Using Major Original Sources (National Institute)

Reasons and Strategies for Using the Main Original Sources
Good research requires more than one piece of evidence to prove each point, simply because no one source can be relied upon 100%. There is no magic number as a lot depends upon the credibility of each source and whether the sources are truly independent. Say, your Grandad provided the information for the census giving Brighton as his birthplace, and he also wrote this in a letter to your aunt, and told his son who told you—these are really only one source aren’t they! As a good starting point I suggest that you find three independent sources that give the same information. It is also unwise to rely on only one type of source, thus three census records are not as good as oral family information, a christening record and one census. Be aware that any source may have errors, sometimes several on one sheet!

Using Civil Registration (Vital Statistics)
In our quest to find at least three pieces of evidence to prove each point, civil registration of birth, marriage and death is one of the five main original sources. What information do these registrations or certificates provide?

A birth certificate will always have the name of the child together with its date and place of birth. ‘Long form’ certificates will include the parents’ full names, including the maiden name of the mother, essential for finding their marriage.

In different countries and at different periods you may also find the father’s and mother’s occupations, informant’s signature, relationship and address, name of attending medical personnel, and details of parent’s marriage and other children.

A marriage certificate will state the date and place of the marriage, together with the full names of the bride and groom. Depending upon the time period and jurisdiction you may also find the ages, addresses and occupations of the parties, their parents’ names, addresses, occupations and whether still alive, religious denominations, whether the marriage was by banns or licence, signatures of parties and witnesses, clergyman and/or registrar’s signature and in some countries much more besides.

A death certificate will give the name of the deceased and the date and place of death. Some jurisdictions also record several of the following details: marital status, name of spouse and whether still alive, age, occupation, cause of death, names of deceased’s parents, informant’s signature, relationship and residence, where and when buried, names of surviving and deceased children, whether there was property left and its nature. Information on a death certificate is rarely given by the person in question, thus one is relying on what the informant knew, or thought he knew, or wanted others to believe!

A civil registration certificate not only provides one of the three necessary pieces of evidence for a linkage, but also gives much interesting family detail and plenty of leads for further research. For example:


 * The district where one civil registration event occurs may well be the one where several family events took place.
 * Addresses on certificates are prime leads for locating the whole family on a census.
 * Names of parents or children, and ages given, allow one to proceed to other civil registration events.
 * Occupations listed open up all kinds of doors for further research.

Is civil registration always an original source? If you are able to view the original record (or photocopy or microform of it) then it is. To date, in England and Wales this is rarely possible—the local superintendent registrars retain the originals but generally do not have the equipment to make photocopy certificates, and regulations preclude ordinary photocopies. The GRO (national office) only has transcripts so the researcher either receives a photocopy certificate of the transcript, or a transcript of the transcript. This situation may change soon if older registrations are declared historic and allowed to be microfilmed.

One should never believe or expect that all information on marriages and death certificates is primary. The only primary information on a marriage certificate is the date and place of marriage, and the names of bride and groom, (although cases of marriage under false names are known!) The only primary information on a death certificate is the name, date and place of death and the information about the informant. All the other information—ages, names of parents, place of birth, etc. can be considered secondary (or questionable and needing supportive information from other sources). The primary and secondary labels are for guidance and can surely be questioned at times regarding the type of information a source provides. For more information about civil registration/vital statistics records, refer to the appropriate course for the country of interest.

Using Censuses
In our quest to find at least three pieces of evidence to prove each point, the census is one of the five main original sources. Censuses can provide:


 * Age and birthplace
 * Relationships within the family
 * Others living with your family might include grandparents, single or married siblings and their children, stepchildren, etc.
 * Parents’ birthplaces
 * Whether in 1st or 2nd marriage
 * Where they lived
 * Kind of dwelling
 * Details of neighbours and neighbourhood
 * Occupations
 * Infirmities
 * Ability to read and write
 * Racial origin
 * How long they have resided in this place or country
 * Religion
 * Language spoken

Different Kinds of Censuses 

In the Canadian returns for the 1871 census, schedules have survived for public institutions, real estate, vehicles; industrial establishments; forestry, shipping, fisheries and mineral products; they reflect the economic conditions of individuals and the neighbourhood.

Example of a Canadian Census 1871 Albion Township, Cardwell Enumeration District, Ontario

Library and Archives Canada, RG31, Canadian Census, 1871, Cardwell Enumeration District, Albion Township, Division 4, pages 44-45; microfilm C-9959.


 * Why Look at All the Censuses?

In my experience an extremely common mistake is that a researcher says, “Oh, I have him on the census”, and leaves it at that. It is short-sighted to believe that everything is revealed on one census, or that there are no errors on a particular census. Some examples will illustrate why it is important to track as many family members on as many censuses as possible.


 * Ages on Censuses Vary


 * Example of Variety of Ages Given on Censuses 




 * Birthplaces on Censuses Vary

Example of Variety of Birthplaces Given on Censuses


 * Watch Family Dynamics Children are added and older ones leave home.


 * Narrow Death Date Range When one spouse is widowed between decennial censuses, this makes the job of searching for the death of the deceased partner much easier as one only has a 10-year period to cover.


 * Family Movements Track these by examining not only where they were each 10 years but also the children’s birthplaces.

In the example found below, the 1871 census for Sidcup, Kent, England shows the COWLAND family’s movements from 1825 to 1871. This will help to locate them in other censuses. For example in 1861 they could be in Hornsey or East Ham; whereas in 1851 Willesden would be a good place to try.

The Cowland Family in the 1871 Census for Sidcup, Kent


 * When Were They Married? Work backwards in censuses to find the earliest-born child. This will at least indicate when they should have been married!


 * Changing Occupation, or Progression Throughout a Career

Of course one should question the drastic change in occupation between 1851 and 1871. Why was this? Either we have two different people, or something happened to change this man’s occupation. In this case, my One-Name Study has established that there has only ever been one man with this unusual name. Perhaps a relative died and he inherited a business, or possibly his artistic career dried up, or his health was a problem and necessitated a change. The genealogist has to imagine possible reasons and then attempt to prove or disprove them. In this case his father died in 1856 leaving him in his will a clothier’s business in Holywell Street opposite St. Clement Danes church in The Strand.

An understanding of how the census returns for your country are arranged on the films will assist you in making economies of time and money. Experienced genealogists know that families usually stayed fairly close together for mutual support. Reading censuses of nearby parishes is usually productive in finding relatives.

Using Parish and Other Church Registers
For England and Wales the parish register may be available in one or more of these forms, and similar situations occur in other countries.


 * Original = The Parish Register (PR)
 * Transcript of Original (handwritten, typed or printed)
 * Bishop’s or Archdeacon’s Transcript (BTs or ATs) = annual copy to ‘head office’
 * Transcript of BT or AT (handwritten, typed or printed)
 * Index of the Original PR and/or BT or AT
 * Index of a Transcript of PR and/or BT or AT

When accessing parish registers through the FamilySearch Center (FSC) one has a choice of finding aids. The Parish and Vital Records List (PVRL) on fiche is a quick way of finding what christenings and marriages are available but only lists the beginning and ending dates of the registers. However, the July 1998 edition is the last that will be issued so it is outdated. To learn more about the PVRL, see the FamilySearch Research Wiki

The FHLC is more up-to-date and gives a much fuller description of each film, including missing dates and all other items on the films such as banns, burials, vaccinations for smallpox, arrivals and departures from parish, clerical surveys, etc. as appropriate for your country.

Family History Library Catalog Online
So far, there is no way to assess whether items on the Internet version of the Family History Library Catalog have been extracted, but this may be added later. However, there is another website that serves this purpose: There may be restrictions on reading registers containing material that falls within the privacy period for that jurisdiction. For example, say you wish to see christenings 1855-1880 and the christening register covers 1852-1924. There is a 100-year privacy rule so you are not allowed to view the whole book. There are at least three ways to overcome this:

1. If you are at the archives holding the material, (or can get a search done for you there), explain your request and ask to view the register with the later pages sealed with an elastic band into which area you promise not to peek!

2. Look on the FHLC, now being updated daily, to see if the material has been filmed by the GSU. They frequently film material up to the deadline year and not the restricted later part. These films would be available through FSCs and the holding archive would also have a copy.

3. Obtain special permission in writing from the present incumbent of the parish and present it to the archivist. Do this before your visit so that you know it will be acceptable to the duty staff when you arrive. For more information regarding church registers refer to the appropriate course the National Institute offers about the country of interest.

How to Focus Your Research Using the Parish and Vital Records Listing and the Family History Library Catalog



Using Probate
Probate records, especially wills, are one of the most reliable of the main original sources because they relate to the inheritance of property and have to be sworn to by the testator and the executor. When giving away his belongings, a man is going to accurately identify his property and his relatives and friends.

If there are people other than his legitimate wife and children that he should provide for then he usually will do so. He will usually tell the truth about past liaisons when he knows that it will only be read after he is out of the way of retaliation!

Don’t assume that only the rich and famous left wills or needed administrations or guardianship. It is quite surprising how many of them left their affairs in a terrible mess, and how many tradesmen and ordinary labourers did leave wills or needed other kinds of probate.

It is definitely worth searching for probate for everyone on your family tree as soon as you know a rough date of death. Your ancestor’s siblings may have left more informative wills than your own ancestor did, so get them all.

The best value for your money, genealogically speaking, are spinsters’ wills. Unmarried people are not supposed to have descendants to whom to leave their estate, thus they often specify siblings, nephews and nieces and so forth.

Some people leave the whole lot to one person or charity, whereas others like to remember every nephew and niece with a separate memento and so a large family tree can be built from their wills.

Once probated (or proved) wills are in the public domain and photocopies are generally inexpensive. Most wills are probated within a couple of years of death, and the standard search is three years. However if a will or administration is not found within that time period and if there was a large estate, or possible contention amongst the family over its disposal, search further. The longest date between death and probate for the Dashwood family is 76 years, and I have heard of another estate taking 122 years! It is also common to find that probate is left until both marriage partners die.

Use our Probate Abstract form to assist you with extracting information from probate files.

Using Land Records
Land records are one of the most reliable of the main original sources because they relate to the legal disposition of land, its sale, mortgaging, leasing, inheritance and accompanying rights. There are many different kinds of land records in different countries, from manorial courts baron and leet in England, sasines in Scotland to homestead and bounty lands records in North America.

Each of these can give significant amounts of genealogical information as well as provide much family history material for building up the story of how our ancestors lived. In most countries they are amongst the earliest written records and thus have a particularly important role in extending pedigrees beyond the start of parish registers.

Some of the specific information that can be gleaned from land records includes:


 * Names and relationships of parents, children, siblings, uncles, aunts, and cousins
 * Heirship on death of current land owner or lessee
 * Names of neighbours and association with other families
 * Social status within the locality
 * Occupations
 * Movements between towns, counties and states/provinces
 * Approximate immigration date
 * Immigrant country of origin

It is wise to consult a good reference book for your area of interest in order to be able to interpret these materials and any indexes to them. In North America, at least, it is essential to have the legal description of the property in order to locate its records. For further information regarding land records refer to the appropriate course The National Institute offers about the country of interest.

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