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Census records are critical to your search for extended family history material For your most recent ancestors choose the most recent census you can find and work backwards. In many countries Census’ have been recorded back as far as the 1750’s. Before that time you can use Tax records and other local lists, like parish records. The nature of the records available depends on the country, province, state or subdivision where you are carrying out your family history search. Knowing something about the historical context you are working within, will help you fill in the gaps and find family members. Some libraries and family history societies have census records on microfiche at their family history centers. Or if you prefer to do this in the comfort of your home you have many of the tools and records you will need to carry out a successful family history search.
Establish as much as possible about your ancestor's life beforehand. This will make your search easier, and it is more likely that you will find further information. Start building a historical framework for the life and times of your ancestor by studying the history of the era and region in which he or she lived. Then talk to grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles to find out what they know about the person you are researching. Close family friends may also be able to help. Other good sources of information are family Bibles, letters, photographs or diaries. Finding the relative who is the "keeper" of the family history may lead you to a wealth of information left behind by your ancestors as a clue to your past. • Record the person's full name; including alternate spellings or nicknames. When people immigrated to Canada their names were often misspelled or arbitrarily anglicized, so once you determine the original spelling of the name, be watchful for possible alternatives. • Many people have the same names and it is common for names to pass down through generations of a family. • Where was the ancestor born? • Did he or she have children, and if so what were their names? • Determine date of arrival in Yukon and how the ancestor traveled, if mining claims were registered or property acquired, and if he or she was married or died here. • If your ancestor left the Yukon, when and how did he or she leave? • Find out when the family moved from its home to a new place, where the ancestor worked, and if he or she belonged to any clubs or organizations. • Once you have collected some names, dates, individual histories and places of residence, consider immigration records and other sources that may take you beyond Canada's borders. If you and a sibling or other relative are pursuing the information about the same ancestor(s), divide the jobs and avoid duplication. If different branches of the family are conducting family history research on the same group of ancestral siblings, pool resources, share information and gather together the details you find. Always make notes on what you learn and where you look.
Family History research can sometimes involve personal questions that go past the average data about ancestors like births, deaths and marriages. You might have a list of questions that extend to subjects like immigration, occupation, religious beliefs, adoptions, estrangements, military service, habits, skills, education or family Stories about this person. These questions should always be considered because they not only expose new aspects of family history, but also add richness to your overall family history. Genealogy is after all more than births, deaths and marriages.
Massachusetts family history database is available only to members of the New England Historic Genealogy Society [ NEHGS] and enables you to search for family history information, including records for Massachusetts birth, death, and marriage records from 1841 to 1910.
