Use Census Records and Newspapers to Learn about an Ancestor's Life

Stephen asked

I am looking for any information that you might have about Jessie Robbins Belmont (1864-1935). I am trying to piece together information about this women whom I don’t know much about. I know her father came from the Bronx New York and his name was Daniel Robbins. Her mother is a total mystery to me ? I know she married Perry Belmont on April 18th 1899. But I know very little (which I would love to know) about her upbringing, and young life. I also would love to know about her older life as a women while she was married in New York and living in Washington DC. I do also know that she spent the last 20 years of her life alone in Paris Francis and dieded in the fall of 1935. Having pictures is a must either by themselves on in the articles that you might send to me. Thank you and I hope you can find me something on this women

OLIVE TREE ANSWER: Stephen, you're in luck because the census records will give you information on Jessie's early life. She should be in 1870 with her parents and 1880 possibly still with her parents. You will be able to find out if she had siblings too.

You could then trace backwards - to 1860 - using her parents' names and birth years and locations. Keep going back as far as you can with census and organize her family group (siblings, parents, grandparents etc)

I like Ancestry.com for census but you may have another site you prefer or access at a library.

Have you consulted newspapers for stories of her life? She may be there, or not, it's hit and miss.

Photos are another thing entirely. The only way you will find photos is if you are lucky enough to see any in a newspaper article, or by connecting with other descendants. Perhaps some will have photographs of her.

Newspapers are a great genealogy resource!

Karen's Question:

I am trying to locate the birthplace of my gg grandfather, August Frederick Bredow/Bradow.

August was born in Germany (probably the Berlin area) in Feb. of 1855. He died in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania on March 6, 1922. According to both the 1910 and 1920 censuses, he immigrated in 1882 and was naturalized in 1887, as was his wife, Anna Scheeler.

Here is my research for his residence (or possible residence) after emigrating:

1883 - wife Anna's sister is born in Maryland. According to censuses, there are Scheelers in Talbot County, Cumberland and Baltimore.

1889 - August and Anna married, according to 1910 and 1920 censuses, location unknown.

1889/1890 - August Bradow is listed in the Youngstown Ohio city Directory as a scale maker working for the Forsyth Scale Company, 378 Summit Ave. Forsythe Scale Company is not listed in a 1902 directory, so perhaps that explains his move to Pennsylvania.

1890 and 1893 - sons Frederick and John are born in Ohio.

1898 - daughter Martha born in Pennsylvania, probably Bellefonte.

1900 census - August Brads/Brado living in Bellefonte on S. Spring St. He probably worked for the Standard Scale and Supply Company, which relocated to Beaver Falls in 1903. He was working for Standard Scale when he died in 1922.

1905 - August Bradow listed in the Beaver Falls city directory.

1910 and 1920 censuses show the family living in Beaver Falls.

Family history claims that August entered the United States through one of the Great Lakes ports, though I haven't been able to find anything to substantiate that.

Any guidance you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Olive Tree Answer: Dear Karen, It helps us to understand the travels of our ancestors when we look at maps: Youngstown and Beaver Falls are quite near each other, and of course, both are located close to Cleveland and Erie ports.

Have you obtained the death information for August and Anna?

The process of finding naturalization records is not an easy one: seekers of citizenship could have applied at any court during the process, and those who moved about may have their various papers scattered over several states. But the effort is occasionally worth it.
Footnote has a Western PA Naturalization index online.

Footnote.com has Naturalization Records online. Also see NaturalizationRecords.com website for free Naturalization Records and other citizenship papers

Have you followed up on sons Frederick and John? Some records of theirs may give exact birthplace. That location should lead you to church records: and occasionally, church records offer surprising informatin about where parishioners were baptised, married, or what church they transferred from.

Look at local newspapers: in Youngstown and especially Beaver Falls. There may have been birth announcements, announcements of the marriages of the sons, and obituaries of August and Anna. You may also be fortunate and find mention of in-laws or family visiting the Bradow household. NewspaperArchive.com has many newspapers. You can also Search Obituaries in GenealogyBank.com

The Youngstown/Mahoning County Public Library has a card index for the Youngstown Vindicator (which covers the relevant years).

Don't Trust Family Lore as Absolute Fact

Teresa's Question:

I need help finding the parents of this couple.

Christopher Sheets b. About 1818 in OH - d. About 1851 Adams Co., IN
He married Margaret Perkins b. About 1823 in OH d. ???? Adams Co., IN
They were married Mar 30 1843 in Root Township, Adams Co., IN

Margaret remarried after Christopher's death. She married William McKendry b. May 16 1817 - d. Aug 3 1858.

I have all their descendants but have hit an innumerable amount of brick walls trying to find where they came from and who their parents, siblings, etc. Were.

The oral family history states that this particular Sheets family came from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania, then in Ohio, and then in Indiana.

Olive Tree Answer:
Dear Teresa, Oral family history can be correct, or it can be quite inaccurate. Sometimes it is a mixture of two family lines with their stories merged into one. So use it for clues but don't count on it being 100% correct until you can verify it.

Your first goal should be to gather all the information available from Indiana. When did Christopher die? Where is he buried?

Check Adams County wills & estates for both Christopher and Margaret. If he died when his children were still young, look for records in Orphans Court, or the Indiana equivalent of Orphans Court. Look for guardianship records. In many states, children came under the jurisdiction of Orphans Court even if their mother was still living.

Look at the real estate transfers for property owned by Christopher.

And of course, check local newspapers for obituaries. And check as well for "social notes" near their wedding date. You can search newspapers in GenealogyBank.com and in NewspaperArchive.com

The 1850 census for Christopher has a David Sheets listed: he is younger than Christopher and may be a brother. Follow him; he may have lived longer, and had an obituary which gave parents names or (at least) a hometown in Ohio. Look to the neighbors: are there any other Ohioans nearby? Any Perkins'? I use the census records on Ancestry.com but Footnote,com also has many online.

The Adams County USGenweb has a directory of cemeteries online, and an Adams County death index in the works.

Getting around a Genealogy Roadblock in England

Donna's Question:

In searching my husband's family tree, I've hit a road block at his great-great-great-greatgrandfather, William Jackson. William came here from England, according to the DAR, to fight as a patriot in the Revolutionary War and was born in the early 1750's. They have no other information that would help me trace the tree back in England. No town, or county, or any place to even start, and with a common name like William Jackson, it won't be easy to latch on to the right Jackson roots. What would you suggest I do to get started?

Olive Tree Answer: Hello Donna, If you are very fortunate, the English Jackson family was comfortably well off. And William's parent or sibling or Great Uncle Chauncey left a will which bequeathed half the family silver to William. Or perhaps William did right for himself in the Colonies, and he left a little something to his nephew Percival back in England.

There are several hundred years' worth of wills tucked away at the National Archives. Some of them are indexed and available online. There are also very nice Research Guides to help you. Just remember that you will have to search for odd spellings of where William lived, in addition to "America" or "Virginia". You may want to read my article explaining how to use the National Archives website Ordering Documents Online from National Archives in Kew England - a Comedy of Errors Part 1

The newspaper (and patience) is your friend. William's attorney may have sent to England to have a notice appear in the local papers that might have gone something like this.... "William Jackson, late of Little Tripworth by the Sea, having died in Tappahannock Virginia on the 14th ult....." Newspapers here may contain legal notices, or reports of passengers recently arrived. You can try href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=kDILR5MB3OY&offerid=145147.10000004&type=3&subid=0" >NewspaperArchive.com or GenealogyBank.com for online newspapers.

You say William was born "early 1750s." It would help if you had a more precise birthdate (as well as an exact death date). There are a wealth of English parish records. Some of them are available online. Armed with a birthdate and some idea of location, you can do a credible job of finding suitable candidates for further research.

You did not mention William's wife. Were they married here? Or in England? Where is her family?

Look also to pupil lists at English schools. Men who succeeded in the Colonies sometimes sent their sons to England to be educated. And check incoming passengerlists for William's sons or grandsons returning from England.

Follow the male heirs. In later documents, perhaps obituaries, you might find a mention of "educated at Oxford" or something similar.

Finding out what newspapers exist in different locations

Gini asked

I would like to find out how you find out the name of newspapers in a certain city or state. I would like to search newspapers but do not know the names of them. My Ancestors were from Owensboro and Breckinridge and many other different parts of Kentucky. Many of those newspapers of course are no longer in circulation and I live in California and have just recently learned of Kentucky relatives. One of the cities was a very small city, Patesville. I have put off looking because I am not sure where to start.

Olive Tree Answer: Hi Gini, there are different ways to find out if Patesville or other Kentucky areas had a newspaper which has accessible records. One is to go to the various online newspaper sites and check their list of Kentucky newspapers.

You can try NewspaperARCHIVE.com, GenealogyBank.com and Ancestry.com first.

You can also go to the Kentucky GenWeb site to see if there is a list (by county) of available newspapers. Also try FamilySearch Catalogue to see what they have on microfilm. The University of Kentucky also has a list of newspapers they hold.

Finding a Newspaper Article

Katharine writes to ask

I would like to locate a newspaper item from "The Thorold Post" in Canada. The paper's name came from Paul Hutchinson's Niagara Newspaper Index.The article I hope to find is shown on the list as:

tp 1879 05 30 4 1 sad accident {samuel barnes, geo. barnes, death}

Samuel Barnes is my late husband's great grandfather and geo. barnes is
Samuel's 1st child.I would appreciate your help as to where I should research next.

Olive Tree Answer:
Katharine, it's always exciting to find mention of an ancestor in an index isn't it? But the question always arises as to what is the next step. I have not seen the source you mention (Paul Hutchinson's Niagara Newspaper Index) so cannot say for certain, but it is unlikely that Mr. Hutchinson did not also have a section showing how to obtain a full copy of any record found in the index. Usually websites or books have a section at the front or back which explains where the full record is, and how researchers can access it.

Have you looked at LAC's list of available newspapers for Thorold? They may have details on how to access this newspaper for the year you want

You can contact Niagara Falls Public Library to ask about obtaining that specific article, I believe that NFPL or another in the Niagara area has the newspapers on microfilm

Have you written to the Thorold Public Library? Have a peek at their website, their list of collections is online

Archives of Ontario has a section of their website devoted to Newspaper Sources called Inventory L 23 Original and microfilmed newspaper collections in the Archives of Ontario (pdf file, 800K) The microfilm copies are not available on Interloan so if you find the Thorold Post there you will have to visit the Archives in person or have someone obtain the record on your behalf.

Searching an Elusive Ancestor in Ontario after 1929

Adrian asked

I seem to be stuck in a loop where I can't find out anything about my ancestor James Henry Kirk - such as when he died - until I have prrof that he's dead! As his elder brother made 88 (in 1979) it is possible that he hasn't been dead for twenty years, but as no-one seems to remember him much after the mid-1950s he could have died at any time in about a thirty year period.He lived in the Windsor Ontario area and is first found there in 1929. Can you help?

Olive Tree Answer: Hi Adrian, I edited your original email question but I can see that you have done some really in-depth research on your ancestor. Since Canadian records are hard to access after 1920 or so, due to privacy laws, and 1911 is the last available census, you will have to be quite creative in your search methods.

Here are some ideas for you.

1. Phone books. Great way to find folks. When their name disappears from the phone book they likely moved or died. If you find a widow in the next year's phone book you have your answer re death.

2. City directories. Same as phone books.

3. Abstract Indexes to Deeds. Did he own a house? Own land? If yes, get the Abstract Indexes to Deeds for that piece of property. Find out when he sold it -- with luck it will be shown as a transfer on his death and that gives you a death date.

4. Current Newspapers! Write to the Windsor paper - to the editor. Explain your plight (You are in England), and who you are looking for (briefly) Ask him to run your "looking for anyone who remembers xxx last heard of in Windsor in 19xx..." Give a very brief rundown of dates and names, and plead your case eloquently.

4. Newspapers of the time. Get hold of some 1929 and 1930s papers from Windsor, and start reading. Are any indexed? Check out Windsor and what they have

5. Tax records. He must have paid taxes. Are there any available in Windsor area?

6. Cemetery records. Did he die in Windsor? If yes, write to every funeral home and ask if they have burial records for him.

7. National Registration File of 1940. This is a great census substitute and I just talked about it yesterday, so please read What is the National Registration File of 1940

8. Start a search for his death records Death Registrations after 1934 are held by the Office of the Registrar General. You can order a 5 year search of the records for your man.

Contact:

Office of the Registrar General
189 Red River Road
P.O. Box 4600
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Canada P7B 6L8

Tel: 416-325-8305
1-800-461-2156 (toll-free in Ontario)

How to find an obituary or Death Record

Gloria asked:

How can I find a death record and/or obituary for Ida Jane Pell in October 1946 in Edmondton.

I know she lived there as I have a street address.

Olive Tree Answer: Gloria, the first thing you will have to do to find an obituary is find out what newspapers were published for Edmonton in that year. To find a death record you need to know if Alberta Vital Registrations are available to the public for 1946. Have you tried the Alberta GenWeb? They should have the information you need re newspapers and vital statistics.

I think you should also read the Ancestor Death Record Finder for more help. There are ideas and links to guide you.

Last but not least you might also try the Canadian Births or Baptism, Deaths and Marraiges Exchange

Finding an Ancestor from America in Upper Canada (Ontario) before 1850

Lara asked on Jan 19, 2009

Hi , How do I go about locating the parents of an ancestor that was born abt 1820? All I know so far is her name is Azubah ( spelling varies often) married to John CUMMING sometime bef 1836. According to Census she was born abt 1820, one census lists her as being born in US and of dutch origin and others say born in Upper Canada. With help, was able to find out her maiden name was Palmer (her obit was listed under her maiden name not married name). Have not be able to figure out who her parents were and where and when she was born. Any thoughts on where I should look?

My Answer: Hello Lara, It is good that you are questioning the discrepancies you've found as you research your ancestor. It certainly makes our genealogy lives more challenging doesn't it!

As always I like to look at the same records as the person asking me the question. Four eyes are always better than two! And sometimes clues are missed the first time around. Since you sent AskOliveTree a follow up with the details that the family lived in Brighton Ontario, that was all I needed to have a hunt for them in the online Canadian census records (Canada 1851, 1871 index, 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911 are all available online)

The 1861 Census gives our first clue

Luckily the 1861 Brighton Census is online on Ancestry.com. In it we see quite a large family of John born Scotland, farmer, age 52; Azubah listed as born Upper Canada (Ontario), age 43. Next are their children Flora, Alvina, son (name not transcribed), another son (name not transcribed), another son (name transcribed as Duns with a question mark, meaning the transcribing could not read it) and Oscar. All the children are listed in 1861 as being born in Upper Canada. Living with them is Flora Cumming, age 79 born Scotland, a widow. She is quite likely John's mother.

It's important to realize that the 1861 census also has an agricultural section . These Agricultural returns are an overlooked genealogical treasure trove!

If you were to order the microfilm for 1861 census into a Family History Centre you could find out exactly where John and Azubah lived (Lot, Concession) Knowing their land location will allow you to search the Abstract Indexes to Deeds for that piece of property. Important info can be found there!

Back to that 1861 census - since the daughter Flora is listed as age 24, born in Upper Canada, I knew that the family would be in the 1851 census (if their area survived, as many parts of Ontario have not).

The 1851 Census hits a possible bingo!

The 1851 census images (no indexes) are available at Library & Archives Canada (LAC). An index and images are available at Ancestry.com A partial transcription, which is then linked to the images on LAC, is available at AutomatedGenealogy.com so you have many choices for searching for ancestors

A search of 1851 census on Ancestry.com found the Cumming family in Brighton. John, age 45, a farmer born Scotland, religion Baptist, is found with his wife Azubah, age 37 born Canada and several children: Flora, Jane, Alvina, Cameron, and Joshua. Also with them are Flora, 71 born Scotland (John's mother no doubt) and two Cumming girls who are no doubt John's sisters.

But the terrific find on this 1851 census page is the nearby neighbour who lives just two houses away - Joshua Palmer born USA age 62 and his wife Lucretia also born USA, age 57. Why is it a terrific find? Because very often an individual settled near other family members. My hunch is that your Azubah Cumming, nee Palmer, settled near her parents - none other than Joshua and Lucretia. But of course you can't just accept my hunch as fact, you now have to work to prove or disprove that Joshua and Lucretia are her parents.

A Growing Theory

Let's look at some of the facts and see if they support my theory/hunch:

1. Joshua is born USA and sometimes your Azubah is listed as born USA
2. Joshua and Azubah are both Baptists
3. Joshua is living 2 doors away from Azubah in 1851
4. Azubah names her eldest daughter Flora after her husband's mother. Her eldest son is Cameron (is that John's father's name? More research needed to find out) and her second born son is named Joshua (if she is following traditional naming patterns, Joshua will be her father's name. Bingo!)

Further research on my part found that Lucretia's maiden name was Draper and she was born in New York (from an online Ancestry Family Tree and her death certificate which is found at the Family Search Labs)

Taking the Next Step

The next step, which I leave to you, would be to check earlier tax and assessment records for the family. Does Brighton have an 1842 Census? How about the 1848 census - is there one that has survived for Brighton? You will need to do some research to find out what records exist for Brighton before 1851.

There may be very early tax records, some areas of Upper Canada (Ontario) have them back in the 1820s and earlier.

You can also check local churches for John and Azubah's marriage.

The Importance of Searching Siblings

I would also try to find all the known children of Joshua and Lucretia (Draper) Palmer. Don't overlook researching siblings to see if there is any interaction with a sister Azubah over the years. Perhaps Azubah is mentioned in a sibling's obit. Perhaps she witnessed a baptism or a marriage or was an informant for a death. Perhaps she lived near or next door to a sister or brother in later years.

Land Records - the overlooked genealogy treasure trove

I would also get the land records for Joshua Palmer. The 1851 census says he is a farmer so with any luck he owned land. Find out if there is a will attached to his land records. Check the online Surrogate and Probate Court indexes for Ontario before 1859. If you find his name in the index, you can order the full record. But be cautious because NOT finding his name in the index does not mean he did not file a will. You may have to check microfilm (which is more complete than the online index)

There is also the CLRI (Ontario Land Record Index) and Upper Canada Land Petitions which you should not overlook. These can offer invaluable genealogy treasures!

Good luck and please come back and let us know by using the Comment Form, how your search is progressing.