The letter below was written by the Genealogist; John R. Carpenter, La Mesa, CA who is working on the Carpenter CD 2000 , It will cover William of Rehoboth Line from Herve DeMelun, "William the Carpenter" 1098 AD to the present day Carpenters. Be sure to view his outstanding website;
Genealogy or Family History research works from the known to the unknown. You start with yourself, your immediate family,then your extended family.
Document and place, if possible, your data in a genealogical program like PAF (Personal Ancestral File) or FTW (Family Tree Maker) Being able to correct, print and sort the data makes the effort invaluable.
Remember to back up your data. Several full back ups in series are even better. This way if a week or two go by before you find the BIG mistake, you still have a series of copies to chose from.
Many people forget to use their phone books. Look under: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Look for their Family History Center; FHC or Genealogical Library. Call one of the local numbers and ask if they have one near by, if they are not listed. The Mormans have been involved in genealogy for a long time. Their religion allows baptism for their dead , direct ancestors. There are volunteers at the FHC that will help and guide you toward research. Their purpose is genealogy and not converting you. They will help, but not do research for you.
While at the genealogy library check the bulletin board for classes and help groups.
If your family has been in the immediate area for some time, check out the local History and Public Libraries. It can be amazing what you find!
Remember to share your data. Hiding it in a book or home computer makes it worthless. No documentation reduces the value also, so PLEASE DOCUMENT.
I hope this brief outline is of help to you.
Sincerely,
John R. Carpenter
La Mesa, CA
This page contains the best ideas of professional and family historians and genealogists . Some have been especially written for this page, others are excerpts from previous writings. Please take a look and use any of the ideas that may be helpful to you.I
3. Documenting: My Two Cents Worth:
I believe one of the most important areas, if not the most important, when working on your family tree, is documentation. Document every source; books, records, family bibles, letters, conversations, etc! It doesn't matter if it is the US Census or a conversation with your Aunt Tillie, generations in the future will thank you.
Some Examples of sources from my tree:
1. 1885 Nebraska State Census.
2.The founders of Ann Arundel & Howard Co. MD by J. D. Warfield, p. 84
3. DAR Patriot Index: Military Ref. # 70849, 192073, 203804.
4. An 1860 Allegany Co.NY map hanging in the office of Craig Braak, Allegany Co. Historian. June 1998
5. A telephone conversation with R. B. Davies grandson, H.____M___ on Aug. 17, 1998.
Please remember that your sources can be faulty. family history or Aunt Tillie's memory may not be what you thought, even though no one is at fault. Authors of genealogy books and the Internet may contain incorrect information. That includes almost any records, they can be transcribed incorrectly or difficult to read. Be very open minded, and willing to change. Genealogy will never be 100% true as we all make mistakes. Expect to find your assumptions and even your best research will be at times wrong. Keep searching. Confirm your new information and never give up looking for the door in that brick wall.
Whenever you are able, go yourself to look at state or county records, the census, and other family information. It will pay off in the long run. You'll end up very satisfied with the work you completed
Dawn Davies Carpenter
I. ENGLAND/WALES: Naming Protocol
1. The First son was named after the father's father.
2. The Second son was named after the mother's father.
3. The Third son was named after the father.
4. The Fourth son was named after the father's eldest brother.
5. The First daughter was named after the mother's mother.
6. The Second daughter was named after the father's mother.
7. The Third daughter was named after the mother.
8. The Fourth daughter was named after the mother's eldest sister.
Exception: If the eldest son was named "John" after the father's father, and the mother's father was also named "John", the second son was named after the father.
From: "In Search of Your British Roots" by Angus Baxter, 1982 (Refers to custom in use about 1700 to 1875.)
4. 1930 U S CENSUS
Release Date: April 1, 2002
At the National Archives and their 13 Regional Facilities
The actual census was April 1, 1930
The 32 questions asked about each person:
1. Street, avenue, road,, or?
2. House number.
3 # of house in order of visitation.
4. Number of family visited in order of visitation.
5. Name of each person whose place of abode on 4/4/1930 was in this family.
6. Relationship of this person to the head of the family.
7. Home owned or rented.
8. Value of home or monthly rental.
9. Radio set?
10. Does this family live on a farm?
11. Sex.
12. Color or race.
13. Age at last birthday.
14. Marital Condition; Single, Married, Widowed, Divorced.
15. Age at first marriage.
16. Attended school or college any time since Sept. 1, 1929.
17. Whether able to read or write.
18. Place of birth of person.
19. " " " of Father.
20. " " " of Mother.
21. Mother Tongue of Foreign Born; Language spoken in the home.
22. Year of immigration to the United States.
23. Naturalization.
24. Able to speak English?
25. Trade or profession or kind of work. ex: salesman, riveter, teacher.
26. Industry oe business. ex: cotton mill, public school, shipyard.
27. Class of worker.
28. Wether actually at work yesterday.
29. If not. line number or unemployment schedule.
30. Wether a veteran of U S Military
31. What war or expedition?
32. Number of farm schedule? (Farm schedules no longer exist.)
5. Proper Care Of Photographs............
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For further information on this topic contact the paper and photograph conservator at the Nebraska State Historical Society's Gerald R, Ford Conservation Center. This article from; ............. http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/research/photos/care.htm
1. Tears are best left unmended. Package the torn photo in a clear polyethylene envelope to prevent further damage. Do not use tape to repair tears on photos.
2. Writing on the back of the photo may be one good way of identifying family members locations, etc.; but it is important to write only in the margin using a #2 pencil. Be careful not to use to much pressure.Do not use ink pens of any kind on the back of the photographs.
3. There are several good ways to store photos so you can enjoy them without causing the images to deteriorate too rapidly. There are several albums that hold photo graphs on a polyethylene page. This is an acceptable method if you enjoy looking at your photographs regularly. Another method is storage in an acid free box with acid free paper dividers. This method allows more images to be stored in a smaller space.
Do not store photos in albums that use adhesives to keep the pictures in place.
4. Store your photos, negatives and slides in rooms that are temperature controlled. Shifts in temperature can cause the emulsions to buckle and crack, the colors to fade and mildew damage. Do not store photos, slides and negatives in attics or basements.
5. Most dirt that appears on photographs is not threatening to the survival of the image. A professional conservator can access whether is photo is in jeopardy and can suggest a course of treatment. Do not attempt to clean photographs, Some photographic techniques are quite sensitive and require professional cleaning.
6. The newest method of copying photographs is by creating an electronic image file. This can create amazing facsimiles of family photos without fear of damage. Do not display original nineteenth century photographs.
