New or Original Research
New or Original Research is research that is done to search for new information.
Ex. We know that Jones Jones parents are Mark Jones and Claudia Brown.
Their names were listed on John Jones marriage certificate. We know nothing else about them.
We begin research by searching for published genealogies or information that matches what we know already.
We search New Family Search/Family Tree, and other published genealogies. We search posts by others on research sites the match our known information. Our Mark & Claudia (Brown) Jones with a son John Jones.
We located a family tree on New Family Search that has a John Jones born 21 October 1849 in Chicago, Illinois with parents Mark Jones and Claudia Brown. But all posts have no sources listed. One says Ancestral File. Unfortunately, the disclaimer on Ancestral File says that this information is not sourced or proven and it is the users responsibility to document and verify the information.
Many novices and hobbyists overlook this disclaimer that is listed on all Ancestral File information and take the information submitted as proven when it is clearly not. Ancestral File is not a real or true source but just a collection of submissions.
Now we have to prove “verifiy with records” that it is the right John Jones.
We research Census records and locate a John Jones with parents Mark & Dia or Delia Jones in the 1850, 1860, 1870 U.S. Censuses. He is in the right location, time period and parents names. We also have siblings. These are secondary documents that circumstantially support our initial information.
Searching the card catalog we learn Chicago is in Cook County, Illinois and we have films with birth records.
We research birth records indexes on films and several John Jones, Jonathan Jones, Johnny Jones listing are found in indexes. Several are listed. A review of each results in locating a birth certificate for John Jones born 21 October 1848 in Cook County, Illinois. Parents names mostly match. This is considered a linking document. It links child to parents. It proves and verifies the information with one slight correction for birth year and mothers name. Dia or Delia is probably a nickname for Claudia.
Other birth records in the area and time period are checked and several other children identified with same parents.
Now based on this information we search and locate a marriage record for John Jones and Celia Mann that lists both of their parents. This also confirms our other information.
Further searches located a death certificate for John Jones which confirms his birth and parents as well as wife and Harry Jones [Harold Jones] is the informant.
Cemetery record is found for John Jones and Celia the wife, Harold and other children of JOhn, his siblings and their spouses and children and his parents Mark Jones & Claudia Brown Jones are identified in the same cemetery.
Not only has a linking document been found but we have seen the naming patterns followed in the families by researching the siblings and documenting them also. Sometimes the linking documents are found through siblings and the linking document to the direct ancestor has been lost or destroyed.
With this information we can complete the work for full families. We research each of John Jones siblings their wives and children to complete our families.
By searching for the known son, John Jones and his information we located information on the parents. We have the parents and their children on Census records, birth records for the children of Mark & Claudia (Brown) Jones and cemetery records for the parents.
Now we are ready to document the next generation. With birth and death dates from cemetery records we search for the death certificates or records on Mark Jones and Claudia or Delia or Dia (Brown) Jones. We locate them and they list their birth dates and locations and parents names and birth places.
We search census records and track them in Illinois from Cook County, Illinois to Sangamon County, Illinois. We identify potential parents and siblings families living with them or nearby in Censuses.
A new research session begins in Sangamon County, Illinois records.
We then search for a marriage record in Sangamon County, Illinois and located one. It gives both of their parents and confirms their birth places.
Further searches document them with their parents in Censuses, their siblings and their families. Cemetery and death records also fill in the families of Mark Jones, Claudia Brown, their siblings and their spouses and children and their parents. Research continues as time and budget permit for sessions.
Generally a research session takes place on one surname in a specific geographic place; usually a county, and exhausts the records for that surname, family, and related families for one or more generations.
ForGenerations has experience working on such projects that help you determine the best approach to take. Call us at 801-947-1897 to get started today.
