Genealogical Research: Primary & Secondary Sources and Analyzing Your Data

A friend of mine who has been having trouble with connecting two families sent me the following link
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bbunce77/PrimaryV... to show how she may use the various documents she has in making a connection.  What emphasis should she place on the documents she does have, and how can a Preponderance of the Evidence (POE) show how the two people are related.

It should be noted that in 1997, the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) dropped the use of Preponderance of the Evidence (POE) and adopted the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), see http://www.thinkgenealogy.com/2009/02/15/brief-timeline-of-genealog... for a good synopsis of genealogy research and listing of books.

Some other sites also address these topics and may be worth reading, see:

http://genealogy.about.com/od/citing/a/sources.htm

http://www.family-genealogy-online.com/documenting-genealogy-resear...

http://katsmountain.blogspot.com/2009/10/keeping-track-of-your-inte...

http://www.pipeline.com/~richardpence/classdoc.htm

With DNA becoming more important in genealogy and how it can be used in proving relationships there is a very interesting article using one family which may be of interest:
http://www.creer.co.uk/DNA%20Study%20Report.pdf .

The rule of thumb has generally to find three documents for events (birth, marriage & death) to prove someone is who they are.  The documents could be primary or secondary, of course primary records being the best.  Below is a list of potential sources to use to document your ancestor.



Checklist:

Personal records -

journals
diaries
letters
photographs
baby book
wedding album
scrapbooks
funeral book
memoirs/autobiographies
bible
stories/traditions
family recipes
interviews


Legal/Public records -

Records generated by a birth.

hospital records
birth certificate
birth announcement
christening/baptism
circumcision
adoption
guardian papers


Records generated by a marriage or dissolution.

marriage record
divorce
bonds/intentions/banns
annulments
marriage announcements
marriage settlements


Records generated by a death.

Will – testate/intestate
death certificate
burial record - civil, church
tombstone
memorials
stained glass windows
sexton records
cemetery records/plot
obituaries
death notices
probate records
funeral cards
mortuary records
coroners files
estate or guardian dockets


Land Records.

deeds
land grants/patents
water rights
mortgages
leases
bonds
loans
contracts
taxes
abstracts of title
conveyances
plat books
title insurance
surveys
quit-claims
dower rights
boundary reports
maps

Legal –

customs records - naturalization papers
indentures
manorial records
court records
taxes - local, state, federal


Misc.

school records - graduation
church records/membership/history - confirmation
business records - apprenticeship
census records - state & federal
social/cultural/fraternal organizations/clubs
social security
military - service/pension records
political affiliation
animal registration
slavery records
newspapers
local & regional histories
hospital/medical records
farm records - accounts, daybooks, laborers register, cropping book
published genealogies/family histories
published biographies/personal memoirs/autobiographies
Naturalization papers



PLACES TO RESEARCH:
National, State, County, City or Regional Archives
National, State, County, city or Regional Libraries
Federal Records Centers
Historical Commissions
County Courthouses
Church/Parish Archives, Libraries & Historical Societies
Newspaper Offices
Boards of Health
Morticians & Funeral Offices
School (including College & University) Archives
Cemetery Archives
Historical & Genealogical Archives & Societies
Archaeological Societies
Political Parties
Social, Commercial & Fraternal Organizations & Archives
Labor Unions
Used Book & Antique Stores (books, paper ephemera, postcards, photos, newspapers, etc.)
e-bay
businesses



Articles dealing with “brick walls”:

“Big Breakthroughs”, FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE, v.6 #1, p. 62, (Feb 2005)

“Brickwall Solutions”, FAMILY CHRONICLE, v.7 #6, p.31, (Jul/Aug 2003)

“Brickwall Solutions”, by Marc Skulnick, FAMILY CHRONICLE, v.10 #6, p. 35, (Jul/Aug 2006)

“Busting Out”, by David A. Fryxell, 31 tricks for tracing elusive ancestors, FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE, v.5 #5, (Oct. 2004)

“Super Sources” by Lisa A. Alzo, 19 overlooked & underused records, FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE, v.8, #2, p.28 (May 2007)

“33 Brickwall Solutions” (English research), YOUR FAMILY HISTORY, Issue #22, p.22 (March 2005)

2006 GENEALOGY GUIDEBOOK by FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE, whole issue deals with 129 “brick-wall” busters, (January 2006)