Family records can yield big genealogical results

March 09, 2012|Carol McWain Goodenough | The family legacy
  • A coat of arms, such as this Hollingsworth family crest, is something to look for in a home search.
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In a previous article I began a series on records that might be found in your own home.

We call this a "home search," and that is where your genealogical adventure should begin. One group you might consider looking for can be called family records. These include Bibles, lineages, genealogies, histories, bulletins/newsletters, and a coat of arms. All of these would add to the family tree because they can give new facts and information on what your family's life might have been like.

When using family records, several cautions need to be taken as not all records are totally accurate; you will want to find others to confirm dates you find. Generally we like to have three confirmations of each fact. When there are discrepancies, you must try to find other sources. Also keep in mind that some records are from the opinion of the author and some information might be embellished.

Bibles are usually a wonderful source of family information. I have several in my possession. One is the Watts Bible. That is my mother's family and the information was written down by my grandfather, Kirkland Riley Watts. He and my grandmother, Mary Catherine Ker Watts, were the parents of 10 children. The Bible record lists all 10 children and their birth dates, but on closer examination, there was a problem with the dates. The days were correct but the years were not. Apparently, he couldn't remember the years and just listed the children as born about every two years. But we know from other records that was not the case.

When you look at a family Bible two things should be checked. First, when was the copyright? If dates in the book are older than the copyright, the dates were placed in the Bible at a later date. The other thing to check is if the writing is all in one hand and obviously done at the same time. If this is the case, it also becomes information that was written down after the time. The best Bible records are in different handwriting and ink because the information was written down as the event(s) occurred.

If you are lucky to have existing genealogies, lineages, histories and biographies of your relatives, you will be well on the way to creating your own family genealogy. But you need to ask yourself, who wrote the information and what resources did they use? If there are no resources and most of the information is just personal remembrances, you will want to confirm as much of the information that you can. If there are a lot of sources, check some of them to be sure that the writer was careful in the research. Cite the publication in your research so that someone checking your research can follow back to the source you found.

If you can't find substantiating references, you may still use the information as a clue, and if you want to cite the information in your records be sure to note that you do not have it confirmed.

I have a small autograph book that belonged to my father's mother, Martha Amelia Livingston McWain. Most of the dates in the book are from the late 1800s and they were signed by her friends, usually including a poem or kind thought to her. I treasure this little book as it came from a grandmother that died before I was born. Also the little sayings are precious to me. Unfortunately, the writings were done in pencil and some are too faint to read.

It was popular about 20 years ago for families to try and find a coat of arms on their family name. In England, as in other countries, you can't claim a coat of arms unless you can prove descent from the original grantee. In America we do not have to prove descent and many people have claimed lineages that aren't actually theirs. There are also many companies that claim they can find your family crest, but they do not prove your family genealogy to prove the descent. Be wary of those companies. My husband's mother's family does have a family crest that can be traced back to the grantee. This is the Hollingsworth family.

One other type of family records is very popular today. These are the bulletins and newsletters that are created on our families. Many of us write a holiday newsletter telling about the previous year and these often include photos of the family. These can be a good addition to the family record as they are current and put together by the family member. We can use the information to record family births, marriages and deaths, and other family facts. The newsletter itself will be your source.

Family records found in a home search are just one type of record that you might find, but they are an excellent addition to your family history. Use caution when merging the "facts" into the family tree and always try to find collaborating ones.

Carol McWain Goodenough is a professional genealogist with Goodenough Genealogical Services. Her column appears regularly in Saturday. For information on individual research, classes, the Charlevoix library second Thursday monthly interest group or general questions, call (231) 582-7042 or e-mail A series of classes for genealogy beginners on "Genealogy in an Internet World" will be 6:30 p.m. Mondays beginning April 16, sponsored by Charlevoix Public Library. These are free; call (231) 547-2651 to register.

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