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Back to Genealogy Basics – Death Records
Death certificates can provide valuable information on your ancestor such as a full name, spouse’s name, parents’ names and more. Be sure to check when the recording of death certificates began in the area you are researching. Do not waste time looking for a death certificate when none were created. In North Carolina, death certificates did not begin until 1909 with a few being found. Another important point about death certificates needs to be considered. Death certificates are considered secondary sources. In other words, the information provided on the death certificate came from someone else who was reporting facts. This person may or may not have had first hand knowledge…
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Back to Genealogy Basics – Marriage Records
Marriage records, like birth certificates, provide valuable information to the genealogy researcher. This is one of the first places to look for woman’s maiden name. Beyond the date and the names of the bride and groom, more information can be gleaned from the record.
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Back to Genealogy Basics – Birth Records
Birth records are important records in our genealogy research and come in many forms. Birth certificates, family Bibles, and church records are common sources of your ancestor’s birth. As with all genealogy records, understanding what is available for the time and location of your ancestors is crucial. Using North Carolina as an example, let’s take a closer look at birth certificates. Birth certificates were no required to be recorded until 1913. Full compliance with this regulation was not achieved for several years. If you ancestor was born prior to 1913, do not waste time looking for an official birth certificate.
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Back to Genealogy Basics!
March is our month to focus on Back to Genealogy Basics! Recently I have been getting more questions about how to get started in genealogy. Questions about where to start. Questions about the meaning/interpretation of records. Questions on locating available records. This month seems like the perfect time to delve into these questions. This isn’t just for beginners! In my early years of genealogy, I moved quickly through the records, adding names to my family tree generation by generation. But as we all know, you hit a brick wall eventually. Overlooked clues in the beginning of a search can be the key to avoiding some of these brick walls.…