Anyone who has spent time investigating their family history has probably hit the dreaded “brick wall.” These annoying dead ends can arise when you are unable to locate that one critical piece of information required to proceed. Brick walls are a part of the genealogical journey, whether it’s an elusive birth record, a missing relative on the census, or a surname that abruptly changes. However, with patience and the appropriate tactics, you can typically overcome these challenges and continue to develop your family tree.
In this guide, we’ll explore practical problem-solving techniques to help you get past the most common genealogy obstacles and discover new paths to your family’s history.
Reevaluate What You Know
Your ideal starting point for your genealogy investigation is right at home. Start by compiling your current knowledge about your family. This could include full names, birth and death dates, locations of residence, and any tales or facts you have heard over the years. Building a strong basis will help one journey farther back in time more easily.
Inquire of your relatives—parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins—if they can send family records or more specific information. Birth certificates, marriage licenses, military records, old letters, and pictures could all be among these. A straightforward family talk can reveal quite a lot of worthwhile material, which would surprise you.
Sort Your Research
When you hit a brick wall, the first step is to reassess the information you already have.
Review your sources, notes, and paperwork twice. Sometimes mistakes like a misspelled name, a false date, or a mistaken presumption about a family relationship find their way in. Review your material and ask yourself:
- Have I checked all the dates and locations using original sources—birth, marriage, and death records, among other things?
- Could there be a spelling variation or nickname that I overlooked?
- Am I making any assumptions about relationships or locations that aren’t backed by evidence?
Reexamining your data with fresh eyes might help you spot something you missed or give you a new perspective on where to look next.
Consider Name Variations
Name variants often pose significant challenges. Immigration, regional dialects, or basic misspellings by record keepers can all cause changes in a surname over time. For instance, once an ancestor moves to an English-speaking nation, the surname “Schmidt” may show up as “Smith.” First names could also be abbreviated or anglicized; “Giovanni” might become “John.”
To overcome this issue, try the following:
- Search for alternate spellings of the surname. Try replacing letters that could have been misunderstood (like “C” for “K” or “V” for “W”).
- Use wildcards in online search tools. For instance, if you’re searching for “Anderson,” try “Anders*” to capture all variations of the name.
- Don’t forget about nicknames. An ancestor named “Elizabeth” might be listed as “Lizzie” or “Betty” in records.
Being flexible with names can often reveal ancestors who have been hiding under a slightly different identity.
Broaden Your Search
Sometimes cutting your search to one person or one document will result in a brick wall. Expanding your search in both time and space helps you in such situation. Here are some techniques to give try:
- Search for relatives or neighbors: If you can’t find a direct ancestor, look for siblings, parents, or cousins who may be easier to locate in the records. People often live near family members, so you might find your missing ancestor by following someone else’s trail.
- Broaden the time frame: Sometimes ancestors don’t appear in the expected records simply because they moved away or weren’t documented. Try searching a few years earlier or later than you expect, especially if census data or other records seem incomplete.
- Search nearby counties or towns: Families didn’t always stay in one place. If your ancestors aren’t showing up in their expected location, try searching nearby areas. They may have moved for work, marriage, or other reasons.
Broadening your search will enable you to find hints guiding you back to your brick-wall ancestor.
Dive Into Lesser-Known Records
It could be time to investigate less-known sources if you have run out of the typical census, birth, marriage, and death records. These can help you break through your genealogy brick wall and often reveal vital information. Here are several records worth looking at:
- Church records: Baptisms, marriages, and burials were often recorded by local churches. These records may predate or supplement civil records, offering new insights into your ancestors’ lives.
- Land records: Deeds, land grants, and tax records can provide details about property ownership and residency, especially in the absence of census data.
- Military records: If your ancestor served in the military, records such as draft registrations, service records, or pension files can provide valuable personal details, including age, residence, and family members.
- Immigration and naturalization records: If your ancestors were immigrants, ship passenger lists, naturalization papers, or immigration files can provide clues about where they came from and when they arrived.
Diving into these less conventional records can sometimes provide the missing piece of the puzzle.
Seek Help from the Genealogy Community
Genealogy is a team game; you never work alone in your study. Reaching out to others can be quite beneficial when confronted with a brick wall. Here are some ways you might interact with other genealogists:
- Join online forums or social media groups: Many genealogy websites have forums where people share their experiences, offer advice, and help with research challenges. Joining these communities can lead to valuable tips or even connections with distant relatives.
- Visit local libraries or genealogy societies: Local historical and genealogical societies often have resources and expertise that aren’t available online. Librarians and society members can guide you to records that may be stored locally.
- Hire a professional: If you’re truly stuck, it may be worth hiring a professional genealogist who specializes in the region or type of record you’re researching. They often have access to archives and resources that aren’t publicly available.
Sharing your challenges with the genealogy community can often spark new ideas or lead to previously unknown sources.
Keep a Flexible Mindset
When confronted with a genealogy brick wall, one of the most crucial things to keep in mind is to be patient and flexible. Sometimes the secret to breaking through is not about immediately identifying the correct record but rather about attacking the issue from another direction. Genealogy is a long game, and solutions don’t always appear right away.
Keep an open mind, be willing to revisit old records, and stay curious. As you gain more experience and gather new information, even the toughest brick walls can start to crack. Often, the satisfaction of solving a difficult puzzle makes all the effort worthwhile.
Conclusion
It can be annoying to run into genealogy brick walls, but they are not impossible. You can get around these problems by looking over your information again, considering different versions of names, expanding your search, reading less well-known papers, and talking to other genealogists. Do not forget to be patient and flexible. Find out about your family’s past. The answers are out there.
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