I know many times I have found myself trying to figure out one of my ancestors birth date, especially before 1850 when census records only listed age ranges for everyone. Well I have a list here to help find out at least when someone was born before.
For example, I am looking for a birth date for John Doe. The earliest record I show for him is in 1780 as a witness on a court document. Well I use my little chart here and see that males needed to be 14 to legally witness a document. So I can at least determine that John Doe was born before 1766 (1780 – 14 = 1766).
This chart has helped me many times in the past and I hope you can use it as well.
| Legal Action |
Legal Age |
Exceptions/Comments |
| Inherit |
From birth |
An unborn child can also inherit |
| Be enumerated in census |
From birth |
Usually heads of household only until 1850 |
| Witness documents |
14 (male);
12 (female) |
The age of discretion under the common law was 14 (males) and 12 (females). Some exceptions are listed below |
| Attend school |
5 |
Some schools accepted 3-year-olds |
| Testify in court |
14 (male);
12 (female) |
|
| Choose guardian |
14 (male);
12 (female) |
Must be 21 in New York. No choice until age of discretion; then, if guardian ppointed by court is unacceptable, can select another subject to court approval |
| Serve as apprentice |
14 (male);
12 (female) |
Standard term was to 21 (male), 18 (female), or time of marriage. If apprenticed before age of discretion, bound only to ages 14/12. Must have written deed which allowed for apprentice’s content, except for orphans on the public charge |
| Show land to processioners |
14 (male);
12 (female) |
Males only; southern states. (Procession means to walk around the boundary lines of local property owners.) |
| Be punished for crime |
14 (male);
12 (female) |
Some general exceptions before 1860. Complicated changes in the 20th century |
| Sign contracts |
14 (male);
12 (female) |
May be required to confirm contract after arriving at majority |
| Act as executor |
14 (male);
12 (female) |
Usually administrator with will annexed so the court had some controls. Age 17 in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Missouri; age 18 in Mississippi. Bondsman who could act as co-executor required in Vermont |
| Bequeath personal property by will |
14 (male);
12 (female) |
Age 18 in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia; age 18 (male) and 16 (female) in New York; age 21 in Vermont. Property may be held in custody of court pending review |
| Marry |
14 (male);
12 (female) |
Parental consent required in most states until age 21(male) and 18 (female). Married child not subject to control of parents, could remarry on death of spouse without consent if underage. Age 18 (male) and 14 (female) in Mississippi, Ohio, Indiana; age 18 (male) and 15 (female) in Minnesota; age 17 (male) and 14 (female) in Illinois; age 16 (male) and 14 (female) in Iowa. Marriage is valid without parental consent, but officiator could be fined. Annulment or Divorce only way to void the marriage |
| Be taxed |
16 |
Males only were counted; females appear as “heirs of . . . ” |
| Muster into militia |
16 |
Males only |
| Procession land |
16 |
Procession means to walk around the boundary lines of local property owners |
| Take possession of land holdings |
16 |
“In possession of” on tax rolls signifies that the person named is at least 16 |
| Practice trade |
18 |
Some cities licensed tradesmen to practice their Profession/occupation at age 18 |
| Release of guardian |
21 (male);
18 (female) |
|
| Own land |
21 |
Some states allowed females these rights at age 18 |
| Devise land by will |
21 |
|
| Be taxed |
21 |
Full poll responsibility unless exempt |
| Plead or sue in court |
21 |
|
| Be naturalized |
21 |
After meeting residence requirements |
| Fill public office |
21 |
Age 25 or older required for some offices |
| Serve on jury |
21 |
Grand jury, petit jury, coroner’s jury |
| Vote |
21 |
Linked to 21 as age of land ownership, a prerequisite
to voting in colonies |
So, you go to the courthouse to get a copy of a simple marriage record….. and you are hit with the fact that the courthouse was destroyed at some point in the past. What are you to do?
Well old Newspapers are a good option but unless you are in a major city, actual copies can be spotty at best. Well here is a great option that is often overlooked…. DIVORCE RECORDS!
Divorce Records are a great substitute for a missing marriage record. Divorce records were not always filed in the local courthouse. Courthouse filings didn’t start until later years in most states. Divorces that occurred early in a states history were recorded in published journals of the statehouse or senate. The marriage date and place were often part of the divorce record.were not
Sometimes the divorce was never finalized for whatever reason. In those cases a petition may have survived. Petitions far outnumber divorces granted. Some divorces were appealed to a higher court such as a Superior or Supreme Court. So look there as well.
In the 18th or 19th century, if a man died and left a young widow, that widow probobly would have asked that her father of brother to be named administator of the estate. This was a common practice, and for the regular genealogist, this appointment is a wonderful clue to the young widows maiden name.
Case in point is my ancestor Christopher Brooks. Christopher Brooks married a Susanna Williams shortly before 1780 in North Carolina or Virginia. Thier marraige records did not show up in Caswell County, NC so at the time I did not know Susanna maiden name. I looked and found administration papers for Christopher Brooks and is stated Susann’s father, Henry Williams, was administrator of the estate.
Researchers also need to keep in mind that Sr and Jr designations did not always indicate a father/son relationship. Sometimes it indicated two generations with men having the same name but they could have been uncle, nephew or some other relationship.
Today I set up a mail list for the 7 to 8 other researchers that are working on the decendents of William Nichols Sr. of Pitt Co., NC. Hopefully this will help keep everyone updated on the progress being made in peicing togehter this family. This is a good idea for any group of researchers working towards a common goal.
I just started a meetup Group for the North Alabama and South Central Tennessee Area. The Details are located at http://genealogy.meetup.com/154/ . If you live in this area feel free to join up. I am going to try to hold regular meetings and classes once I get enough people signed up
When tracing an ancestry it is common to encounter records filled with obsolete, archaic, or legal terms that can be difficult to interpret. Misinterpreting these terms can make the difference between linking persons to the right generation, parents, spouse or children. Understanding exactly what is stated in any record is vital before attempting to move to the next generation. Inexperienced or impatient genealogists undervalue the quality of their research by applying present-day definitions to documents created in an earlier century. Take the time to use the glossaries provided here and other excellent dictionaries, genealogical reference books and encyclopedias to interpret documents correctly. I have the pages below that will explain some of these terms .
- Terminology & Meanings of Genealogical Abbreviations – The following abbreviations are those most commonly used in genealogical records. It is not unusual to find, within the pages of one record, different variations used, but care should be taken to ensure that in these instances, it is a variation and not meant to indicate something else.
- Terminology & Meanings of Early Illnesses & Diseases – This describes the various old time Illnesses and Diseases that you will find in old documents, medical records or listed as causes of death on old death certificates or in old family Bibles
- Terminology & Meanings of Early Occupations – This following list that describes the various old occupations of which many are archaic. These are useful to genealogists since surnames usually originated from someone’s occupation. Ships passenger lists, census returns and other documents used in genealogy may give an ancestor’s occupation, this list gives more modern interpretations of those terms. They also are useful to historians in general. The list is by no means complete.
- Terminology & Meanings of Genealogical Terms – This page defines the Genealogical Terms used in genealogical research you will find in documents
- Terminology & Meanings of Common Nicknames – & Their Given Name Equivalents
- Terminology & Meanings of Tombstone Symbols – A list of some of the most commonly seen tombstone symbols. Learn the meanings of the various carvings, symbols, icons and other funerary art found on gravestones, tombstones and headstones.
- Terminology & Meanings of Worldwide Epidemics – A List of Major U.S. and world wide epidemics
I get this type of email often. I can’t find my ancestors military records from WWI and WWII. Well there is a good explanation for this, a fire destroy most of the records from 1912-1964. See below:
The 1973 Fire at the National Personnel Records Center
On July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at NPRC (MPR) destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files. The affected record collections are described below.
| Branch |
Personnel and Period Affected |
Estimated Loss |
| Army |
Personnel discharged November 1, 1912, to January 1, 1960 |
80% |
| Air Force |
Personnel discharged, September 25, 1947, to January 1, 1964
(with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.) |
75% |
No duplicate copies of the records that were destroyed in the fire were maintained, nor was a microfilm copy ever produced. There were no indexes created prior to the fire. In addition, millions of documents had been lent to the Department of Veterans Affairs before the fire occurred. Therefore, a complete listing of the records that were lost is not available.
I you are a veteran and need proof for benefits there are Alternate Record Sources from the National Archives.
But if you are a genealogist and your ancestors records were destroyed then here are a few tips.
- Ask relatives if your ancestor received a DD214 upon discharge. All veteran get this and it is a simple for giving a brief run down of service. Also ask for war stories if the veteran is deceased. These can help you piece together a wonderful story.
- Your County courthouse where the veteran lived should have a copy of the discharge papers. Most county government keeps these but not all so call and check first.
- Things like final pay vouchers and Medical-Related Records were not destroyed by the fire and are available
So don’t give up!
I know I have been away for about a month but this is the time of year I like to visit with some of my older kin folks that live in the surrounding counties and states. I like to ask about the old days every year. Most of the time it is the same stories I have heard a million times but every year I fresh memory crops up and I get a new piece to the puzzle. This year has been no different.
Now I have read a lot of how to books about the importance of interviewing relatives and that is very important, but even more important is to go back and re ask question and go back over stories constantly. By doing this you can gather more and more information about you ancestry.
Over the next few post I will relate to you about some of the new stories I have found….. Stay tuned
