|
May 08, 2003
See Rhonda's Previous
Columns
Finding Father of Richard Pomeroy
Q:
I'm looking for information on Richard S. Pomeroy born 4/15/1853. I know that
he had 8 children and was born in Pennsylvania. Can you point me in the right
direction? -- Samantha
A:
There are a few things you can do to try to find the name of Richard's father.
You'll want to spend some time searching for records about Richard S. Pomeroy
as well as records with the Pomeroy surname.
You mentioned that you know that Richard S. Pomeroy was born 15 April 1853
in Pennsylvania. Since there are a number of counties in Pennsylvania, getting
further with your research will require that you have some idea of which county
Richard was born in. This information might be found in a record of Richard's
death or in the birth records of his children.
The first thing that you'll want to look for is Richard's death certificate.
From the death certificate, you may learn everything from the name of his children
to place of birth. With the date and place of death you may be able to find
an obituary for Richard as well. The obituary, if it is more than just a notice
of death, might supply you with where Richard was born and names of surviving
relatives. This would give you additional individuals to look for in similar
records to see if they supply more information about the parents or where in
Pennsylvania the family came from or lived.
While you are looking for the death certificate or obituary, you might check
an index to the 1860 census. See how many Pomeroy families are listed in the
index. If it is a manageable number and you have access to the 1860 census for
Pennsylvania, you may want to look through these entries to see how many families
have a son named Richard who was aged 5 to 7 years old.
Also, if you haven't done so, you will want to locate Richard S. Pomeroy in
the census records. Through the census, you can trace when he married and how
his family grew. You may find that his parents lived with him. If you have identified
his siblings, you would also want to search the census for them to see if they
were responsible for taking care of the parents. Also, knowing some of his siblings
makes weeding out families in the 1860 census all the easier.
Once you have identified families in the 1860 census who have a son named Richard
that is in the correct age range, you would want to research those families
to see if you can prove, or more likely disprove, them one at a time. Eventually,
you'll end up with only one family left. Don't assume, though, that this is
your ancestor's family. Instead you would need to research that particular family
as thoroughly as possible.
One other resource may hold a clue to the names of Richard's parents. If you
haven't done so yet, you will want to locate his marriage record. Information
recorded with a marriage record varies from state to state but usually the marriage
application will name one or both parents.
World War I Military Records
Q:
I sent for my father-in-law's military records on form 180 but they sent it
back to me and told me that no information could be found on him. I know he
was in World War I and that he was in the Army, 35 Service Co Sig. from 1917
to 1918. It is even inscribed on his tombstone. I have his Social Security number,
date of birth, and date of death. What should I do now? -- Myra
A:
It is possible that your father-in-law's military records were among those that
were destroyed in the fire that took place at the center in St. Louis. It is
possible that no record of his 1917-1918 service exist at the National Archives.
You may be able to find some other records, though, or military histories that
mention his unit or group. This would give you an idea of the battles he participated
in and the actions he took. For information on finding World War I records,
you may want to begin by reading Mitchell Yockelson's They
Answered the Call Military Service in the United States Army During World War
I, 1917-1919. Mark C. Mollan's Honoring
Our War Dead: The Evolution of the Government Policy on Headstones for Fallen
Soldiers and Sailors may also offer some guidance to additional records
that may help you with his military service.
If you are trying to locate information about his ancestry, though, you may
find that other records are more useful to you. You can begin by getting a copy
of his death certificate which should supply you with his place of birth and
even the names of his parents. His obituary may also offer insight into his
action during World War I and may also supply you with his place of birth.
If you haven't done so, you may also want to request a copy of his Social Security
number application, more commonly known as the SS-5 form. The cost, when the
social security number is known, is $27. The SS-5 form will supply you with
his date and place of birth, along with the names of his parents, including
his mother's maiden name. You can search the Social Security Death Index on
this page.
Immigrant to Boston
Q:
Are there any immigration records for Port of Entry Boston for the year 1882?
My grandfather arrived in Boston on May 22, 1882. I keep looking for a Boston
passenger lists CD that would include him but haven't found one yet. My grandfather
was only 16 when left England (Yorkshire area, so he may have departed from
Liverpool) so he may have worked his way over. -- Grace
A:
While there are no CD-ROMs of the passenger lists for 1882 for those arriving
through the port of Boston, there are microfilmed passenger lists. The microfilms
are housed in the National Archives and are available at many other repositories
including the Family History Library. You can view an online
listing of the passenger lists for Boston and you'll be able to see what is
available.
The good news is that there is an index to these passenger lists and this should
make ordering the films easier for you. First you'll want to order the appropriate
index film and identify your ancestor in the index. Then, you can order the
appropriate film for the actual passenger list.
If you are hoping that the passenger list will supply you with his place of
birth, I fear that you will be disappointed. Before 1906, passenger lists didn't
include any indication of where a person was born. You will find that the 1882
passenger list only recorded basic information. Beyond his name, you will find
columns for his age, sex, occupation and country from which he came. Not much
to aid you in tracking him back further in England, unfortunately. If he traveled
with his family, though, you are likely to find them grouped together on the
passenger list. This may supply you with enough information to find him in England.
Remember that since he did not emigrate until 1882, it is likely that he can
be found in the 1881 British census. This census is available through your local
Family History Center. Be sure to check the index for this census before ordering
films, though, since the index should help to narrow down your search.
Finding
a Death Date Online?
Q: What
are the best online sources to find and document when a person died? I keep
running into dead ends trying to find, for example, when a certain soldier in
the Civil War died. Other than sending away for information in the mail, is
there an online source for this information? -- Richard
A:
The Internet has become a wonderful tool for genealogists and you certainly
can find a lot of information online. Still, not all records are available and
many of the resources we should be using to verify dates and further research
are not yet available online.
You may want to make it a point to visit VitalRec.com
and VitalChek.com to
see what is available online. Ordering records online certainly can save you
some time. As you search, keep in mind that most states did not begin to collect
vital records until the 20th century, though individual counties may have begun
to keep them sooner. Usually, the first vital records to be kept were marriage
records while birth and death records started years later.
With regard to your Civil War soldier who died, there may not be a death certificate.
From your message, I couldn't tell if the soldier in question died in battle
or after the war. If he died in battle, you have some online and offline options
for finding information about his death though some require that you know his
unit and regiment.
First, it is possible that you may find information about when and where he
died through his service records. These are available through the National Archives
and will cost some money. Also, they'll take some time to arrive so you'll want
to be patient. In genealogy, it is important to gather any records that may
exist whether they are found online or through more traditional methods. To
find out how to order the service records for your Civil War soldier, visit
the National
Archives' site and you'll learn what is available and how to order them.
These records are only handled through the mail and there are fees involved
for getting copies.
If you know the unit and regiment for your Civil War soldier, you may be able
to find a regimental history. Some of these military histories have been published
online and often detail the deaths of the soldiers of the unit. To find, these,
you'll want to use a general search engine and look for information on your
ancestor's military unit.
More and more records are making it to the Internet. If you compare the records
available online with all the records that genealogists use, though, you can
see that it is just the tip of the iceberg that has been placed online. Resources
on the Internet help us to focus our research and get a head start by offering
information that we used to have to find in more traditional sources. Having
the information online helps us get to the point where we need to order records
or know that we will need to visit a traditional repository.
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.
Back to Top of Article
|
