Help for New Researchers

I have found some interesting tidbits as I have begun to do some serious research.  I thought it would be helpful to those of you who would like to join the search.

 

Death - Probate

After the death of a person, their will and a “probate inventory” of their possessions had to be taken and approved by the Governor and Assistants at the next Court after their death, provided it was not in the same month that they died. Letters of administration would then be granted to the executor so that the estate could settled. If someone did not make a will, they died intestate, and after an inventory of their possessions had been taken, the Court gave legal authority to someone, usually the wife, husband or close relative, through letters of administration, to settle the estate

Making a Will

 

Most Wills were made by men. Not until the Married Women’s Property Act of 1882 were married women allowed to own anything, and therefore they had nothing to leave in a will. The legal position was: “Husband and Wife are one person and that person is the Husband”. Spinsters and widows were always allowed to own things and therefore did leave wills.

 

The making of a will was often left as late as possible, frequently on the actual death bed. The dying person would usually dictate the will to a clerk who would take away his notes and return next day with the will written up. He would read it back to the testator before witnesses, the testator and the witnesses would then sign it or put their marks in each others presence.

 

Widow’s Thirds (sometimes called Dower)

 

Because the common law stripped women of their property rights when they married, wives became vulnerable when their husbands died. In colonial America the majority of husbands left no wills, leaving their wives unable to support themselves. In these cases, courts granted widows a minimum of one-third of their husbands’ real estate, called “widow’s thirds.” However, a widow could not own the property in her own name; therefore, she could not sell or will it, but could only live off the rents during her lifetime.

 

Widows could not just be turned out, provision was usually made for her to live in the family home or be left a home of her own however the title would be placed in the name of the closest male relative. Often there was the provision that she lost it if she subsequently remarried.

 

During the eighteenth century this practice changed. Widows lost their claims to personal property, although they kept their one-third shares of real estate. Only Maryland and Virginia continued to allow widows a one-third share of personal property. This continued until the married woman’s property rights acts of the mid-nineteenth century in 1882.

 

Eldest Son Not Mentioned in a Will

The Eldest Son would normally inherit the major part of the real estate. This would be automatic if the land was Copyhold  and it may not therefore be mentioned in the will.

 

Freehold land was usually “limited” when purchased to the man and his heirs, meaning his eldest son so again it might not appear in the will. It is easy therefore to assume – wrongly – that because nothing is mentioned in the will as going to the eldest son that he in fact didn’t receive anything. In fact he probably received the major part of his father’s real estate.

 

Executors

An Executor or Executrix (female) was appointed in the will. They were responsible for arranging the funeral, paying and collecting debts, and organising the making of an inventory. Until about 1750 two or three Overseers were often appointed to make sure the Executor carried out the provisions of the will properly.

 

Proving the Will

The Executor (sometimes there were joint Executors) had to estimate the value of the estate and take out a Bond at the appropriate Probate Court for twice that amount to ensure they would faithfully administer the estate and produce an Inventory of the Personal Estate only within a set time, usually one year.

 

The Inventory

Two “indifferent men”, meaning unbiased men, were required to make a “true and perfect” Inventory. They were normally neighbors of similar background and social standing who could accurately assess what the deceased’s goods etc. were worth. They listed the contents of his home room by room in great detail, then the farm and fields. They also noted debts owing and owed. This inventory was then sent to the Probate Court. Inventories provide a rare and fascinating glimpse into the lives of ancestors, what they owned, how they lived, even what they wore.

 

Nicknames & Their Given Name Equivalents

Finding Nicknames in Your Family Tree
Related Resources • Nicknames & Genealogy • Surname Meanings • Baby Name Meanings • Naming Patterns       It is common in many genealogical records, especially more informal records such as census records and obituaries, to find your ancestors listed under names you might not expect. In many cases these names may have been the nicknames that they were known by to their family and friends. Learn which nicknames may have been used by your ancestors in this list of common nicknames in genealogy.   Nicknames Given Names Bell, Bella, Belle Arabelle, Anabelle, Belinda, Elizabeth, Isabel, Isabella, Mirabel, Rosabel Belle Mabel, Sybil Bess, Bessie, Bessy, Beth, Bette, Bettie, Bettie, Betsy, Betsey, Bitsy Elizabeth, Elisabeth Bob, Bobby Robert Bobbi, Bobbie Roberta Boots Bertha Bridey, Brie Bridget Carrie, Carry Caroline, Charlotte Cindy Cynthia, Cinthia, Lucinda Daisy Margaret Delia Adelia, Adele, Cordelia Dick Richard Dobbin Robert Dode, Dody Dorothy, Theodore Dora Dorothy, Eudora, Theodora Ed, Eddie, Eddy Edgar, Edmund, Edward, Edwin, Edwina Effie, Effy Euphemia, Evelyn Eliza Elizabeth, Elisabeth Greta Margaret, Margaretha Ella, Ellie Eleanor, Elenora Fannie, Fanny Frances Frankie Frances (female), Francis (male), Franklin Genie Eugenia Ginger, Ginny Virginia Hal Harold, Henry Hank, Harry Henry Hattie Harriet, Harriett Hettie Esther, Henrietta, Hester Jack John Jamie James, Jameson Jenny Jane, Janet, Jeanette, Jennett, Virginia Jim, Jimmy James Jock, Johnnie, Johnny John Kate, Katie, Katy, Kay, Kit, Kitty Katherine Lena Angelina, Helena, Magdalena, Paulina, Selena, etc. Lisa, Lise, Liz, Lizzie Elizabeth, Elisabeth Lucy Lucinda Madge, Maggie, Midge Margaret Mamie Mary Marty, Martie, Mattie Martha May Mary Meg, Megan Margaret Millie, Milly Amelia, Mildred Moll, Mollie, Molly Mary Nell, Nellie, Nelly Eleanor, Elenora, Ellen, Helen Nora Elenore, Elenora, Honora, Honoria Ollie Olive, Olivia, Oliver Pat, Patsy, Patty, Pattie Martha, Matilda, Patricia, Patience Peg, Peggy Margaret Penny Penelope Polly, Pollie Mary, Paula Rich, Richy, Rick Richard Rob, Robbie, Robby Robert Robin Robert, Roberta Sadie, Sally, Sallie Sarah Sam, Sammy, Sammie Samuel, Samson, Samantha Sukie, Suchie, Suchy Susan, Susanna, Susannah Tad Theodore Ted, Teddy Edward, Theodore Theo Theodore Tilly Temperance Tillie Matilda, Mathilda Tina Christina Trina Catherine, Katherine Winnie Winefred, Winifred

Commonly Mistaken Assumptions in Genealogy (from about.com)

That an ancestor named Jr. has a father with the same name.
The terms “Junior” and “Senior” as well as other family terms such as “aunt” and “cousin” were often used very loosely. A designation of Jr., for example, may have been used in official records to identify between two men of the same name, even if they were unrelated (the younger of the two being called “Jr.”).

A female with the same last name as her father must be unmarried.
A common assumption to make, this genealogy premise often proves to be true. However, you need to rule out that the female didn’t marry a man with the same surname as her father – a more common occurrence than you may think, especially in areas with a large number of families with the same surname. Alternatively, the daughter may actually have married, and then took back her father’s name after a divorce.  

Calendars and Dates

In 46 B.C., Julius Caesar established the use of a calendar which came to be known as the Julian calendar. This calendar was calculated with three years of 365 days, followed by a fourth year that contained 366 days, based on an estimation of 365.25 days in a solar year. In 730, St. Bede the Venerable declared that the estimation of a 365.25 day year was 11 minutes, 14 seconds too long, which resulted in a cumulative error of a day about every 128 years. By 1500 the calendar had accumulated 10 days too many. Thus the calendar year was not synchronized with the solar year relative to the vernal equinox.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a correction to the Julian calendar which came to be known as the Gregorian calendar. Pope Gregory ordered ten days to be dropped from October, thus restoring the vernal equinox at least to an average of the 20th of March. This correction is retained by using a leap year of 366 days every four years, except for century years not divisible by 400. This calendar prevents the accumulation of extra days, maintaining closer synchronization with the solar year.

Until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, March 25^th was the first day of the new year. Eventually this was changed to January 1^st. This change is reflected in the names of the months September, October, November, and December. Their latin roots mean respectively “seven”, “eight”, “nine”, and “ten,” reflecting their original correspondence with March. When the first of the year was changed to January, they became the 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th months, but kept their original names. The Julian calendar was called Old Style (O.S.) and the Gregorian calendar was called New Style (N.S.). New Style years began January 1^st, while Old Style years began usually March 25^th.

In America, as in England, the legal year began March 25^th, while the historic year began January 1^st. During the period January 1^st to March 24^th, when the date of the legal year differed from the date of the historic year, it was common practice to use “double dates.” For example, 20 Jan. 1686/7 would indicate the end of 1686 in the legal year and the beginning of 1687 in the historic year. In this case, 20 Jan. 1686/7 would usually indicate the year 1687 in the Gregorian calendar. The English and their American colonies finally adopted the Gregorian Calendar in the middle of the eighteenth century. To make the necessary corrections, 11 days were dropped. The last day of Old Style was Wednesday, September 2, 1752. The next day – the first day of New Style – was Thursday, September 14, 1752.