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Professional Genealogists’ Use Of Indirect Evidence

Professional genealogists must use indirect evidence when genealogy sources such as vital records and census information are limited, non-existent, or not providing the direct evidence you need.  This is the most challenging and rewarding aspect of professional genealogy.  The use of probate records such as tax lists for personal property and land, deed books, grantor and grantee indexes, surveyor’s books, signed petitions, abstracts, revolutionary war affidavits, early census records, cemetery records, local history, militia lists, and available vital records provides the names of those who lived in close proximity to your ancestors and relatives.  Therefore, this genealogy information is essential to building a compelling family history.  Land records provide the grantors and grantees, origins of land patents or treasury warrants, number of acres, adjacent property owners, physical descriptions of some land features, joint ownerships, etc.  By following the stream of your ancestor’s land acquisitions and where they show up on tax lists you will create a family history of close neighbors, friends, spouses, relatives and professional relationships.  If you are working with common names with many in a given area you can use the genealogical information in these records to create profiles of each individual by using the names of those listed with each individual in these various genealogy records.  This allows you to begin to see the differences and commonalities and start to group people into family units.  Using a timeline to list all of your genealogy findings is the best way to organize and analyze all of your genealogical information and reach your conclusions based on this indirect evidence.  No piece of genealogy evidence is insignifant and this hard work will pay off and be very rewarding!

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How Do Professional Genealogists Go Back 7 Or 8 Generations?

As professional genealogists one question we are consistently asked by our clients is, “how did you find all of that information?”  To answer that question, I reviewed some recent genealogy projects and tabulated the genealogical records we used during our genealogy research.  Here is a typical list of the sources we use in professional genealogy: client, US census; cemetery; state archives; birth record, notice, certificate; baptism, christening; death and burial notice; death certificate; obituary; marriage record, notice, certificate; divorce; town, city, state vital records; index compilations such as Ricker, Torrey, or Barbour; US IRS tax assessement lists; town and county histories; biographies; genealogy reference books; social security death index; military such as WWI and WWI draft registration cards and enlistment; US passport applications; immigration and naturalization records; passenger lists; libraries; National Archives; Family History Library; land records; tax lists; court records…etc.  Once we have collected the genealogy source information we bring historical context into the report and bring the family to life from probate records, town or county histories and biographies.  These records combined provide a tremendous amount of genealogical information that our clients truly appreciate!

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Genealogy Research Records In Massachusetts

Doing genealogy research in Massachusetts provides many opportunities for free and available information for genealogy research services. Websites such as http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Online_Vital_Records_Research_Guide provide free indexes for vital records in all towns for genealogy research to include birth, marriage, and death that can then be researched in more detail with the local townships and jurisdictions. Due to privacy laws these records are available into the late 1800s in order to protect the privacy of those still living. Using these free indexes is a great starting point for those pursuing genealogy research. While this link provides indexes to all towns in Massachusetts, there are many instances where individual towns also make their vital record indexes available for genealogy research through websites such as http://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Ipswich/BirthsR.shtml for Ipswich, Massachusetts. In many instances the index will also tell you the volume and page number where the vital record can be found in that particular town so that you can follow up to determine the correct citation for these findings. Melick Genealogists has provided genealogy research in Massachusetts for hundreds of families and has direct access to vital records in Massachusetts through town records, cemetery records, church records and archives.

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Massachusetts for Professional Genealogists a Gold Mine of Genealogical Information

As professional genealogists, Massachusetts provides a relative gold mine of free and available information for genealogical research services.  Websites such as http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Online_Vital_Records_Research_Guide provide free indexes for vital records in all towns to include birth, marriage, and death that can then be researched in more detail with the local townships and jurisdictions.  Due to privacy laws these records are available into the late 1800s in order to protect the privacy of those still living.  Having these free indexes available is a great starting point for professional genealogists providing genealogical research services.  While this link provides indexes to all towns in Massachusetts, there are many instances where individual towns also make their vital record indexes available through websites such as http://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Ipswich/BirthsR.shtml for Ipswich, Massachusetts.  In many instances the index will also tell you the volume and page number where the vital record can be found in that particular town.  Providing sound citations is still paramount and requires some leg work to view and copy the original documents, but having the indexes available is a tremendous help.  Melick Genealogists’ professional genealogists in Massachusetts have provided genealogical research services for hundreds of families and has direct access to vital records in Massachusetts through town records, cemetery records, church records and archives.

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Professional Genealogists Announce New Genealogy Research Projects. Genealogical Research Experts.

Denver, CO – Melick Genealogists, a leader in providing genealogy research services, is pleased to announce some of their new genealogical research projects. Their professional genealogists are currently researching the family genealogies in Italy, England, Colorado, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Sweden for clients in Massachusetts, England, Oregon, Colorado, and Florida. Their experienced professional genealogists and forensic investigators have the time tested skills necessary to conduct exhaustive searches to locate ancestors, missing heirs and beneficiaries worldwide.

* To view their new website go to: http://www.melickgenealogists.com

“As professional genealogists, we are excited to be working on these projects and researching genealogies worldwide,” explained Chip Melick, Partner with Melick Genealogists. “We continue to share our enthusiasm and knowledge with our clients to help them discover their ancestors and become aware of their family story in the historical perspective of their time.”

PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGY ASSISTANCE

The professional genealogists at Melick Genealogists have had a great deal of success providing their clients with professional genealogy services and genealogy pedigree charts which are reflected in their testimonials. They have been successful due to their knowledge of the repositories around the world that provide the sought after genealogical information. Melick Genealogists develops a research plan, reviews it with their client, and keeps them informed as to their progress as they discover information and more options open up for research. Once they have completed the agreed upon research they provide research recommendations to the client for the future.

ABOUT MELICK GENEALOGISTS

The professional genealogists at Melick Genealogists having been researching genealogy for over 16 years. Partners Chip Melick and Suzanne Stewart have 32 years of experience between them in professional genealogical research. They are skilled at genealogical research all over the United States as well as worldwide. Unlike any professional genealogists in the world, Melick Genealogists merges the science of genealogy research with heirloom quality genealogy pedigree charts to discover and depict their client’s family history.

Contact:
Melick Geneologists
Web. http://www.melickgenealogists.com/
Email. melickgenealogists@gmail.com
Phone: 303-898-8766

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Professional Genealogists Announce New Genealogy Research Projects. Genealogical Research Experts.

Denver, CO – Melick Genealogists, a leader in providing genealogy research services, is pleased to announce some of their new genealogical research projects. Their professional genealogists are currently researching the family genealogies in Italy, England, Colorado, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Sweden for clients in Massachusetts, England, Oregon, Colorado, and Florida. Their experienced professional genealogists and forensic investigators have the time tested skills necessary to conduct exhaustive searches to locate ancestors, missing heirs and beneficiaries worldwide.

* To view their new website go to: http://www.melickgenealogists.com

“As professional genealogists, we are excited to be working on these projects and researching genealogies worldwide,” explained Chip Melick, Partner with Melick Genealogists. “We continue to share our enthusiasm and knowledge with our clients to help them discover their ancestors and become aware of their family story in the historical perspective of their time.”

PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGY ASSISTANCE

The professional genealogists at Melick Genealogists have had a great deal of success providing their clients with professional genealogy services and genealogy pedigree charts which are reflected in their testimonials. They have been successful due to their knowledge of the repositories around the world that provide the sought after genealogical information. Melick Genealogists develops a research plan, reviews it with their client, and keeps them informed as to their progress as they discover information and more options open up for research. Once they have completed the agreed upon research they provide research recommendations to the client for the future.

ABOUT MELICK GENEALOGISTS

The professional genealogists at Melick Genealogists having been researching genealogy for over 16 years. Partners Chip Melick and Suzanne Stewart have 32 years of experience between them in professional genealogical research. They are skilled at genealogical research all over the United States as well as worldwide. Unlike any professional genealogists in the world, Melick Genealogists merges the science of genealogy research with heirloom quality genealogy pedigree charts to discover and depict their client’s family history.

Contact:
Melick Geneologists
Web. http://www.melickgenealogists.com/
Email. melickgenealogists@gmail.com
Phone: 303-898-8766

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Professional Genealogists Launch Their New Website! Genealogical Research Experts And Locating Missing Heirs

Denver, CO – Melick Genealogists, a leader in providing genealogy research services, is pleased to announce their new website reflecting their passion for professional genealogy. This new website highlights their professional genealogists’ expertise discovering ancestors back into the 17th century as well as forward to living missing heirs and beneficiaries. Their experienced professional genealogists and forensic investigators have the time tested skills necessary to conduct exhaustive searches to locate ancestors, missing heirs and beneficiaries worldwide.

* To view their new website go to: http://www.melickgenealogists.com

“As professional genealogists, we are dedicated to discovering and preserving our client’s family histories by providing expert genealogical research services,” explained Chip Melick, Partner with Melick Genealogists. “We want to share our enthusiasm and knowledge with our clients to help them discover their ancestors and become aware of their family story in the historical perspective of their time.”

PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGY ASSISTANCE

The professional genealogists at Melick Genealogists have had a great deal of success providing their clients with professional genealogy services and genealogy pedigree charts which are reflected in their testimonials. They have been successful due to their knowledge of the repositories around the world that provide the sought after genealogical information. Melick Genealogists develops a research plan, reviews it with their client, and keeps them informed as to their progress as they discover information and more options open up for research. Once they have completed the agreed upon research they provide research recommendations to the client for the future.

ABOUT MELICK GENEALOGISTS

The professional genealogists at Melick Genealogists having been researching genealogy for over 16 years. Partners Chip Melick and Suzanne Stewart have 32 years of experience between them in professional genealogical research. They are skilled at genealogical research all over the United States as well as worldwide. Unlike any professional genealogists in the world, Melick Genealogists merges the science of genealogy research with heirloom quality genealogy pedigree charts to discover and depict their client’s family history.

Contact:
Melick Geneologists
Web. http://www.melickgenealogists.com/
Email. melickgenealogists@gmail.com
Phone: 303-898-8766

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Serendipity For Professional Genealogists!

Melick Genealogists – Serendipity in genealogy research? Check out this article from the Mormon Church.

During my first crack at reading an Italian film record, years ago, I had a serendipitous experience. The only Italian I knew at the time was ‘nati’ for birth, ‘matri’ for marriage and ‘morte’ for death. I figured that would carry me through reading this film. Was I wrong! I was so frustrated when trying to read the difficult handwriting in a foreign language that I spun the microfilm wheel on the film reader to see where it would land. I figured I would start there. Right in front of my eyes was a member of the family I was searching and to boot she had the same birth month and day as me!

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Professional Genealogists Database Sources

As the professional genealogists at Melick Genealogists discover new family history sources we will share them with you!

Alien Registration Cards are an excellent source of family history information for those immigrant ancestors who never naturalized.  You can search for these genealogical records at: http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/g-639.htm.  Download and submit a completed G-639 form.  It will take awhile to receive the information but it is definately worth the wait!  http://www.uscis.gov/

There is also a new genealogical database from the New Jersey State archives indexing Civil War vouchers from 1861-1865 at:https://wwwnet1.state.nj.us/DOS/Admin/ArchivesDBPortal/CivilWarVouchers.aspx.  This is a goldmine of great family history information!

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Genealogical Research Source Citations

All professional genealogists should provide source citations to all of the genealogy research information they collect for your family history. As a consumer you should expect and demand this service. To give credibility to your personal genealogical research it is very important to create a source citation that describes the source of the genealogy research information you discover and attach it to your genealogy research in the form of a footnote. Footnotes are best because it will always be on the same page along with the genealogy research information you discover.

There are a number of basic templates depending on the type of source such as online historical resources, ancestry.com databases and images, archival manuscripts, articles, books, censuses, electronic data, local government records, and microform. These are available in the form of a “Quicksheet” by Elizabeth Shown Mills, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, MD, or in the book “Evidence, Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian” by Elizabeth Shown Mills, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, MD, 1997.

Simply put, the goal for citations is for anyone to be able to read your source citation and be able to find exactly where you found your genealogical research source. Any genealogy research information that you find that does not have a source citation should be viewed as only a suggestion that requires followup genealogy research. Any information that is not considered common knowledge should have a source citation.

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