Birth Records as Tools for Genealogical Research

Birth records are public records and as such, are kept by the government offices in each state in the country. A birth record serves as a document or proof about a child’s birth and contains information such as the name, gender, height, and weight of a child. It also includes important information surrounding the child’s birth such as the date, time, and location of birth. For genealogy enthusiasts, precious information worth checking out includes the name of the father, the maiden name of the mother, and in some instances, information about the parent’s occupation. Names of the siblings, if any, are also usually listed in birth records.

Doctors, after verifying the information and signing it, sends these records to the proper government office. These records, aside from being a proof of a child’s birth, also serve as sources for historical and demographical statistical studies.

Instantly Search Millions of Public Records & Resources Using Public Record Databases

Most birth records are handled by the registrar in the county where the birth took place. In the early days, these records were also copied and compiled in microfilms and microfiches to avoid the wear-and-tear of the original records. Thankfully, most birth records can now be accessed online for a faster and less tedious birth record search. The government has encouraged and made an effort in having electronic versions of these essential records to make it more easily accessible to more people.

Use Public Records Pro now and get copies of birth records even faster. Whether you are trying to replace a damaged birth certificate or trying to get information about your ancestors through a relative’s certificate, why not search for it at PublicRecords.com?

After all, PublicRecords.com has a database that holds more than 2 billion public records. We have extensively compiled public records from county, state, and federal databases across the country and then placed it all in our site to help you get more significant results for your birth record search.
Visit our website, use our services and find your birth records – now!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/human-resources-articles/birth-records-as-tools-for-genealogical-research-356887.html

Author: Laica Baker

About the Author:

Laica Baker
Public Records | Record Search

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King John of England – Short History and Accomplishments

King John is one of the medieval English kings. At the forthcoming family history conference in Nottingham, Dr Nick Barratt will be lecturing on sources for medieval and early modern genealogy, so just to get you in the mood here is a short history of one of the medieval kings.

John of England was born Christmas Eve 1167 and died October 19, 1216. He became King of England in 1199 and had a very interesting history. His succession to the throne came after his brother King Richard the First, the Lionhearted. John’s nickname was not as inspiring. He was called both “Lackland” (because he was not to inherit the land of his father, being the fifth son) and “Soft Sword” (due to his military ineptitude as a king).

Kids may think of King John as the character in Robin Hood, and that is who he is supposed to be. Although we have no idea if a Robin Hood existed. But historically King John is known as the signer of the Magna Carta in 1215, one of the most famous documents ever. The Magna Carta was the inspiration to our democracy today. It greatly reduced the power of the monarchy, putting more power into the people’s hands.

King John of England was the last, and 8th, child born to Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was his father’s favorite and was well educated, with the ability to read fluently. His childhood was embroiled in disputes as his mother and brothers were constantly in dispute with his father Henry II. Eleanor was even imprisoned by her husband at one point. As a young boy John was being trained for and expected to enter into clerical (church) service. This was to relieve his father, King Henry II of having to give him any land.

As a child, John was promised to Alice (Alys) of Savoy, daughter of Humbert III of Savoy. It was at this same time that John was no longer designated to go into clerical service, since it seemed more important to use him for politics. John was to inherit most of Humbert’s lands over the Alps, helping to expand England’s influence. Unfortunately Alice died on her way to meet John.

John was known as a treacherous person siding back and forth, for and against, his brothers and mom, what ever benefited him the most. He was not trustworthy. In 1184 he and his brother Richard were in a bitter dispute as to who was to inherit the thrown. In 1185 John was made Ruler of Ireland, where he was despised and quickly kicked out of the country. In 1189 Richard, The Lionhearted became the King of England. By 1194 Richard had named his brother John as his successor, forgiving John of prior disputes.

When King Richard died, his brother John became King John the 1st, in 1199. However, once again it was not easy for John. He ended up in a dispute over the kingship with his nephew Arthur. King Philip II of France had favored Arthur, although he supported John eventually. King Philip II was actually John’s feudal overlord at the time for certain French territories held by John.

Later John refused some things that Philip asked of him, which was the right of a feudal lord, and war was declared between England and France. John built a modern Navy for this war and sometimes is declared the Father of the Modern Navy. The English and French war lasted past John’s death in 1216. His 9 year old son became King Henry the III. John’s life and reign was full of disputes and battles. Many consider his time the most disastrous in English history although some consider his agreement to the Magna Carta the greatest event in the history of democracy.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/genealogy-articles/king-john-of-england-short-history-and-accomplishments-517964.html

Author: Mark Jordan

About the Author:

Mark Jordan is a researcher and freelance writer living near Harrisburg Pennsylvania. Other historical information can be found at Medieval Timeline and Info and Research Your Family

Technorati Tags: English Monarchy, King Genealogy, King John, Magna Carta, medieval genealogy, Medieval King, Robin Hood

When people speak of genealogy they refer to the history of their family. Genealogy is basically the search for the forgotten truth about their ancestors.

According to the origin of the word, the term genealogy is derived from the Greek word genea, which refers to generation or descent.

Hence, it is vital for a genealogist to familiarize himself from the genealogical words of a certain language.

The reason here is simple. If you are conducting your search on genealogy and you have to conduct the research into a place which language seems strange to you, you would probably find yourself helpless to do the necessary moves to complete your search.

Your search will be definitely be suspended if you will not be able to comprehend the documents in your hands. And it is certainly a big mistake to waste the documents or worse misinterpret them.

Therefore, it is vital to know the usual genealogy terms of certain language.

The Italian language is one of the romantic languages in Europe that originated from Latin. This language is likewise used in some places of Yugoslavia as well as Switzerland.

If ever you are about to track a genealogy document inscribed in Italian language, the one thing that you need to know are the basics of Italian language. These basics will serve as your keywords.

Believe it or not, though you neither can read nor speak the Italian language, you can possibly understand the Italian documents on genealogy with the use of these keywords.

These keywords are simply the Italian root words. Through this you will not exert too much effort anymore in comprehending and utilizing the genealogical documents written in Italian language.

So what are these genealogy terms? These include the record types, dates, family relationships, and family events.

Meanwhile the following will be the basics of Italian language:

As what have been mentioned, the first thing to know about the language is the root words because these will unveil the denotation of the word.

Take note that the Italian words consist of masculine and feminine categories. This is identified on the ending of the word. The ending of the word may also indicate singular or plural. Likewise, will help you distinguish whether it is in past, present or future tense.

The nouns in Italian have gender, both in persons and things. Usually, nouns that ends with -a refer to female, while the nouns that ends in –o are male. Example of feminine word is chiesa (church), and cimiterio (cemetery) in masculine.

Meanwhile, nouns that end in –e may pertain to both masculine and feminine. Like for instance padre, father, and madre, mother.

On the other hand, in distinguishing the plural from singular you just have to notice the last vowel of the word. Plural nouns are formed by changing the nouns that end with –o or –e to –i. While the nouns that end with –a  is altered with an –e to form a plural term.  

To look for the list of words concerning the Italian genealogical term, you can just simply browse the Internet.

Technorati Tags: Genealogy, italian family history, italian genealogy

Invisible relatives may pertain to those people who are difficult to find or are hidden relatives perhaps. A relative can be considered missing if he or she does not appear even in one of the volume of records containing your family’s history. Detailed information of your invisible relative can be hard to uncover. You don’t probably suspect that he or she exists before you begin your research.

You need to know some of the reasons why such things happen.

-    Women are most often categorized as invisible relatives. Keep in mind that women didn’t have legal identities of their own in many countries. They are not regularly mentioned in community records. In Ireland, property was rarely registered in the name of a woman from 18th to 19th century. When registration of civil marriages took place in 1865, only the father’s name of both couples is listed.

-    If family members disapprove a relationship, thinking that it can bring disgrace to their family, they hide it consciously. For example, a widow who wanted to marry again but her children are all grown up.

-    It runs in the tradition of the Irish, they always want to portray the best face and feet forward. They omit sad memories from the tales about their family. Thus, infants and young children who are already dead were never mentioned again. 

-    Some common records used in Irish genealogy research are incomplete. The contents have entirely missed important things about the person. Maybe, they failed to anticipate that the latest generation would likely want to know about their origins.  Some census in the U.S has this problem. Former spouses were never mentioned on the record as well as the date of immigration until 1900.

So, some Irish who are just starting to find their genealogy can face a lot of challenges. It is advisable not to rely much on what they find on the written records. However, any piece of information is important to help you in your research. No matter how small the information is, you can unravel many things once you dig deeper.

Never assume that the norms in the 20th and 21st century made sense 50, 100, or 100 years ago. Try to learn and understand that norms vary according to time and place. Considering all the records (both Irish and American) are helpful in solving the jigsaw puzzles of your life, in case your family already migrated in the U.S. This process is also similar in other countries.

There are factors that you should concentrate on when finding an invisible Irish relative. Checking the census can be effective in finding the persons who are related to the one you are looking for. Another is to learn some significant traditions associated with the place. For example, in Ireland, the naming tradition is very popular. Irish men name their oldest son after their grandfather. If the person is already married, then search for the marriage record. Take note, during the 1860, divorce is not favored in Ireland. So, better check for death records also in case the name changed.

Finally, be patient as your research progresses. After all, it is worthwhile to embrace your origin again and find the missing part of your life. 

Technorati Tags: Family History, Genealogy, ireland, irish

If you are Jewish and you are planning to trace the history of your Sephardic ancestors, you should know the right links to achieve your goal.

To an amateur genealogist, it is vital to know the best sources. Knowing the right sources will directly link to the right answers. It is like a mathematical equation, you need to know the right formula to get the right answer.

Failing to get the right sources might probably lead to frustration. That is pathetic. It is like getting a flunking grade in a final exam.

Anyhow, don’t get discourage if you think you don’t have a good source to get your goal. Failure and attempts will gradually lead you to the right sources. And instead of being frustrated, you should be the first one to encourage yourself.

The following are the traditional sources of tracing the Jewish and Sephardic ancestry. These sources are frequently applied by the professional genealogists. These are:

Interview. Definitely, this must be started among the eldest family members. Here, you would know the names of your previous ancestors as well as the related generations. You would also know here the places where they used to dwell. Not that alone, you would also get the clues for other possible sources that will strengthen your documentation.

However, the data accumulated through interviewing needs to be verified. You have to be very careful on your documentation.

Marriage registries, old letters, photographs, cemetery records and diaries; these are the classic sources to obtain the information on Jewish genealogy. These sorts of sources are useful for both the Sephardic and Ashkenazim genealogists.

Holocaust records like the records of Arolsen in the International Red Cross including the Pages of Testimony by Yad Vashem are also useful to the Sephardim.  This is because many Sephardim suffered on the hands of the Nazis.

Yad Vashem decided recently to produce a list of names of these Holocaust fatalities. And then, he makes it accessible in the so-called electronically accessible database. This was made possible on the first year of the Millennium.

Definitely, this report was very advantageous to genealogists.

Unfortunately, the records of Arolsen in the International Red Cross are deprived to the searching of their families. The records are only made available only if the family can give the precise first name and surname.

Some other sources for a Sephardic researcher are the following:

Ketubbot. This is the marriage contract of the Jewish. Certainly, this is a significant part of Jewish genealogy. The wonderful thing in this source is that it usually presents numerous generations of two sides. Ketubbot is regarded as a bonanza for genealogists.  

Archives of Alliance Israelite. This documents found in Paris beholds a marvelous data regarding the Jewish genealogy. This is because during the period of 19th century the Alliance Israelites created an immense effort in building schools and helping the Jews located in North Africa.

Lastly, the Internet, this is the easiest and most accessible form of accumulating data regarding the genealogy of any race.

However, you should also be cautious in getting the data. You can verify it by checking various sources.

Mnay people interested in Jewish genealogy will be attending the International Family History Conference being held in Nottingham, England in 2009. At less than $500 and including ensuite accommodation and all meals has to be the best value four day family history event that you will ever attend!

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The term genealogy is rooted from the Greek word "genealogia" which refers to the tracing of family. The term genealogia is likewise rooted from genea, referring to a generation or descent.

Genealogy research basically refers to the identification of the lineage, significant information regarding the history of the family. 

What is then the importance of tracing the history of your family? Why is it significant to search for your ancestors who are long dead and buried?

The very reason includes a very basic logic. If your ancestors never existed, you will not exist either. Hence, you and your ancestors are interlinked.

Meaning, you still behold a lot of similarity to your ancestors. Those people who have long been forgotten. Those people who have led a very different life before.
 
Tracing you family’s ancestors is a way of giving honor to them. Not that alone, the process of genealogy research is very fascinating too.

Aside from that, you will be able to learn lots of things. For instance, you would realize why you as well as the rest of your relatives dwell in a place when your race in fact belongs to some other country.

There are many circumstances relating to this occasion. An example of this is the early Hessian soldiers. Historically, British used them to battle the American colonization.

After these Hessian soldiers fought the Americans, many of them deserted Britain. Their descendants are believed to have transferred to Ohio later.

Another thing you can learn about the genealogy of your family is the medical conditions. What are these medical conditions that are running in your family’s blood? You need to be aware of them for they may be transmitted genetically. 

It is important to know whether your ancestor died of diabetes or other diseases. Did they suffer from a heart disease or asthma? This knowledge will give you the idea regarding the habits or types of food you need to avoid. 

Now, you might be wondering how to trace the medical conditions of your ancestors when in fact all of them are gone already.

 

You might learn this from the stories of your parents told by you grandparents, which were shared before by your grand grandparents and so on.

But if ever there is no existing stories about your family’s medical conditions. You can easily refer to the old papers of death notices. Most often, the reason of death is detailed here.

 

Upon knowing the reason of the death of our ancestors you will be more careful on your health, and to your family too definitely.

So, how are you going to begin your research on your family’s genealogy? Fortunately, there are several ways to do it nowadays.

You can conduct your research on a genealogy library in your community or maybe in others. You may also opt to join a genealogy association. These associations usually have numbers of research tool to help you in your research. 

Of course, you can also get your needed information by simply accessing the information through the Internet. Here, you can join genealogy forums, which could help you connect with your distant relatives.

Attending a family history conference will be of great benefit to you, so why not think about attending the International Family History Conference in Nottingham, England in 2009

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The United States of America is a country with diverse races and is considered to be the melting pot of cultures in the world. In this country, you will find different races and mixed culture. The United States is composed of Native Americans, Americans, British, Irish, Asian, and even German races. You have to consider that there are about 300 million people living in the United States today.

Today, the largest self-reported ethnic group living in the United States is German Americans. In fact, there is an estimated 47 million German Americans according to the year 2000 census of the United States. As you can see, there is a great possibility that you have German blood running through your veins. If you do, and if you are interested with your German ancestry, you can consider retracing it by hiring a genealogist.

You have to consider that a series of world events have made it possible for people to migrate to the United States. The first German Americans migrated to the United States during the years 1680s to 1760s. From there on, the Germans was the largest group of immigrants in the United States of America. Because of the worsening opportunities of owning farm lands in Germany, conscription to the military, and persecution of religious groups, Germans made a choice to migrate to the United States.

Because of the opportunity to own farm lands in the United States, the freedom it offers to practice religion, non-existent military conscription, and better economy, Germans have made the United States of America as the prime country to migrate in.

During the World War II where Adolf Hitler came to power and started persecuting and killing German Jews, many of Germans migrated to the United States of America seeking refuge.

As you can see, series of world events made Germans to migrate to the United States. If you have an Aryan surname or if your grandparents or great-grandparents have Aryan surnames, you can be sure that you have German ancestry. You have to consider that finding out your own ancestry can be quite a task to accomplish. This is why you should try and seek the help of a genealogist who specializes in American German ancestry. Who knows? Maybe you can even trace your ancestry and may find that you are related to some of the worlds famous Germans, such as Oskar Schindler who is known to save thousands or even millions of Jews from Adolf Hitler’s gas chambers. Or, it is also possible that you may even be related to Albert Einstein or the former American President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

There are hundreds more of prominent German Americans who contributed a lot to society. In fact, even Elvis Presley has German blood.

So, if you have German ancestry and you want to know about your family’s history or you want to know your long lost relatives, you can consider hiring a genealogist to trace your German ancestry. With the available technology today, they may even find your distant relatives living in Germany today.

At the 2009 International family history conference there will be many experts in attendance who are of German descent and will be more than willing to share their genealogical expertise. See the family history conference web site Open the Door and Here are the People

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