Family Tree Factbook: Key genealogy tips and stats for the busy researcher
224
Family Tree Factbook: Key genealogy tips and stats for the busy researcher
224Paperback
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Overview
The answers to all your genealogy questions in one place! This convenient, timesaving collection of genealogy hacks gathers the best resources, tips, lists, and need-to-know facts from the experts at Family Tree Magazine. Inside, you'll find fast facts about a variety of family history topics, such as important dates in US history, the different kinds of DNA tests, and how to use the best genealogy websites.
Inside, you'll find:
• Key genealogy lists and statistics: common genealogy abbreviations and acronyms, a glossary of genetic genealogy terms, genealogy pitfalls to avoid, and more
• Strategies for tracking your ancestors in important documents (including census records, passenger lists, and military records) and performing important genealogical tasks (such as searching Ancestry.com)
• A size perfect for carrying with you wherever your research may lead
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781440354656 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Penguin Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 10/23/2018 |
| Pages: | 224 |
| Sales rank: | 1,121,455 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d) |
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
RESEARCH BASICS
Genealogy Glossary
A
abstract: An abbreviated transcription of a document that includes the date of the record and every name in it; it may also provide relationships of the people mentioned.
admixture: Ancestry that originates from more than one ethnic group.
Ahnentafel: German for "ancestor table," this system of pedigree chart numbering gives each ancestor a number. Fathers are even numbers; mothers, odd. Double the child's number to get the father's (if you're 1, your father is 2). Add one to the father's number to get the mother's (your mother is 3).
aliquot parts: In the rectangular survey system, a description for a subdivision of a section of land using directions and fractions to indicate the land's location: W½ SE¼ represents the west half of the southeast quarter of a township.
allele result: Also called a marker value, the numeric value assigned to a genetic marker.
ancestors: Relatives you descend from directly, including parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so on.
autosomal DNA: Genetic material inherited equally from mother and father, representing all your DNA except what's in the mitochondria and on the X and Y chromosomes. Autosomal DNA is the most widely used type of DNA in genealogy, as it can estimate ethnic origins and establish genetic relationships between test-takers.
B
banns (or marriage banns): Church documents publicly stating a couple's intent to marry.
block number: A one-, two-, or three-digit number that describes a block (or piece) of land within a township.
bond: A written, signed, and witnessed agreement requiring someone to pay a specified amount of money by a given date.
bounty land: Land granted by the Colonial and federal governments as a reward for military service; bounty land warrants — documents granting the right to the land — were assigned to soldiers, their heirs, or other individuals.
Bureau of Land Management General Land Office (GLO): The US government office historically in charge of dispersing public land. Usually, several branch land offices existed for each state; its website
C
cemetery records: Records of those buried, as well as maps of grave sites; usually kept by cemetery caretakers.
census: An official count of the population in a given area; other details, such as names, ages, citizenship status and ethnic background of individuals, may be recorded. The US government has been collecting census data every ten years since in 1790. Many states have conducted their own censuses as well.
certified copy: A record copy made and attested to by custodians of the original who are authorized to give copies.
chromosome: A threadlike strand of DNA that carries genes and transmits hereditary information. Humans have forty-six chromosomes, organized into twenty-three pairs.
citation: The formatted information about a genealogical source that connects that source to each piece of family information it provides.
cluster genealogy: Studying your ancestor as part of a group of relatives, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and associates; this approach can help you learn details you might miss by looking only at records of an individual ancestor.
collateral relative: Any kin who aren't in your direct line, such as siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
confidence range or confidence interval: Measure of how likely a result is to be accurate. A DNA results report shows the most likely ancestry percentages (for a biogeographic test) or date an MRCA lived (for a Y-DNA test), as well as a confidence range showing other possible results.
credit patent: A document transferring land to be paid for in installments over a four-year period. A delinquent payment or nonpayment of the full balance resulted in forfeiture.
D
declaration of intention: An alien's sworn statement that he or she wants to become a US citizen, also called "first papers"; these court records list details such as name, age, occupation, birthplace, and last foreign residence.
deed: A document transferring ownership and title of property; unlike a patent, a deed records the sale of property from one private individual to another.
derivative record: A document that has been copied, digitized, summarized, abstracted, extracted, indexed, transcribed, or otherwise created from another source. Try to track derivative records to the original. When you must use a derivative source, be sure to cite appropriately.
descendant chart: A report displaying names and information on a person's children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.
descendants: An ancestor's off spring — children, grandchildren, and every new generation in the direct line.
direct evidence: Information in a source that directly answers a research question. For example, if the research question was "What was his birth date?" then direct evidence of that answer would be a record stating the birth date as 12 May 1835.
DNA: The molecule that contains genetic code. Short for deoxyribonucleic acid; genetic genealogy tests analyze various types of DNA, especially Y-DNA, mtDNA, or autosomal DNA.
documentation: The process of citing sources of the family history information you've gathered, making it easier to keep track of the research you've completed and allowing others to verify your findings.
E
enumeration districts: Divisions of an area used to make census taking more efficient and accurate. For large cities, the boundaries of enumeration districts often match those of wards or precincts.
extract: A quoted passage taken from a source. Unlike an abstract, an extract isn't edited down to the bare essentials. An extract doesn't necessarily include key information from the entire document, just one passage.
F
family group record (or sheet): A worksheet that succinctly summarizes your information on a couple and their children; includes names; dates and places of birth, baptism, marriage, death and burial; and source citations.
Family History Center: A local branch of the FamilySearch library network.
Each location contains a variety of digital and microfilmed records.
Family History Library (FHL): The world's largest collection of genealogical information, founded in 1894 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church). The main branch is in Salt Lake City, Utah. The FamilySearch website
five-generation ancestor chart: A family tree chart with five columns reading from left to right; this lists vital information for a person (in column 1) and his or her parents (column 2), grandparents (column 3), and so on.
freedman: A person released from slavery.
G
gazetteer: A geographical dictionary; a book giving names and descriptions of places, usually in alphabetical order.
GEDCOM: GEnealogy Data COMmunications, the universal file format for genealogy databases that allows users of different software programs to share family tree data with others.
gene: A hereditary unit consisting of a sequence of DNA that occupies a specific location on a chromosome and determines a particular characteristic in an organism.
Genealogical Proof Standard: A professional standard for credible research set by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Its elements include a reasonably exhaustive search for answers, complete and accurate source citations, analysis and correlation of evidence, resolution of conflicting evidence, and a well-reasoned and well-written conclusion.
genealogy: The study of your family's history; the process of tracing your ancestors back through time.
genetic marker: A specific location on a chromosome where the basic genetic units exist in a variable number of repeated copies. DNA tests analyze a collection of genetic markers.
genotype: The compilation of multiple genetic markers; the unique genetic identifier for any given individual.
H
haplogroup: An identification of the genetic group your ancient ancestors (10,000 to 60,000 years ago) belonged to, sometimes referred to as a branch of the world's family tree.
haplotype: Collectively, the marker values on your Y-DNA or mtDNA test results.
home source: Sources of any kind you find from family members and in your or a relative's home. Though these sources may be fragmented or undocumented, they are more likely to be relevant to your family and not to others of the same name (a problem common to finding records outside the family).
homestead: A home on land obtained from the US government; the homesteader agreed to live on the land and make improvements, such as adding buildings and clearing fields.
Homestead Act of 1862: A law allowing people to settle up to 160 acres of public land if they satisfied certain requirements; the land was free, but the settler paid a filing fee.
HVR (hypervariable region): Sections of mtDNA (such as HV1 and HV2) used to determine your haplogroup.
I
index: In genealogical terms, a list of names taken from a set of records.
For example, a census index may list the names of people recorded in a given area in the 1870, 1880, 1900, or another census. Indexes are often used in online databases and are also available in books and on CD, microfilm, and microfiche. They usually provide source information for the source records.
indirect evidence: Information that helps answer a research question but doesn't answer it in full. Let's say you're trying to identify Sadie's parents. One document links Sadie to her twin sister Alice and another gives Alice's parents' names. These two indirect pieces of evidence combine to answer your question.
informant: The person providing the information recorded in a document, as in a birth record. The reliability of the informant affects the accuracy of the evidence.
International Genealogical Index (IGI): A pedigree database on FamilySearch. org; contains roughly 250 million names either submitted to the church or extracted from records the church has microfilmed.
intestate: Describes a person who died without a will.
J
Julian calendar: The calendar used from 46 BC to 1582, named for Julius Caesar; it's often referred to as the "Old Style" calendar and was replaced by the Gregorian calendar.
K
kindred: Blood relatives.
L
land claim: A settler's application to receive public land.
land-entry case file: A file created when a person claimed land under an act of Congress, such as the Homestead Act of 1862; the person first filled out an application at the local General Land Office. The file might contain marriage, immigration, or other documents. Files are available from the National Archives and Records Administration.
land grant: Public land given to an individual by the government, usually as a reward for military service.
land patent: A document transferring land ownership from the federal government to an individual.
legacy: Property or money bequeathed to someone in a will.
legal land description: In a land patent, an exact identification of the land being transferred using survey terms.
lien: A claim placed on property by a person who is owed money.
local history: Usually, a book about the development of a town or county; these were popular in the late nineteenth century and often include details of the area's prominent families.
M
manuscripts: Private documents and records such as diaries, letters, family Bible entries, and organizations' papers; you can find manuscript collections through a search of the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) library holdings.
medical records: Paperwork associated with medical treatments from hospitals, asylums, doctors, or midwives; may be considered private documents and inaccessible to the public.
meridian: An imaginary north-south line; a principal meridian is the starting point for a rectangular land survey.
metes and bounds: A land survey method employing compass directions, landmarks and distances between points.
military records: Records of military service kept by the federal government (from the Revolutionary War to the present) and state government (for state militias and guards); examples are service records, pensions, bounty land warrant applications, draft registration cards, and discharge papers.
Miracode system: An indexing system similar to Soundex used to organize the results of the 1910 census; the computer-generated cards are organized first by Soundex code, then alphabetically by county, then alphabetically by given name.
mitochondrial DNA: Genetic material mothers pass on to both male and female children. Because it's passed down relatively unchanged, mtDNA can reveal "deep ancestry" along your maternal line — but not definitive links to recent generations.
mortality schedule: A special federal census schedule listing persons who died during the census year.
MRCA (most recent common ancestor): The most recent ancestor two individuals descend from.
mutation: Change in DNA that spontaneously occurs. Mutations can reveal how long ago two individuals' MRCA lived.
N
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): The United States' repository for federal records, including censuses, military service and pension records, passenger lists and bounty land warrants; in addition to the primary archives in Washington, DC, NARA has regional facilities across the nation.
negative evidence: When a record is not found where it should appear, providing evidence toward a conclusion.
New England Historical and Genealogical Register System: A genealogical numbering system showing an individual's descendants by generation. All children in a family get Roman numerals (i, ii, iii ... ) and every child later listed as a parent also gets an Arabic numeral (2, 3, 4 ... ).
The system is named for the journal of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
NGS Quarterly (NGSQ) system: A narrative report showing an individual's descendants by generation. It uses an alternative numbering system to the other reports. A plus sign indicates that a child appears as a parent in the next generation. The system is named for the journal of the National Genealogical Society.
O
oral history: A collection of family stories told by a family member or friend.
original record: A document in its original format, such as an actual death register or a diary. An original record may contain both primary information (the death date on a death certificate) and secondary information (on a death certificate, the deceased's birth date may have been provided by an informant who wasn't present when the person was born).
orphan asylum: An orphanage, or home for children whose parents have died.
P
passenger list: List of names and information about passengers who arrived on ships; submitted to customs collectors at every port by the ship's master. Passenger lists weren't officially required by the US government until 1820.
pedigree: List of a person's ancestors.
pension (military): A benefit paid regularly to a veteran or his widow for military service or a military service-related disability.
Periodical Source Index (PERSI): A print and online index to thousands of genealogy and local history periodicals published in the United States and Canada back to the 1700s; PERSI is a project of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Ind., and available through Findmypast
petition for naturalization: An alien resident's request to be made a citizen, often called "second papers" because it was submitted after filing a declaration of intention and fulfilling any residency requirements.
plat: A drawing showing the boundaries and features of a piece of property; in genealogy, a surveyor would have created such a drawing from a metes-and-bounds or legal land description.
pre-emption: The right of a settler to acquire property that he had occupied before the government officially sold or surveyed it.
primary information: Data reported by an informant who has firsthand knowledge of an event. For example, an attending physician or coroner may provide primary information about a person's death on her death certificate.
primary source: A record or other piece of data created at the time of a particular event; a primary source is always the original record — birth and death certificates are primary sources for those events. Note that an original record isn't always a primary source: For example, a death certificate isn't a primary source for birth information.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Family Tree Factbook"
by .
Copyright © 2018 F+W Media.
Excerpted by permission of F+W Media, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION, 8,
1 Research Basics, 9,
2 US State Research, 46,
3 Libraries and Archives, 59,
4 Names, 65,
5 Genealogy Websites, 74,
6 Computing, 87,
7 Census, 96,
8 Immigration, 123,
9 Military, 139,
10 Cemeteries, 148,
11 Genetic Genealogy, 158,
12 Geography, 167,
13 Social History, 184,
14 Photography, 195,
APPENDIX A Worksheets, 204,
APPENDIX B Your Frequently Cited Facts, 214,