If you’re into genealogy, you’ve probably encountered some brick walls in your research. You know, those frustrating dead ends where you can’t find any records or clues about your ancestors. You might feel like giving up or smashing your computer, but don’t despair! There are some tips and tricks that can help you break through those brick walls and discover more about your family history.
Here are some of the things you can try that I’ve had success with:
- Expand your search. Don’t limit yourself to one website or one type of record. Explore different databases, archives, libraries, newspapers, and other sources that might have information about your ancestors. You never know what you might find in an unexpected place.
- Use wildcards and variations. Sometimes the reason you can’t find a record is because the name or place was spelled differently than you expected. Try using wildcards () or question marks (?) to replace letters or parts of words that might vary. For example, if you’re looking for Smith, you can try Smth or Smit? to catch variations like Smyth or Schmidt. You can also try different versions of names or places, such as nicknames, abbreviations, translations, or phonetic spellings.
- Look for indirect evidence. Sometimes you can’t find a direct record of your ancestor, such as a birth certificate or a marriage license. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t exist. You can look for indirect evidence that might imply their existence or relationship
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