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Last Updated August 31, 2020<\/span><\/p>\n<\/header>\n Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Searching for and locating records about our ancestors is seldom a simple process. Of course, we all have those easy to find individuals\u00a0that seem to appear in every single record at just the right time<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 but many of us spend most of our time searching for those elusive members of our tree\u00a0that appear to have avoided being recorded on purpose<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve hit a brick wall in your research, check our list of 13 common reasons why people fail to find the genealogy data they\u2019re looking fo<\/strong>r. These are not the only<\/strong> reasons a person might hit a brick wall or miss information (some circumstances, like adoption, provide even greater challenges) but in the vast majority of cases one or more of these observations apply. If you feel that something on the list\u00a0describes\u00a0your research take the time to address\u00a0it and you might find that you tear down your family history obstacle\u00a0once and for all.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for an ancestor by their name as you know it<\/em>, you\u2019re missing out. As family historians, we often hear that it is very common for names to be misspelled on old records, or incorrectly transcribed when placed online, but many don\u2019t realize that this is the rule, not the exception, in many cases<\/strong>. Flexibility is key to making breakthroughs.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re searching\u00a0for an ancestor and continuously coming up short you may need to stop looking for them by their full name. Think outside of the box \u2014 search by surname only, or by first or middle name only\u2026and use locations or birth, marriage or death dates to narrow down results instead. Loosen up your searches to include a wide variety of possible spellings and date possibilities and add keywords to narrow down results. Omit names completely and search only dates, locations or keywords. Do what you can to make sure you are getting a wider look at the records in a collection you are searching.\u00a0And if searches don\u2019t\u00a0work, and you are relatively sure that your ancestor\u00a0does<\/strong> exist in a record collection, browse instead of searching. It is time-consuming but worth the investment.<\/p>\n Make Instant Discoveries in Your Family Tree Now Imagine adding your family tree to a simple website and getting hundreds of new family history discoveries instantly.<\/b><\/p>\n MyHeritage is offering 2 free weeks of access to their extensive collection of 20 billion historical records, as well as their matching technology that instantly connects you with new information about your ancestors<\/b>. Sign up using the link below to find out what you can uncover about your family. Discover New Genealogy Records Instantly<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Have you taken the time to truly educate yourself about what records are available to you in the location and date range your ancestor lived in? If the answer is no, then stop what you are doing and find this information now. Each piece of data you need can only be found from a limited amount of possible sources and these sources vary from place to place and decade to decade. Know what the sources are for your<\/strong> research needs.<\/p>\n Genealogical and historical societies, county websites and regional guides (such as those from the USGenWeb\u00a0or WorldGenWeb)\u00a0are a great place to start for this kind of data. And don\u2019t forget to educate yourself about a collection\u00a0to make sure it covers the exact location and date range your ancestor lived in before searching<\/strong>. Many collections are incomplete and are missing data for certain years, counties, towns etc.\u00a0Don\u2019t waste time on irrelevant ones.<\/p>\n Can\u2019t locate a record or piece of data\u00a0no matter how many times you search for it? Then you might be isolating your searches from the data you\u2019ve already collected. It is very important to know your ancestors<\/strong> as well as you can when trying to grow your tree.\u00a0Create a clearer picture of your ancestors\u2019 lives by\u00a0sitting down and organizing every single piece of data that you do have<\/strong>. Forget about looking for new information for a minute and focus only on the records you have<\/em> collected.<\/p>\n Open a notebook and scour the sources that relate to your ancestor of focus. Write down every piece of information you can drum up about them \u2014 name variations, locations, dates, family members, neighbors, occupations, church affiliations, travel, immigration etc\u2026. This data is going to be crucial in your search. Once you have compiled a clear list of all data available, use it to arm yourself with new knowledge. Get to know what record collections are available to you based on the exact locations, affiliations and dates you recorded. Use it to complete more creative or refined searches or to connect with new research resources. Always think of your tree as an interconnected web of data and build off of what you have.<\/p>\n If you are were reading the last tip and thinking what data?<\/em>\u00a0you may need to spend some more time building out each ancestor. One of the biggest reasons family historians cannot locate a piece of data they are in need of is because they are trying to find something that they are not prepared to find. It is not uncommon for someone to find a new individual, or set of parents, in their tree and to immediately set out trying to find the next generation back. While it might be incredibly tempting to grow your tree in this way, it often poses some serious obstacles.<\/p>\n When we first encounter a new person or family group we usually have only minimal information about them \u2014 often from just one or two records. Having limited data means that locating the next generation back can be nearly impossible. To find elusive ancestors we often need to take advantage of every bit of data we have<\/strong>, so\u00a0if you\u2019re trying to expand\u00a0the number of individuals in your tree\u00a0and are stuck, take some more time to fill out the individuals you already know about<\/strong>. Get as much data as you can and then use that data to create a clearer picture of your ancestors\u2019 life \u2014 one that will<\/strong> help you reveal new generations.<\/p>\n 20 Billion Genealogy Records Are Free for 2 Weeks Get two full weeks of free access to more than 20 billion genealogy records right now. You\u2019ll also gain access to the MyHeritage discoveries tool that locates information about your ancestors automatically<\/b> when you upload or create a tree. What will you discover about your family\u2019s past?<\/p>\n Claim My Free Record Access Now<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n What does that mean?<\/em>\u2026isn\u2019t that the whole point\u2026finding information about a person by looking for the person<\/em>?!<\/p>\n The answer is\u2026usually. But when we come up empty handed again and again for a certain piece of information about an ancestor we need to stop looking for that person and start looking around<\/strong> them instead. We need to search for the people who made up their lives.<\/p>\n Need to find the parents of an ancestor and can\u2019t locate them? Stop looking for the parents\u00a0and start looking for siblings, aunts, uncles, neighbors etc \u2014 eventually you\u2019ll turn up the parents mentioned somewhere. Need a death date but coming up short? Don\u2019t look for a death record for your individual\u2026look for the records of their family. The person could have been\u00a0mentioned on a marriage certificate for a child long after they died, in an obituary for a spouse for instance. Can\u2019t find your ancestors in the census? Look for their neighbors from past census years\u00a0instead. Whatever data it is you\u2019re seeking\u2026consider who else in the family might be able to\u00a0reveal it.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re only searching<\/strong> for your ancestors than you\u2019re missing more than you\u2019re finding. There are many, many collections online that contain browsable only data. Don\u2019t be afraid of these collections \u2014 it may be years and years before the data is ever transcribed and made searchable so tackle them now. Read this article for help finding a huge wealth of these records, or look for collections from sources relevant to your local area of research online.<\/p>\n It\u2019s always a good idea to search for ancestors in record collections specific to the\u00a0location they lived in<\/strong>.\u00a0But it can be incredibly easy to accidentally search in the wrong spot. Boundaries shifted quite often throughout history so it is important to educate yourself about where your ancestor was actually residing during their time period. Know the town or city and county name as it existed during your ancestor\u2019s life<\/strong> so that you can search for collections correctly. Don\u2019t make assumptions.\u00a0Find\u00a0help for this on local historical websites or check out this very useful\u00a0historical map tool from the Newberry Library.<\/p>\n Are you looking for your ancestors by typing their names into a general search box on a website? If so, then you\u2019re likely missing out on the best results. When we search a huge site, like FamilySearch or Ancestry, it needs to sift through\u00a0millions of potential results \u2014 even if we are using proper filtering. The site does its best to return what we\u2019re looking for but the records we need are more often than not buried by the mass of data available. To avoid this, take the time to search record collections of interest individually. Both Ancestry and FamilySearch have pages\u00a0where you can find a collection by interest and, often, each available database has its own special search boxes to help you take advantage of\u00a0that collection\u2019s data. Other genealogy sites with multiple databases offer similar catalogs, so search them out before you begin your hunt.<\/p>\n Have you boxed yourself in when it comes to genealogy searches? Are you searching the same sites over and over again for results and still hitting a brick wall? If so, it\u2019s time to build your genealogy site toolbox. Check out our tool doGenealogy for help locating free sites or visit our list of 50 Free Genealogy Sites to Search Today.<\/p>\n New information can be uncovered on nearly every genealogy website by searching\u00a0more effectively. Whether it\u2019s by using an advanced search form, a set of Boolean operators\u00a0to expand or refine searches, or by using Google\u2019s search to investigate a single site \u2014 power\u00a0searches are key to uncovering new records. The computers that hold the data you\u2019re sifting through\u00a0have a language all their own, and learning how to speak it will allow you to dig up data in whole new ways.<\/p>\n Read our article about Google Search Tricks for Genealogy for help with better genealogy searches in the world\u2019s largest search engine or consider taking our Genealogy Course which covers more advanced search tricks\u00a0\u2014 including specific search tactics for popular sites and how to utilize Google and its powerful tools to search any website to find what you need.<\/p>\n Many family historians know that online research can offer them a huge wealth of information about their ancestors \u2014 but when it comes to offline research many\u00a0get scared.\u00a0Unless you\u2019re a seasoned researcher you might not even know where to begin<\/strong>. But by limiting yourself in this way will create many brick walls in your research. A huge amount of records are not online yet\u2026.and may not be for decades.<\/p>\n So, if you\u2019re looking for ancestors\u00a0locally, take some time to connect with a local historical society, genealogy group or library about what records they hold and what those records contain. There are many volunteers and employees at these locations that are eager to help.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re researching ancestors who lived in locations far from your current home\u00a0(as many of us are) then take advantage of a Family History Center in your area to access a wealth of US and global records, search for websites that may allow you to order record searches and actual documents\u00a0remotely (many historical societies, libraries and local government offices do this) or take advantage of the services of a remote researcher \u2014 such as with the free Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness\u00a0service.<\/p>\n Many family historians try to do research alone. They don\u2019t have family members who are interested in their work and they don\u2019t know who to connect with to\u00a0get help. By not connecting with other researchers you limit yourself and what you can find. Don\u2019t be afraid to join an online group, forum or local club for support, inspiration and specific research help. Don\u2019t be afraid to take a course or ask an expert. It\u2019s fun and may provide the breakthrough you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve hit a brick wall you\u2019ve probably spent a lot of time searching for a specific ancestor or record<\/strong>. You\u2019ve likely searched again and again and again for the same data\u2026but you\u00a0keep\u00a0coming\u00a0up short. Eventually\u00a0you\u2019ll be tempted give up. You\u2019ll be tempted to assume that the data simply does not exist or that the task is impossible.<\/p>\n While it is a good idea not to use up all of your energy on one person,\u00a0it can be a big mistake to assume that you\u2019ve exhausted all of your possibilities.\u00a0Of course, there\u2019s always a chance<\/strong>\u00a0that your ancestor did simply drop out of the records and is actually impossible to find \u2014 but, the truth is,\u00a0that is very unusual<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Most people can be found somewhere, in some record, somehow. Use the tips above and get creative. Expand your efforts, ask for help and don\u2019t give up \u2014 you will break through that brick wall if you just keep at it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Need more help breaking down genealogy brick walls?\u00a0Consider taking our online genealogy course which has dozens of step-by-step guides, hands on lessons, helpful discussions and a private group to help you grow your tree.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Image<\/strong>:\u00a0[\u201cJohn Bour\u201d[?] \u2013 barefooted, shabbily dressed man, sitting on crates, in front of brick wall, with arm around a cat, holding a bottle of Raleigh Rye whiskey] Library of Congress<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 13 Reasons You Can\u2019t Find the Genealogy Information You\u2019re Looking For Last Updated August 31, 2020 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) Searching for and locating records about our ancestors is seldom a simple process. Of course, we all have those easy to find individuals\u00a0that seem to appear […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2],"class_list":["post-544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genealogy-guides","tag-db"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=544"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":547,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544\/revisions\/547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}13 Reasons You Can\u2019t Break Down Your Brick Wall and Find the Family History Information You Need<\/h3>\n
1. You\u2019re Searching Too Specifically<\/h3>\n
2. You\u2019re Searching in All the Wrong Places<\/h3>\n
3. You\u2019re Not Making Use of the Data You Have<\/h3>\n
4. You Haven\u2019t Collected Enough Data<\/h3>\n
5. You\u2019re Looking For the Person You\u2019re Looking For<\/h3>\n
6. You\u2019re Only Looking in Searchable<\/em> Record Collections<\/h3>\n
7. You\u2019re Looking in the Wrong Location \u2013 Literally<\/h3>\n
8. You\u2019re Only Searching General Collections<\/h3>\n
9. You\u2019re Not Using Enough Genealogy Sites<\/h3>\n
10. You\u2019re Not Power Searching<\/h3>\n
11. You\u2019re Only Searching Online<\/h3>\n
12. You Haven\u2019t Asked for Help<\/h3>\n
13. You\u2019re Giving Up Too Quickly<\/h3>\n