2. The 1940's Census has arrived!
● The 1940 census was released to the public
on April 2nd, 2012. The 1950 census will
not be released until 2022.
● Because the Census contains personal
information it can not be legally released
until the information is 72 years old (the
average life expectancy).
3. Getting Started
- Pull together basic information (birth, death,
marriage dates and places) for your immediate
family.
- Add this basic information to your family tree
and use this as a launching off point.
- Now the real treasure hunt begins!
4. Standardizing Names, Dates, and
Locations
- Spelling of last names can vary from one generation to another. When adding
these names to the family tree use the spelling used on your source.
- Capitalize surnames
Ex. Jane SMITH
- Including married names in parenthesis before the maiden name
Ex. Mona (Smith) JONES
- Put nicknames in quotes after the first name
Ex. Elizabeth "Beth" JONES
- If the person is a Jr. or Sr. add it to the end of the name following a comma
Ex. Wayne SMITH, Jr.
- If the person has Roman numerals do not use a comma
Ex. Wayne SMITH III
- If the person has multiple surnames use a backslash
Ex. Jane /VON DYKE/
- If the person's last name is unknown then type UNKNOWN as the last name.
5. Standardizing Names, Dates, and
Locations Cont.
- Dates are entered date-month-year
Ex. 27-Apr.-2012
- Common date abbreviations
Aft. = after
Bef. = before
Abt. = about
- Locations are entered smallest to largest
Ex. Wenham, Essex County, Mass, US
6. Print Resources at the Library
Reference Books
Circulating Books
Local History Collection
7. Reference Books
● These books are located near the reference
desk upstairs and can not be checked out.
● The call number for genealogy books is 929.
8. Circulating Books
These books are located upstairs in the non-
fiction section (Call number 929 ) and can be
checked out. There is no limit to the number
of books you can check out.
Books can also be
ordered from other
libraries through
inter-library loan.
9. Local History Collection
● The local history collection is
located in our closed stacks
on the second floor.
● Local history materials can be
viewed during library hours
by visiting the reference desk.
You will need your library
card or other ID to view the
materials.
● To view a list of what is
available visit http://www.
hwlibrary.org/PDF/Closed%
20Stacks.pdf
10. Primary Sources
Primary sources are
documents, first hand oral
accounts, photographs or
any other items created at
the time of a certain
event's occurrence.
11. Secondary Sources
Secondary sources are documents, first hand
oral accounts, photographs or any other items
created some length of time after a certain
event's occurrence.
Secondary sources don't have as high of a
degree of reliability
12. Examples of Sources
● Insurance policies
● Wills
● Obituaries
● Family Bibles
● Baptismal certificates
● Marriage certificates
● Report cards, transcripts or other
documentation from school
● Membership cards
● Mortgages, Titles, and Deeds
13. Vital Records
- Each state has its own listing of "vital records"
which are listings of births, marriages, and
deaths. The library has a print collection for
Mass.
The site for Mass. is http://MA-VitalRecords.
org/
14. Census Records
- Census records are periodic counts of a
population.
- The US government conducts a census every
10 years.
- The US census has been around since 1790.
(Almost all of the 1890 Census was destroyed
after a fire in 1921)
- Many countries keep census records.
15. Immigration and Naturalization
Records
- Immigration/Emigration records are
documents that show when a person moved
from one country to another.
- Naturalization records are documents that
show when a person became a citizen of a
country that he/she was not born in.
16. Land Records
- Land records are especially useful when
researching US families before the 1790
census.
- Some records are available on the Bureau of
Lands Management site.
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/
17. Military Records
- Draft cards
- War pension and Bounty-Land Warrant
Application Files.
- Pension records
- Registration cards
- War casualties
- Muster Rolls
18. Web Resources Offered by the
Hamilton-Wenham Library
HeritageQuest Online - Remote access (Your 14-digit library card number can be found
on the back of your Hamilton-Wenham library card.)
Includes the U.S. Census, Periodical Source Index (PERSI), Revolutionary War Pension
Records, Freedman's Bank Records.
Ancestry Library Edition - Online access in the library. This link will only work on our
public library computers or via our library's wireless internet.
Includes the U.S. Census, U.S. Data Collection, UK & Ireland Collection, and Immigration
Collection.
American Ancestors (formerly New England Ancestors) -Online access in the library. This
link will only work on our public library computers or via our library's wireless internet.
The New England Historic Genealogical Society's new website reflects its expanding
national collection and resources. This collection of resources features over 110 million
names, gleaned from church records, newspapers and periodicals, city and town
directories, court records, census, tax, and voter lists, diaries and journals, land records,
military records, published genealogies and biographies and more.
19. General Web Resources
- www.familysearch.org
- http://www.fold3.com/ for military records
- http://www.archives.gov/
- http://usgenweb.org/
- http://www.cyndislist.com/ a list of genealogy
sites
20. References
● Image from slide 1 taken from http://www.google.com/imgres?start=132&num=10&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-
US:official&biw=1280&bih=603&addh=36&tbm=isch&tbnid=sXimKhwlUZdb4M:&imgrefurl=http://filetraffic.eu/s/charts%2520family%
2520tree%2520diagrams&docid=rBVvlwyV-lE0RM&imgurl=http://www.calligraphyforalloccasions.com/img/familytree_LoDef.
jpg&w=600&h=481&ei=uhwlUN-
AJ8TtrQeTuIG4DA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=479&vpy=10&dur=111&hovh=201&hovw=251&tx=133&ty=128&sig=113154763650225143
589&page=6&tbnh=129&tbnw=161&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:132,i:237 on 3/24/2012
● Slide 2 facts are from http://www.census.gov/history/www/faqs/genealogy_faqs/.
● Image from slide 2 taken from https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:
ANd9GcTAK0SDbuz2Y4qu6CBv3r4TSFihAGIKDTSscYrWByPoIKp1qYnl on 3/24/2012
● Image from slide 13 taken from http://ma-vitalrecords.org/Images/VRLogo.gif on 3/24/2012
● Image from slide 17 taken from https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQRf5_pLWLyILm5p3-
tXd1bhASdtXR2ZTxUwKF_cjQCusjaTFa7cw on 3/24/2012
