Before you begin
Welcome to the world of genealogy! When compiling a family
history, remember that any piece of information, oral or written, which links a name,
place and date together may help you in establishing kinship lines. As you begin to gather
data, record it on preprinted forms (genealogical charts and family group sheets) or use
one of the many commercial computer programs available.
For each ancestor, try to determine the
following: birth place and date; parents; when and where they attended churches,
synagogues, and schools; occupation; when, where, and to whom married; names of children
and when and where children were born; death date, death place, and burial place.
Cite the source for all information. A photocopy of
a document is of little value unless you know where the original is located. When citing
original records at the Georgia Archives, we recommend
the following formats:
- For original governmental records: (Georgia Archives, Record
Group--Sub Group--Series Numbers and Series Title. For example: Georgia Archives, RG
4-2-46, File II Names.)
- For private papers: (Accession Number and
Collection Title. For example: Georgia Archives ac 66-400, Henry Dickerson McDaniel Family and
Business Papers.)
In your notes, you may also wish to include location
information; however, we strongly recommend that you not publish location information as
physical location of records is subject to change.
For published, microformat, or electronic citations, we
recommend you consult the following:
- The Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1993.
- Lackey, Richard S. Cite Your Sources: A Manual for
Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records. New Orleans: Polyanthos, 1980.
- Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence!: Citation &
Analysis for the Family Historian. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997.
When planning a research trip, arrange the information you
have gathered and develop a plan of research. Know for whom you are looking and the type
of information you are seeking.
Home Based Research
Record the facts you already know. Use a pencil when
making notes, since this makes later corrections much easier.
- Record data on names, dates, and places on a Genealogical
Chart.
- Record additional data for each family on a Family Group
Sheet.
Interview older family members.
- Transcribe all audio and video interviews. (Remember that
magnetic tape is not permanent.)
- Ask general questions, but let your relative do most of the
talking.
- Question gently, especially when interviewing older
relatives who are sharing their life story with you.
- Get as many names, dates, and places as possible.
Review documents and photographs in your family’s
possession and make notes about all information you discover (be certain to cite the
source).
- Bible records (these often note births, baptisms, marriages,
and deaths)
- Letters
- School report cards and diplomas
- Membership cards and certificates for clubs, lodges, and
other organizations
- Insurance policies
- Birthday, sympathy, wedding, and other occasion cards
- Marriage, death, and divorce records
- Previously compiled family history
Local Area or Community Based Research
- Church and synagogue records (including minutes and
membership lists)
- Cemetery records and tombstones
- Public libraries
- Historical and genealogical societies
Governmental Records
City halls, county courthouses, and state archives provide
a wealth of information for the genealogist. In Georgia, most of the important official
records that serve to document family history are created as a function of county
government.
- Probate (Ordinary or Inferior) Court
- Marriages and estate records (wills, letters of
administration, estate inventories, etc.) are records of the Probate Court (formerly known
as the Ordinary or Inferior Court) under the jurisdiction of the Judge of Probate Court.
- Superior Court
- Deeds and criminal and civil case files are Superior Court
records, superintended by the Clerk of Superior Court.
Among other county records that may be useful in family
history research are:
- Property tax digests (for tax digests after 1872, see State
Government Records)
- Voter registration lists
Most pre-1900 Georgia county records are available on
microfilm at Georgia Archives. With a few exceptions (notably tax digests), county records created
after 1900 are not available for research at Georgia Archives. Information or copies of post-1900
records may be obtained by writing county officials (Judge of Probate Court or Clerk of
the Superior Court) or by visiting the courthouse.
Birth and Death Records
County records (particularly wills and other estate
records) are a useful substitute for death records. Pre-1900 county records for the
majority of Georgia counties are available at the Archives. As a substitute for birth
records, we recommend a search of Federal population schedules (also known as census
records). Federal census records for Georgia through 1920 are
included in our microfilm collection. However, Archives staff will search only the census
years for which we have statewide published indexes (1820-1870).
Georgia Archives Research
Georgia Archives, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State,
is the official repository for permanent records created (as a function) of state
government. Georgia Archives also serves as a repository for some official county records and private
records of individuals and organizations. Among
the genealogically significant sources are:
- Official county records: Pre-1900 records of Superior
Court and Probate Court (formerly Ordinary or Inferior Court) for many of Georgia’s
159 counties
- State government records: Confederate Pensions (RG
58-1-1); Executive Department Incoming Correspondence (RG 1-1-5); Department of Revenue
Property Tax Digests (RG 34-6-1)
- Books: Published and unpublished family histories,
local histories, out of state material, indexes to various records such as census records
- U.S. records: Census; Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen,
and Abandoned Lands; Confederate service records; Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Newspapers
- Private manuscript collections: Letters, diaries,
account books, organizational records, Bible records, and church records
Electronic Resources
To use the Internet for genealogy, it is advisable to first
choose genealogical software. Most have very similar features, but the most important
feature is GEDCOM compatibility. This standard allows information to be transferred among
other genealogical programs. The more recent versions of several quality programs include
a commercial web page as well as the capability for creating your own family web page.
When using the Internet for research, it is crucial to
understand that much of the information available on the Internet is not verified.
In other words, you need to treat your research through the Internet as a secondary
source, much as you would a published book. The reliability of the information is
equivalent to that of any published source – excellent to poor – and should be
used as clues to guide you to the primary, or original, record which would
substantiate the genealogical information.
When working with the Internet, it is extremely important
to notice who is creating and displaying the information. Is it the official page for a
historical society, or is this the contribution of an individual? Traveling from link to
link can sometimes take you to sites where it may be unclear who the author is. However,
besides the Georgia Archives web page, there are some basic, general reference sites on Georgia
genealogy which are good to go to for further information:
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