I have unique Italian/Greek surnames in my family, but it seems every branch has many multiples of people with the same first name in multiple generations. Very confusing. Especially, when there are so many named Mary, Maria, Marie, Ann, Anne, Anna. Thank you for all of your help.
Some days i do envy American researchers for having the census records to lean on. No such analog in East Europe. In most records prior to 1800 they did not bother giving the maiden surname of woman in birth records or even marriage records, only John Doe marries Anna. Half the women are Anna the other half are Mary.
Hi, what do you do when the female is On several documents and her last name is spelled different on each one ? It seems that no one knew how to spell my great great grandmother's last name.. Right now I'm conflicted between the surname Canada, Kennedy, Cunningham .
Thank you for your informative videos. I have given up hope of finding my great grandmother’s family. She died in 1877 at the age of 22. My grandfather was 2yrs old when his mother died. I know her maiden name and the cemetery where she is buried, but there are no church records other than her date of birth and burial. My grandfather’s father remarried before my grandfather was 5 yrs.old. My grandfather died in 1950 and when the death records were available I had hoped to find information about his mother, but his stepmother was listed as his mother.
If you know her maiden name, look at other people with that surname who are in the neighborhood, especially those who attended the same church she did. Look at their probate records, land records, etc. If you're in the US, the probate records could be especially useful, as her children might be mentioned as heirs of her parents.
Hey Amy! Great channel filled with excellent info. I have two quick questions (since I think a possible ancestor of mine was up to no good): 1. Was desertion by husbands common in the 1930's-40s in the Deep South? 2. How about "common law" marriage between couples? Or, was bigamy just easier to get away with during that era? This guy I'm researching really got around...but I'm still missing records that actually connect him to my known relatives (so I'm kinda hoping this dude isn't really a relation of mine). Thoughts? Thanks so much for all your wonderful, helpful content!
My male ancestors on my father's side repeat the first name, Richard, Anthony, ect. The women's names are repeated also, sometimes in the same generation.
My grandmother Elizabeth blank was combed over by a family professional genealogist mid-century. And searching for her has the feeling of walking a beach that has been picked over for the good shells. However we have DNA and the internet, which she could have only dreamed about.
What about a female ancestor that never married, never had children, never worked outside the home, and lived with family all her life? She doesn't even show up with "keeping house". She lived with her brother for the majority of her life. I have found her in censuses, but no death record anywhere to be found. The last census she was in was 1920. She also had a sister who died shortly after giving birth in 1886 and nothing on her either! They both lived in Alabama, which for me has been a challenge to research. Thank you for your informative videos.
That’s a tough one, to be sure. I would make sure to thoroughly research all of her siblings. Track all of them in censuses, etc; she might be living with one of them later on. Look for their obits to see if she’s mentioned as a surviving sibling. I’d also look at state hospitals and county homes. Not unusual for unmarried, childless women to end up there.
@@AmyJohnsonCrow Thank you! My Ggrandmother (their sister) passed away in 1908. The brother is living with a niece (daughter of deceased sister) in 1930. I was thinking state homes, etc. Just hard to find information. Also to compound frustration, the parents of these children fell of the face of the earth after 1870 census and I have only found them in that one!
I have been looking for an ancestress for 30 + years. I have been through deeds of her father-in-law ; if the same name is listed as a witness to a deed or land survye that is sometimes a clue to a connection between their children. They lived in Rutherford (now Cleveland) county NC between 1780-1800. Church records are useless. They were Baptist and that denomination only keeps track of joins and exclusions. No birth, marriage, or death. There are no marriage records for the couple in or around Rutherford Co, NC between 1788-1791. The first child was born about 1793. I've even looked in neighboring SC counties. One of their son's given name was Martin - very unusual for that period. No one with that surname lived near the family in deed, census , or tax records until after they arrive in KY about 1800. The 1800 census in KY is missing. The husband, Isaac, was by family myth a twin of Jacob. They both had sons born about 1810, Martin and Warren, so knowing which of these men was the son of which brother is uncertain. Even researching both Martin and Warren has proven no clues as to the first wife of Isaac or the maiden name of Jacob's wife Rebecca. Isaac's wife died about 1811 and her husband remarried in 1812. He left a will in 1844 but only named the youngest of his 17 children who had not left home, and there are no probate records. Very frustrating. And there's a similar brickwall with Issac and Jacob's father, James. The family lived near the NC Cherokee lands in Western NC. Maybe the wives were NA. Maybe they were married by hand-fasting or other celtic customs. Lots of other maybe's also that may result in a forever mystery. DNA has not helped.
I just watched your video with the tips you give about finding female ancestors. Good tips, but don’t work for the 1600 and 1700s . I have been looking for more information about two Great great great grandmothers. One die in 1850, she is in the 1850 census, listed her husband and children and a sister, none of them have help me find who were her parents, where she was born and the date of birth. Prior to 1850, the census just give the name of the head of the family and how many males and females are in his family and the age group. Do you have any suggestions of where to look ?
Researching before 1850 does get tougher! The same principles apply, though. Research *thoroughly* the people she's associated with: her husband and her children. Who is he buying/acquiring land from? Who is he suing (and being sued by)? Who are the godparents of the children? If you have her maiden name, research everyone in that area with that surname, focusing on things like probate records. It takes more digging, but it can be done.
My one 2x ggm was married 4 times. And she lied about her maiden name during her last marriage, likely to cover up her having buried 3 husbands. I don’t think she killed them, but she might have been labeled unlucky or cursed during the 19th century in East Europe. She did however abandon one child from her second marriage so that she probably had a hidden shame, poor thing. The marriage record of that child showed that she was an orphan. 😢😢 I’d like to find the descendants of that child on my next visit over seas.
I just find your videos to be so clear, interesting and above all- helpful ! 😊
I have unique Italian/Greek surnames in my family, but it seems every branch has many multiples of people with the same first name in multiple generations. Very confusing. Especially, when there are so many named Mary, Maria, Marie, Ann, Anne, Anna. Thank you for all of your help.
Some days i do envy American researchers for having the census records to lean on. No such analog in East Europe. In most records prior to 1800 they did not bother giving the maiden surname of woman in birth records or even marriage records, only John Doe marries Anna. Half the women are Anna the other half are Mary.
Hi, what do you do when the female is On several documents and her last name is spelled different on each one ? It seems that no one knew how to spell my great great grandmother's last name.. Right now I'm conflicted between the surname Canada, Kennedy, Cunningham .
Excellent job!
Thank you very much!
Thank you for your informative videos. I have given up hope of finding my great grandmother’s family. She died in 1877 at the age of 22. My grandfather was 2yrs old when his mother died. I know her maiden name and the cemetery where she is buried, but there are no church records other than her date of birth and burial. My grandfather’s father remarried before my grandfather was 5 yrs.old. My grandfather died in 1950 and when the death records were available I had hoped to find information about his mother, but his stepmother was listed as his mother.
If you know her maiden name, look at other people with that surname who are in the neighborhood, especially those who attended the same church she did. Look at their probate records, land records, etc. If you're in the US, the probate records could be especially useful, as her children might be mentioned as heirs of her parents.
Hey Amy! Great channel filled with excellent info. I have two quick questions (since I think a possible ancestor of mine was up to no good): 1. Was desertion by husbands common in the 1930's-40s in the Deep South? 2. How about "common law" marriage between couples? Or, was bigamy just easier to get away with during that era? This guy I'm researching really got around...but I'm still missing records that actually connect him to my known relatives (so I'm kinda hoping this dude isn't really a relation of mine). Thoughts? Thanks so much for all your wonderful, helpful content!
My male ancestors on my father's side repeat the first name, Richard, Anthony, ect. The women's names are repeated also, sometimes in the same generation.
My grandmother Elizabeth blank was combed over by a family professional genealogist mid-century. And searching for her has the feeling of walking a beach that has been picked over for the good shells. However we have DNA and the internet, which she could have only dreamed about.
What about a female ancestor that never married, never had children, never worked outside the home, and lived with family all her life? She doesn't even show up with "keeping house". She lived with her brother for the majority of her life. I have found her in censuses, but no death record anywhere to be found. The last census she was in was 1920. She also had a sister who died shortly after giving birth in 1886 and nothing on her either! They both lived in Alabama, which for me has been a challenge to research. Thank you for your informative videos.
That’s a tough one, to be sure. I would make sure to thoroughly research all of her siblings. Track all of them in censuses, etc; she might be living with one of them later on. Look for their obits to see if she’s mentioned as a surviving sibling. I’d also look at state hospitals and county homes. Not unusual for unmarried, childless women to end up there.
@@AmyJohnsonCrow Thank you! My Ggrandmother (their sister) passed away in 1908. The brother is living with a niece (daughter of deceased sister) in 1930. I was thinking state homes, etc. Just hard to find information. Also to compound frustration, the parents of these children fell of the face of the earth after 1870 census and I have only found them in that one!
I have been looking for an ancestress for 30 + years.
I have been through deeds of her father-in-law ; if the same name is listed as a witness to a deed or land survye that is sometimes a clue to a connection between their children. They lived in Rutherford (now Cleveland) county NC between 1780-1800.
Church records are useless. They were Baptist and that denomination only keeps track of joins and exclusions. No birth, marriage, or death.
There are no marriage records for the couple in or around Rutherford Co, NC between 1788-1791. The first child was born about 1793. I've even looked in neighboring SC counties.
One of their son's given name was Martin - very unusual for that period. No one with that surname lived near the family in deed, census , or tax records until after they arrive in KY about 1800. The 1800 census in KY is missing. The husband, Isaac, was by family myth a twin of Jacob. They both had sons born about 1810, Martin and Warren, so knowing which of these men was the son of which brother is uncertain. Even researching both Martin and Warren has proven no clues as to the first wife of Isaac or the maiden name of Jacob's wife Rebecca.
Isaac's wife died about 1811 and her husband remarried in 1812. He left a will in 1844 but only named the youngest of his 17 children who had not left home, and there are no probate records.
Very frustrating. And there's a similar brickwall with Issac and Jacob's father, James.
The family lived near the NC Cherokee lands in Western NC. Maybe the wives were NA. Maybe they were married by hand-fasting or other celtic customs. Lots of other maybe's also that may result in a forever mystery. DNA has not helped.
I just watched your video with the tips you give about finding female ancestors. Good tips, but don’t work for the 1600 and 1700s . I have been looking for more information about two Great great great grandmothers. One die in 1850, she is in the 1850 census, listed her husband and children and a sister, none of them have help me find who were her parents, where she was born and the date of birth. Prior to 1850, the census just give the name of the head of the family and how many males and females are in his family and the age group. Do you have any suggestions of where to look ?
Researching before 1850 does get tougher! The same principles apply, though. Research *thoroughly* the people she's associated with: her husband and her children. Who is he buying/acquiring land from? Who is he suing (and being sued by)? Who are the godparents of the children? If you have her maiden name, research everyone in that area with that surname, focusing on things like probate records. It takes more digging, but it can be done.
My one 2x ggm was married 4 times. And she lied about her maiden name during her last marriage, likely to cover up her having buried 3 husbands. I don’t think she killed them, but she might have been labeled unlucky or cursed during the 19th century in East Europe. She did however abandon one child from her second marriage so that she probably had a hidden shame, poor thing. The marriage record of that child showed that she was an orphan. 😢😢 I’d like to find the descendants of that child on my next visit over seas.
😞 𝓅𝓇o𝓂o𝓈𝓂