I just heard about this organization in Ireland that is using genealogy to try to reinvent the Irish economy. It is so cool I just had to share it with you, and even if this project doesn’t help the Irish economy, it’ll do a lot of good. In fact, the organization, Ireland Reaching Out (IRO), is saving a lot of people the trouble of tracing their family trees and doing it for them, all in the hope that they will come to Ireland by invitation, and think about returning to their ancestral home to help boost the economy and Irish morale. It may seem a bit far fetched, but some of those who were invited to the first of IRO’s Week of Welcomes have been quite affected by their experience.

It all began when people around the United State began getting mysterious text messages stating that the sender was trying to connect with members of a particular family. Each text contained genealogical data linking the receiver to their Irish heritage. All together, around 30 people who received these texts ended up travelling to Ireland this summer to experience first hand the towns and villages their ancestors came from. I think this is a really unique endeavour, and those who participated confirm that with their sentiments.

A lecturer at Fordham University in New York, James R. Kelly, suspected that his family had originated in southeast Galway, but he wasn’t sure of the exact location. On arriving in Galway, he was introduced to Michael Fahy, a retired teacher and local historian. In no time at all Mr. Fahy had unearthed evidence that James’ grandfather (also James Kelly), came from a village near Abbey in Galway, where he owned a small farm. Mr. Kelly was overjoyed with the experience, and spent much of his time meeting and embracing people he feels may be long-lost relatives. Of Mr. Fahy he said, “He was like my guardian angel the whole week, he took me down to Abbey and found my ancestral home.”

James Kelly was but one of the many people affected by the efforts of IRO, whose motto is simply “Come Home.” The organization spent a year tracking down and preparing for the return of the initial descendants of who they refer to as the Galway exiles. There is a Gaelic word for those who left Ireland – deorai – and it means exile or wanderer, as though they had no choice but to leave, and really could never put down roots anywhere but their homeland. That idea lies at the core of Ireland Reaching Out.

IRO Board Member Mike Feerick, one of the founding members of IRO says this of his project; “The project is based on a very simple idea: Instead of waiting for people of Irish heritage to trace their roots, we go the other way.”  An economist from the University of Limerick, Steven Kinsella, who is involved in the project added; “The people who left Ireland were in some sense the best part of us, they were the most dynamic, the most ambitious, the most willing to succeed, and we did not give them the conditions where they could succeed.”

Once again success is proving elusive to Ireland, especially since the financial crisis. Five years ago unemployment was a mere 4%, today it has risen to over 14%. Unfortunately that has led to another mass migration of the Irish, as again they head for places like Australia and New York. Talk about history repeating itself – but no one is more aware of that than the Irish. The numbers of Irish leaving today are much smaller than they were of course during the Great Famine, but the fact that net emigration has quadrupled in the last couple of years evokes memories of Ireland’s barren past in those old enough to remember it.

The goal of IRO is to establish itself as the central database and web-site for other such reverse genealogy centers which they hope to establish around Ireland. They have enlisted a number of local historians whose knowledge of their communities, local and regional histories, and even the destinations of many emigrants from their area, make IRO quite a formidable Irish genealogical resource. Of course Ireland Reaching Out wishes stimulation of the economy to be a beneficial side effect of helping people trace their Irish Ancestors, but anything that brings together families, and puts bread on their table at the same time, is alright in my books!

After investing years of time and energy in the research of your family, you’ll want to ensure the story you uncover stands the test of time. Future generations of your relatives will enjoy and take pride in their heritage, but only if it’s there for them when you no longer are. Our family histories are treasures, and should be preserved as the valuable items they are. Maybe you’ve even used research done by another relative who preceded you. What if they hadn’t left that data behind? If we don’t take steps to preserve our family histories, there is a chance they may fade away. That would be a loss to our legacies, as well as family members who come after us.

Anyone of the following ideas can help you to preserve your family heritage; I use several of them myself. Have a look through them and choose a method or two that best suits your personality and your particular family history. Doing so will ensure that your family legacy is not just an accumulation of data, but a colourful story of your family’s heritage that will be around for generations.

Start a Family Scrapbook

A scrapbook can be a family history in itself, limited only by your imagination and creativity. Scrapbooks can contain photos, documents, family heirlooms, personal letters and whatever else you feel helps to tell the story of your family. You can even scrapbook by subject; a cemetery scrapbook containing photos of tombstones and inscriptions along with obituaries, photos of your ancestors, and their birth and death certificates would be a genealogical treasure in itself. Or you could do a scrapbook focusing on family reunions. If you have a family reunion; take as many photos as you can, and write in all of the information you can get your hands on about the people in them. As I said before, you are only limited by your imagination, but if you need a little inspiration, read our article on Great Tips and Tools for Building Scrapbook Family Trees.

Preserve Family Interviews

In the course of compiling your family history you will interview many interesting relatives who will have numerous entertaining tales to tell about your ancestors. Make sure that you preserve those interviews in an orderly, easy-to-understand format. If you are using a digital recording methods, backup and save copies of your interviews on CD ROMs. Perhaps you could keep them in a decorative case, with the interview transcriptions and notes about your relatives and ancestors accompanying the recordings. Again, there is no limit to what you can add to any of these projects, and if you need a little guidance on how to conduct interviews with relatives you can download our Insider Guide which contains everything you need to know about the basics of tracing your family history.

Transcribe and Digitize Diaries, Journals and Personal Letters

If you’ve been fortunate enough to inherit an ancestor’s journal, diary, or even personal letters, you’ll want to make sure they are carefully preserved. One way is to transcribe them yourself onto acid-free paper, or make copies of them on the same. Because we are living in a very technology oriented society, we can safely assume that any relatives who come after us will do much of their research and family history charting on computers. Saving or making digital copies of them in several formats will ensure that they are around for years to come, and remain accessible to relatives who may wish to pursue your family history further.

Leave Your Own Story Behind

A great way to help future relatives to continue your family legacy is to leave your own story behind. You could write your own life story; where you were born, who your parents and siblings were, where you worked, went to school; anything you can think of about yourself that may help others to pursue your family history. You don’t need to be an eloquent or practiced writer to do so. Writing in your own words and style will help your descendants get a better idea of who you are as a person, and getting to know our ancestors on a personal level is one of the true joys of genealogy, so pass it on!

If you find writing your life story a bit daunting, try writing a daily journal, but include as many genealogical facts as you can in each entry. If you’re writing about something as simple as having coffee with your cousin, include who their parents were, where they lives and went to school or work. All of that kind of information can help future generations get to know those who came before them better, and preserve your family legacy at the same time!

Hopefully you will find these ideas fulfilling and fun. They are creative, fun ways to help preserve a family history. Not only will they provide future generations with important genealogical data, but entertain them as well!

We’ve had quite a few new genealogists joining us here at ObituariesHelp.org, and I wanted to welcome them with a brief recap on how to formulate a family tree. We as experienced genealogists remember (I hope!) how daunting a task tracing your family history seemed at first. Where do I start? Who do I look for first? Where do I look? These are just a few of the questions that revolve around your brain when first considering a genealogical project. If you are new to genealogical research, or considering a family history project, following these ten steps, and using the many free resources we provide for researchers, will help you to master the basics you need to build your family legacy. Ready? Okay, let’s get started.

1. Gather Resources From Around Your House
You may not know it, but you could already be sitting on top of a genealogical gold mine! Many researchers have found documents, family heirlooms, and other valuable genealogical information from scouring their basements, attics, old boxes stored in garages form their own homes and those of their relatives. Many older relatives may have kept a family bible; I know my grandmother did, and she had birth dates, death dates, marriage and baptism dates (and sometimes accompanying certificates) stored in hers. You could also find diaries, journals, letters, photo books, all of which can contain important genealogical material.

2. Interview Your Relatives
The collective wisdom of your relatives can help to build a firm, fast family tree. But don’t just barrage them with a bunch of questions designed to accumulate data. Facts are important, and do write them down, but rather talk to your relatives, asking them about their own lives and those of the ancestors they know about. A good idea is to record your conversations, that way you can transcribe them later, separating the facts from the family stories. Before you begin your interviews, read some of our tips on Interviewing Family Members to help you prepare. Whatever you do, make sure that any “facts” you record can be backed up by official documentation. This brings us to our next step – writing the information down.

3. Recording the Information
After gathering all of that information, you’ll need to record it in an organized, efficient manner. You can begin with one of our Free Family Tree Templates. We have them beginning at three generations right up to ten or more generations, but we recommend beginning with one of between three and five generations. A three generation chart will include information on you, your parents, and grandparents, while a five generation chart will take you right back to your great-great grandparents. You can download them for FREE, and all the instructions you need can be found in the instructional article located conveniently on the download page.

4. Pick a Target
You will undoubtedly have spaces in your family tree chart the further you go back in time, and once you have recorded all the ancestors you can, it is time to pick one of those empty spaces in your family tree and fill it! This is where your research begins, but to be successful research has to be focused. Choose one ancestor and don’t move on to the next one until you have found the one you’ve selected. There are times when you may reach a dead end, but our Free Insider’s Guide – The Basics of Tracing Family Genealogy can help you to overcome them.

5. Begin Your Search Online
An online search can help you to find out if there are records of your ancestor somewhere; you may even be able to view some of them from the comfort of your own home on your PC. You can search huge databases on many websites, and many are completely FREE! We have recently updated our database, and now have links to 82 Absolutely Free Genealogy Resources and Records you can begin with.

6. Visit Your Local Library
You don’t want to limit your research to online sources; in fact you can’t complete your family history without visiting brick and mortar institutions. One such valuable genealogical repository is your local or state library. Many local libraries are tied into the database of the state or national libraries, and many have subscriptions to the large commercial genealogy websites which you can use if you’re a member. The US Government maintains a large online database of Government and Public Libraries in the United States while Collections Canada has a similar listing for Canadian libraries. Libraries for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales can be found at the UK Public Libraries website.

7. Visit Your Local Family History Center
The LDS Church (Latter-day Saints) has established more than 4,000 Family History Centers around the world, containing the largest genealogical database in existence. Their Online Directory can help you to find the Center nearest you.

8. Copy and Study Genealogical Documents
When you find a record of your ancestor at a library, family history center or online, you’ll want to make or download a copy of it so that you can examine it closely for clues to other ancestors, confirm the existing facts you have, and to preserve it for future use. Locate and make copies of as many birth, death, marriage, and baptism certificates as you can, and then you’ll need to update your Family Tree.

9. Update Your Family Tree
The new information you find will help you to full in those spaces in the family tree chart you began in Step 3. You may need to move on to a bigger chart, but whatever you do, don’t throw away the one you started, Transfer the information from that chart onto your new one, and file it in a folder along with any photos or copies of documents you may have for the ancestors included in it. You may need to refer to that chart again, or make copies of it to give to other relatives who might be interested in your family history.

10. Broaden Your Horizons
As you’re compiling information on your ancestors, you will begin to develop a personal interest in them, or curiosity about them. You might like to visit the land they immigrated from, or the village where they used to live. You will begin to learn of other sources like court records and church records, and may need to visit the repositories at which they are held. This is the stage when you’ll begin to realize just how much fun genealogy can be. As you develop your family tree, you’ll realize that research is not just about gathering facts, but about getting to know your ancestors as people. There’s no better excuse to go for a pint of Guinness in the pub in Ireland your ancestor used to love! You never know, you might meet someone who knew them!

There’s nothing more satisfying than finding your ancestor in a digital database, archive or other record collection, especially if the document you found is packed with valuable genealogical data. That is indeed cause to celebrate, but some researchers are content to stop there. Many documents and databases have hidden information however, and if only you learn to “turn the page,” you could begin another chapter in your family history. What I mean by turn the page is simply to look deeper into the record collection or index you are researching. This could be as easy as clicking the “next” button in an online index or other database, or turning a document over to see if there are any additional note on the back. There are actually many examples of record collections I have come across that yield that kind of information, both online and off, where simply turning the page I discovered more ancestral information. One such collection is Ship Passenger Lists.

Just because your relative’s information isn’t listed in chronological or alphabetical order doesn’t mean it’s not in the place you’re looking. I have discovered that when researching in Ship Passenger Lists or Manifests, where the first page will show the passengers name, but the second page contains additional information such as deaths or disturbances that may have caused passengers to be “secured” for the duration of the voyage. Always check the second page with Ship or Passenger Manifests, as that is where your ancestor may be hiding.

I was fortunate to learn early in my research that the 1830 Census of the United States contained not one, but two pages. If you are viewing the 1830 Census Online at Ancestry.com, you’ll discover that each name listed is associated with two separate images – one for each page. Make sure that you view both pages; the one containing your relative’s name, and the image associated with it, as the second page contains additional information, as the 1830 Census was the first to include data regarding those who were deaf, dumb or blind. The additional page will also list any “free colored persons” or slaves who were members of the household.

The 1830 census also went farther than previous reports to include a breakdown of the ages of members of the household, as well as to include people who were a hundred years old or more. This helps to illuminate the life spans of people during this period, which can help you to track down death and birth certificates. The additional information regarding those who had hearing, speech or visual impairments allude to the fact that there may be institutional or guardianship records which could reveal further ancestors or information about those you’ve found. The 1830 census also listed foreigners if they were present in the household, and if so, you could do well to search in immigration and naturalization papers.

The above are two major examples of how you can find ancestors by digging a bit deeper, or broadening your genealogical research. The theory holds true of any type of genealogical record, and so it’s good practice to always look for clues to additional records, or search a page or two on either side of the ones you’re researching. Learning how to interpret genealogical data takes time and experience, but experience only comes with practice. If you make such n integral part of your research, you’ll inevitably become a better researcher, but you may also end up finding additional ancestors or at the least additional family facts.

After recently attending the funeral of a friend, I spent some time reflecting and walking amongst the graves looking at tombstone inscriptions. One can’t help but wonder when viewing tombstones what kind of a person the deceased was, what they did for a living, what their family life was like and that sort of thing. At least I can’t anyway, and if you’re even a bit like me, you might also wonder what some of those illegible inscriptions once said. A tombstone inscription can tell you much about a person’s ideals or character, and they can also contain important genealogical information. Many of the tombstones I was seeing also contained various symbols, and of course they got me to thinking about their meaning.

Yes, much information can be deduced from the inscriptions carved on headstones, even the placement of a person’s grave within the cemetery can tell us something about them. But symbols and artwork on our ancestors’ tombstones can tell us even more. Perhaps a symbol’s meaning can shed light on a deeper level of our ancestors beliefs or personality, even reveal if he or she was the member of a particular, or more interestingly, a secret society! Perhaps they may reveal nothing at all, merely that our ancestor liked a particular design or animal. Yes, the interpretation of symbols can be a daunting task, and though many have specific meanings, many do not, and were placed on the headstone simply because the deceased fancied it.

Those that do have a specific meaning however, can reveal a person’s religious affiliation, ethnic identity, membership of an association, or reflect the culture of the era or location. Symbols used in one place might even mean something completely different in another, and so knowing and understanding the history of the area is important. Certain designs and symbols may also be the trademark artwork of the person who fashioned the headstone, so the true meaning may never be known. This is no reason to discount them however, as even if the symbols are merely of an artistic nature; many are a pleasure to admire. Some can reveal information about our ancestors though, and every bit of genealogical information we can glean from them helps to complete the profiles of our relatives.

Some of the Meanings of Gravestone Symbols

I am quite intrigued what specific symbols might mean, as several of my own ancestors have quite elaborate designs on them, and so I started searching for those meanings. I did indeed discover that they could be quite revealing. The tombstone of one of my ancestors was decorated with a type of long staff with some contraption attached to it. The item turned out to be a Cross Staff – a seamen’s navigational instrument from the 16^th century. It turned out my ancestor was a seaman. This revelation inspired me to look for the meanings of additional symbols, and the ones I was able to determine I’ve listed below.

Angels – Denote spirituality and watch over the tomb of the deceased.
Bible – The person was a Christian
Crescent – The person was of the Islamic faith
Heart – Represents Christ’s suffering for our sins
Menorah, Star of David – The person was most likely Jewish
Arrow – Mortality
Candle Being Extinguished – Loss of life
Broken Column – Loss of the Family Patriarch or Head
Bowl and Razor – The person was a Barber
Rake and Spade – The person was a farmer
Skull and Crossbones – Represents Death, or the possibility that the person was a pirate
Hourglass – Time has run out
Bird, especially Flying Bird – Eternal Life
Wreath or Garland – Symbols of glory
Flame, Lamp, or Torch – The eternal spirit
Horns – The person believed in the Resurrection
Rooster – Awakening, Resurrection
Ivy – Immortality
Awl – Shoemaker
Hammer and Anvil – Person was a Blacksmith
Butterfly – The person died young
Dog – The person was a good Master and worthy of love
Palm Branch – Stands for Victory and Rejoicing
Rose – Deceased died in the prime of their life
Urn with Flame – Unending Remembrance
Two Joined Hearts – Represents Marriage
Cherub – Signifies Innocence, often found on the graves of children
Laurel – Symbolizes worldly accomplishment and heroism
Lion – The person had great courage
Broken Ring – Represents severing of the family circle

These are just a sampling of the many symbols I have come across in graveyards or in Photographs of tombstones. They more often than not have something to say about the person who is buried there, and methinks, are well worth considering. If you are ever visiting your ancestor’s cemetery, take the time to photograph their tombstone, especially if it contains some symbols in the artwork. That way you can do some investigation when you get back home, and perhaps get to know your ancestor on a deeper level.

I was recently informed of an exciting and interesting historical publication called The Belvedere Book. It has been published by the Belvedere College with assistance in its creation being given by Eneclann, the renowned Irish Genealogy experts. The book was commissioned in mid 2005 by the college, as the Belvedere College Board was scheduled to assume responsibility foe running the school from the organization that has been in charge since 1832 – the Jesuits, and wanted to commemorate the contribution the Jesuits have had to education. Eneclann was requested to assist in managing the project that would create the manuscript book that now contains the records of every Jesuit associated with the school since the 1840’s. It is quite a comprehensive publication, and it has been constructed so as to be suitable for long term archival preservation.

Belvedere College is also known as St. Francis Xavier’s College, and has a total around 1,000 students on full time enrolment. There are also some famous alumni of Belvedere, James Joyce the famous writer being the most notable, along with Jimmy O’Dea, star of the popular film Darby O’Gill and the Little People, John O’Conor – former head of the Royal Irish Academy of Music and Beethoven master, and Sam Stephenson, famous architect of the Central Bank of Ireland on Dame St, in Dublin to name a few.

Formerly the information on the Jesuits was recorded in Latin within the Annual Catalogues of Jesus in Ireland, which have been published since 1821 right up until present day. Information in the earlier catalogues is minimal, but since 1851 they have been quite comprehensive, giving full details of the Jesuit Priests employed there. The team from Eneclann has done a superb job in translating the Latin into English, the result being a wonderful leather bound manuscript book drawing on Celtic calligraphy and traditional Irish book binding.

The information contained in the new manuscript book is easy to access and follow, a page designated for every year containing the full names of the priests, scholastics, and brothers along with their professional positions and duties within the school. If your ancestor was a Jesuit priest in Ireland from the mid nineteenth century, you are pretty much guaranteed to find them here. By looking through the entries for the various years, you are able to easily identify the priests involved with the school during that time, the subjects they taught (you can even browse by subject), even the school doorkeepers are named.

Two expert calligraphers extracted and copied the information from the Latin catalogues over a two year period, using traditional inks made from natural pigments that were ground from minerals. The paper used was hand-manufactured into individual folios of four sheets of paper, then sewn together by hand. As modern paper is made from wood pulp, it decays at a faster rate, so the traditional hand manufactured version will be easier to conserve. The book was then bound in fine leather (made from goat, pig, and calf skin), and a linen presentation box made to hold it. It has truly received the attention that a historical treasure deserves.

Due to its delicate nature and historical value, the Belvedere Book can only be viewed in person and by appointment, but it is well worth doing if you combine a trip to Ireland with some genealogical research. If you’re interested in researching a Jesuit ancestor who may be entered in the book, you can contact the Jesuits in Ireland.

Christmas is just around the corner, and if there is a genealogist in your life you might be wondering what to get them this year. With the popularity of genealogy these days, Christmas shopping for genealogists is probably easier and more exciting than shopping for just about anything. There is an array of genealogy gifts you can get for the resident family historian, or if you are that researcher, drop a hint to friends and family about! Because the pursuit of genealogy is so internet based these days, let’s first take a look at some electronic oriented gifts you can get for genealogist family or friends.

CD-ROMs and Software

Family Tree Maker 2012 and Legacy Deluxe 7.5 are by far the most popular and comprehensive Genealogy software options on the market today. Both are affordably priced (under $40), and both are rated highly by those who own them. They are equally effective and contain all the features a genealogist needs to organize a family history. Family Tree Maker 2012 stands out from the crowd in one essential way – it is easy to use and understand. The genius of the product is that it is designed to be easily understood by beginners and absolutely effective for more seasoned genealogists. Legacy has its own outstanding features; 3D satellite views, relationship calculator, set-up wizard, and over a thousand interview reports. Both are capable of interacting with online sources such as FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com, and both will be appreciated by any genealogist who doesn’t yet have such software, or who is looking to upgrade.

You can also find record collections on CD ROM. The National Archives Library Information Center has almost 100 CD ROMs containing records from census to immigration and military records, as well as Griffith’s Valuation Index and much, much more. Another organization offering an excellent choice of CD ROMs for genealogists is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). At the LDS Online Store, you will find excellent genealogy tutorials and tools on CD Rom as well as supplies and journals. As the LDS offer so much free information and access to genealogy records to genealogists, shopping with them is a way of giving back.

Books

Research is equally as important to organizing a family tree, and there are many books that also make great genealogy gifts. There are countless publications that family historian’s can benefit from, but three of my favorites are; How to Do Everything Genealogy by George G. Morgan, Genealogy Online for Dummies by Matthew L. Helm and April Leigh Helm, and The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking.

A genealogist not need have any other guidebooks if having these three in their collection. How to Do Everything Genealogy covers all the basics of genealogical research with instruction included for specific geographical locations, Genealogy Online for Dummies provides a comprehensive guide for online research, and The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, as its name implies is an in depth guide to searching ancestors in the United States. All are well written, easy to understand and make great genealogy gifts.

Genealogical Supplies and Miscellaneous

Amazon.com also offers a vast array of genealogical supplies and heraldic related material that also make great genealogy gifts. Family history scrapbooks, journals, coats of arms, binders and refill pages, voice recorders for interviewing family members, and much more are available on their website, making it a one stop shop for buying genealogy gifts. Remember, Christmas is right around the corner, so you might want to start sniffing out what the genealogist in your life would like to receive from Santa!

You’re hot on the trail of an ancestor, you find the records you need and excitedly contact the repository. Your excitement grows as you wait for the phone to be answered or response to your letter or email. Finally you get the dreaded answer – sorry there is no public access to those records. Many researchers have become discouraged and given up their search at this point, but there is really no need to.

Yes, some records are not available for the public to access, or access is limited, especially since September 2001. Many government agencies around the world have enforced legislation to prevent access to types of records that may be used to falsify an identity or be used in other illegal activities. Because of this some documents that were previously available to researchers are now not, or you may need to verify your own identity before you are allowed access. This especially includes civil records such as birth certificates, as they can be used to obtain identity cards, passports, driver’s licences and other official documentation.

Some documents have been officially sealed, and may never be available to researchers, regardless of the circumstances. Adoption records fall into this category, and it is even difficult for the adoptee or the adoptive parents to receive them. Other types of records that may not be available are certain types of court records, coroner’s reports, inquests, civil lawsuit settlements, and divorce records. Religious institutions may also choose to maintain the privacy of their members, as will some businesses.

These situations are definitely genealogical obstacles that can be difficult to overcome, but there are certain methods you can employ to maximize your chance of moving beyond them. Following are methods that myself and others have used to gain access to restricted records.

Provide Proof of Your Relationship

Whenever you are seeking to access someone else’s records you will inevitably be asked why you want the information, even though the person may be long deceased. The best response is to be honest; stating that you are a genealogist researching their family history, and that you have proof of your relationship. You will also have to provide personal identification, but when the surname is different from your own usually additional proof is required. If you have already done a good bit of work on your family history, take a copy of your pedigree chart with you along with the copies of birth, death and marriage certificates you will need to present. The fact that you are willing to prove your relationship is enough to break down barriers, and repository staff are genuinely happy to help genealogists.

Offer to Pay for Expenses

Show that you are serious about your request by offering to pay all expenses involved such as; copying of records, postage, and administrative costs. Making this clear from the beginning removes the burden of expense from the organization producing the records, and consequently they are more eager to do it. If it is a religious or charitable organization to which you’re making the request, offer to make a donation.

Present Proof or Letters of Authorization

You will often be looking to access the records of distant or collateral relatives, and in such cases may need permission from the family of that person. Because you are not a direct relative, access to the records may be blocked, but this can be overcome by a letter from the family authorising or giving you permission to access them. Make sure that the letter is notarized by a registered notary public or equivalent. Keep your proof of relationship with you at all times however, as it goes along way to backing up the letter to sceptics.

Use the Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires the United States Government to release records to anyone who applies for them in writing. There are some restrictions that involve National Security, and certain privacy laws may apply to particular individuals. It is important to understand the Act however, as you can invoke it in some circumstances to overcome invalid refusals. You can review the FOIA online at the Department of State’s Electronic Reading Room, and make FOIA requests there as well.

Obtain a Court Order

As a last resort for documents that are closed or restricted to the public, it might help to apply for a court order to grant access. You must provide a convincing argument as to your reasons for wanting access, and prove your relationship as well. One of the most effective arguments is the need for medical information. The needs to identify blood type, genetic predisposition to specific diseases or other similar reasons have been successful arguments for obtaining court orders. You may require the assistance of a legal representative in presenting your case to the court, but the cost may be justified if it’s your last resort.

Unfortunately genealogy isn’t always fun and games, but running into a roadblock such as closed records doesn’t have to end your search. A little hard work may be involved, but if you’re dedicated, prepared, and passionate, the above suggestions might help you to access those records that will help you to close another chapter of your family history.