My research plan

22 January 2015 Miss W. Family History Course, Smith HSP105, primary sources, repositories, research planning

So we are now over halfway through the family history course and we have had to put together a research plan. This is interesting because I usually just go to the archives, search through things I want to and go off on tangents if needed. But having listened to Dianne, it is important to have a plan that you can follow. So here it is:

My Research Aim:

To create historical timeline of Captain William SMITH’s life as a whaler. To do this

find out the names of the ships he was on and the dates (PS 1,2 and 4)
where the ships voyages were (PS1)
his role on each ship (PS1)
life on board the ships (PS3) (SS1 and 2)

Hopefully find out his Samoan name by finding out when he was given the name William SMITH.

Primary Sources:

Marine board records of ship’s voyages – government record
Application for master of foreign vessel certificate – government record
Newspapers of the times – shipping news and articles about voyages – newspaper record
Images of ships he served on

Secondary sources (if any):

Susan Chamberlain thesis about early whaling in Hobart Town – public record
Books about whaling around Tasmania from the 1850′s to the 1890′s – public record
My relatives including Glenn (who I will be interviewing) and Kim – great grandsons of William
I am wondering if there might be records at the Australian Maritime Museum?

Repositories and Records that I plan to use:

LINC Family History

Marine board – Application for Master Mariner’s certificate

Trove newspapers of the time

Maritime Museum – Susan Chamberlain thesis

Readers: How could I have improved this research plan?

Problem solving those brickwalls

15 January 201515 January 2015 Miss W. Family History Course brickwalls, HSP105

Photo Credit: Paul Kelly via Compfight

Everyone hits a brickwall at some stage. Sometimes all you need to do is take a break and work on another family line.

But if you want to keep persevering you need to be strategic, methodical and do your homework. Develop a research plan with a specific aim. Draw up a timeline to see where the gaps are, that might then help to solve the problem. Re-examine how you got to this point in your research and maybe, go back to square one.

Tips for breaking down brickwalls

Re-examine everything – try to get concrete evidence not just the knowledge of other people. Locate original records.
Search all available sources -Passenger lists, military records, phone books. New records available all the time so re-check. Note sources used whether you got information or not.You don’t want to have to recheck if you have already read that source.
Incorrect data – question and verify all the time. Transcription errors, hearsay, certificates – check for proof of everything, verify in two sources preferably in three
Name variations – fluid and phonetic before 1850, some names Anglicised, used middle names, start a new life with different name, match details in a variety of sources, try alternate spellings, cross check by middle names, aliases
Age variations – older to enlist, marrying someone older, didn’t know how old they were, age at death can be problem due to informant
Collateral lines – broaden your search – siblings, parents, cousins, aunts etc can be key to unlocking your brickwall ancestor, wider view of history, put in context
Finding family stories in newspapers- family notices, church activities, land sales, military etc
Social history – how family lived and how different their world was, create a timeline, institutions and asylums
Granny wouldn’t but Granny did – keep an open mind, birth under mothers maiden name, don’t make assumptions, don’t look at life through modern eyes
Know your boundaries – local histories, geographic boundaries changed, research last known town your ancestor was in
Create a timeline – date, type of record, location
Other researchers and sharing your research – share with relatives, use other people’s research as a guide – verify it for yourself
Ask for help – librarians, family history societies

Using maps in family history

6 January 201525 August 2021 Miss W. Family History Course accents, HSP105, mapping, thelist

Photo Credit: Katherine H via Compfight

Our second lecture this week was on the value of using maps in family history. I am very inquisitive regarding where my ancestors came from, so am always using Google Earth to pinpoint locations. As mentioned in the notes though, there can be some problems with place names and locations in the 21st century compared to those in the 19th century and further back.

This lecture was by Imogen Wegman who is a PhD candidate at UTas and is a landscape historian. Here are my notes.

Who do you believe?

The records or family knowledge or heirlooms
Using a map might help prove, disprove the information you have gathered

Place names

sometimes towns straddle borders
often change or move counties
often spelt phonetically until 1850’s
remember dialects or accents might change sound of name – use this British Library site to help with these
important to use map of the time period you are searching
also check landowners in lots of locations

Boundaries