by Juliana Szucs
You know they should be there in that online collection you’re looking into, but they’re not. Dang it.
Unfortunately, this isn’t an uncommon scenario. But, with a little finesse and creative searching, the records you seek will sometimes come out of hiding for you. Try these tips.
Don’t Give TMI (Too Much Information)
Sometimes it’s tempting to add as much information as possible to zero in on the record you need quickly. More information also might mean more details that don’t match or aren’t even found on the record. And every piece that doesn’t match what’s in the index you are utilizing can nudge relevant results lower or rule them out.
Try a new search and start small with only basic information—a name, a birth year (provided an age has been indexed in that record set), and a place where the record was created. Use the search form creatively. Maybe only one piece of information that doesn’t match is throwing you off; try leaving off a critical detail like a first or last name, and zero in using other fields, such as gender, race, literacy, or whatever else the index offers to compensate for the lack of information. This can help you locate records where a name may have been massacred in the indexing process.
“That’s Not How My Last Name is Spelled”
Never overlook the possibility that your name hasn’t always been spelled the way you think it was. Name variants, language and pronunciation, and poor handwriting can compound difficulties. And remember that some of our ancestors may have not even known how to spell their name. These tips can help with misspellings or name variants.
Look for letters that are often mistaken for another letter. S vs. L, H vs. K, etc. Vowels should be thought of as interchangeable. Is it an a or an o? Pronunciation is sometimes so similar among vowels, the record keeper may have written what he or she heard.
For non-English ethnic surnames, this is especially common. Jan Mekalski, often spelled his name Menkalski. It isn’t until we take into account Polish pronunciation that this makes sense. In the Polish alphabet, the “e with a little tail” – ę – is pronounced “in.” So Jan was spelling his name phonetically.
Never assume your ancestor always used the same surname. Jan Mekalski also spelled his name John Wagner. In the area where they lived, Polish laborers were having a hard time getting work. Since he also spoke German, he started using the German surname Wagner to get a job. That lasted nearly two decades until World War I broke out, and he readopted his Polish surname.
Look for reference materials that deal with surnames from your ancestors’ home country. There are many excellent books that have been written specifically for surnames of a particular ethnicity, as well as many online resources. Do a quick search for [your ancestor’s ethnicity] +surnames for more information.
Given, Middle, or Nickname?
This little quandary is all too common. You may find the same individual using various given names at various times. Official documents may give one name, while others may be more casual, using a middle name, confirmation name, nickname, or some other variant. Try them all, and if you’re not successful, try to search for the surname alone.
Were They Really There?
Here’s where a good timeline can save the day. Create entries by date including locations where the family has been found in other records. Be sure you’re not looking for them in record sets from before they were born, or after they died. And of course, were they actually in that place? Knowing dates and places of birth of all family members, can help pinpoint where records were created in cases where a family was on the move.
Was the Location There?
Consider the possibility that the town, township, or district where your ancestors lived, either didn’t exist as a municipality at that time, or perhaps it had a different name. Also, boundaries change throughout the years. Counties often divided as they grew and formed new counties, so the current county borders may not be what they were when your ancestors lived there. Even the state or province lines may have changed. Look for regional maps from that period so you know you’re looking in the right place.
Sidestep
For census records, if you’re not having luck with your direct ancestor’s name, try the name of someone else you think would have been in the household at that time. Missing the family in 1870, even though you have them in that place in 1860 or 1880, look for neighbors who were also there in the census before and after; see if you can find them in 1870, then browse the area to find your ancestor’s enumeration (if it exists; sometimes people did get missed).
Browse, Browse, Browse…
With any record set, browse and familiarize yourself with the records. Where volumes have been digitized and indexed, look to the front of the record set to see if an original index is within the digitized images. That index may differ from one created through the digitization process. And, as an added bonus, you may run across unexpected family members in the collection that you hadn’t thought to look for.
Sure, searching for records can present challenges in any venue, but when we find them, it makes that find even more sweet!
