Published on September 6th, 2022
A few months ago, I was filling in a form requiring information about my parents and grandparents.
I knew my mother’s father had immigrated from Scotland after World War 1, but I had no idea where he was born or when.
Although a call to my mother might have given me this information, she is in her late 80s and won’t always be around to answer questions about my relatives.
I decided to find out how today’s technology and the world wide web could help me track down information about my ancestry record. This is the process I followed, and it can work for you too if you are seeking information about any of your ancestors.
1. Where To Start Looking?
Begin by gathering as much information about the person as possible.
This might require you to speak with older members of your extended family whom you can easily contact.
Date of birth and location of birth are key pieces of information, plus their birth name, and if they ever changed their name.
The same details of the person’s parents would also be helpful.
Next, go to the internet and use a popular search engine like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Type in the person’s name, age, state, and occupation.
If the person died before the age of the internet, you might not find much from this kind of search, but it is a good starting point and might uncover new information you were unaware of.
2. Searching Different Kinds Of Websites
For deceased ancestors, your next move is to use a web genealogy service like Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org.
They have online access to records from all around the world that can help you build a family tree and find information about specific people.
This includes records of births, deaths, and marriages, but also things like church records, voting records, and armed forces details.
Some online genealogy services even provide DNA testing and these services have successfully reunited siblings as well as children with their parents.
These sites may offer free membership with limited capabilities. If you are serious about finding as much information as possible about your Ancestors, you will probably need to pay for a membership that gets you access to far more records.
Be aware that it might take you some time to learn how to use and find all the information relevant to your search on these websites.
For ancestors who are still alive or more recently deceased, if you know their occupation you can search the member databases of any professional or trade organizations they might have belonged to.
Searching social networking sites is a must if you believe your Ancestor is still alive, particularly Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Search for different variations of their first and last name, first and middle names, and nicknames.
If you suspect they might have spent some time in prison or received a conviction, search the prison system. The Federal Bureau of Prisons website allows you to search for inmates in the United States by name.
The Department of Motor Vehicles website has a court records search feature that you can easily use when searching by their name.
You can also search people’s websites like Pipl, Zabasearch, and YoName. These websites search social networking sites, blogs, and other potential places where your ancestor’s name might turn up.
3. Using Online Databases
If you believe your ancestor is still alive, you can register with a missing person website like NAMUS (the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System).
Add a missing person case and include as much specific information as possible plus photos.
I was able to find my grandfather’s military records, which included his date of birth and his address. I was then able to go to Google and view his home which still stands in the city of Glasgow in Scotland.
Image Source: Unsplash.com
