Researching Your Genealogy: Start with Living Family Members

A number of resources exist which can help youBarrott, and found nothing. Later, I obtained my
research your family heritage. If you're lucky, one ofmother's father's death certificate (he had died at the
the best resources is close at hand: your own family.relatively young age of 37) and discovered that his
Stories passed down from generation to generationfather had signed his own son's death certificate - as
contain nuggets of information that can help you begin"Frank R. Barrott".Once you've gleaned as much as
your search. Names of your parents andyou can from living relatives, it's time to access public
grandparents, and their parents, can take you backrecords. Birth and death records, deeds, and military
three or four generations. Don't ignore spouses ofrecords are among those available for research, as
family relatives; not only do their personal stories addare U.S. Census records, from the years 1790 up to
to the flavor of family history, sometimes the spouse1930 (by law, census records cannot be released to
of a family member - particularly the wife of a malethe public for 75 years). When searching census
relative - knows more about your family's history thanrecords, start with the latest census and move
the relative does.Interview your family members to seebackward; this way you may be able to track the
what they know about family history. The olderchanges in family circumstances back through the
members in particular may have knowledge of youryears.Searching public records has become a lot
family tree for generations, as well as what theseeasier since the introduction of the Internet. A popular
ancestors did for a living, where they lived, when andsoftware program available online, Ancestry.com,
how they died, and personal stories they're more thanallows you to build your family tree and search U.S.
willing to hand down to another generation. If you haveCensus databases and other public records.A lot of
birth or death certificates among family records, you'rebooks are available to help you on your family search.
in luck; birth certificates will contain a birth date, nameOne of the best is Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your
of parents, and location of birth. The place of birth inFamily's History and Heritage, by Barbara Renick in
particular will give you a clue as to where to look forassociation with the National Genealogical Society
further information.Be aware that family recollections(Rutledge Hill Press, 2003). Renick offers an organized
can be wrong. A couple personal experiences: Myapproach to genealogical research that will save you a
middle name is May, which was given to me in honorlot of false starts.If you've been thinking for a while
of my father's aunt who raised him. My parents endedabout beginning a serious search into your family's
up being upset when they found out later that mybackground, don't put it off. Your best resource, your
aunt's name wasn't May, it was really Mary. But itolder family members, is a finite resource. Once they
doesn't stop there: while I was researching my aunt'spass on, their knowledge is gone forever.Aldene
death I came across her obituary in the localFredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern
newspaper, and it turns out her name wasn't May orNew Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and
Mary - it was Ruth!Meanwhile, on my mother's side ofTopics. She has published numerous articles in local
the family, it was well known that her grandfather'sand regional publications on a wide range of topics,
name was Francis Isaac Barrott, that he had lived andincluding business, education, the arts, and local events.
died in Worcester, Massachusetts, and that he hadHer feature articles include an interview with
actually worked as a maintenance man at City Hall. Iindependent documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and a
contacted the records department of the city offeature on prisoners at the New Hampshire State
Worcester looking for any records of Francis IsaacPrison in Concord.