I've strike my share of "brickwalls" in the research of my own, personal family tree. What I've discovered is which our ancestors were a whole lot more mobile than we ever thought. To assist you in your hunt for missing ancestors and the "missing hyperlinks" that will solve your genealogy mysteries I'm sharing the techniques that have generated finding persons you may be thinking were lifeless or never mentioned on public records.

1. Region Lines: The US was a rapidly creating country start in the 19th century. Regional characteristics sometimes confused wherever one district began and still another concluded and at different times areas were included as governmental districts were civil war carded medical records reassessed and cities were integrated or expanded. Long lasting reason don't write off the possible that an ancestor might take a different county than expected or that documents might occur in multiple counties.

Suggestion: Look in neighboring counties and bigger towns that'll have cultivated in remote counties. I found more than one ancestor relied twice (and in two different counties) on the census files!

2. Migration: It's identified from actually rank college record classes that there is a huge migration to the american United States and territories. When an ancestor goes lacking from the files it is a good exercise to try looking in the records of adjacent claims or newly opened territories. Learning when areas were exposed for homesteading and where area was handed for military company also helps in tracking down elusive ancestors.

Suggestion: Use Wikipedia to get dates areas were formed, territories were exposed, and when claims were granted statehood.

3. Opposite Migration: An avenue of genealogy research that is frequently neglected is reverse migration-when the area was not good for farming or the problems were also severe, or homesickness became an excessive amount of, our ancestors sometimes gone home or delivered to the East. Our favorite example could be the 1860 Census of Lee District, VA. The census taker not merely was painstaking about record the start state of every resident, but also stated their start county. The number of individuals created in Western Tennessee to parents have been natives of Lee District is fascinating.

Hint: Do not eliminate individuals of related names but born in numerous states as possible kin to your ancestors. That person born in Mo who reveals up on a Virginia census might be a missing connection!

4. Touring: We shouldn't think that touring started with the innovation the large jet! I've found ancestors in New York resorts and on vessel manifests either going to or returning from visits abroad. An ancestor's occupation may have needed travel. For instance I came across people elected to political office living much at home in Washington, DC. I found one family who appeared to own vanished on a UK Census!

Suggestion: Even though you're convinced an ancestor was a non-traveling farmer, research line crossings, vessel passenger lists, and also international census records-you may possibly be in for rather a shock!

5. Civil War: The War Between the States was the very first war which triggered an important modify in a number of our ancestors'locations. Troops were moved from North to South, and South to North, and in one side of the nation to another. Crops were ruined along with livelihoods causing families to go from homesteads. The African National citizenry composed mainly of lately separated slaves, were first enumerated by title on the 1870 census after several had left the plantations where they lived before the War. I found one ancestor from Tennessee who was caught by the Union army in the North and remained there following his release.

Idea: When studying an ancestor who served in the Civil War be sure to look at their time and host to launch since it could be a concept to wherever they may have slept after the War.

Don't give up. With perseverance you will discover who you are searching for wherever you least assume to get them.