Tip - How can I find my ancestors in the census?

Q. How can I find my ancestors in the census?

A. The United States Government has been conducting a census of the population every 10 years since 1790.  Censuses from 1790 until 1940 are available for research with the exception of 1890 which was lost in a fire. Each census contains a little different information. Censuses from 1850 and later contain names of every member of the household, ages, birthplaces, and varying information on relationships.

Now that these census records are available digitally, it has become fairly easy to find ancestors in them.  Keep in mind that spellings vary, and not census takers had the best handwriting.  It still may be necessary to browse through the images to find that elusive person.

Illinois has taken part in every federal census since 1820, the first decennial census conducted after statehood.  In addition, Illinois conducted a territorial census in 1810 and again in 1818 to document that Illinois had enough inhabitants to become a state.  The state has also conducted its own census in 1825, 1835, 1845, 1855, and 1865.  Unfortunately many of the state census records did not contain names, and several counties have been lost.

Census records may be found online at FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com.  Several of the early census records have also been transcribed and may be found in local libraries.

Although the purpose of the census is to provide an accurate count of the population for purposes of resource allocation and political representation, they have been a wonderful resource for genealogists. 2020 is a census year, so don’t forget to pay it forward by filling out your census form.

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Note: This was originally published in the "Tips from the Genealogy Committee" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (September 2020).  While these tips were written for those researching Illinois ancestors, many of the principles can be applied to other locations.

Spotlight on Hamilton County, Illinois

Hamilton County is in Southern Illinois.  It was formed in 1825 and is named for Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

Birth and death records have been kept since 1878.  Marriage records and Probate records date to the formation of the county and the earliest land records are from 1835.  Only some probate records can be found on FamilySearch.org.

The County Clerk’s office holds the vital and land records.  The courthouse is location at 100 S. Jackson St., McLeansboro, IL  62859.  The form to order vital records is at https://www.hamiltoncountyillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/genealogy-application-1.pdf.

The IRAD depository at Southern Illinois University holds some probate and naturalization records for this county.  A useful site with several types of records is the Yesterdays of Hamilton County, Illinois site at http://www.carolyar.com/Illinois/HamiltonCounty.htm.

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Note: This was originally published in the "County Spotlight" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (July 2020).  

Tip - How do I find my great-grandmother's birth certificate?

 

Q. How do I find my great-grandmother’s birth certificate?

A. Although Illinois started requiring birth records to kept in 1877, the record keeping was not widely enforced for the first several years. Birth records are kept at the County Level by the County Clerk.  For records after 1916, they may also be obtained from the Department of Public Health at https://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/birth-death-other-records/genealogy.  The records of some counties have been digitized and are online at familysearch.org.  Due to privacy restrictions, births more recent than 75 years can only be obtained by that specific person or their parents.

Some people filed a delayed birth certificate if they were born prior to registration but needed documentation to apply for social security when that program began.  If there is not an official birth record, other sources of birth information should be considered, such as baptism records, census records, and birth information on the death certificate to name a few.

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Note: This was originally published in the "Tips from the Genealogy Committee" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (July 2020).  While these tips were written for those researching Illinois ancestors, many of the principles can be applied to other locations.

Spotlight on Pike County, Illinois

Pike County is in Western Central Illinois along the Mississippi River.  It was formed in 1821 from Madison county and has been the current size since 1823. 

Birth and death records have been kept since 1877.  Marriage records and land records date to the formation of the county.  Probate Records also date from 1821.  Many of these early records can be found online at FamilySearch.org.

The County Clerk’s office holds the vital and land records.  The Circuit Clerk’s office has probate records.  The Courthouse is located at 121 E. Washington, Pittsfield, IL 62363.  Birth, marriage and death records can be ordered online at https://www.officialrecordsonline.com/Select/Index.html?state=IL&county=PIKE#/

Some records are at the IRAD depository at Western Illinois University. In addition to early vital records, there are also school teacher registers and jail registers.

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Note: This was originally published in the "County Spotlight" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (May 2020).  

Tip - How do I find where and when my ancestor died?

 Q. How do I find where and when my ancestor died?

A. Most counties in Illinois started recording deaths in the 1870’s.  This was a public health mandate by the state although it took a few years for compliance to reach 100%. 

A good place to start are the databases at the Illinois State Archives - https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/home.html .  There are 2 databases that can be searched separately – one is for deaths prior to 1916, the other for deaths between 1916-1950.  There are some counties and dates that are not included in this database however.

Copies of many death registers can be found at the Illinois Regional Archive Depository (IRAD) for that area.  Early death registers can be found online at Family Search for many counties as well. 

Copies of Death Certificates can be obtained from the Illinois State Archives – an easy way to do this is through the ISGS Death Certificate Look Up service at https://ilgensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=122

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Note: This was originally published in the "Tips from the Genealogy Committee" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (May 2020).  While these tips were written for those researching Illinois ancestors, many of the principles can be applied to other locations.

Spotlight on Clark County, Illinois

 Clark County lies along Interstate-70 and the Indiana State Line.  It was formed in 1819 from Crawford county and has been the current size since 1830. 

Birth and death records have been kept since 1877.  Marriage records and land records date to the formation of the county.  Probate Records date from 1840.  Many of these early records can be found online at FamilySearch.org.

The County Clerk’s office holds the vital and land records.  The Circuit Clerk’s office has probate records.  The Courthouse is located at 501 Archer Avenue in Marshall.  Many records have been indexed by the Clark County Genealogical Society and their library is across the street at 612 Archer Avenue.  Since the library is staffed by volunteers, the hours are limited – check their website at https://clkcogenlib.wixsite.com/clark-co-gen-library.

Another good resource for western Clark County is the Casey Township library at 307 E. Main St. in Casey.

Some records are at the IRAD depository at Eastern Illinois University – primarily vital records, and a few school and township records.

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Note: This was originally published in the "County Spotlight" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (March 2020).  

Tip - How do I find my grandparents' marriage certificate?

Q. How do I find my grandparents marriage certificate?

A. Most counties in Illinois started recording marriages shortly after formation.  This is because, unlike birth and death records, marriage records can impact property ownership.  So, along with Probate and Land Records, marriage records are among the oldest records in the county.

A good place to start is the “Illinois Statewide Marriage Index 1763-1900” database at the Illinois State Archives - https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/marriage.html.  There are some counties and dates that are not included in this database however.

If you know the county they lived in, you can try contacting the County Clerk in that county.  The specific IRAD for that county may have the record as well.

Keep in mind that not everyone was married in the same county they lived in.  They may have gone to a neighboring county to “elope” or simply for convenience.    Don’t forget that they may have crossed state lines as  well.

Note: This was originally published in the "Tips from the Genealogy Committee" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (March 2020).  While these tips were written for those researching Illinois ancestors, many of the principles can be applied to other locations.