Compiled Sources & Where to Find Them

Introduction Regardless of your experience as a family history researcher in using primary and original records, and no matter how many years of research experience in proving your family tree, this important checklist of Compiled Sources will help you more comprehensively search for already compiled data on your family lines. Family history seekers are guaranteed a pleasant surprise as they strike ‘gold’ by discovering already completed research on at least one or some in-common ancestral family lineages. This list helps you to more meticulously search in secondary or what genealogists call compiled sources. It’s to help you identify, then search as many of today’s offerings for completed family genealogical (research) work which in especially more recent years has become a quantumly complex and unwieldy task than ever. The "task" requires scanning the whole spectrum of library and archival catalogs and published inventories of record office collections, to online databases, family (genealogy) websites and surname-specialty sources (mostly online)! So, how does one keep up on all the new websites, and places to find critical sources?

This ‘list’ of compiled sources is hopefully a good start. Collectively, it literally represents well over a billion ancestors with already compiled data about them!

The Standard in "Preliminary Searches" In merly scouring all home sources, in closets and attics—for family history papers, copies of records, pictures, old letters, journals/dairies and memorabilia, we cannot honestly say that our search in ‘compiled sources’ is completed. It is absolutely not completed until you initiate the next vital step--the next standard procedure—the phase called the preliminary search for and in compiled sources. To some, this is the often neglected or ‘ugly duckling’ aspect of the research process but nevertheless, a still vital phase of doing standard (proper) due diligence. Such compiled sources for which to search includes published or deposited manuscript sources on families, pedigrees, biographies, autobiographies, town and local histories, and online family genealogies.

Like a research scientist before seeking an academic degree or a government-sponsored grant to fund forensic or frontier research or discovery, standards in protocol requires diligent and broad-spectrumed searches for and in compiled sources to determine ‘what’s already researched and thus far discovered in the chosen area of scientific research. Every researcher—beginning and scientific--must do the same, diligently! If your preliminary searches were a mere ‘closet or attic or basement search’, on shelves and in boxes for family and home sources, that is but a small first-step. And that’s only if you’ve sought for and searched family Bibles, pictures, diaries, journals, copies of vital records and certificates and records, interviewed extended family and close relatives’, searching their home records as well (even old neighbors--if living--can prove very helpful!), significant by itself—and in the right direction, but too narrow in scope for what should be a comprehensive and more thorough search for other compiled sources outside the home! To smugly fold the arms, cock the head back and think, ‘That’s all I need to know; now start researching in original and primary record sources’—is naïve at least and, at worst, it short-circuits the comprehensive research process! Why would any true genealogist or passionate family history buff discard the standard of seeking and searching in compiled sources outside the home, by narrowly considering that no one else is “qualified” to research worth diddly? For every thousand family history compilers who may generate fuzzy genealogical ‘data’, there are also many very competent researchers and writers who have credibly researched and written professional-level family history compilations. It is especially for these latter "credible" compilations of competent researchers for which we all should seek and review.

The ‘Second step’ researchers should employ in the research process—is also the most overlooked part of the research process and not always considered standard procedure.

The List of Compiled Sources

Here’s a list of online resources and repositories on where to find published and manuscript (compiled) sources on family surnames and lineages: 1. Online family genealogy sites, pedigrees, history sites:

 World catalog at http://worldcat.org/. In the 'Subject field enter the surname and “family” like this, Prescott Family. This searches the catalogs and displays the results from thousands of especially U.S. libraries at once with the name of each archive or library holding the book or manuscript. If a family history publication is found, you can usually order it through the Inter-Library loan service

 Periodical Source Index (PERSI) at People Search allows searches for a family name in over a million article titles in genealogical periodicals. If the Article “Results List” is too long, redo the search but in the Keyword field add the two-letter postal abbreviation for the state where they lived.  Google books at http://books.google.com - type in the surname and another key word such as the locality, i.e. town, or county or state/province  Internet Archive at http://www.internetarchives.org  Genforum www.genforum.com – has 170 million names; quarter of million a week  Ancestry com www.ancestry.com – has some of the largest databases of compiled data on families  USGenweb.org or Canadagenweb.org or BritishIslesgenweb.org or WorldGenWeb.org–numerous aids &amp; databases online by state &amp; county  Genealogy.com (FamilyFinder) - has enormous database for families (NOTE: requires free registration, some results require payment of a fee, but those marked "Family Home Pages" are significant sources of compiled data and are free).  Roots Surname Lists at http://rsl.rootsweb.ancestry.com/  MyTrees at Kindredkonnections.com - a fabulous site for surnames, (NOTE: requires registration and payment or performance of a service for full access).  MyHeritage.com – has over 353 million names worldwide  GenesReunited.com - largest UK site with over 650 million UK names; (NOTE: requires payment of a fee)  Onegreatfamily.com - has over 130 million names worldwide  BYU’s Family History Archive at http://www.lib.byu.edu/fhc/index.php has scanned tens of thousands of free, published family histories all scanned, indexed, imaged and online  FamilySearch at www.familysearch.org (follow menu to Library, then catalog; then do a “Surname” search). This searches the world’s largest genealogical library for published works for any family surname as a main subject.  Family History Library “Favorites” links may be viewed at www.fhlfavorites.com. Pay particular attention to “England”; “General”; “Book search” or “England”; “General” ;”Genealogy”. For full information on FHL favorites, see the Research Wiki article on FHL favorites.  Guild of One Name Studies or www.one-name.org – with nearly 8,000 UK surnames registered  New Eng. Hist. &amp; Gen. Soc http://www.newenglandancestors.org/ -.  Allen Co. Indiana Public Library at http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/eresources.html  Search Google or another search engine using 1) family “surname”, 2) “family history” or “genealogy” and 3) “town” or “city” name  www.rootuk.org

2. Repositories and libraries holding large collections with online catalogues especially of which hold published or manuscript family histories, genealogies, biographies and other compiled family and local histories (and many of which may have one and often more—internal alpha-arranged listing or index or related database[s]):

a. Aim25 at: www.aim25.ac.uk (100 archives within 25 miles of London) b. Family History Library (FHL) – collections  c. National Archives of Canada – large collections of original record sources  d. New England Historical &amp; Genealogical Society – magnificent collections  e. Dallas TX Public Library  f. Chicago’s Newberry Library - largest collection of published family histories  g. The National Archives (NARA) U.S. – enormous national records collections  h. The Genealogical Research Library, Toronto, Canada – significant Canadian  i. The National Archives - UK  j. Provincial archives (Canada)  k. A2A (Archives to Arch.) at The National Archives, UK  l. The British Library, London  m. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.  n. County records offices – have numerous family genealogies and pedigrees – Google for their websites and search online catalogs or inventories  o. Local Public Libraries—often have published and/or typescript family histories 3. Compiled manuscripts or typescripts on family histories, genealogies, biographies, and pedigrees in any country around the world, which have been deposited, generally may be located at: a. State, provincial, local &amp; national archives, i.e. Library of Congress; Provincial archives, National Library, Ottawa  b. Research libraries, i.e. Genealogical Research Library, Toronto, Dallas Public Library or Allen County IN – have important genealogical collections  c. Society archives and libraries, i.e.www.newenglandancestors.org/ and the D.A.R. – have significant records including, biographies, family Bibles, and much more  d. University and college archives - i.e. University of York; BYU - have extensive collections  e. County and state historical societies  f. College of Arms (London), Lord Lyons (King of Arms in Scotland)  g. Large (and even very small) local public libraries have local genealogical holdings