United States Compiled Genealogies

= Previous Research, Part 1 =
 * Collecting Previous Research by Others Part One: Home and Relative Sources
 * Collecting Previous Research by Others Part Two: Online Family Tree Collections
 * Collecting Previous Research by Others Part Three: Digitized Books
 * Collecting Previous Research by Others Part Four: FamilySearch Wiki Tools

Introduction
Previous research is genealogical research that other people have already done about your family. It includes pedigree charts, family histories, genealogies, and other information.

Previous research materials are written by individuals and groups. They often include many generations and go back hundreds of years. They may contain information found nowhere else.

This guide describes some basic sources you should check when you start researching your family. You may want to check the sources again after you find additional relatives.

Previous research often has a wealth of information and many valuable clues. The accuracy of the research depends on how well the people who compiled the sources did their research.

What You Are Looking For
You are looking for information about your ancestors that other people have found, such as information about:


 * Birth.
 * Marriage.
 * Death.
 * Other biographical information.

Step 1. Ask your relatives if you can copy the genealogical information they have.
Ask your relatives if they have:


 * Family histories.
 * Family stories.
 * Pedigree charts.
 * Family group records.
 * Letters.
 * Photographs.
 * Birth, marriage, death, or naturalization certificates.

With their permission, make copies of these items. Be very careful with anything your relatives loan you.

Write down any other information they give you.

Step 2. Look in FamilySearch databases.
Genealogies are pedigrees and family group records submitted to FamilySearch.
 * Search Genealogies

Step 3. Look in other automated databases.
FamilySearch has a partnership with several subscription genealogy websites making it possible to view their collections without charge from a Family History Center computer. Each of these websites has a section devoted specifically to compiled genealogies, usually called "Family Trees". Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, and Geneanet can be searched free of charge at a Family History Center near you.

Ancestry.com
1. Click to search Ancestry.com by index:  Search Ancestry.com 2. Fill out the fields in the "Search" box. 3. After you click "Search", choose "Family Trees" from the left sidebar menu:

MyHeritage
Click to search MyHeritage Family Trees:  Family Trees

Geneanet
Click to search Geneanet by index:  Search Geneanet

Step 4. Find published family histories or genealogies.
There are two basic types of books to hunt for that contain compiled genealogies:
 * 1. Published Genealogies:  There are many, many books published by family members who compiled the genealogical research they had done, organized it into indexed families, and had it printed.
 * 2. County Histories: Late in the 19th century and the early 20th century, some companies devised a history/money-making scheme. They wrote a history of a county and invited the residents of the county to submit biographies/genealogies of their  ancestors who were early settlers of that county. They then had an automatic market for the book--the people who had contributed to it.  So it is important to search these county histories for the genealogical material included in them. The FamilySearch or Family History Library is gradually digitizing its microfilm and printed records, as permission is granted from the authors of the records. Hopefully, this process will be completeed in 2020.  Check back from time to time to see if new records are available.

Family History Books
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Other Sources of Digitized Books
Several efforts are underway to digitize older books no longer under copyright, and other copyrighted books with permission. Just like above, these three collections listed here should be searched both for published genealogies and for county histories with biographical/genealogical material.

Step 5. Use periodical or magazine articles to find information about your ancestors and the places where they lived.
Check genealogical and historical magazines for genealogies and biographies. Often, magazines also have records from towns and counties including birth, marriage, and death records.

First, check magazine indexes. Copy the following from the index:


 * Title of the magazine.
 * Number of the series, volume, or issue.
 * Date, if given.
 * Title of the article.
 * Author of the article.
 * Page number, if given.

Some major genealogical magazine indexes are:


 * Periodical Source Index (PERSI), an index for approximately 5,000 genealogical and historical magazines.
 * The New England Historical and Genealogical Register Index.

Second, obtain the magazine article using the information you found in the index.

For organizations which may have a copy of indexes and the magazines, see Where to Find It.

For information about interlibrary loans, see Tip 1.

Step 2. Use local histories and biographies for the town, county, and state to find information about your ancestors.
Check local histories for genealogies and biographies of your ancestors.

Check town, county, or state biographies if your ancestors were even semi-prominent or were notorious.

The following may have the local histories, biographies, etc., that you need:


 * Family History Library or Family History Centers. Family histories, county histories, biographies, and genealogies may be listed for states, counties, and towns listed in the FamilySearch Catalog.

Public and college libraries in the town and county. Libraries usually have histories, biographies, or other types of previous research that might have information about your ancestors.


 * Town or county historian. Ask the librarians in the area if there is a town or county historian. Such historians might have useful records for family history which are not found elsewhere.
 * County historical society and/or the county genealogical society. They might also have or know about useful records which are not found elsewhere.
 * State historical society and/or the state genealogical society. They also might have useful records not found elsewhere.

Some of the above organizations have websites which may include their catalogs. Check their catalogs to see if they have books of interest to you. Write down the titles of the books and the names of the authors. You may be able to borrow the books through your public library. For information about interlibrary loans, see Tip 1.

For more information, including ways to get addresses and phone numbers, see Where to Find It.

Copy the information you find.
Make photocopies of the information you find in books or magazine articles.

On the photocopy, write:


 * The title and author of the book or magazine article.
 * The name of the library where you got the book or magazine.
 * The library's book or magazine number.
 * If the copy is a magazine article, also write the information you copied from the index. See Step 1.

Add the information you found to your pedigree charts and family group records.

Analyze what you found.
Check the information you found to be sure it makes sense. For example:


 * Were all the mothers and fathers old enough to be parents when their first children were born?
 * Are the ages of grandparents reasonable when compared to grandchildren?
 * Were the children born far from where their parents lived and died?
 * Does anything disagree with what you know to be true?

For more information, see Tip 2.

= Tips =

Tip 1. How can I use Interlibrary Loan?

 * 1) Go to your public or college library.
 * 2) Ask the library to order a book for you through interlibrary loan from another library.
 * 3) The library staff will direct you in their procedures. Sometimes this is free; sometimes the library charges a small fee.

Tip 2. What are some major lists of family histories?
Several lists of family histories have been created. These book lists are arranged by surname and give the author, title, and publication information for books about each surname. A few of the major lists are:


 * The Genealogical Index of The Newberry Library, by the Newberry Library (Chicago, IL).
 * Genealogies at the Library of Congress.

For places which may have a copy of these lists, see Where to Find It.

Tip 3. What are some major sources of biographical information?
Many biographical sources have been created. Indexes have been made for hundreds of these sources. The indexes are arranged by surname. A few of the major indexes are:


 * The American Genealogical - Biographical Index, edited by Fremont Rider.
 * The Greenlaw Index of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, by William Prescott Greenlaw.
 * Biography and Genealogy Master Index, published by Gale Research Co.

For places which may have a copy of these indexes, see Where to Find It.

Tip 4. Why do I need to be careful about the information in previous research?
In family, town, and county histories, people wrote what they knew about their families. However, sometimes what was written was inaccurate or false.

Verify the accuracy of previous research by comparing its information with original documents, including birth, marriage, and death records, and court and land records; original documents usually have the most accurate information.

Public and College Libraries
Many family histories, genealogical magazines, and other genealogical materials are available at public and college libraries or may be sent to your library through interlibrary loan.

For more information about interlibrary loan, see Tip 1.

You could visit town, county, and college libraries and use their books. You can find their addresses and phone numbers in the American Library Directory, published by the American Library Association. American Libraries is probably available at your public and college libraries.

Periodical Source Index (PERSI) is available at some public and college libraries.

Genealogical and Historical Societies
Many family histories, genealogical magazines, and other genealogical materials are available at genealogical and historical societies. Some material is only available at the society.

You may find the names and addresses of societies in the following sources, which are available at many public and college libraries:


 * Directory of Family Associations, by Elizabeth Petty Bentley.

The Genealogist's Address book, by Elizabeth Petty Bentley Directory of Genealogical and Historical Societies in the U.S. and Canada, published by Iron Gate Publishing.


 * Directory of Genealogical Societies in the U.S.A. and Canada, by Mary Meyer.
 * Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada, edited by Mary Bray Wheeler.
 * The Encyclopedia of Associations, published by Gale Research Co.

You can also check Internet sites for information about societies. See Where to Find It: Internet.

State Archives, Libraries, and Historical Societies
You can find addresses and phone numbers for state archives and libraries in the American Library Directory.

The "Archives and Libraries" FamilySearch Wiki article for a state lists Internet and mailing addresses for several state archives, libraries, and historical societies. These organizations may have books or microfilms which you may want to use. Their Internet sites may list what records they have.