June 29, 2015

Search Tricks for Locating Your Ancestors in an Online Census

Search-Tricks-for-Locating-Your-Ancestors-in-an-Online-Census-ancestralfindings

Online census records are marvelous resources for finding your ancestors. They make it possible to do intensive genealogical research at home, when in the past, a census search required a trip to the library, a look through a printed index of names, and a search of a roll of microfilm. Yet, there can be issues with finding your ancestors in online census records, just as there could be with the old-fashioned method. The census taker may have spelled the person’s name wrong. In the past, you would have to search through the whole town on microfilm to find your ancestor if he or she was not listed in the printed index due to a misspelling on the census taker’s part. In online census records, the person transcribing the records to make an online searchable index may have misspelled the name or had a problem reading the census taker’s handwriting.
If your ancestors are not easily found in the census, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. The beauty of searchable online indexes is that you can search in a variety of ways to find your ancestors and increase your knowledge of your family history. These are some techniques you can use...