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April 11, 2002
See Rhonda's Previous
Columns
Married in Malaysia
Q:
Can you please tell me where I can get a copy of a Malaysian marriage certificate?
I have all the details of bride and groom, date and roughly where the wedding
occurred. Any help that you can give me would be very much appreciated. -- Brian
A:
Vital record registration legislation have been in place in Malaysia since the
late 1800s. If the marriage in question took place after the mid-1800s, then
you may be able to get a copy of the marriage record by contacting the National
Registration Department at:
National Registration Department
Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara
Ministry of Home Affairs
Wisma Pendaftaran
Jalan Persiaran Barat
46551 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Unlike birth and death records, marriages in Malaysia are treated almost on
a case by case basis. This is because the records are contingent on the religion
performing the marriage. This may explain why you have had trouble getting records
to this point.
While the Family History Library does not have any vital records for Malaysia,
the collection of records and resources available through the Library is impressive.
If you haven't investigated records for the area where the marriage took place,
you will want to do that as well.
Native American Research
Q:
I just watched a program concerning the actor Alec Baldwin and a lady researching
his family history. I am interested in contacting the lady who did the research.
I thought the television show mentioned Genealogy.com in the show. Are you aware
of the research? I am interested in quickly tracing my family history and confirming
whether I am part American Indian to help me with my business. Can you explain
my choices in hiring and getting this research done quickly? -- Kay
A:
The Baldwin
family tree is available on Genealogy.com along with a number of other celebrity
family trees.
As for your own personal research, first let me say that seldom is genealogy done quickly. While the Internet has afforded many researchers the ability to compile a great deal of information without leaving home, most researchers spend years compiling their family history. Depending on where your Native American connection is, this could be a factor to keep in mind.
Family traditions, those family stories we have been told since we were children,
often contain a grain of truth. The trick is to discover the truth from the
story. When hiring a professional, in addition to sharing the story, you also
need to share details of your birth and any information you know about your
parents. You can considerably speed up the process by supplying copies of records
in your possession and then working closely with the professional to answer
any questions you may have. The more the professional knows about your history
the quicker the research can go.
I suggest that you hire a professional researcher through one of two groups.
The Association of Professional Genealogists
and the Board for Certification of
Genealogists each offer a roster of individuals. Through these rosters you
can select a professional qualified in the area of research you need. In your
case, you will want to hire someone who has made Native American research their
area of expertise.
I would also encourage you to read up on what is involved in hiring a professional
genealogist, by reading the information on hiring
a professional made available by the Association of Professional Genealogists.
Once you have done this, you will be in a much better position to hire a professional
and get the research that you need. Let me caution you, though, that there are
no guarantees in genealogical research. Often, professional researchers trace
a family tree and end up with results that are not what the client expected.
It is important to keep in mind that you are hiring a professional researcher
to trace your actual history, not prove family lore.
Prison
Records in 1800's New York
Q:
I just found your name in an article about prison records. Is there any hope
of getting further information on an "insolvent debtor" imprisonment
from about 1811 to 1813? I have found some postings in the Cazenovia, New York
newspaper but cannot find the time of origin. A law, presumably one that repealed
a British law, eventually led to the prisoner's release. -- C. L.
A:
First a slight clarification. The colonial period traditionally ends when the
American Revolution began. Since the time in question is about 40 years after
the American Revolution, the British laws no longer apply. For much of the colonial
time, New York was under the rule of someone other than England, the Dutch owned
New York during that time.
By 1811, the United States of America existed and the Constitution had been
ratified. Among the issues brought up by the state of New York during ratification
was the idea that the individual states should be able to pass laws for the
relief of insolvent debtors. In the end, when the Bill of Rights was compiled,
the 10th bill delegated all powers not assigned to the federal government to
the individual states. This is the case with insolvent debtors and bankruptcy.
As a result, by 1811, insolvent debtor laws were passed by the individual states.
Your message did not indicate if you had proof that the individual in question
was incarcerated. Generally, debtors were not incarcerated because that would
have prevented them from paying off their debt. If the individual owned any
property, however, that may have been seized. Regardless of how the trial and
judgment came about, records should exist. I would suggest that you begin by
searching the Family History Library Catalog for Madison county, of which Cazenovia
belongs. They have court minutes beginning in 1808, that cover the period of
time in question. Most of the volumes are indexed, so you should be able to
locate your ancestor in them if indeed he was an insolvent debtor.
You might also want to see if you can get a copy of the Fall, 1971 issue of
the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine. This issue has
an article in it that discusses the question of abolishing imprisonment for
debt, ca 1833. The article, while published in the Detroit periodical specifically
mentions Tompkins, New York. While not Madison, it is New York, and might help
you since debt issues would have been settled by the state.
Rhonda R. McClure is a professional genealogist specializing in celebrity trees
and computerized genealogy. She has been involved in online genealogy for fifteen
years. She is the author of the award-winning The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy, now in its second edition.
She is the author of four how-to guides on Family
Tree Maker. In late 2001, she wrote The
Genealogist's Computer Companion. She is a contributing editor to Biography
Magazine with her "Celebrity Roots" column and a contributing writer
to The History Channel Magazine. Her latest book is Finding
Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors. She may be contacted at rhondagen@thegenealogist.com.
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