in your research.
• All over the world there are also museums fully consecrated to genealogy and migration. You can get on them valuable information.

-If you are in the US and happen to be in New York, there is a great museum covering ancestors that migrated to the US, at Ellis Island.  The Ellis Island Immigration Museum is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and tells the stories of why so many people immigrated to America and what became of them after they arrived. It has become a place where families and individuals celebrate and honor those family members who made the arduous journey to a new life in America.You can check more information about it at https://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/Ellis-Island/.

IMAGE 3- Photo courtesy of: https://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/Ellis-Island/.

-In Canada, Halifax, you can check the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 https://www.pier21.ca/home.  This museum through their special section Scotiabank Family History Centre offers a service of help in making your family tree. They hold information on Canadian and American immigration history, and have immigration records from before 1935.

IMAGES 4 & 5 – Photos courtesy of: https://www.pier21.ca/home.

-Buenos Aires, also offers a museum of these characteristics, the Museum of the Immigration, that does not just exhibit objects but has a database of immigrants arrived to Argentina from 1850 to 1950, and you can get on a free basis, certificates of arrival of your ancestors.  It has place in and old hotel that used to hold and feed on a free basis immigrants arriving to the port of Buenos Aires from all over the world, during the 5 first days of arrival to Buenos Aires city

IMAGE 6 – Sight of the building of the Museum of the Inmigration, Buenos Aires Argentina. Formerly known as hotel, hosting on a free basis inmigrants coming from all over the world.

IMAGE 7- Exhibition of some of the hotel old facilities.

IMAGES 8, 9 & 10 – Other sights of the exhibition currently held at the Museum of the Immigration, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

• Do also consider that many libraries offer classes in conducting genealogical research, which includes an overview of the resources their library offers.
• Last but not least, you can also check what information do some libraries offer on line, i.e.: The Library of Congress’ portal to historical newspapers has two important areas of content: digitized newspaper pages (1836-1922) from 25 states and Washington, DC, and an index to all known newspapers published in the United States and where to find them today. Check back frequently for new content. To learn more about using the site, including what’s on it and what’s not, click on the Help section. Information is provided on a free basis.

By, Carmen Vazquez Sibils