Family History Books & Family Trees

Someone may have researched and written a family tree and / or history in the 1800s or early 1900s. How would you ever locate such a tree or family book? The FamilySearch.org has some 40,000 written publications of family history books in digital form online at their site. If you have not reviewed the listing in awhile, you will need to see what is available. The same is true to their thousands of family trees submitted by fellow researchers every day.

Never think locating someone’s else work on a family tree provides you with your own complete tree. Depending when it was done, which could have been a hundred years ago, there can be a great deal missing. Instead you want to look at it as providing some clues, some you may have overlooked. Locations, where certain family members moved to over the decades is very valuable information. The family trees submitted by individuals to FamilySearch are not checked to see they are 100% accurate. You need to be careful and check any names, dates or places you see listed.

When using the  Ancestral File and Pedigree Resource File on FamilySearch.org , place the name of an ancestor and the listings shown with have birth-death dates and locations. This will help narrow down your selection. Review also the listing on the right side of spouses / parents names to know if you are looking at the right family. Click on the individual’s name in blue to call up a family tree. Look for the word ‘more’ and an arrow to know if additional information on that ancestor is available. A button on the right side allows you to print that page.

Another wonderful resource at FamilySearch.org are the volumes of family books, some even written in the 1800s. The sources are seven major libraries that work with FamilySearch.org to provide the digital images of the books. Use the search box at the top or the ‘Advanced Search’ to place a surname and / or location. Keep in mind, some surnames listed would include the person who wrote the information, not just the families covered in the book. Each listing should be reviewed to see if there is a tie-in to your own research.