The majority of genealogical and historical records are organized and maintained by locality, so to access the records you'll need to know where your ancestors lived. Not just where they were born or died, but all the places they lived in between. Sometimes this is easy, but you'll often run across situations where a family disappears from the records. Where do you look then?
Tracking Down Locations in Records
Start your search for location by talking to family members and checking home sources for clues. School records, obituary clippings, official certificates and other sources may provide clues to earlier residences. Then, move on to search other records:- Vital Records - Begin at the end of your ancestor's life - with his death certificate. Death and marriage records may provide places of birth.
- Land Records - Deeds, grants, mortgages and other land records often mention the residence of the parties involved. Sometimes they'll even mention the former location.
- Probate & Estate Records - When an individual died, an effort was made by the courts to reconcile his debts and divide up his property. In the various affidavits, statements and other court proceedings, the town, parish, county or state of residence of involved individuals is often mentioned.
- Court Records - Look for cases where your ancestor was a defendant or a witness. Subpoenas asking them to appear in court to testify will often mention the county or town where the witnesses resided.
Migration Patterns
So what do you do when you've traced an ancestor back in time to a particular place and can't figure out where they lived prior to moving there? Study the historical background and migration patterns of the places where your ancestors lived by using local histories, maps, and gazetteers.Collateral Research
The further back you go in time, the more likely it is that you'll find groups of people moving together from one location to a new one. Use the records of friends, family members and neighbors to learn where they came from, and you may just find a clue to your ancestor's origin as well.What About Indexes?
There are cases where a national or state-wide index can help you locate a record of your ancestor without first knowing exactly where they lived. This is usually only possible when they had an unusual last name, however. There are over 5,000 men by the name of Thomas Powell in the Civil Registration Index of England and Wales. By knowing that my Thomas Powell died in Bristol, however, I can reduce that number to just over 50.When researching your family tree it is important to gather names and dates, but just as important to also record every mention of a location. How else will you know where to look next?
