Genealogical Resources To help solve the puzzle of your family
tree
Where do I start?
START WITH YOURSELF!
RECORD WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHERE YOU RECEIVED THIS
INFORMATION
Family Resources
Checklist of Family Sources
Relatives you already know.
Longtime family friends and neighbors
Family Bibles
Family letters, diaries, memoirs and autobiographical
sketches
Scrapbooks
School and college yearbooks
Family papers
Living Relatives whom you do not know
What are primary and secondary sources? Primary= records
created at the time of the event Secondary= records created at
sometime after the event
Death Certificate
Both Primary and Secondary Source
Death Certificate
READ! READ! READ!
Be familiar with local history
Identify state and county lines and their changes
Make a time line using the information that you have to map out
migrations
What information can I find in the Federal census records?
Know when the Census Day occurred
Read each census record carefully
Check for Supplemental Schedules made between 1850 and
1880-agriculture, industry, mortality and social statistics
What information can be found in the County and State sources?
County Courthouses
Indexes
Marriage Records
Wills and Probate Records
Deed Records
Vital Statistics
Property Tax Records
Court Records.
Wills and Probate Records
Applications and appointments of administrators or
executors
Administrators or executors bond
Guardianship records if their heirs included minors
Annual reports of estate income and expenses, receipts of
payment to creditors
Vital Statistics
Birth Certificates
Death Certificates
Property Tax and Court Records
Property tax
Court Records
Jury lists and pay records
Naturalization of new citizens
Summaries of divorce, debt, assault and other court cases
Licensing fees
Registration of live stock marks and brands
Grand Jury Bills
SC State Archives
Legislative records:
Court records
State agencies and departments:
Executive records Treasury records
Land records
Records of the Secretary of the Province and State: Wills,
inventories of estates, marriage settlements, commissions,
mortgages, bills of sale, registers of trademarks, and charters of
incorporation from 1671.
Military service records
County and Municipal records
Reference collection
http://archives.sc.gov
What are the local sources I can use? Cemeteries Newspapers
Local Churches and Religious Organizations Local Libraries
Interlibrary Loan
Local sources in Columbia, SC
Libraries
South Caroliniana
Thomas Cooper Library
Richland County Public Library
Family History Center
Where do I find Military sources?
The National Archives, Washington, DC 20408
Military records , regular Army, Navy, Marine Corps personnel
service records
Service records of volunteers
Pension applications and records
Bounty land warrant applications for land offered in return for
service.
Service related records
http://www.archives.gov/
Check Federal Census Records for Military Service
1840- Revolutionary War service or military service after the
Revolution
Special 1890 census of Union (Civil War) veterans and
widows
1910- Civil War veteran
1930- U. S. Military or Naval veteran
Other Military sources
Research Libraries and Archives
Example of books
Abstracts and Transcriptions of Gravestones of Servicemen;
Casualty Lists
Rosters and Biographical Compilations; Military History;
Indexes
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System in the National Park
Service Web Site www.itd.nps.gov/cwss
Military Pensions
What other Federal sources are available at the National
Archives?
Where do I find certain facts? If you need: Primary sources
Secondary sources Birth date and place Church, vital, Bible
Military, census, cemetery, newspaper, obituary Death date and
place Cemetery, church, military, probate, vital, Bible Obituary
Maiden name Church, Bible, land, military, probate, vital Census,
compiled history, newspaper Childrens names Church, Bible, land,
probate, vital Census, compiled history, immigration, obituary
Marriage date and place Bible, marriage certificate Journal,
newspaper Burial date and place Cemetery, death certificate Bible,
family history Residence Census, land, military, obituary County
history, newspaper Religion Church, Bible, cemetery newspaper
