Identify Major Categories of Records Available to Search

Before you begin searching records in archives and libraries, know your options. There are two major categories of genealogical records—original records and compiled records of previous research. Knowing about these two kinds of records will make your efforts more productive from the start.

An original record is an account of a specific event, written at or near the time the event took place. Historically, many civil and religious authorities kept records on events in the lives of people in their jurisdictions. These original records can provide valuable information for family history researchers.

A compiled record is a collection of information on a specific person, family group, or topic. Compiled records exist because others have already researched original records or gathered information from other compiled records or other sources.

You may learn much about your family by reviewing compiled records, especially if you want to learn about ancestors who were born before 1900. Compiled records are not likely to have information about modern families. Since compiled records are usually organized by surnames, you can usually search through them quickly.

Select Specific Record(s) to Search

The following paragraphs describe some compiled and original records available in the United States. In other countries similar records are available. As you work on family history research, generally you should search compiled records first.

Compiled Records

Ancestral File. This computer file contains genealogices of families from around the world. The infomration is mostly about deceased people, linked into pedigrees, showing their ancestors and descendants. The file contains over 13 million names, with new names added each year. It was developed by the Family History Department of the LDS church. It is part of the FamilySearch™ computer system, and is available on compact disc at the Family History Library and FamilySearch Center in Salt Lake City, Utah; at many family history centers; and at other locations.

International Genealogical Index. this is a computerized index of names extracted from millions of birth, christening, marriage, and other records. It lists over 187 million deceased people, with new names added each year. It primarily includes people who lived during the early 1500s to 1900. This index was also developed by the Family History Department of the LDS church. It is available on microfiche and on the FamiliySearch computer system at the Family History Library and FamilySearch™ Center in Salt Lake City, Utah; at many Family History Centers; and at other locations.

Published Family Histories. Many families have written histories of their ancestry. These written accounts of families often contain records of several generations, along with photographs and family stories. Family histories can be found at some archives, at public and private libraries, and in the collections of genealogical and historical societies.

Biographies, Genealogies, and Local Histories. A biography is a written account of a person's life. A genealogy is a record of the descendants or ancestors of a person or family. Local histories most often contain descriptions of prominent people and families within a community. These types of compiled records can be found in the collections of public and university libraries and in the collections of genealogical and historical societies.

Original Records

Vital Records. Birth, marriage, and death records are known as vital records. Most states started keeping them around 1900, and some states kept them earlier. One place to begin your search for this type of record is at a state office of vital statistics. For earlier records, especially marriage records, the clerk's office at the county courthouse may be the best source. Many vital records are on microfilm at the Family History Library and are accessible through family history centers.

Current addresses and fees for obtaining vital records of each state are given in Where to Write for Vital Records: Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Divorces (Hyattsville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Aug. 1987. Publication No. [PHS] 87- 1142). If your library does not have this booklet, you may purchase it. Write to—

Superintendent of Documents
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402

Church Records. A church your ancestors attended might have kept records of their christenings, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, or burials. Church records are especially important if civil vital records are unavailable for that time and region. If you know an ancestor's religion and where he or she lived, you can visit or write to churches in that area. Many church records are on microfilm at the Family History Library and are accessible through family history centers.

Cemetery Records. A cemetery might provide names and dates available nowhere else. You may be able to learn the names of family members on headstones or in cemetery records. Headstone groupings and epitaphs might help you to establish the relationships between ancestors. Many cemetery records have been abstracted, published in genealogical periodicals, and microfilmed.

Census Records. The United States federal government has taken a census every ten years since 1790, and many states have taken their own censuses. Until 1850, federal census records named only the head of each household. Beginning with the 1850 census, every member of the household has been listed, along with sex, age, country or state of birth, and occupation. Census records are especially helpful because most have been indexed.

The federal censuses through 1920 are available to the public. Many public, historical, and genealogical libraries have copies. The National Archives, its regional offices, and the Family History Library have a complete set of these United States censuses on microfilm.

Military Records. The names of millions of Americans who served in the military (or were eligible to serve) appear in military records. Some of these records are kept in federal archives, others by the states.

For copies of most records of military service through 30 June 1917, write and request NATF Form 80 from—

General Reference Branch (NNRG-P)
National Archives and Records Administration
7th and Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20408

For copies of records of military service after 30 June 1917, write and request NA Form 13043 from—

National Personnel Records Center (MPR)
9700 Page Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63132

Probate Records. When a person dies, court records are often created containing a copy of the person's will (if one exists) and the court's decision about how the estate is to be distributed among heirs. These are called probate records, and they often provide names and family relationships. Probate records are usually filed at county courthouses. Many probate records are on microfilm at the Family History Library and are accessible through family history centers.

Immigration Records. If you would like to learn the date, port, and ship on which an immigrant ancestor arrived in the United States, and if this ancestor arrived before 1820, you might be able to find these facts in printed sources. If your ancestor arrived after 1820, you can search passenger lists that were kept by the federal government. Most passenger lists from the National Archives are on microfilm at the Family History Library.

Before you can search for your immigrant ancestor's name in another country's records, you will need to know the exact city or town where he or she lived in that country. If you do not know the exact place, search United States records that might give you additional information, especially church records, obituaries, death records, passenger lists, and applications for naturalization.

Other Original Records. Some other original records you can search include court, land, naturalization, taxation, business, medical, and school records. To do thorough research, check the existing records of—

• Each place your ancestor lived.

• The complete time period when he or she lived in each place.

• All jurisdictions that might have kept records about your ancestor (town, county, state, and federal).
  

For more detailed information on United States records, you can obtain a copy of the United States Research Outline. This booklet is available from the Family History Library for a small fee. A nearby library or bookstore might also have some good handbooks on genealogical research.

Describe the Record on a Research Log.

Write a brief description of each selected record on your research log. Include enough information to readily locate the source and verify the information later, if needed. If you have selected more than one record to search, prioritize them.

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