How to find out your ancestors

Search for these records in each place where the immigrant lived, for the complete time period when he or she lived there and for some time after his death. Be sure to investigate available records in all jurisdictions that may have kept records about him or her, including town, parish, county, state, and national authorities.


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Be thorough in your examination of each record, making note of all identifying details such as the immigrant's occupation or the names of neighbors, godparents, and witnesses. Sometimes after researching all possible records, you will still be unable to find a record of the home town of your immigrant ancestor.

10. WorldGenWeb Project

In this case, continue the search in the records of identified family members -- brother, sister, father, mother, cousin, children, etc. For example, my great-grandfather emigrated to the United States from Poland but was never naturalized and left no records of his specific town of origin. The town in which they lived was identified, however, on the naturalization record of his eldest daughter who was born in Poland. Identify and verify the place name on a map, something that is not always as easy as it sounds.

Often you will find multiple places with the same name, or you may find that the town has changed jurisdictions or even disappeared.

Every family has a story

It is very important here to correlate with historical maps and other sources of information to be sure that you have identified the correct town. Share Flipboard Email. Updated March 18, The immigrant's full name including her middle name or maiden name, if applicable A date of birth or the date of another event marriage, immigration, etc. Immigrants often traveled with relatives or went to join one who had previously emigrated. These names will also help you to identify your immigrant's family in their country of origin.

Any other information that may help identify your ancestor, including religion, occupation, friends, neighbors, etc. Look at research already done by others. In many cases, other researchers have already found where the emigrant came from. This includes searching through published indexes and genealogies, local biographies and town histories , and databases of compiled records.

Locate original records related to the immigrant's death, such as death records , church records, obituaries , cemetery records , and probate records. Obituaries published in ethnic newspapers are the most likely to contain specific information such as a town of origin.

Discover your ancestors - Genes Reunited

Check both civil and church sources for a marriage record and records of the children's births. Search other types of genealogical records which may reveal an ancestor's town of origin, including census records, court records, newspapers , and land and property records. Immigration records such as passenger lists and naturalization records are another important source in the search for an immigrant's town of birth.

Check these pages if you have a question or a problem with this site. View Frequently Asked Questions. The Family Tree Searcher site grew out of efforts to trace my family trees.

Background on Family Tree Searcher

I found most of the clues to my ancestry by searching online, particularly for my great-grandmother Cora Burns pictured at the right. Much to my surprise, the ancestry of Cora Burns can be traced back to the Quaker colonization in As I became fairly good at searching the various websites, friends and relatives have asked me to give them suggestions for searching for family trees. Instead of telling them how to search for family trees at various sites, I decided to create this website. If you are having a problems with this site, first check the FAQ page.

7 Reasons Why You Can’t Find Your Ancestors Online

If you cannot find an answer to your problem there, then go to the Reporting a Problem page. Family Tree Searcher. Family Trees Searched at Eleven Sites Search family trees at eleven online family tree databases by entering your ancestor information just once. Death Year ex. Father's First Name.


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Father's Last Name. Mother's First Name. Mother's Maiden Name. Spouse's First Name.