TIPS TO HELP YOU RESOLVE GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH CHALLENGES

Handwriting does not have to be old to present us with interpretation difficulties. Everyone writes differently and in the not too distant past, people wrote as they were taught. Finding information about ancestral connections will inevitably lead us to a variety of historical documents written in different hands by a multitude of scribes who all had a unique style. Add to this some unfamiliar terminology and we may find the writing quite baffling. Handwriting is often difficult to read in the more modern documents such as birth certificates, census returns, wills and parish registers but don’t let that put you off researching.

The best way to overcome this challenge is to become familiar with the different styles - practice makes perfect! 

There are certain techniques used to decipher old handwriting which apply to all styles and the easiest way is to work through one of the various online guides for the various script styles.  

There are also glossaries to provide definitions of peculiar words and phrases. The people who work or volunteer in archives and family history societies may have more experience and will be able to help you work out what a document is telling you. As you become more familiar with handwriting styles and terminology, you will be surprised what you can discover about your ancestors.

One of the most important element of family history research is to be able to identify the correct ancestor. Names seem to be a common stumbling block. Believe it or not, people used nicknames and pet names in official documents or chose to be known by a name which was not the one given at birth or Christening. Sometimes people completely changed their name for many different reasons, but that is a different story.

Finding that your ancestors have a common surname like Smith or Brown can prove tricky. Look at the overall picture and don’t just concentrate on names. Analyse information such as dates of birth or death, where your ancestor lived, occupations, and naming patterns within the family. Many of these will be the identifiers which can help focus your search. Every piece of genealogical information provides a vital clue.

Often it is the capital letter at the start of a name which is baffling and may cause us to overlook the name because we don’t recognise it. This comes down to understanding styles and alphabets. The other challenge we have in today’s digital world is that sometimes the transcribers can’t read the letter either, so the person is then incorrectly indexed. The more familiar you become with names, the easier it is to resolve this aspect.

Again there are techniques and ways to overcome this challenge by looking at a variety of documents. From the cradle to the grave, an average ancestor left about 100 different documents, irrespective of status and class - and most of them are available to research.

Variations in names can be another challenge. Even something as simple as variation in spelling can impede research. Changes in dialect can contribute to this confusion. In the digital world there is something called a wildcard search which often proves very successful. A sounds like search rather than a precise spelling is also useful. Remember that many people wrote down what they heard - and some were not that literate either!

Finding an elusive ancestor can be like looking for a needle in a haystack and it becomes more complex when delving in the depths of history or if looking for an immigrant. Widening your research to include all types of documents can help significantly. This is also where DNA comes to the fore and this can be immensely rewarding. Today there are also specialist websites which relate to a particular religious or ethnic group or contain information about immigration and emigration patterns..

You should make every effort to talk with relatives - either older or within your peer group. By doing this, some priceless snippets of information could be revealed - information that might never have appeared in official documentation.

To find this elusive ancestor, you will need patience and perseverance; these are two essential qualities of a good family historian.

There may be circumstances where prime records just do not exist. Perhaps they were never created or were damaged in some way or even systematically destroyed by the originating authority.

This is not the time to call it a day! Instead you should turn to other “secondary” sources for the answers. There are other articles about sources on our website. Inevitably there will always be some document which will prove the clues or give the answer you need. 

It’s not uncommon to become a little demoralised with your genealogical pursuit because you think you have hit a dead end; with no apparent leads to help you resolve your brick wall, what's the point?

BUT...there are various other paths you can take, so don't give up!

First and foremost, revisit all you have done to date. Perhaps you have missed a vital piece of information or a change in terminology. Maybe new information has come to light since you did your original research. You can always expand the scope of your research.

Engaging with other family historians can enhance your understanding and provide ideas which you had not considered. If you continue to struggle, you could hire a professional genealogist whose expertise and skills could provide a crucial breakthrough.

Remember - brick walls don't exist!