Genealogy

We often hear the term ‘cousin’ used, but there are various types of cousin relationships.

First cousins: These are persons within your family who have 2 of the same grandparents as you.

Second cousins: these are individuals who share the same great-grandparents as you, but not the same grandparents.

Third cousins: these individuals have in common 2 great-great grandparents and ancestors.

Cousins ‘removed’: this term refers to individuals descended a common ancestor.

Once removed: This term means a difference of our generations.

Example: your mother’s first cousin would be your first cousin, one removed as she is one generation younger, than her parents and you are two generations younger than your grandparents (her parents).

Twice removed: There is a two-generation difference here.

Example: your Grandfather’s first cousin would be your first cousin twice removed as you are separated by two generations.

These can tell us a wealth of information – that can lead us back to another generation.
ie. Parents names on a birth certificate

The most common certificates we have heard of are:

Birth Certificates – will tell you
Parents names
Father’s occupation
Date of birth
Where the person was born

Marriage Certificate – will tell you
The date that the marriage took place
The bride and groom’s full names
Their ages (note: age given is as stated by bride/groom and may not be accurate)
Condition of marriage i.e. widowed, divorced or single
Their profession
Their residence
The bride and groom’s father’s names If a father’s name is followed by ‘deceased’ then search backwards from the date of marriage to find a death certificate for him.
Names of witnesses – often family members

Death Certificate – can tell you
When and where a person died
Details of the informant (often a family member)
Their age
Their occupation – sometimes
The cause of death

Records that are used in genealogy research include:-

Vital records:
Birth records
Death records
Marriage and divorce records
Adoption records
Biographies and biographical profiles
Census records
Church records
Baptism or christening
Confirmation
Bar or bat mitzvah
Marriage
Death
Membership
City directories and telephone directories
Coroner’s reports
Court records
Criminal records
Diaries, personal letters and family bibles
Emigration, immigration and naturalization records
Land and property records, deeds
Medical records
Military and conscription records
Newspaper articles
Obituaries
Occupational records
Oral histories
Passports
Photographs
Poorhouse, workhouse and asylum records
School records
Ship passenger lists
Social Security (within the US) and pension records
Tax records
Tombstones, cemetery records and funeral home records
Voter registration records
Wills and probate records

The household returns and ancillary records for the censuses of Ireland of 1901 and 1911 are in the custody of the National Archives of Ireland,

1901 Census:

The 1901 was conducted on Sunday March 31st 1901, this was for every member of each household, the following information required was:

• Name
• Age
• Sex
• Relationship to head of the household
• Religion
• Occupation
• Marital status and county or country of birth
• Individuals ability to read or write
• Ability to speak the Irish language

All of this information is given on the census which was filled in and signed by the head of each household. Where the head of the household could not write, his or her mark, usually an X was recorded and witnessed by the enumerator.

1911 Census:

This was conducted on Sunday 2 April 1911.

The same information was recorded in the 1911 census with one significant addition married women were required to state the number of years they had been married the number of their children born alive and the number still living.

While the recorded age of each person listed in the 1901 census was often incorrect, the introduction of old age pensions in 1908 (and it’s requirements for documentary proof of age) led people to be more careful about giving their correct age.

The total population of Ireland according to the 1911 census was 4,390,219 of whom 2,192,048 were male and 2,198,171 were female.

Whilst the locations of ancestor’s residences and life events are core elements, they may be subject to variant spellings.

Example: Cuilmore/Kellmore

Locations may have identical or very similar names

Maps and gazetteers are important sources for understanding the places researched.

Exercise extreme caution with dates

Although baptismal dates are often used to approximate birth dates, some families waited years before baptizing children.

Both birth and marriage dates may have been adjusted to cover for pre-wedding pregnancies.

Occupational information may be important to understanding an ancestor’s life and for distinguishing two people with the same name.

A person’s occupation may have been related to his or her social status, political interest and migration pattern.

Since skilled trades are often passed from father to son, occupation may also be indirect evidence of a family relationship.

It is very important to remember that a person may change occupations over time.

The passage of time often affects a person’s ability to recall information.

As a general rule, data recorded soon after the event, is usually more reliable than data recorded many years later.

In genealogical research, information can be obtained from primary or secondary sources.

Primary sources are records that were made at the time of the event, for example a death certificate would be a primary source for a person’s death date and place.

Secondary sources are records that are made days, weeks, months or even years after an event.

Genealogy software is used to collect, store, sort and display genealogical data.

Genealogy software accommodates basic information about individuals including births, marriages and deaths.

The informant is the individual who provided the recorded information.

In many cases the informant is identified in the record itself.

For example: a death certificate usually has two informants a G.P./Doctor who provides information about the time and cause of death and a family member who provides the birth date, names of parents etc.

If you do not already know, you will need to find the approximate year in which your ancestor was born. This can be estimated by using his/her age at various events in their life, if you have previous records – i.e. birth/marriage/death cert.

If you do not already know you will need to find the approximate location in which your ancestor was born. This can usually be found on records which were generated later in their life or by tracing the movements of relatives (siblings and children) and neighbours.

Locate the immigrant family’s port of departure or port of arrival.

These will also vary by country but may include census records, naturalization papers, newspapers, published indexes of passenger and immigration lists etc.

Without this information you will find it very difficult to locate records and even if you locate them, you will find it almost impossible to verify that it is indeed your ancestor.

Photographs are one of the longest surviving home sources.

They depict your ancestors as they were.

On the backs of some photos you may find names and dates. Many early photos are printed on cards with the name and location of the photographer, which can tell you where to look for your family in official records.

Other clues may come from the types of clothing worn by your ancestors, towns or houses pictured in the background or even the way in which the people are arranged in a larger group shot.

Whilst not as personal as family photographs, postcards can provide a wealth of information on your family.

Scenes that are pictured on the cards may include the towns where they lived, which they may have immigrated to and more.

Personal notes can help with dates, names and relationships as well as providing you insight into the lives of your ancestors. People who moved away from home often used postcards to keep in touch with family members who remained at home. These could help you to identify the place from which an immigrant came or the place to which part of the family immigrated.

Addresses and postmarks on the cards can help you to track family movements and timeframes.

Official Records – Birth Certificates, Wedding Invitations.

These can be some of the most personal family sources. They can bring your ancestors alive by telling you what they found important enough to write down. They will usually be full of names and dates.

In a scrapbook you will often find newspaper clippings of marriages, obituary notices and even family triumphs. Other items often found in scrapbooks include wedding invitations, funeral cards, birth announcements, diplomas, award certificates, recital or concert programmes, school papers, ticket stubs, dried flowers and other important mementos. These may be valuable for the information they provide (names, dates, etc.)

Your ancestor’s gravestone is the only physical evidence of the life they lived. This can be an emotional and the end of a long search for some genealogists.