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Research into your immigrant ancestors should start in U.S. records. Learn which records are helpful and strategies to use them.
Once upon a time during my college years…..I was studying abroad. I was in London to be exact. Before I left for the summer, my father made one request of me while I was there. He wanted me to see if I could find out anything about our Talbott family history and English ancestors.
So, off I went to the National Archives office in London to see what I could find out. At least, I think that was where I went. This was well before my genealogy days! I was ushered into a beautifully ornate office where I met with a cordial older gentleman. I explained what I already knew about our family – little that it was – and what I was searching for. He looked over his glasses and in simplistic tones (and a wonderful English accent!) asked who my immigrating ancestor was.
Uh oh. I had no idea who our immigrating ancestor was. He politely informed me until I knew this information, I was looking on the wrong side of the ocean.
I felt rather small as I left the building. This was my first brush with genealogy research and it was a humbling experience!
I had no idea years later (never mind how many!) how much I would come to understand and love genealogy research.
Where Did Our Immigrant Ancestors Come From?
Despite feeling a bit foolish and embarrassed during that encounter, the archivist made a very important point. Without this piece of information, we cannot narrow our search down enough to be successful.
We cannot research our immigrant ancestors abroad unless we know who the immigrating ancestor is.
This is a basic principle in genealogy research: Do not skip a generation. We must identify the generations here in America including our immigrating ancestor first. We must research him or her so completely here (in America) that we would recognize them if they showed up at our front door.
Within our American ancestors’ records we can find clues and answers to our questions about their lives prior to coming to America.
Many if not most genealogy researchers have tested their DNA through companies like AncestryDNA or FamilyTreeDNA. With today’s genealogy research, DNA can certainly help narrow our searches down, but DNA is not a substitute for our ancestors’ paper trails. DNA is not enough to allow us to skip the steps involved in researching our immigrant ancestor. DNA testing and paper genealogy research must go hand in hand.
What types of records can you use to learn more about your immigrating ancestor?
Census Records
This may seem a bit obvious, but don’t forget to look here for where your ancestor and/or his parents were born. Check all applicable census records. Include the years your immigrant ancestor would have appeared in the census records. Specifically, note the columns that state where the individual was born. If you are in the later census records, note where your ancestor’s parents were born.
Take a look at this example: Israel Lisson immigrated to America in 1886. The 1900 census shows Israel was born in Russia as both of his parents.
Before you leave your ancestor’s census records, take a close look at his/her children in later census years. The 1930 census record for Israel Lisson’s adult daughter, Mary Lisson provides further clues to the location of Israel’s birth place. Her parents’ place of birth is “Russia” with “Lithuania” written above. Remember, country boundaries changed over time due to wars and politics. The Russia Israel immigrated from was Imperialist Russia that was originally Lithuania.
Tip: Know the history including changing boundary lines of the location you suspect your ancestor originated.
Naturalization Records
Unearthing a naturalization record for your ancestor can feel like striking gold in the world of genealogy. It’s a tangible link to your ancestor’s determination to forge a new life in America. Each detail within these documents paints a vivid picture of their journey, providing a deeper understanding of their struggles, aspirations, and the steps they took to embrace their new homeland.
The census notes that Israel had been naturalized, too. TIP: If the census records indicates an individual was naturalized, search for these records. Unfortunately, I have not found Israel’s naturalization records, but the search continues…. I recommend checking out the Immigration page on NARA’s website for more information on the citizenship process. You will want to note the process and requirements evolved over time.
Types of Naturalization Records
- Declaration of Intent (First Papers): This initial step towards naturalization involves a formal declaration of the immigrant’s intention to become a U.S. citizen. It typically includes personal details, such as name, age, place of birth, and sometimes even the immigrant’s arrival date.
- Petition for Naturalization (Final Papers): After a waiting period, they file a petition for full citizenship. This comprehensive document often provides a more detailed account of their life, including family information and residence history.
- Certificate of Naturalization: This is the final document, granting official U.S. citizenship to the immigrant. It consolidates all the information gathered during the naturalization process.
Ship Passenger Lists
Ship passenger lists are official documents created by shipping companies and immigration authorities. They detail information about the passengers on a particular voyage, including their names, ages, occupations, places of origin, and intended destinations. These lists are invaluable resources for genealogists seeking to trace their ancestors’ immigration paths.
In the previous example, the 1900 census record stated Israel Lisson came over in 1886, a search of passenger ship records should be searched. In this case, Israel’s residence is listed. Success!
Finding Ship Passenger Lists
Access to ship passenger lists has been greatly facilitated by digitization efforts. Online databases, such as Ancestry.com , FamilySearch, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and Ellis Island’s American Family Immigration History Center, offer extensive collections of digitized lists.
Newspapers of the time often published information about arriving passengers. These newspaper listings can provide additional context and sometimes include details not found in the official records. They might include passenger names, the ship’s name, and even a brief description of the voyage. This is especially true in the unfortunate case of a ship wreck. These were often documented in newspapers and included the passenger list.
San Francisco, California · Wednesday, July 16, 1913 (Source: Newspapers.com)
Obituaries
When looking for your ancestor’s country of origin, check the obituaries in the newspapers of your ancestor and other family members. Included in the life details, often the place of birth is mentioned and/or when they arrived in America.
Lynn, Massachusetts • Wed, Jul 17, 1935 (Source: Newspapers.com)
In the example above, we learn Minnie Jacobs was born in Russia and had been in the United States for 54 years (1881). She arrived with her parents, which is another important clue for tracking her in the records.
When the more traditional records do not provide the answers you are seeking….
Take a close look at the community where your ancestor settled. Immigrants often settled close to others from their same community and even family members who immigrated earlier. Were you ancestors religious? Look closely at the churches or synagogues or other houses of worship where your ancestor settled.
Keeping with the example of Israel Lisson, he settled in Rochester, New York and was an active member of a synagogue there. He settled his family among other Russian Jewish immigrants. One Russian immigrant, Barnet Lisson, frequently appeared alongside Israel Lisson both in New York, NY and in Rochester, NY. A closer search into Barnet Lisson is warranted and may lead to clues about Israel Lisson.
Did you recognize that FAN (Friends, Associates, Neighbors) principle? Yes, the FAN principle applies here as well! (Can you tell FAN is one of my favorite genealogy research strategies?)
Overcoming Name Hurdles for Your Ancestor
Did you ancestor change his/her name to be more “American”? Was your ancestor’s name often misspelled in the records? Our ancestor’s names can trip researchers up quite easily. Unfamiliar accents, unfamiliar pronunciations and well, just bad handwriting can lead to transcription errors preventing you from finding your ancestor in the records. Truthfully, this can potentially happen with all of our ancestors.
Here are two tips that can help you:
- Ask your family (close and distant) for known variations of the surname or if an actual name change was made.
- Use wildcard searches when searching the databases. Staying with the Lisson surname, examples of wildcard searches could be: L*sson, Lis*, or L*ss*n. A wildcard search can uncover your ancestor under a different spelling you may not have considered.
In truth, not all questions are answerable when it comes to our ancestors and their previous locations in the “old country”. Wars happened. Country boundaries and names changed. Towns and villages no longer exist. Records were lost. Unfortunately, that is the reality for some researchers. DNA testing is offering many researchers to make those connections not previously made. Paired with old fashioned paper research, your brick walls just may come down!
Have you been successful learning your immigrant ancestor’s story? Leave a comment below and share you story. We can all learn from each other’s experiences.
Resources for you to further explore:
- The FindMyPast blog is an excellent (free) resource. Check out this post!
- Information on immigration records at the National Archives.
- When the time comes for DNA testing, The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine Bettinger is one of my favorite resources!
Thank you so much for delivery your helpful information for the years I’ve followed you.
I’ve been Searching for 20+ years: Wall is finding birth certificate 1887-88 of my maternal grandmother, Anna Spiegelhauer( deceased). I have the ship’s manifest for my maternal great-grandmother. It shows she lived in Wurtemberg, Germany. Along with her husband & 4 year old daughter, they immigrated to Philadelphia, PA. On the bottom of the ship’s log, I recently found a notation they disembarked with an infant. I assume that was my maternal grandmother, Anna. My great grandmother posted on census that Anna was born In Pennsylvania. How do I find out if the birth was in International waters or in the area designated as US territory in 1887 so I can continue? Any tips would be helpful.
I am in NJ, close enough to travel to Philadelphia Historical Society. I can request a search.I have no idea if they would find anything given the situation. I have the Philadelphia street address where they family resided. My maternal great-grandmother died a year later. Her husband remarried rather quickly.