Some Pre-Computer Genealogical Research Tools

Many of the on-line genealogical researchers of today have no idea what it was like to do research in the pre-computer days.

Query & Letter Writing

Two of the major ways to solicit data in those days were:
1. Go through telephone books and write everyone with the surname you were interested in soliciting information on their kinfolk
2. Submission of queries to major newspaper and genealogical magazine requesting information.  One of those major genealogical publications of this era was ”The  Genealogical Helper” published by Everton Press out of Logan, Utah. 

http://www.geneamusings.com/2009/05/evertons-genealogical-helper-has-new.html

Courthouse Research
Just as today many hours were spent in Courthouses, Libraries, Archives and other places that housed historical records that may be related to your ancestor.

Family History Library
The family History Library (FHL) that you are familiar with today did not exist when I began my research back in 1976. The current FHL was open to the public on October 1985. ¹

Before the dedication of the current building the Library and office were located in the  East Wing of the Joseph Smith Building on 4 floors.

Back in those days the primary tools used was the Soundex, Census Books, Surname Books, Micro film reader, microfiche reader and many other tools.

Soundex
The Soundex was a phonetic algorithm for indexing names by sound, as pronounced in English.^{2 3}

You would take this little coding guide and convert your SURNAME to a code, i.e. the Davis Surname would convert to D120
D = D
A = Vowel - Strike through
V = 1
I – Vowel – strike through
S = 2
add a 0 to get the code of D120 = DAVIS

This is the soundex card of the 1900 Census (South Carolina) for my Ancestor – Thomas F. Davis



In this soundex image we see the D120 (DAVIS) written across the top left corner of the card.

The soundex card was the key to finding your ancestor in the census. Without the help of the Soundex it was take a look at every named entry to find your ancestor.

The Films of the census year (1900) were filed in cabinet by ED – Enumeration District. To select the proper rolls for finding your ancestor you would focus on the top right Corner of this card. 



For this Card, Thomas F. Davis can be found in ED 21, Sheet 24, Line 35 very much like today except you would take this ED Number and go to the cabinet and drawer that contained  the 1900 census and go through them (organized numerically by ED) until you found the film with ED 21 listed. In some cases there may have been numerous ED and thus would be listed 19-22, for example. 

Surname Books
Another way to find your Ancestor was through the use of the Census Surname Books. This page is from one of those surname books.



The Surname Book were books created from the Census and were printed in Alphabetical order by surname. The first listing in this 1840 Census Book for South Carolina is:
PRESCOTT, Benjamin J.  Sumt 039 No TWP L

So Benjamin J. Prescott can be bound in Sumt (Sumter) County on page 039, no township listed.

and here is the source from Ancestry

Source Citation

Year: 1840; Census Place: Sumter, South Carolina; Roll: 515; Page: 39; Image: 84; Family History Library Film:0022511

These Census Surname books were a “Blessing” back in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Back in those days there were no microfilm copy machines.

You know how you brought that information home; you did it by copying the data to your notes.

Here’s another tool that was provided so that you, the researcher, could accurately copy the information need and bring it home for review.

1860 Census Form 

This is just a small snapshot of the genealogical research process from the past. Many of you can relate to those days; many of you cannot. I can assure you we all are grateful for the advances  that has been made over the past 20-30 years. The development of the GPS – Genealogical Proof Standard, to me, was a giant step in genealogy research.

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[1]http://www.utah.com/mormon/family_history.htm
[2] http://www.archives.gov/research/census/soundex.html
[3] https://www.google.com/search?q=soundex&oq=soundex&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.2368j0j1&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8

Using Land Deeds in Genealogical Research

 
Benjamin and Caty Wright Brock were married sometimes before 18 January 1794. This marriage is mentioned in an Anson County Land Deed from BENJAMIN BROCK TO WILLIAM PEGUES, dated 17 January 1794 and contained within Deed Book C2, Page 239.



Another Land Deed found in Deed Book "E", Page 229 from BENJAMIN BROCK TO JOHN WRIGHT tells us that Caty Brock, wife of Benjamin Brock is the daughter of John Wright, Jr.


Catherine “Caty” Mother and John Wright, Jr. wife Elizabeth are identified in yet another Land Deed found in Deed Book “E” page 109, JOHN WRIGHT TO JOHN AULD, as Elizabeth Baker, daughter of Aaron Baker.



Land deeds are very useful when trying to piece together families. If you are not using land deeds in your research you are missing a great opportunity to maybe break down some of those “brick walls” that we all experience from time to time.







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[1] North Carolina, Deed Book: Deed Book "C2", Page 239, BENJAMIN BROCK TO WILLIAM PEGUES; Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.
[2] North Carolina, Deed Book: Deed Book "E", Page 229, BENJAMIN BROCK TO JOHN WRIGHT; Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.
[3] North Carolina, Deed Book: Deed Book "E", Page 109, JOHN WRIGHT TO JOHN AULD; Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina

Primary Source Documents Can be Wrong

A primary source document is a document that is created when the event occurred. We all take primary source documents as factual in nature. But what if primary source document is wrong or conflict; how do you resolve these issues?

We all agree that a death certificate is the desired document to prove the death of an ancestor. Primarily, because the death certificate was created at the time of death for a relative or ancestor.  So let's take a look at the death certificate of one on my distance cousin.

 

Hurbert Arnold Brock, born 19 May 1924, a son of Samuel Arnold Brock and Henrietta Smith. He died of injuries from an automobile accident near Hamlet, Richmond County, North Carolina on 31 Jan 1944[1].  In my research of Hurbert Arnold, I found two death certificates – one in Richmond County, North Carolina and one in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. (Birth/death dates from NC Death Cert.#6117) 

The South Carolina Death Certificate[2] states that Hurbert Arnold Brock was born May 19, 1872 and died 31 Jan 1944 in Chesterfield, South Carolina of Stroke Apoplexy.  It also states that this Hurbert Arnold Brock is a son of Samuel Arnold Brock and Henrietta Smith.

 

I know without a doubt that the parents listed on this South Carolina Death Certificate IS NOT correct.  Samuel Arnold Brock was born 19 May 1876. If this Hurbert Arnold was born in May 1872; he is not a son of Samuel Arnold Brock. 

Both of these Hurbert Arnold Brock's died on the same date – 31 Jan 1944.

Both death certificates say that Hurbert Arnold parents are Samuel Arnold Brock and Henrietta Smith.

Only one of these Hurbert Arnold Brock can be the son of Samuel Arnold Brock and Henrietta Smith.

To resolve this conflict you need additional information. One of the elements of The Genealogical Proof Standard is a:  Reasonably exhaustive search

• Assumes examination of a wide range of high quality sources
• Minimizes the probability that undiscovered evidence will overturn a too-hasty conclusion

Another element of this standard is:  Resolution of conflicting evidence.

• Substantiates the conclusion's credibility. (If conflicting evidence is not resolved, a credible conclusion is not possible.)

In this case, no research has been made, as of this date, to resolve this conflict. However, based on knowledge and research;  my first instinct and conclusion is that The Hurbert Arnold Brock that died in North Carolina is the son of Samuel Arnold Brock and Henrietta Smith.

Compounding this confusion is the Tombstone for Hurbert Brock, at the Brock Mill church Cemetery that shows his birth and death as 8 December 1923; died Jan 30, 1943.[3] This Herbert is buried near S. Arnold Brock.

So we have several areas of conflict here, between two documents that need to be resolved.

It's clear that we are talking about two different individual, both with the same death date (maybe) and a Tombstone or a tombstone transcription that is in error. 

My next step in resolving this conflict is to see if the car accident was documented in the local newspapers for Richmond County, North Carolina and look for obituaries in both states.

If you have information on either of these two Hurbert Arnold Brock's please send me an e-mail.

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[1] State of North Carolina, death Certificate no. #6117 (31 January 1944), Hurbert Ambel [Arnold] Brock; https://www.ancestry.com, Hamlet, Richmond County, North Carolina.

[2] Hubert A. Brock, death certificate 015181 (31 January 1944), Vital Records, Department of Health and Environmental Control, Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina.

[3] James C. Pigg, Chesterfield County Cemetery Survey; Chesterfield County Genealogical Services, 1995, page 151. Tombstone of Hurbert Brock; 8 December 1923–30 January 1943, Old Brocks Mill Cemetery, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.