Jeans & Genes
Rockdale County Genealogical Society Newsletter-Supplement January 2008
Come Join Us in 2008!
The Rockdale County Genealogical Society is a small-but growing, group
of folks who share a passion for family history. We usually meet on the
2nd Sunday of the month-January to November-at 3 p.m. in the Nancy
Guinn Library on Green Street[ near the old Conyers depot]. Notice of
meetings-or any changes-are posted in the Rockdale Citizen, or in the
library lobby. We have many "expert" members each month who are happy
to advise you, and great programs on many interesting subjects, such as
how to edit your heirloom photos, or trace your family lineage through
DNA. There are no annual dues, though we do have a "dollar jar" for
donations. Join us in the New Year! Come learn more about genealogy
with us, then extend that knowledge to your own family research. [for
more information on meetings check with the Nancy Guinn Library
circulation desk]
<<<< Tips for new genealogists >>>>
If you love a good mystery novel, or enjoy the many police and forensic
shows on TV, then genealogy might be for you. You will probably be
amazed by how much information is available on your ancestors. And, you
absolutely never know what you might find! Of its many analogies, the
nature of genealogical research, seems to resemble more closely
detective work. In all cases you will work from clues, from what you
know and learn, to the unknown. And, you must always verify the results
by seeking primary records, those generated at or near the time and
place. Secondary sources such as indexes, books, and most online
records are very helpful but need to be checked for accuracy. As
Sergeant Joe Friday of TV's "Dragnet" fame said long ago-"Just the
facts, Mam, just the facts".
Do your homework. That is, learn all you can about your immediate
family; learn where they were born, where they lived, and married. If
you are fortunate enough to have living grandparents visit them. Take
your cassette recorder or video camera. Most older folks love to talk
about 'old times'. Don't hurry them, record everything they say, ask
them about brothers & sisters, about their parents and
grandparents. Ask where they lived or moved. Ask if they know about a
country of origin. Be sure to ask if there is a family bible, or a
known family historian. And don't forget about your collateral kin;
cousins, Aunts or Uncles, who may remember more details, or who might
have inherited family documents or photos. Make as many family contacts
as you can. In my own family, my father's first cousin had a large
portrait of my 2nd great grandfather(1833-1865)-and, my 1st
cousin-twice removed-[my grandfather's first cousin]-had his daily
1852-1858 diary. When you have learned as much as you can from these
living sources, you will have the clues to begin your serious genealogy
research.
If you have learned a family's place of residence, a good place to
start is with the 1930 US Census, the most recently released. At Nancy
Guinn, and many other "PINES" libraries, the online censuses are
available through Ancestry.com or Heritage Quest. Microfilm copies are
also available at many other sites. When you find your kinfolk in 1930,
you are ready to move further back to 1920, 1910, etc. Always copy
"complete families" and record them as family groups. Pedigree charts,
or trees, are nice but family group records are the most useful. With
the exception of the 1890 census which was lost in a fire, the censuses
contain complete families back to 1850. Early years had special
censuses; among those were slaves-not usually named-and manufacturing
& agricultural lists. In rural areas the latter might tell you how
many oxen, cows, horses, hogs, or sheep your ancestor had, or how many
bushels of corn & wheat he had on
hand. [continued on
back]
After finding an ancestor, be sure to look at nearby census entries. In
earlier censuses, especially in rural locations, siblings or even
parents may be found in the same area. Make copies of all same-surnamed
families, even if you don't know how they may be related. If you know a
wife's maiden name look for those families, as well.
Now that you have filled in a few family groups, you should start to
organize things. You can begin with a simple pedigree chart, but the
best way to organize is with a computer genealogy program. Family Tree
Maker is the most popular, but most of them will do the job. Look for
one that is GEDCOM compatible, as that format allows data exchange
among the various programs. [FTM-2008 has changed completely after
nearly 18 years of upgrades, and is said to be more internet efficient.
However, some users say text files, which include sources, are not
translating fully to the new edition; they are still recommending
Version 16 instead]. There may be free programs online-or those you can
try before you buy. The LDS church site < www.familysearch.org >
once offered its PAF-Personal Ancestry File-for free download, or on an
inexpensive CD. Whatever you select, don't settle for entering only the
names & dates in your program-link all facts with their sources as
soon as you fill in the "blanks".
After finding locations for some of your ancestors, it is time to get
down to the meat & potatoes of family research-county records. If
you live nearby, go to the courthouse! If not, go online and
Google-genealogy then your county & state, and see what comes up.
Look for sites specific to the county, as there will be many commercial
links. Online content varies widely by county; those sites with
long-standing Genealogical Societies are usually among the best. There
maybe several different sites for each county-so check them all. The
USGenWeb's "Archives Project" sites are my favorites. I hope they
become the "industry standard".
Most counties will have two court systems. In Georgia, these are the
Superior and Probate courts. Superior Court's name has remained
constant, though Probate was once known as Inferior and Court of
Ordinary. In Alabama, Circuit Court corresponds with Superior, so
there may be differences in your state. Criminal and civil cases in
Georgia are filed in Superior Court-and deeds are recorded. Probate
Court is a goldmine for genealogists here. Marriage licenses.
Guardianships. All estate records, be it wills(testate) or
without a will(intestate). Contested wills, however, would be carried
to Superior Court & might not be indexed in early probate records.
All types of estate-related bonds and guardianship bonds are filed
here. Inventories and Sales from intestate estates often offer views
into your ancestors' lifestyle-and are much more interesting than
simple wills! Tax records[digests]are also found here. Taxed acreage is
listed by Militia Districts-along water courses, with adjoining
landowners noted. In Land Lottery counties the exact landlot maybe
given. So, if you can't find a deed recorded, you may find where your
ancestor lived through his tax records!
Research in Georgia was greatly enhanced with the recent completion of
new facilities for the National and Georgia State Archives in
Morrow[the buildings are side by side]near the main entrance to Clayton
State College(University)on Jonesboro Rd.[GA Hwy 54]. The State
Archives has a wonderful old card catalog file for its extensive
self-serve microfilm collection-which includes most of the county
records above(prior to 1900). It also has the tax digests, Civil War
records, extensive publications, and much more. Currently they are in
the process of listing their holdings online. The National
Archives-Southeast Region has Federal census for the area,
Federal-level court records, Revolutionary War pensions, WPA records
and much more. There is just too much in both facilities to itemize
here. So, if your heritage is in this part of the country, plan on
visiting both. Your ancestors are waiting to be found!
OPEN HOUSE- The local LDS Church, 1275 Flat Shoals Rd. S.E. has
announced a mini-seminar on Family History on Saturday January 26, 2008
from 10 a.m to 2:30 p.m. Light refreshments during the lunch
hour. Sixteen classes will be offered-including "Getting
Started". For more information & pre-registration call:
770-785-9888 It is FREE, from genealogy's best friend-our Mormon
neighbors!
Jeans & Genes is published by Rockdale County Genealogical Society
% Nancy Guinn Library, 864 Green St. SW-Conyers GA 30012
Officers for 2008 listed in regular edition.
Newsletter Editor: Larry Knowles- knonga@bellsouth.net
Archive Editor: Marion Farmer- < http://mtf.home.mindspring.com/newsltr.htm >
[Slightly revised: January 24, 2008]