Research Log – Loganalogy- Your Family Historian

Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Seasoned Family History Timeline

A timeline is an excellent tool for visualizing your family history, identifying connections between ancestors, and spotting gaps or inconsistencies in your research. Whether you are just beginning your genealogy journey or are a seasoned researcher, a timeline can help bring your family story to life.

Why Use a Timeline for Family History?

See connections clearly – A timeline presents events in chronological order, helping you visualize how different family members’ lives overlapped.
Spot gaps in research – If you notice missing dates or long periods without events, you may have areas that need further investigation.
Identify inconsistencies – If dates don’t align (such as a child being born before a parent’s birth date), it signals a need to double-check your sources.

Steps to Create a Family History Timeline

1. Gather Your Information

Begin by collecting key details about your ancestors. Useful data includes:

Birth, marriage, and death dates
Immigration and naturalization events
Military service dates
Census and residence records
Education and occupation milestones
Significant life events such as land purchases, wills, or obituaries

2. Choose a Timeline Format

There are multiple ways to structure your timeline. Consider:

Traditional timeline: A horizontal or vertical line with dates and events marked.
Spreadsheet timeline: A table format that allows easy sorting and filtering.
Interactive timeline: Digital tools such as Knight Lab’s Timeline allow you to create dynamic visualizations.

3. Enter Your Information

Once you have a format, input your ancestor’s details. If using a spreadsheet, create columns for:

Date	Event	Ancestor(s) Involved	Location	Notes/Source
1850	Birth	John Smith	New York, USA	Census 1850
1870	Immigration to U.S.	Maria Lopez	Ellis Island	Ship Record
1917-1918	WWI Military Service	Henry Johnson	France	Draft Card

4. Add Context and Details

Enhance your timeline by including:

Photos of ancestors or historical documents
Newspaper clippings or family stories
Maps of locations relevant to your family’s movements

5. Review and Revise

Check for:

Accuracy of dates and sources
Missing information that may require further research
Inconsistencies that need to be resolved

Tools for Creating a Timeline

Ancestry, MyHeritage, and others – Offers printable family timelines based on uploaded data.
Excel or Google Sheets – Allows you to create and customize a timeline manually.
Knight Lab’s Timeline – An interactive, free web-based timeline tool for visually engaging presentations.

How ChatGPT Can Help with Your Timeline

ChatGPT can assist in multiple ways:

Organizing Data – Provide a list of ancestor details, and ChatGPT can format it into a spreadsheet-ready table.
Identifying Missing Data – ChatGPT can help analyze gaps and suggest possible sources for further research.
Summarizing Life Events – If you share key details, ChatGPT can draft a compelling narrative to accompany your timeline.

What Information to Provide for ChatGPT Assistance:

Full names and known dates (birth, marriage, death, etc.)
Locations tied to life events
Any historical documents or sources available
Specific questions or inconsistencies needing resolution
You can also attach your GEDCOM to a ChatGPT conversation (limit your GEDCOM to one ancestor at a time.)

Conclusion

A timeline is a powerful tool to bring your family history into focus. Whether using a simple spreadsheet, a visual chart, or an interactive online tool, organizing ancestral events chronologically helps uncover new insights. Start building your timeline today to gain a clearer picture of your family’s past!

Image: ChatGPT

Maximize Your Genealogy Success with a Research Log

A well-crafted research log is one of the most effective tools for improving your genealogy results. By maintaining an organized and detailed record of your searches, you can save time, avoid repeat efforts, and uncover connections that might otherwise go unnoticed. Here’s how to create and optimize your research log for maximum success.

Why Use a Research Log?

Key Benefits:

Avoid Repetition: Prevent wasted effort by tracking what you’ve already searched.
Discover Patterns: Review past work to identify clues and connections.
Streamline Collaboration: Allow others (or your future self) to easily pick up where you left off.

If you’re not yet using a research log, now’s the perfect time to start. If you already are, take a moment to ensure it’s as effective as possible.

Choosing Your Research Log Medium

Paper or Digital?

Paper Logs:
- Best for those who prefer handwriting or enjoy a tactile approach.
- Worked well for generations of genealogists.
Digital Logs:
- Use tools like Excel, Google Sheets, Evernote, or OneNote.
- Benefits include:
  - Instant search functionality.
  - Easy sorting and filtering by name, date, or keyword.
  - Simple editing and reorganization.

Tip: Choose a medium you’ll consistently use. Digital logs often provide greater flexibility and scalability, especially for long-term projects.

Essential Elements of a Research Log

Your research log should answer this key question: Can someone else (or your future self) retrace my steps based on this log? Include these core components:

1. Ancestor Information

Full name of the individual being researched.
Approximate birth, death, and other relevant dates.
Pro Tip: For digital logs, use separate columns for first and last names to easily sort and filter entries.

2. Search Date

Always record the date of each search.
Why? New records and database updates occur regularly. Knowing when you last searched helps you decide if it’s time to revisit a source.

3. Research Question

Focus each search on a specific, actionable question (e.g., “What was John Doe’s birth year?”).
Avoid unfocused searches that lead to wasted time and potential errors.

4. Source Information

Record the organization, library, archive, or website where you conducted the search.
For online searches, note the website name and any relevant URLs.

5. Full Citation

Include a complete citation for each source consulted.
Tip: Creating citations immediately saves time later and ensures accuracy.

6. Search Details

Record specifics such as:
- Names (with variants) and filters used.
- Scope of the search (e.g., “limited to 1850-1900 U.S. Census records”).
Depth vs. Usability: While detailed logs are invaluable, find a balance that doesn’t discourage you from logging altogether.

7. Results (Positive or Negative)

Document findings, even if the search yields no results.
Why log negative results?
- Avoid repeating unproductive searches.
- Identify patterns to refine research strategies.

8. Document Copies

Save copies of useful records and assign unique IDs to each.
Cross-reference these IDs in your research log for easy retrieval.

9. Notes and Next Steps

Add observations, hypotheses, or ideas for future research.
Example: “Consider searching land records for John Doe in County X, 1880-1890.”

Tips for Using Your Research Log Effectively

Fill Out the Log Before You Search

Include basic details (ancestor, date, research question, etc.) before starting.
This habit ensures completeness and reduces the temptation to skip logging.

Customize to Fit Your Needs

Add fields that suit your specific research goals.
Keep it simple if complexity makes you less likely to maintain the log.

Use Templates

Sample templates are available online or via genealogy communities.
Examples include templates by genealogy experts like Thomas MacEntee or Family Locket.

Optimizing Digital Research Logs

If you choose a digital medium, here are additional tips to make the most of it:

1. Utilize Spreadsheet Features

Sorting and Filtering: Organize by name, location, or date.
Color-Coding: Highlight completed searches or priority tasks.

2. Add Hyperlinks

Link directly to online records or reference documents.

3. Backup Your Files

Regularly save your log to multiple locations (e.g., cloud storage and external drives).

Example Workflow for a Search

Preparation:
- Record ancestor name, approximate dates, research question, and planned source.
Conduct the Search:
- Review sources thoroughly.
Log Results:
- Note findings, including negative results.
- Save and cross-reference documents.
Reflect and Plan:
- Add notes and decide on next steps.

Conclusion

A well-maintained research log is an essential tool for genealogists. By tracking your efforts, you can save time, uncover hidden patterns, and collaborate more effectively. Whether you prefer paper or digital formats, the key is consistency and detail. Happy researching!

Looking for a Template? Visit Loganalogy’s Free Templates

Your Roots: Why Genealogy Isn’t Just for “Old People”

Have you ever heard someone dismiss family history research as a hobby for “old people”? While it’s true that some may associate genealogy with dusty archives and microfilm reels, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, there’s a growing fascination with ancestry across all ages.

Shows like “Finding Your Roots” and “Genealogy Roadshow” have sparked a national interest in uncovering our heritage. DNA testing has also become increasingly popular, offering a new avenue for piecing together our family stories.

But DNA is just one tool in the genealogist’s toolbox. Traditional methods, like collecting vital records such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, and obituaries, remain the cornerstone of genealogical research. These records can provide a wealth of information about our ancestors’ lives, from their places of birth and occupations to their migration patterns and relationships.

Sometimes, traditional research methods reach a dead end, especially when faced with immigration records, name changes, or missing documentation. That’s where genealogical societies come in. These local organizations are treasure troves of historical resources, often staffed by passionate volunteers eager to help you climb over your brick walls. And their fees are often surprisingly affordable!

If you’re curious about your ancestry but lack the time or resources to delve into research yourself, there are family history research specialists like myself available to help. Whether you need a comprehensive family tree compiled or simply guidance on where to begin your research journey, I can tailor a package to fit your needs.

So, if you’ve ever wondered about your roots, don’t be discouraged by the perception that genealogy is a niche hobby for the elderly. The past is waiting to be explored, and there are many resources available to help you on your journey. Visit my website at www.loganalogy.com today to learn more and begin your own adventure into family history!

Thanks for reading, Marlee L. Logan

Private message me at m.me/Loganalogy

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Essential Tips for Correctly Recording Names in Genealogy:

A Beginner’s Guide

Have you ever looked at other family trees online? I have, and they are pretty interesting. You can certainly tell the beginners from someone who has been doing it a long time. I am not judging, not harshly, anyway, because I was a beginner, too.

If people use the trees only for aesthetic value, they can insert their ancestors’ names in the way they like. However, if you are using an online service and expecting hints or assistance from DNA matches, it’s essential to input names and dates correctly.

Here are the rules for correctly recording names in genealogy.

USE WOMEN’S MAIDEN NAMES. Always enter a woman’s maiden name if you have it (her surname at birth) in parentheses on a written/typed chart or a database’s last name field. When you do not know a female’s maiden name, insert her first and middle name on the chart, followed by empty parentheses (). For example, to record Sara Elizabeth, whose maiden name is unknown and who is married to John ROWAN, write “Sara Elizabeth ()” or “Sara Elizabeth () ROWAN.” When using a database such as Ancestry, MyHeritage, or Family Search, use the maiden name in the last name field. If you do not know the maiden name, leave it blank.

UNKNOWN NAMES. Do not put “LNU,” (Last Name Unknown), “UNK,” (Unknown), “MNU,” (Middle or Maiden Name Unknown) as these databases do not pick those up as you mean them. UNK is an absolute last name in Dutch. LNU is Vietnamese (Lưu) from the Chinese surname 劉 in central and southern Vietnam. It is the Chinese variant of Lu or Liu. When it comes to names you do not know, you accept that you do not know it and leave the field blank or use () on a typed or written chart.

NAMES IN SEARCH ENGINES.

Ancestry: For better search results, provide more information for the search engine to match against. For example, specifying a middle name like “Lemuel” can help narrow down results when searching for someone with a common name like “John Smith.” There are fewer John Lemuel Smiths globally than John Smiths. Ancestry automatically considers common nicknames, abbreviations, and alternate spellings. An example of their tips is that a search for “Bill Smith” could also return results for “William Smith,” “Wm Smith,” “Bill Smyth,” or “B. Smith.” An exact name match is the most relevant, followed by common misspellings, nicknames, and other variations. Remember that names can be misspelled or mistranscribed in original records or indexes, so looking for alternate spellings may lead to the right match despite the name appearing incorrect.

Family Search: They state, “The more of a surname you type as a search term, the smaller the results list will be. Since many surnames have spelling variations, you may want to broaden your search. To do this, you can type only part of the surname. (Or truncating your search.) For example, if you type “Newcombe” as your search term, the computer will find only that spelling of the name. However, if you type “Newcom” as your search term, the computer will find any surname that begins with those letters, including Newcom, Newcomb, Newcome, Newcombe, and so forth.”

My Heritage: When typing in the name in their fields, advanced options appear and allows you to specify whether you want an exact match, whether to include spelling variations, matching initials, and so on.

The critical takeaway is to take a few minutes at the beginning of your search and learn how the particular database search functions. Most sites have a tips section.

RECORD NAMES IN THEIR NATURAL ORDER.—first, middle, last (surname/maiden name). Using full names whenever possible makes lineage easier to trace. If a middle name is unknown, you may use an initial if you have one. Write names just as they appear on a birth certificate or spoken aloud upon introduction; no commas are necessary.

LAST NAMES. In the computer world, typing in all capital letters is considered yelling. Most genealogists choose to print surnames in all capital letters. Capitalizing the last name is a matter of preference rather than correctness. However, capitalized last names make it easier to read and distinguish surnames from first and middle names on family trees and in publications.

NICKNAMES AND ALTERNATE NAMES. Most databases have a separate field for nicknames or “also known as” names. You should not put them in the main name fields. If using written or typed charts, include them in quotes after the first given name. If the nickname is customary (i.e., Dan for Daniel), it is unnecessary to record it because only more unique nicknames need to be written (i.e., Esther “Hettie” HAWK.) If a person is known by multiple names, perhaps due to adoption or a non-marital name change, include all alternate names in parentheses after the surname on charts or a written tree. Clarify this with an “a.k.a.”, also known as, before the full alternate name, so that anyone reading your chart understands that the following is an alternate name. An example is Johann Leopold SCHWITTKOWSKI (a.k.a. John Paul HENNIG). Record it even when parts of the name are the same.

ALTERNATE SPELLINGS. When researching your ancestor’s surname, consider alternate spellings, particularly if the spelling has changed throughout time. There are several reasons why a last name might have been altered, such as illiteracy. It was common for ancestors who could not read or write to spell their last name phonetically, based on how it sounds, and this often led to slight variations between generations. When documenting surname usage, start with the earliest known usage, followed by all later known variations. For example, as in my family tree, you would write John LOGEN/LOGGAN/LOGAN or Johann SCHWITTKOWSKI/ HENNIG.

MAKE NOTES. Most databases have a place where you can insert notes. When recording names in your family tree, write notes or use the notes field. Specify unusual or confusing details for clarity. For instance, if a female ancestor’s maiden name is the same as her husband’s surname, briefly note why you have entered the same last name twice for her. Explaining prevents others from assuming it’s a mistake and helps them understand its reasoning.

Adhering to these straightforward guidelines ensures that your genealogical data is sufficiently clear for others to comprehend.

💁‍♀️EXTRA TIP: Are you finding the best search results for locating your ancestors? Did you know that misspellings and transcription errors limit your search? Unsure about the spelling of your ancestor’s names in records?

It’s time to try a wildcard search!

One of the best search secrets is using wildcard characters like “*” or “?” to substitute for letters you don’t know or are unsure of. When you use these characters in a search, it instructs the search engine (such as Google or Ancestry) to consider any letter in that position as a match.

Before using the genealogy wildcard search, remember that “*” replaces zero to multiple characters, while “?” replaces just one character. Read the search tips section for the database you use for their wildcard characters.

Read my tips and tricks on Maximizing Your Genealogy Research with Google: Proven Strategies for Effective Online Searches for your family history research.

Microsoft Designer AI

Maximizing Your Genealogy Research with Google: Proven Strategies for Effective Online Searches

Google is a valuable tool for genealogy research, providing access to various resources and information. Here are some tips for using Google for genealogy:

Specify Your Search

Identify what you want to find. Formulate your question to Google just as you would to a research librarian or archivist.

Use Search Operators

Use quotation marks to find exact matches. (You don’t need to put around the whole sentence. For instance, Where is the “National Dairy” in “Butte”)
The word “AND” includes multiple words or phrases. How do you tell the search engine that you want to find Web sites that contain references to Keyword A and Keyword B? (Coal and Mines)
The word “OR” combines searches. It is beneficial for finding synonyms or related concepts. Using “OR” allows you to conduct multiple similar searches simultaneously, saving time.
Placing a tilde character (~) immediately in front of the keyword. asks Google to find pages with the word or words similar to it. The resulting pages for ~genealogy may include genealogy, family tree, roots, ancestry, heritage, vital records, or other words.
Use the minus sign (-) to eliminate keywords. The minus sign is just a hyphen in front of a term you want to have excluded from the search results. For example, if you were looking for a salsa recipe, you might search for salsa and discover multiple definitions. There’s the dance. There’s the music. Don’t forget the food. By using -dancing or -music, we can focus solely on salsa recipes: salsa -dance -music. Or, if you do not want onions, add -onions.
Don’t use “stop words.” Google often ignores small, commonly occurring words, such as ‘the,’ ‘at,’ and ‘of,’ and refers to them as stop words. When we search The Great Wall of China, we get about 471,000,000 results. By searching Great Wall China, we get about 815,000,000 results. And if we use the parenthesis around “The Great Wall of China,” we only get about 5,570,000 results.
Use 3-5 keywords for the most relevant results in a search query. Using too many keywords will limit your results.

Google Alerts

Google Alerts enables you to set up multiple keyword searches to track specific information for free. It allows you to monitor any keyword or phrase you like without manually entering it.

Use Google Maps

Select a location and then use the “find businesses” tab to identify points of interest like churches, cemeteries, and historical societies. You can also see the surrounding areas.

Use Google Earth

Discover your ancestors’ hometowns, see how they look today, and locate nearby buildings, schools, and churches. You can also utilize Google Earth Pro to generate personalized maps of your ancestors’ surroundings. Click and drag the image to take a virtual walk down the street where your ancestors once lived.

Use Google Images

Google Image Search will display photos with a brief title and website address when searching for ancestors’ names, surnames, or places they lived, including nicknames or abbreviations. It provides exact matches and visually similar images based on your uploads and critical phrases. Clicking on a result will bring up a pop-up with more details about the image, potential copyright status, and a gallery of related photos.

You may also want to try Google’s Reverse Image search. This technique uses a photo rather than text to search Google.

To perform a reverse image search on Google, follow these steps:

1. Go to Google.com and click the “Images” link in the upper right corner.

2. Click on the camera icon in the search box.

3. You can drag and drop a photo from your computer onto the Google Search page or click “Upload” to select an image from your computer or mobile device.

4. Review the search results page for the related images and information.

Use Google Photos

You can create, edit, and add maps and text to your photo albums, containing up to 20,000 photos or videos. You can organize your albums by family, surname, individual, or event and label them with relevant information.

Google Books (One of my favorites!)

You may already know that Google Books will keyword search within billions of pages of text in published books worldwide. Some of these books are even available to read on the site. Searching Google Books can lead you to facts, stories, new sources for your research, and even images. I’ve found many ancestors this way.

Google News Archive

Google News Archive is no longer actively digitizing and indexing newspapers. However, it can still help you find online content for specific newspapers. You can access an alphabetical listing of newspapers and enter keyword searches in the search box on the webpage for all the newspapers listed there.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar is the go-to resource for accessing scholarly articles, theses, dissertations, and other academic sources. It specializes in searching for high-level academic content. You can find specialized content on Google Scholar, such as biographies of little-known ministers or histories of small towns.

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Image created with Microsoft Designer AI

Genealogy Rabbit Holes

Have you heard of rabbit holes in genealogy? They are more common than anything else in genealogy. Imagine you’re researching Aunt Betty and discover that her famous strawberry pie recipe is now made in several bakeries nationwide. To understand how Betty achieved this success, you delve deeper into her family history.

You find that her uncle was a chef at a popular restaurant in New York, so you start exploring his family background. It turns out that their family owned a farm and grew all their food. Betty’s uncle’s mother taught all the boys how to cook using the produce from their garden.

That’s a rabbit hole. We neglected poor Aunt Betty while we went on our adventure, similar to Alice in Wonderland.

Stop getting distracted by unexpected genealogical discoveries. Have a plan.

Before beginning your research, write out your research question or statement. Writing it out will help guide you and keep you on task.

Break your primary research question down into more minor, individual research questions. Be specific in the question.

Analyze what you already have. Start with what you know: Work from the known to the unknown.

Remember to take notes: Write down key findings and questions as you go or after you have finished. You might forget what you’ve learned if you haven’t anything down.

Use a separate notebook: Keep a notebook for your research facts, and always record the source. Recording the source will make it easier to add more details later. If you are going astray, write down what you found and then return to your main question.

Set a timer: Keep track of how much time you’re spending on your research.

I don’t avoid rabbit holes, but it is much easier for me to get back on track when I do if I have a plan in writing to fall back on.

Finding Abigail… Part 3

My search for Abigail continues! (see Finding Abigail… Part 1 (Logan Family) and Finding Abigail… Part 2 (Logan Family). However, due to DNA, I may have some great leads.

There is a DNA match to me through ThruLines® (6th cousin) that shows Samuel Soper, Jr. being Abigail’s brother, my 4th great-granduncle. But, of course, this all depends on whether the person I match has an accurate tree. As I was researching her tree, I did find some things that didn’t make sense, but luckily it was not with the Soper line.

As I was looking through her Soper line, I ran into another sixth cousin who had the same line. This tree seemed to be more thoroughly researched. Although it shows us as a DNA match, it isn’t showing her through ThruLines®, but it may be that their algorithm doesn’t change automatically with my additions and changes.

Both of these matches have pretty much the same Soper line. I will continue along this line, proving my own sources, but I think we might have a winner! They have an England and a Canada connection which is interesting.

Wish me luck! Maybe Part 4 will be the finale!

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Finding Abigail… Part 2 (Logan Family)

Finding Abigail has proven to be a significant challenge. As I wrote in Finding Abigail… Part 1, her last name has been elusive. I have been tracking my research about her through the research logs, and here is what I have.

Date Contacted-Who Contacted-Why Contacted- Response

12/2/2019 City of Danbury, CT Abigail Soper They wrote back and said, “Certifiable records began in 1840.”

12/26/2019 Dorset Historical Society Proof of Abigail’s assumed last name of Soper My email: I was hoping you could please do a preliminary search and let me know if you have any information on the Soper family. My main search is for an Abigail Soper who married Daniel Logan, about 1780, my 4th great grandparents. It is stated, but not sourced that Abigail’s father was Samuel Soper. Supposedly a Hugh Logan married Abigail’s sister, Jemima, about 1784. And, Lucy Logan (Hugh’s sister) married their brother, William, about 1797. I have contacted a few county clerks, but they do not have these earlier records. Any help or direction is much appreciated.

12/27/2019 Dorset Historical Society His response: I checked through our archives and could not find any information to tie Samuel Soper to Abigail Soper Logan. I did find some tidbits which may be of use.

According to the History of Danby, Joseph Soper was the first settler of Danby, in 1765, and two of his (unnamed) brothers settled in Dorset. They came from Nine Partners, New York.

According to a genealogy of the Allen family, “Seth Allen was born 16 Jan 1733/34 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Mass., and died Aft. 1801. He married Anna Soper Abt. 1752 in Dutchess County, N.Y., daughter of Peletiah Soper and Martha Soper. She was born 06 Feb 1734/35 in Windsor, Hartford, Ct. and died after 1801.” Seth and Anna bought land in Danby in 1769, which they sold in 1770, when they were in Manchester. They bought land in Manchester in 1773 from Peletiah Soper. After that, things get murkier, but they probably lived in East Dorset around 1800, and in Bromley, Vt. after 1800 (Bromley later changed its’ name to Peru).

“The Marriage Records of John Strong” records the wedding on September 5, 1782 of Robert Allen and Patty Soper of Dorset.

Several records say that the Soper Tavern was in South Dorset, at the intersection of modern-day Route 30 and Cross Road. None of the records give the first names of people who operated the tavern.

The Dorset Church records record the baptism of “Mrs. Samuel Soper 1803-04.”

Last, Rev. Parsons Pratt, in his genealogical records, noted that other Soper family members settled in “Brandon and other northern [Vermont] towns.

Like I said, nothing specific to your request, but I hope some of this scattershot information proves useful in your quest.

Sincerely yours,

Jon Mathewson

Curator

12/25/2019 Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness https://raogk.org/ Any Soper info Raymond Toolan from RAOGK emailed me back (his words)

I have done some looking and have found at least one extended family of Sopers from the mid-18th century in the towns of Dorset and Manchester in Bennington County. Your Abigail creates a bit of a problem. Remember the brief history lesson I gave you? In 1765 the French and Indian Wars had only ended two years previous. This means that England had new land it needed to quantify. The colonies of New York and New Hampshire felt that each of their grants gave them most or all of this former French territory as part of their landholdings. Each colony sent surveyors in to lay out grants. An early Vermont land speculator, Ethan Allen and his brother Ira preferred to deal with the governor of New Hampshire and so they formed The Green Mountain Boys, an ad hoc group of vigilantes whose mission was to force the New York surveyors and tax collectors out in favor of New Hampshire. There is some argument as to how successful they may have been. History remembers this group regarding their taking over Ft Ticonderoga in NY. The point in this is that in 1765 those towns were most likely considered part of NY as Vermont, per se, did not exist at that time. Middlebury, Vermont, is a bit north in Addison County, also on the west side of the Green Mountains, and also was most likely considered part of NY before 1777. I will see if I can find anything that connects Abigail to this family in Dorset and Manchester. You might see if you can get the contact information for the town’s historical society in Dorset and Manchester, Vermont. Every town has a historical society, and some are more active than others.

12/24/2019 The period in history that is involved here is a tough one for research in Vermont. Initially, the area, including Vermont, was under French control. After the battle on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec [ending the French and Indian wars], the area became part of the English holdings. Both the colonies of New York and New Hampshire claimed all or part of the land between them. While they were still arguing, the War of Independence broke out in 1776. IN 1777, the residents of the land area between Lake Champlain and the Connecticut River declared themselves an independent republic. This lasted until 1791 when Vermont was admitted as the 14th state. All record-keeping was done at the office of the town clerk. It still is. The recording of births, marriages, and deaths varied from town to town and really was not codified until around 1865. Copies of the various records were not collected at a central archive until around 1911. I will see if I can find any sort of documentation for you, but, honestly, the odds are very slim.

FYI, the clerks of the courts cannot really assist you as other than records of divorces or other court-related issues they have no records. Births, deaths, and marriages are all with the town clerks and at the archive in Middlesex. There are 254 towns, cities, gores, and grants in Vermont, each with its own clerk.

12/26/2019 Manchester Historical Society Vermont Soper Emailed them, have not received a response as of 1/4/2020

12/29/2019 Archive.org https://archive.org/services/borrow/newsopercompendi00sope?action=borrow-bookreader-direct Soper The book “The new Soper compendium” Nothing in there regarding my Soper’s

1/18/20 Marlin Logan Emailed Marlin and asked if he had sources on his information for Soper.

1/19/20 Manchester Historical Society Vermont Soper and Logan Emailed them again

1/19/20 Dorset Historical Society Soper and Logan Emailed them on information for Soper

1/22/20 Email from Marlin Logan

Hi Marlee

Went back to all my old records and so sorry I don’t have anymore information than is on my Family Tree.

Tried unsuccessfully to check other resources also and I come up with a blank.

You have sparked my interest again so will keep your request as I update and find new information. Hopefully we can find a little more data than we have.

Good hunting.

Marlin

As you can see, I do not know much more than I did when I started. But, tracking my inquiries on this log will keep me from repeating quests.

I may look into the other Soper’s mentioned and see if I can find any Abigail’s in their lines.

As you can see, we all have brick walls in our family history. I may be able to help with yours. Contact me for your some virtual family history tutoring.

What is Virtual tutoring?
* Individual screen shares- a virtual whiteboard to work on:
* Family tree creation.
* Records search for documenting your family history.
* Get help to break down brick walls on a particular ancestor.
http://loganalogy.com/genealogy-classes/

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Essential Tips for Ancestry Document Insights

Lately, I have been helping several people with their family history. One thing that they have in common is the same issue I ran into when I first started. They did not take full advantage of the document hint that was given to them when they were researching.

For instance, a man and I had both located a census on his relative. He took it at face value, only looking at the page that, in this instance, Ancestry® had provided. It showed the page of his ancestor and their children. However, when I looked at the same document, I found the wife’s family in the same census record. How? By using the back and forward arrows to look at the other pages in the census.

Most families tended to stay in the same neighborhood if not living together. In this case, they were neighbors. I’ve found that both sides of the family were neighbors up and down the street. Of course, with the inventions of cars, airplanes, and other transports, this won’t be the case for our generations and those that come after us; we move around more often.

Another common mistake is looking at the index only for information rather than the whole record. For instance, take this death record of my great-grandmother, Caroline Stitt Logan. The index shows her relevant details, such as her date of birth, date of death, etc.

But, if you click on the document, it shows her cause of death, the informant for the certificate (my great-grandfather signed it), where they lived, where her parents were from, and where her burial was.

Another example is this obituary that came up under Caroline’s name. If you only go by this index, then you would think that it is the obituary for Caroline, but it is not. It is for her father, William.

Click on the obit and look at all the information we have. It lists William’s father’s name and William’s children with their married names.

The most fascinating records to do this with are passenger lists and immigration paperwork. Not only can the passenger list tell you where your ancestor is going, but it can tell you where they are from and whom they are visiting. Some immigration paperwork will list family names, birth dates, etc. Depending on the time frame, you may even get a picture of the immigrant.

Dissect every document you can get your hands on. You never know what you may discover.

But what if there is no image to click on when you find an index? Look at the film number or the “source information” at the bottom of the index. For instance, here is the index for Elizabeth Hennig.

There is no document to click on and dissect. But, there is “Source Information.”

The source information tells me that the original data can be found in FamilySearch. After pulling up FamilySearch.org, click “Search” and “Records.” Then “Restrict Records By” “Film Number.” Enter the film number found on the Ancestry index. In this case, it is film number 527772. Once there, you click on the link it provides and then the film number from the index.

Click on the magnifying glass next to the record your researching, in this case, the 527772.

It would help if you remembered that humans indexed and scanned these records. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason for how they scanned the images. If you are lucky, they are by date, but sometimes they are scanned in randomly. It would serve you well if you were patient.

Then go back, as you have been doing, and look at older records that you may have placed an index hint to and see if you can get more information from that source. You may be surprised!

Good luck! Let me know if you need assistance.

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