A Creative HobbyGenealogy is a creative hobby

which may lead you to interests inareas you have not previouslyconsidered. You may becomemore aware of history and geogra-phy or find a particular countryfascinating. You may begin orincrease your interests in antiques.You may become interested infamily crests or the science ofheraldry. Your study may encour-age you to learn about sailingvessels or perhaps an occupationof a by-gone era. Genealogy canbe much more than a record ofnames, dates, and places.

Detective WorkYou must do detective work on

records, learning about those whopreceded you in your family. EthelWilliams, the author of Know YourAncestors,* says a good genealogistis “a full-time detective, a thoroughhistorian, an inveterate snoop . . . aconfirmed diplomat, a keen observer,a hardened skeptic, an apt biogra-pher, a qualified linguist, a part-timelawyer . . . a studious sociologist,and, above all, an accurate reporter.”

If you fit any part of this de-scription, you too have the qualifi-cations to be a genealogist. Youalso need much patience andperseverance.

*See “General Sources,” p. 10.

FCS1-358

“What do I know about my ancestors? Where did theycome from? How long has my family been in Kentucky?”These and similar questions are being asked by an in-creasing number of Kentuckians. They are avidlysearching for answers, wherever the facts may be.

Tracing family histories is a fascinating study that tellsus about our families who lived long ago. These stud-ies—known as genealogy—provide information aboutpeople, places and events, and specific periods in his-tory. Genealogy can give us an understanding of thepresent through knowledge of the past.

2

Family RecordsVisits with older members of

your family will be meaningful inmany ways. Older persons usuallyenjoy reminiscing. It gives thempleasure to tell someone theirmemories of their early life and toknow others are interested. Theirstories can provide you withvaluable information.

Family TraditionsThe family traditions with which

you have grown up probablyhappened, but maybe not exactlyas rumored. Perhaps your grand-aunt was the heroine insteadof your great-grandmother, oryour great-grandfather may havebeen both local lawyer and circuitriding preacher, or the family homemay have been originally inMaryland rather than Virginia asyou believed. Keep an open mind,and you will be amply rewarded.

For future reference, accuratelyrecord with whom you talk andwhen. Do not be alarmed if familymemories are different from whatyou later discover to be truethrough public records or libraryresearch. Family stories may vary,but generally they have a factualbeginning.

Printed records do not alwayspresent all the facts. Being human,even professionals make mistakes.Do not be discouraged if you finddiscrepancies. Over the passage ofyears, interpretation of situationscan vary, or the meaning of foreignlanguages can be misunderstood.

The Family BibleFamily Bibles are excellent

sources of information. Checkthese carefully to see if births,deaths, or marriages were re-corded at the actual time of theevent or at some later date. A birthdate could not have been recordedat the actual time of the birth if thefamily Bible was not publisheduntil a later date.

3

Primary andSecondary Records

Primary records, such as birthcertificates or marriage licenses,are those recorded at the time ofthe event by someone who knewthe circumstances. Secondaryrecords are those recorded at alater time by someone who knewor who referred to other sourcesfor information.

Other family resources areletters, wills, deeds, diaries, funeralprograms, military papers, news-paper clippings, etc.

Do not overlook needlework, assamplers were often embroideredwith significant dates. The namesof a couple and the date of theirmarriage were sometimes woveninto a coverlet, or these facts werecarved or painted on a woodenchest. Perhaps your attic containssome of these mementos.

Old PhotosIn the course of your research

you will doubtless be shown manyold photographs—possibly tin-types and other pictures that mayhave been made a century or moreago. You may wish to have themcopied for your later use. By allmeans, without delay, identify thepersons in these old pictures.Nothing in later life is more frus-trating than trying to identify oldpictures when there is no oneliving who can help you.

Do you have pictures in yourhome that are not identified? If so,now is the time for you to identifythem. Years from now your chil-dren and grandchildren will rejoicethat you took the time and effort towrite on the reverse side of yourown pictures the names of thepersons shown.

Write to RelativesWrite to all known relatives,

asking for Bible records (photo-graphic copies are excellent), theirmemories of family events, andsuggestions for further family orother contacts. You may findsharing your information with themwill be mutually helpful.

Establish your relationship,whether brother or sister or cousinor aunt, etc., as definitely aspossible. Your relative may be ableto provide missing links or giveyou clues to further identities. Youmay be rewarded by family tieswith distant relatives who willenjoy your company as much asyou will enjoy theirs.

4

Your FamilyCoat-of-Arms*

If you are interested in findingout about a coat-of-arms for yourfamily, remember this fact: If youhave the same name for which acoat-of-arms exists, that doesn’tnecessarily mean that your ances-tors actually were granted thatparticular coat-of-arms. It is com-mon knowledge in the heraldic fieldthat several different coats-of-armscan exist for a single family name.

There are firms that provide bymail coats-of-arms reports andother heraldic properties. They donot, however, claim to trace yourfamily tree. What they are likely todo is research back through severalcenturies to find the earliest peoplewith that family name.

Recording InformationWhen you record information,

do it as if you were writing forsomeone who knows nothingabout you. Be accurate. Type orprint precisely, as handwriting canbe misinterpreted.

Spell all the names correctly.You may find the spelling of afamily name has been changedover the years. Even some mem-bers of the same generation do notspell the family name the same.Record all variants of family names.

List names in full, using initialsonly when the entire name isimpossible to find. Underlineunusual names or spellings. Useparentheses around nicknameswith the given name spelled out.Do not abbreviate, such as “Bill”for “William.” If you have only aninitial and you do not knowwhether it was used as a name ornot, write it without a periodfollowing, such as “A”. If you knowit stood for a name but you do notknow the name, write it with aperiod following, such as “A.”

Record your sources of informa-tion accurately. You may wish torefer to these again or cross-checkthem with other information youdiscover. Others may also findyour sources important to theirresearch.

Do not assume a person is yourrelative just because your familyname is the same. Verify yourrelationship through all possiblemeans before you begin whatmight prove a fruitless search.

Write up family stories andrecord them according to who toldthem. Add photographs of thoseinvolved whenever possible. Thisis YOUR family history. Add whatmakes it meaningful for you,keeping it as factual as possible.True stories often make moreinteresting reading than fiction.

You’ll Be an AncestorSome Day

As you research and find fasci-nating family diaries and otherrecords, think of your own impacton future generations. What diariesare you writing? Are you keepingrecords? What kind of ancestor areYOU?

*Information presented in this sectioncomes from Dollars and Decisions, Vol. 11,No. 1, June 1974, The Extension Service,University of Vermont.

5

Where Do You Begin?You could begin your search by

concentrating on only your father’sfamily line . . . or your mother’s . .. or that of your spouse, but youwill probably find several ancestorsfrom the same community. You willwish to record all the informationyou find and keep all clues per-taining to your family lines. Eachbit of information will provideinteresting facts.

You may not be able to com-pletely trace down all the personsin whom you become interested.Good family histories take muchtime. Don’t get discouraged!

Find Other“Detectives”

Make contact with someone elsewho is working on a family history.Most genealogists seem eager toshare knowledge. Missing informa-tion about ancestors is similar tomissing parts of a puzzle. Research-ers enjoy the challenge of the searchand the joy of discovery!

Gather all information possiblefrom your living relatives. You mayfind a relative who has a goodrecord of a family line about whichyou know little and who will bedelighted to share this informationwith you. DO IT NOW! Records can

be lost. Don’t wait until you can giveit more of your time . . . even part-time research is rewarding.

Remember, when you writesomeone for information, if yousend a stamped, self-addressedenvelope, you may receive a replymore quickly. Also, let yourcorrespondent know how muchyou appreciate the help he or shegives you.

Public Records &Census DataPublic Records

After you have recorded as muchfamily data as possible, begin asearch of public records. You willneed all pertinent information youcan gather, for you cannot simplyask to see the public records of acommunity and expect to findfamily data easily. You will savemany wasted hours if you know theexact county, township, or city wardin which your ancestor lived beforeyou begin your research.

You should make a study of thelocale before you search therecords. The divisions of town andcounty governments vary indifferent areas.

In some states, but not inKentucky, counties are divided into

6

townships. Determine in whichtownship a family home waslocated if your ancestor did notlive inside city limits. Large citiesare divided into wards. A streetaddress will help locate the exactward.

State and county boundary lineshave changed over the years.What you assume to have been thecommunity in which an ancestorlived may have been designated adifferent county or even a differentstate when he actually lived there.

Early settlers in a communityare often listed in the tax records.They may be listed also as countyofficers, ministers, teachers,doctors, storekeepers, or in otheroccupations. Plat books thatcontain township maps sometimes

include names of early landowners.Church records and fraternal

organizations are good sources ofinformation. Patriotic organiza-tions, such as the Daughters of theAmerican Revolution, have excel-lent records of their membership.

Cemetery SleuthingTombstones will give dates of

birth and death and sometimescause of death. If the surface ofthe stone is badly worn, commonwhite chalk rubbed over it willmake the inscription clearer. Chalkwill not harm the tombstone andwill wash off. However, it would bewise to obtain permission from thechurch sexton or another officialbefore doing this.

For future reference, rememberto record the location and name ofeach cemetery where you search.

Errors can be present in anyrecord, but generally the re-searcher will get helpful informa-tion from them. Wheneverpossible, check several records sothat your facts are accurate.

Census DataState historical societies or

libraries contain census recordsand other data pertaining to familyhistories. Provide yourself with allinformation possible before youattempt such library research. Thelibrarians have many requests anddesire to give as much help aspossible, but they need all thefacts you can provide to enablethem to give you greater assis-tance.

Check the card catalogue at thehistorical society library to find if ahistory of your family is listed.These catalogues sometimes listnewspaper articles, county histo-ries, and other sources of informa-tion.

Many volumes are preciouseditions that must be used only inthe library. There are also micro-film records of data that need to beused with proper equipment. Planto spend the time needed to reviewthese records.

7

The NationalArchives

Copies of the original federalcensus schedules can be found inmany genealogical collections.The National Archives in Washing-ton, D.C., houses the originalrecords.

The National Archives also isthe repository of veterans’ recordsgoing back to 1775. Included arethe pension applications of veter-ans and their dependents, such astheir widows. To make a requestfor a particular veteran’s record,you will need to request FormGSA-6751 from the NationalArchives and Records Service,Washington, D.C.

The 1790 census is available formost of the colonial states. Thisrecords only the name of thehousehold. Beginning in 1850, allpersons in the household wererecorded, including names, ages,occupations, and places of birth.In the 1880 census only, thebirthplaces of parents also arelisted, giving valuable information.

Mortality schedules were takenduring the census years of 1850,1860, 1870, and 1880. These listpersons who died before June 30during the census years. Includedis information about name, age,sex, color, whether free or slave,marital status, place of birth,cause and date of death, andoccupation.

Ships’ PassengerLists

Although not all ships fromother lands kept complete passen-ger lists, those that did are sourcesof further data. Original recordsinclude the name of the ship, whenand from where it sailed, the nameof the captain, and the name,ages, and occupation of thepassengers.

Early land records, deeds,probate records, tax lists, pensionlists, naturalization papers, wills,and other legal papers are goodsources of data. Use all clues andkeep records of what you find.These may prove of value later.

County Histories,Centennials

County histories are publishedat various times and include thenames of people who contributedto the publishing. Centennialprograms and biographicalsketches about an area can beuseful. Be cautious in accepting allthe stories as related, since writerssometimes give personages addedcharacteristics in an effort toprovide “local color” to situations.These stories can provide impor-tant links in tracing dates and livesof individuals, however.

Keep Good RecordsKeep an accurate list of the

materials you review so as not tospend unnecessary time re-checking those of no further valueto your search. Classify yourreferences, including book andpage number. This validates yourresearch. Indicate whether refer-ences were of value or not.

Also record those things youreview that do not pertain to yourfamily genealogy. This may saveyou valuable time at some later

8

date because you will review somany records you will not be ableto remember all of them unlessyou keep accurate lists.

Data pertaining to your familythat you do not plan to use imme-diately should be recorded andretained. Some other familymember may find it useful, if youdo not.

Record-Keeping Aidsln your record-keeping, be as

simple or as detailed as you feelsuits your needs, but be accurate.

Index cards and a file box allowmanipulation of records. List thenames of a person and spouse andother pertinent information on oneside of the card. Record informa-tion about children of the coupleon the other side.

Index sheets with tabs arehelpful to use in alphabetizingsurnames of persons.

Adequate notebooks or files arenecessary for recording informa-tion. You will want to be free to adddata. Many persons find looseleafnotebooks or file folders quitesatisfactory. It is wise not to try toinclude too many persons or toomuch information on a page. Youmay find you need to insert otherfacts.

Family History Records areinvaluable. These tell YOUR story.Record all known facts aboutyourself, your spouse, your par-ents, dates and places of births,dates and places of marriages,dates and places of death andburial, war service, and any otherpertinent facts.

For other family members, suchas a history chart for your parents,record data about both father andmother and all children. Althoughyou may be interested in only onerelative listed, you may find arelationship included that will giveyou or others assistance in research.

Pedigree Charts show yourrelationship to your ancestors.

The Pedigree Chart on page 12is an example of one individual’srelationship to parents and grand-parents. You may use this style ordevelop another that seemssuitable.

All male parents are given evennumbers. All female parents aregiven odd numbers. You arenumber one.

Each chart is numbered. Youwould be number one on ChartOne. If you make a separate chartfor your father’s father, he wouldbe number four on Chart One.

Family History Record, page 11,is also numbered with the sameidentifying numbers as on thePedigree Chart. The illustration isof numbers eight and nine, yourgreat-grandfather and your great-grandmother. Your family historyrecord could give you as “numberone on Chart One” and yourspouse as “number two on ChartTwo,” with all this informationlisted on the proper line.

Suggested ProjectsFamily Reunion

You may want to organize afamily reunion to help collectinformation, such as old Biblerecords, pictures, and wills, and todevelop a sense of unity andbelonging among your relatives.

County & CommunityProjects

As a group, you can developmany projects that would be ofvalue to your community. Considerrestoration of historical homes andother buildings. Help to preservecounty historical records, such asprobate proceedings, cemeteryrecords, and naturalization papers.

In many counties, valuablerecords have been lost by fire,ignorance of value, or careless-ness. Alphabetize county recordsto help others in their research andto provide a permanent record ofinformation.

9

Develop a history of the com-munity, school, or church. Collectpictures of buildings, people,occupations, events, and maps.

Encourage contributions to alocal or state historical museum.Help to keep a sense of familycontinuity alive along with pride infamily and community history.

Some KentuckySourcesKentucky HistoricalSociety

The Kentucky Historical Societyis known as Kentucky’s centralizedsource for genealogical research.The KHC library is a leadinggenealogical repository andhistorical research center. A vastcollection of historical maps,manuscripts, photographs, andrare books documents Kentucky’spioneer heritage. The library islocated at the Kentucky HistoryCenter on Broadway in downtownFrankfort. The general collectionsare open seven days a week, 8-4:30 Eastern time.

Membership in the KentuckyHistorical Society includes asubscription to its regular publica-tion, The Register, as well asKentucky Ancestors, a quarterlypublication for those working ongenealogy. It contains vital statis-tics, court records, cemeteryrecords, Bible records, and othergenealogical material, in additionto a section of queries from mem-bers of the Society.

The Society, located at Frank-fort, maintains a well-stockedgenealogical library that is open tothe public seven days a week. Inaddition to Kentucky censusrecords, the Society’s library hastax records of Kentucky counties,which help to trace personsmigrating into and from differentlocalities.

KentuckyGenealogical Society

The Kentucky GenealogicalSociety meets monthly in Frank-fort. The purpose of the organiza-tion is to promote genealogicalresearch. The Society publishes aquarterly magazine, BluegrassRoots. Dues are $15 per year. Formore information write to theKentucky Genealogical Society,Box 153, Frankfort, Kentucky40602-0153.

The library of Western KentuckyUniversity at Bowling Green hasgenealogical material pertainingespecially to those families whosettled in the western portion ofKentucky, including many whomigrated from Tennessee.

The Filson ClubThe Filson Club, 1310 S. Third

St., Louisville, is a private organi-zation concerned with Kentuckyhistory, but its library is open forpublic use. Included are manyitems of aid to genealogists. Alsoin Louisville is the Louisville FreeLibrary, 301 West York, which hasa genealogical section.

Interest in the Bicentennialobservance sparked the organiza-tion of several county historicalsocieties and genealogical societ-ies. There may be one in yourcounty or nearby.

Already mentioned is thecollection of Kentucky courtrecords on microfilm in the SpecialCollections of the University ofKentucky’s Margaret I. KingLibrary. These and other recordswere presented to the libraryfollowing many years of work in

10

this state by microfilm teams ofthe Church of Jesus of Latter-DaySaints (Mormon). In Salt Lake City,Utah, the library of the Latter-DaySaints Genealogical Societycontains the world’s largest collec-tion of genealogical data and isavailable for public use.

General SourcesMost of the material in this brief

list can be found in Kentuckypublic libraries, and the titles givenare intended to be merely a basicreading list for anyone beginningthe study of Kentucky families.Several of the books containextensive bibliographies that willbe useful as you progress in yourresearch.

Clift, G. Glenn (compiler)—The“Second Census” of Kentucky,1800. Privately printed. Frankfort,Ky. 1954.

Colket, Meredith B., Jr., and FrankE. Bridgers—A Guide toGenealogical Records in theNational Archives. This handbookdescribes in detail the numerousgroups of records in the NationalArchives that are most valuable forgenealogical research: Population andMortality Census Schedules, Passen-ger Arrival Lists, U.S. MilitaryRecords, U.S. Naval and MarineRecords, Records of Veterans’ Ben-efits, Records Concerning the Confed-erate States of America, Land-EntryRecords for the Public Land States, andother records of genealogical value.National Archives and Records Service,GSA, Washington, D.C. 1964.

Collins, Lewis—History of Ken-tucky, 2 vols. Collins and Co.,Covington, Ky. (rev.) 1882.

Doane, Gilbert H.—Searching forYour Ancestors, Bantam Books,Inc., New York 1974.

Everton, George B., Sr.—HandyBook for Genealogists, EvertonPublishers, Logan, Utah. 1967.

Heinemann, Charles Brunk (com-piler)—The “First Census”ofKentucky, 1790. G.M. Brumbaugh,Washington, D.C. 1940.

Jillson, Willard Rouse—KentuckyLand Grants: An Index to All LandGrants Recorded in the State LandOffice at Frankfort, 1782-1924.Filson Club Pub. 33. 1925.

Jillson, Willard Rouse—Old Ken-tucky Entries and Deeds. FilsonClub Pub. 34. 1926.

Williams, Ethel W.—Know YourAncestors. Charles E. Tuttle Co.,Rutland, Vt. 1964.

PeriodicalsSome genealogical societies

publish newsletters and othermaterial on a regular basis for theirmembers. Included may be asection in which members orsubscribers request informationconcerning, or offer to exchangeinformation on, various families.Members of the Kentucky Histori-cal Society have that privilege inKentucky Ancestors, alreadymentioned.

Acknowledgment: The manuscript wasadapted, with some revisions and additions,from IT-121, “Your Family Tree,” by Zoe E.Slinkman, Kansas State University Coopera-tive Extension Service, Manhattan, Kansas.Selected and revised for use in Kentucky byPatty Rai Smith, Ed.D., Extension Home-Based Business Specialist, KentuckyCooperative Extension. Service.

Photographs taken by David R. Mullins atthe Lexington (Ky.) Cemetery.

Web SitesDue to increasing interest in

genealogical studies, the Internethas become a great source ofinformation on genealogy. ManyWeb sites now exist to aid in thesearch for genealogical informa-tion. This is also a relativelysimple and inexpensive way toresearch one’s family history.

11

Example of a Family History Record No. ____ Number to correspond with Pedigree Chart

HUSBAND

_________________________________________ DateofBirth______________ Birthplace____________________________

DateofDeath_____________ Burial place__________________________

Son of

___________________________________________ and _____________________________________________________Maiden Name of Mother

Marriage Date_________________________ Place of Marriage______________________________________________

WIFEDate

_________________________________________ ofBirth_______________ Birthplace____________________________

DateofDeath______________ Burial place___________________________

Daughter of

_________________________________________ and _______________________________________________________Maiden Name of Mother

Data Obtained From: List source, such as “Family Bible in Possession of Mary Brown Jones (Mrs. Robert Jones), A Street, Capital City, etc.”Record date research was obtained.

Additional Data: Other Marriages, Places of Residence and Dates of Residence, Military Service, Occupations and Dates of Occupation, andOther Information.

Children Birth Death Marriage

Date Place Date Burial Place Date Place To Whom

Example of a Pedigree Chart

Date _________

PEDIGREE CHART No. 1 No. 1 on chart 1

Name of Compiler

________________________________________

B — BornM — MarriedD — DiedR — Resident

2. Your Father

B ___________________

M __________________

R ___________________

D___________________

1.You

B ___________________

R ___________________

3. Your Mother

B ___________________

D___________________

4. Your Father’s Father

B ___________________

M __________________

R ___________________

D___________________

5. Your Father’s Mother

B ___________________

D___________________

6. Your Mother’s Father

B ___________________

M __________________

R ___________________

D___________________

7. Your Mother’s Mother

B ___________________

D___________________

8. Father of No. 4

B ___________________

M __________________

R ___________________

D___________________

9. Mother of No. 4

B ___________________

D___________________

10. Father of No. 5

B ___________________

M __________________

R ___________________

D___________________

11. Mother of No.5

B ___________________

D___________________

12. Father of No. 6

B ___________________

M __________________

R ___________________

D___________________

13. Mother of No. 6

B ___________________

D___________________

14. Father of No. 7

B ___________________

M __________________

R ___________________

D___________________

15. Mother of No. 7

B ___________________

D___________________

PATE

RN

AL

MA

TER

NA

L

Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. Issued in furtherance ofCooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, C. Oran Little, Director of Cooperative Extension Service, Universityof Kentucky College of Agriculture, Lexington, and Kentucky State University, Frankfort. Copyright © 2000 for materials developed by the University of Kentucky Cooperative ExtensionService. This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety for educational or nonprofit purposes only. Permitted users shall give credit to the author(s) and include this copyrightnotice. Publications are also available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ca.uky.edu.Issued 10-1989, Revised 9-2000, Last printed 9-2000, 2000 copies, 10000 copies to date.