{"id":49309,"date":"2019-04-11T10:24:35","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T14:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=49309"},"modified":"2019-04-11T10:25:01","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T14:25:01","slug":"tips-for-identifying-and-establishing-provenance-of-family-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/tips-for-identifying-and-establishing-provenance-of-family-records.html","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Identifying and Establishing Provenance of Family Records"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak gives tips for establishing the provenance of family records \u2013 and provides a handy checklist. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.<\/em><\/p>\n

As genealogists, we are always looking for proof of family births, marriages and deaths (BMD).<\/p>\n

Many documents, such as this of my Stuart family, are still in private hands \u2013 and in the interest of helping related cousins, I would like to encourage others to share records such as this. Since the provenance of the document is important, you may wish to add an identification to what you share.<\/p>\n

Note the provenance recorded in the upper-right-hand corner.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Stuart family record, published 2019 in conjunction with this GenealogyBank Blog article. For non-professional research purposes only.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some organizations have their own ideas of determining authenticity and provenance of documents, but mine are a little different. In the chart below, I\u2019ve presented my ideas in a Q&A format with space to add a question or two of your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

YES<\/strong><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

NO<\/strong><\/td>\n

READING FAMILY RECORDS TIPS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prepared by Mary Harrell-Sesniak<\/strong><\/p>\n

for the GenealogyBank Blog 2019<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dates<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Dates can determine recording dates and establish the reliability of the information.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\nDo you have the title page showing the year of publication?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWhat is the earliest or oldest recorded event?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWhat is the most recent or newest recorded event?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nHow many family generations were recorded?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Handwriting<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Use handwriting to determine the recorder and if this is a copy of another record.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\nIs the original informant (recorder) identified or identifiable?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nDoes the handwriting change (indicating more than one person)?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nIs a later informant identified or identifiable?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWas there calligraphy or a typewriter with identifiable type used?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nCan you determine the era based on the handwriting or style of abbreviation? For example, the use of \u201cditto\u201d is more modern; previously it may have been shown by \u201cdo\u201d as seen in the Stuart document above.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWas everything recorded using the same instrument (pencil or pen)?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWas anything added to the record at a later date?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWas any information overwritten (common for fading issues) or erased?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nIs the handwriting neat or messy (which can indicate if hastily made)?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nAre there any variations in spelling (names or otherwise) in comparison to other records?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Type<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n

Look at the information and think about the type of information presented and potential uses (for example, proof to obtain a pension or to join a lineage society).<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nDoes the record show only births?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nDoes the record show only marriages?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nDoes the record show only deaths or burials?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nDoes the record show baptisms, confirmations or other events?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nDoes the record show religious events (Baptism, Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, etc.)?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nAre family relationships indicated?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nIs the first female identified by maiden name?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Observations<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Observe what else the document reveals (style of paper, coloration, damage, etc.).<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWas the information recorded in an older or more modern style?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nHas this document ever been folded or framed? Folding can indicate mailing or storing in an envelope.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWas the family record made in a particular style? (See link below for article on artistic frakturs.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWas the family record recorded on a commercial document? (See comment about the Library of Congress below.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nAre there identifying marks, such as the publisher, date of publication, or in the case of a fraktur, an artist\u2019s name or initials?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWere locations mentioned which can indicate removal of a family from a particular location?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nCan you identify how this document came to be in its current location or possession (via will, mother to daughter, antique shop, historical society, etc.)?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nDoes anyone else have copies of this record?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

A good source for identifying the first use of a preprinted family record are documents tagged as \u201cfamily records\u201d at the Library of Congress<\/a>. When known, they\u2019ll show the approximate date of first printing, such as this one at: https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/resource\/pga.00547\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: family records chart. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-pga-00547; https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/resource\/pga.00547\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Please review my earlier articles for tips on finding family records:<\/p>\n