Show Notes: A compiled history is kind of like standing on the shoulders of the giants of genealogy that came before you. OK, so maybe they weren’t giants, but they did document what they found and they published it so that you can benefit from it. This means that rather than having to start from scratch, you can look at the research that’s already been done. This provides you with clues and information that you can track down and verify for yourself to add to your family tree. In this week’s video, I’m going to show you one of my favorite collections of compiled family histories at Ancestry, and the search strategies you’ll need for success.
A compiled history is kind of like standing on the shoulders of the giants of genealogy that came before you. OK, so maybe they weren’t giants, but they did document what they found, and they published it so that you can benefit from it. This means that rather than having to start from scratch, you have the opportunity to take a look at the research and the work that’s already been done by somebody else before you. This provides you with clues and information that you can track down and verify for yourself to add to your family tree.
Just like online family trees, not every compiled family history is well documented or well sourced. However, they can still be a great help.
Compiled Family Histories at Ancestry
So, where do we find compiled histories? One of my favorite places to find them is at Ancestry.com. They have a particularly terrific record collection called North America Family Histories 1500 to 2000. It’s not going to pop up in your regular search results. You’ll find it through Ancestry’s Card Catalog. It contains nearly a thousand privately published family history books containing over 4 million records. They focus particularly on the 18th and 19th century families, especially with Revolutionary War and Colonial ties. But you’ll also find some European family histories included, and particularly those with some nobility connections, which can take families are way back in time.
Today I’d like to introduce you to this exciting collection. Whether you need a little rejuvenation of your own family history, or you’re just getting started, either way compiled histories are a tried-and-true record collection that all genealogists should use.
How to Find the Collection
On the Ancestry.com homepage on desktop, in the menu click SEARCH > Card Catalog. It’s important to understand that a small percentage of the total records at Ancestry are delivered to you through hints. Therefore, it’s important not to just rely on hints, and take advantage of the entire card catalog. It’s really the best place to go when you know the title of a collection, like this one. You can type in the entire title or just a few keywords, pull up the collection and then search only within that collection.
Record collections have different searchability. Some may have an index, some may not, and some are just browsable. When searching, keep in mind that any deviation from the actual words in the title can cause it not to appear in the results. If you don’t see what you expected to find, double check your keywords. Even something like whether a word is singular or plural and affect the results. If you don’t have a specific title in mind, but you just want to browse, try a variety of synonyms, or reduce the number of words.
On the results page, you can hover over the title to get a little overview description. Click the title and you’ll find two ways to search the collection: the Browse this Collection column and the Search form.
Browse this Collection Column
Have fun and explore the collection using the Browse this Collection column. Select the first letter of a family surname, and then under Subject you’ll see an alphabetical listing of books with surnames. Click the title of a book to view the entire digitized compiled family history.
This brings up an important point. the Browse feature is just for the titles themselves. So, when you look for a surname, don’t be discouraged. If you don’t see it listed. It’s very possible that a branch of your family by that surname could be included in a book that is focused on a different surname.
The Search Form
The search form allows you to get really specific in your search with a variety of search parameters. It can also find names within a book regardless of whether the name appears in the title or description. Try it out for yourself. Get a feel for home many people appear in the collection with a particular surname, or with a first and last name. From there you can narrow down further.
Each result includes a View Record and a View Image icon. View Record provides you with some details about that person to help you determine if it’s your relative. You’ll find a variety of details depending on the amount of information available in the book. Take a moment to learn a little more about the book by clicking the Source tab. Investing a few moments up front to get familiar with the source that you’re looking at can be extremely helpful. It’s going to give you some context about who wrote this book, what it covers and possibly where a physical copy can be found. Click Learn More and scroll down the page. There you’ll find more specific information about what you might be able to find within the pages of the compiled family history. In addition to names, compiled histories may include birth date and place, baptism date and place, marriage date and place, death date and place, burial date and place and name of parents and spouses.
It’s also very handy on the search form that Ancestry will auto-populate people from your family tree based on the surname you enter so that you can fill in their information and search with one click.
Navigating within a Compiled Family History at Ancestry.com
Click the View Image icon on any search result to gain access to the digitized book. The scanned page will be zoomed in to the place on the page where the person you searched for is located. Adjust your view with the Zoom in and out tool on the right side of the screen.
Example of a page from a compiled family history at Ancestry.
At the bottom of the screen, you’ll find the filmstrip. This displays all of the individual pages of the book in order. If you want to dedicate the entire screen to the book page, click the filmstrip X to close it. If you want to return to the filmstrip, click the filmstrip icon.
The current image number (not necessarily the same as the page number) will be displayed. Learn more about the book by going to the title page. The easiest way to do that is to type “1” in the image number box and click Go. The title page and the pages immediately following it can provide you with important source information. You may also find introductory pages including the background of the author, how the book is organized and instructions on how to interpret the content within the book.
Oftentimes, at the end of the book, you will find an index. Again, the easiest way to get there is to look at the total number of pages of the book listed in the film strip bar, and then enter that number into the image field and click Go. This will jump you to the end. Use the left and right arrow keys to navigate as needed.
Improving Ancestry Images
Depending on the condition of the book and the quality of the original scanning, some books may have pages that are a little unclear or muddy-looking. You can improve the look of these pages. Click the Tool Menu icon on the right side of the screen. Here you’ll find several options. For improving the way the image looks.
If a page has a horizontal image or photo turned vertically, use the Rotate Left and RotateRight tools.
To make the page easier to ready, try Invert Colors. Black type on a white page then becomes white type on a black page which often makes it much easier to read.
Tools Menu > Invert Colors
Downloading a Compiled Family History at Ancestry
You can print or download pages from the compiled family histories at Ancestry. Having a digital version means you can read it offline and even if you no longer have an Ancestry subscription. In the Tools menu, click Download to click the current page you are viewing as a JPEG.
To print the page on paper or save it as a PDF, select Print in the Tools menu. A big advantage of the Print option is that you can opt to Also print index and source data. This will give you the page, the information specific to the person you searched for that was indexed by Ancestry, and the source information.
Use the Print to PDF function so that you can include the indexed information and source details.
Explore More Compiled Family Histories
The North American Family Histories Collection 1500-2000 at Ancestry is such a wonderful goldmine of information. If you dig into this collection, it’s going to whet your appetite to track down more compiled family histories on other websites, in your library, and at the archives.
I love Google Books research tips for genealogists–and this researcher sent me a fabulous one! Here’s what she did when Google Books didn’t give her everything she’d hoped for. And here’s where she finally found the full text of a book...
If you’re looking for cemetery records, you’re in luck! This week there have been massive updates to Find A Grave’s global databases at Ancestry.com. But why search Find A Grave at Ancestry.com? We can think of 3 good reasons.
Find A Grave at Ancestry.com: Updated Collections
Did you know you can use Google Earth to find cemeteries? Click here to learn how.
The following Find A Grave collections have all been updated to Ancestry.com, where they can be linked directly to your tree:
Global, Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current
You’ll also find these records updated at FamilySearch.com as well.
If there’s a specific grave you’re looking for, ask Find a Grave to help! Click here to learn how to submit a photo request to both Find a Grave and Billion Graves.
Why Use Find A Grave at Ancestry.com?
Sunny Morton, Genealogy Giants Guru
Find A Grave is a free website with crowd-sourced tombstone images and transcriptions from cemeteries all over the world. Last we checked, they boast 162 million grave records! Their catalog of cemeteries tops 400,000, spread out over 200 different countries, and they have at least a partial listing of graves for well over half of these (over 250,000).
So why would you go to Ancestry.com to search records that are already free at Find A Grave? Genealogy Gems Contributing Editor Sunny Morton, our resident expert on the giant genealogy websites, says:
“If you’re already an Ancestry.com subscriber, searching Find A Grave from within Ancestry.com may be a good choice for these three reasons:
1. One-stop searching. You’re already searching in Ancestry.com: you don’t need to remember to switch over to search Find A Grave separately for each ancestor.
2. Ancestry.com’s search tool. Find A Grave has a nice but basic search tool. It’s pickier about the search results it returns: does the spelling match? And is a potential result in the exact place you requested? (If you search a specific county, Find A Grave will only return results from that county–not in an adjacent county, across the state line, or even across the country where an ancestor may have been interred.) Lacey has a great example below.
From Lacey: Here’s a search of my 3X great grandfather at Find A Grave:
Unfortunately, no results:
I then hopped over to Ancestry, went to the card catalog, and searched the U.S. Find A Grave Index:
Turns out there was an extra “t” on his surname (see results below). I didn’t search on a partial name because I’ve never come across a different spelling of his before, and I certainly didn’t expect to see one on his tombstone! But sure enough, the name is not spelled as it had been throughout his life. It’s awfully nice that Ancestry could find it:
Ancestry.com is much more forgiving and flexible about spelling and places. It will return search result possibilities that don’t have to match exactly. As you can see from the screenshots above, Ancestry offers more fields to enter, including relatives’ names (and people are often buried with relatives), a more detailed place field, and keywords.
3. Tree-building ease. If you build your tree on Ancestry.com, it’s easy to attach Find A Grave search results to your ancestor’s tree profiles. If you search separately at Find A Grave, you have to create a separate source citation to attach to your tree.” (Note: hopefully, if you’re building your tree on Ancestry.com, you’re syncing it to your own software. RootsMagic and Family Tree Maker will both sync to your Ancestry tree–click here to see why Lisa Louise Cooke prefers RootsMagic.)
More Cemetery Resources
Get detailed step-by-steps for using Find A Grave and Billion Graves, plus guides for understanding tombstone epitaphs and symbol meanings in this brand new book: The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide. Discover tools for locating tombstones, tips for traipsing through cemeteries, an at-a-glance guide to frequently used gravestone icons, and practical strategies for on-the-ground research.Use coupon code GEMS17 for an extra 10% off! *Coupon valid through 12/31/17.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Genealogy Gems!
Grab your mug! This Elevenses with Lisa LIVE show is exclusively for Premium Members. In this Premium episode we’ll be discussing how to find hard-to-find genealogical records. Our case study will be on divorce records, but you use these strategies with all types of records.
Show Notes – A Case Study: Divorce Records
Are you having trouble finding a particular genealogical record you need? It happens to all of us, so in this episode we will take one Premium Member’s question and follow the process of how to find those elusive records.
“I have found my great-grandma’s sister in 1910 census in Boulder, Colorado. In 1911 her husband had moved to Arkansas and married his second wife there. In a 1912 city directory of Boulder, Colorado, this sister is listed as a widow. Also listed as a widow in 1920 census. I have looked in Arkansas and Colorado for a divorce and have found nothing so far. I’m not sure what my next step would be.”
This is a great example of what we’re talking about. Everything you know so far indicates there’s a record out there, but it’s not in the usual places.
The process we will cover can apply to any type of record, though certainly not every situation. But I think it’s a great exercise for us all. And if you’re like Georgiann and specifically looking for a divorce record, well then you’re definitely going to be able to use these strategies in a very specific way.
State the Research Question
Great research plans begin with great research questions. The question should be specific. If it feels a little broad, try to break it down into a number of more specific questions. In this case our research question is: Did Clara and John Byerly divorce?
Create a research plan
Not every genealogical search requires a plan. However, when a record is hard to locate, that’s the perfect time to use this more structured process. A research plan doesn’t have to be formal, but it does help you search in a more strategic way.
Create a Timeline:
A timeline can help you tease apart the events and determine your target. Here’s a brief timeline for Clara B. Byerly:
1910 – Boulder, CO, listed as married in the census
1911 – her husband remarries in Arkansas
1912 – Boulder CO, listed as widowed in the city directory
1920 – Boulder CO, listed widowed census
Target identified: Divorce record between 1910 and 1911.
Identify the states where the divorce likely occurred
Google maps is an easy way to find your best geographic targets based on what we know. Here are our top two for Clara based on the current records:
Colorado
Arkansas
It’s worth making note of the bordering states on the way to Arkansas where her ex-husband John remarried just in case he filed for divorce: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico.
Target update: Divorce record between 1910 and 1911, in Colorado or Arkansas.
Identify the Types of Records to Look for
Next, make a list of the types of records that might be able to tell us what happened. In Clara’s case, divorce records are our first choice, but other types of records may help. Here’s our list of targets in priority order:
Divorce
Newspapers – Is there an article or notice about the divorce?
Marriage – What does John say his marital status is at the time of the second marriage?
List where each record might be found
The next step in creating your research plan is to brainstorm a list of potential locations for each record target. Here’s our starting list for this case:
Google search (state libraries, courts, other niche genealogy sites)
Note: the search feature at the genealogy websites listed don’t search all collections. Check the Card Catalog as well.
Newspapers:
Chronicling America(free) Check the Newspaper directory as well for offline papers.
Check the top newspaper websites ($) to see if they have papers that match the target time and place (Newspapers.com, GenealogyBank)
Google Search for repositories
As Georgiann discovered, in this case, the genealogy websites do not have a divorce record for Clara and John Byerly.
Online Searching for Online or Offline Records
If you can’t find the record you need at one of the big genealogy websites, it’s time to search online for records that may be on another website online, or listed in the catalog of a repository and online available offline.
When googling, we focus on finding the record collection rather the ancestors. Try both broad search and narrow searches so you catch everything. Your query will include targeted information such as type of record, geographic location and timeframe.
Example of a broad search query: Colorado Divorce Records
Example of a narrow search query: “divorce records” “boulder county” 1910..1912
In this query we place quotes around the record type to tell Google we want websites that include these exact phrases. Dates can be presented in a numrage search where we put the first date, two periods, and the second date. This tells Google to return only website that include a date (4-digit number year) that falls within this range. Learn more about Google search strategies in my book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox.
Colorado Divorce Records Index, 1880-1939: see the Colorado State Archives Historical Records Index Search (note: previous search result – check this site.)
This website remind us that although they provide an online search it is incomplete: “You can search for historical divorce records at the Colorado State Archives website here. This is not a complete database. If you don’t find the records, contact the State Archives directly.” This is the case with many libraries and archives.
Thankfully, we hit the jackpot at the Colorado State Archives. A search of the historical index for Clara Byerly retrieved the details of the record. Georgiann can use this information to order a copy (for a fee) from the archives. It’s always advantageous to see the original record as there could be an error in the transcription, and it may include additional information.
Our timeline for this case now looks more complete:
1910 – “married” in the census Boulder, CO
1910 – July 2 Divorced in Boulder, CO
1911 – husband remarries in Arkansas
1912 – “widowed” Boulder CO city directory
1920 – “widowed” Boulder CO census
More Online Strategies: Websites to Check for Links to Records
Sometimes we’re looking for a record that doesn’t exist because things didn’t happen the way other records lead us to believe they did. In this case the question is “Did Clara and John Byerly really divorce?” It’s very possible that he left her and they didn’t formalize their divorce in Colorado. Also, a woman stating that she is a widow could be for the purpose of covering that up, or if they did actually divorce, to avoid the social stigma of being divorced.
If we exhaust all resources for divorce records and come up empty handed, we can then move on to the other record types. Getting the marriage record for the second marriage may answer the question if he disclosed the first marriage.
More Records to Look for Marriage Status and Divorce
In addition to actual historical divorce records check:
newspapers
obituaries
city directories
Census – Sometimes “M2” is listed indicating a second marriage. Did the husband in this case get listed that way?
