It will not require much space to indicate the main sources of information in genealogical research. Having decided to trace back our own lines, we naturally turn first to the living members of our family. If we have parents living and accessible,—grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-aunts, cousins, or others who are likely to know more about the family than we do,—let us consult them, personally if we may, by letter if we must. We expect to learn most from the older members of the family, provided that their faculties are unimpaired. Certainly we should make no delay in applying to the aged, before the opportunity passes away forever.
But when we have gathered all the facts and traditions which these sources can contribute, the main work of research begins. Our advice at this point can be given here only in a general way. "The next thing to do" depends upon the peculiar circumstances of each case—upon the known facts, the localities to-which they point, and the character of the resources in each locality. We have devised a plan of rendering assistance in such cases to those who need it which will be explained at the end of this chapter.
In a general way we here refer to the wills, deeds, intestate records, tax and court records on file at the county seats, and to the miscellaneous records, often[Pg 20] of great value for genealogical purposes, on file at the State Capitals. The value of church registers has been mentioned. They contain membership rolls, and records of marriages, baptisms and deaths. In many cases the date of birth is given with that of baptism. In New England and many other places, the old town records are exceedingly valuable sources, the births of children being frequently recorded, besides early property transactions, contracts, and much else showing the status of the early settlers in the community.
The records in old family Bibles are often "shortcuts," while other family papers, if old, frequently have a special value. The records on tombstones are a resource apparent to all. The Pension Bureau at Washington has records of the soldiers of the Revolutionary and later wars who drew pensions. Early warrants for the survey of lands are recorded at many State Capitals. A large miscellaneous collection of historical manuscripts, many of them containing genealogical information, will be found in the custody of historical and genealogical societies.
The resources in libraries are almost endless. The genealogical works already published are a host in themselves, to which we must add the genealogies given completely, or in part, in periodicals. The line we are interested in may have appeared in one of them, or may be referred to in their pages. Certain indexes in book form help us to find them, and should be consulted at the outset.
[Pg 21]
Many States have published their archives, and of town and county histories there are not a few. A number of important church registers can be consulted in print, and even the tombstone inscriptions have, in some cases, been published. The Revolutionary records of most of the States are now accessible in printed form, as are many of the valuable papers held by historical and genealogical societies. In certain libraries can be found a large collection of exceedingly valuable genealogical and heraldic works covering the countries which contributed the bulk of early emigration to the American colonies and States—Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. The publishers of this book have arranged a means for placing these and other library sources at the service of those who do not have access to them, or who have not the time or disposition to consult such authorities for themselves. This plan is described at the end of the chapter.
Having learned all that relatives can tell us about our family, we are ready to turn to these other sources. All systems of gathering information are systems of taking notes. Thus the question of proper notebooks presents itself. This matter, however, we relegate to other chapters, in connection with the two plans for genealogical works, for each plan has its suitable notebook. But here we simply remark that the question is all-important. Upon its solution depends our escape from the old task-master, Drudgery, who stands ready to burden the pleasure of[Pg 22] our pursuit with pains and toil if we do not circumvent him.
Use plenty of paper, writing on one side only, in a plain hand. Write with pen and ink where possible. A good fountain pen is a handy friend, though some libraries do not permit its use when consulting books. In such cases a lead pencil must be employed. We prefer a moderately soft one, which makes a heavy black mark without tiring the hand by requiring much pressure, and we carry several, well sharpened, with a knife to keep them so.
There is only one right way of making notes, and that is to give the full authority for our facts when we note the facts themselves. This applies to personal information, as well as to that obtained from books and documents. Take the case of the information obtained from our relatives. Was some of it secured by correspondence? If so, the letter itself gives the name and address of the informant, together with the date. This is as it should be. But if it is not certain whether some part of the contents is based upon the personal knowledge of the writer, the statements of another, hearsay, or general tradition, it is well to write again and have the source of the information clearly established. Only so can we rightly judge of its value. If our information was obtained in a conversation, the name and address of the informant should be noted, with the date of the interview. The foundation of his information should also be learned and recorded.
[Pg 23]
The moment of first hearing the facts, when the joy of discovery and the satisfaction of making progress are upon us, is the psychological moment for making our notes. It is a positive delight while the fever of enthusiasm is high. As our informant begins his story, let us interrupt with the cry of the enthusiast, "I must jot that down!" Out comes our notebook, conveying to our friend a very distinct impression of the importance of being accurate. He collects himself, and proceeds to give his facts and traditions with the greatest care. As we stop him with questions, or take time to write the facts, his memory is stimulated. With skillful questions the genealogical worker can draw out all the information, taking care to cover every point which may come up later.
In consulting books and documents we generally wish to copy in full all important references, and we will initiate the reader into a cunning stratagem of the old campaigner. We often run across a paper or paragraph which we can see at a glance is a "find." We do not read it through, but simply skim over it to make sure of the portion which we desire, and then begin the work—nay, the delightful pastime—of copying it. What a pleasure it is, absorbing the contents, line by line, as we transfer it to our archives! And there is a bit of solid wisdom in this method, for the chance of errors in copying is less when the interest is at fever heat than when the work is done in a mechanical way.
[Pg 24]
Mistakes in copying are further diminished by placing a card or sheet of paper above the line which we are transcribing,—a device which saves the eyes the strain of finding the place on the page ............