Towards a rational definition of brick walls in genealogy

In two of my previous posts, I have discussed aspects of the situation commonly referred to by genealogists as hitting a "brick wall." See Records you may not even know exist and A return to the "brick wall" issue. It occurs to me that the term is really so vague as to be useless and as I pointed out, the concept of being unable to continue with research is a fallacy. If there are no more records, then that is not a brick wall situation, it is an end of the line. To illustrate my point about the nature of the brick wall concept, I refer to an article from 19 October 2007 written for the Ancestry Daily News by George G. Morgan. The article is intended to explain a method of building a research plan once brick wall issue had been resolved. Quoting from the article,

You may remember my column in the 3 September 2007 Ancestry Weekly Journal titled The Joys of Genealogical Collaboration! (Or, Brisco Holder is Found). It was there that I was able to proclaim that my great-uncle, Brisco Washington Holder, had at last been found. Through help from one the listeners to our The Genealogy Guys Podcast, Brisco's death certificate was located in Missouri. He had died in the City of St. Louis on 17 May 1949, and not in "the mid-1920s," as the family stories were told. Great-uncle Brisco had been my outstanding brick wall for almost twenty years, and it was the mystery of his fate that has prevented my writing a book about that Holder family story.

It is noteworthy that in this example, the "mystery of his fate" had been the brick wall for twenty years. Assuming the twenty year figure to be accurate, this means that Mr. Morgan had begun his search for his uncle's death date and place in approximately 1987. An examination of the article Mr. Morgan cites gives this definition of a "brick wall."

Sometimes, if you’re like me, you take the information provided by the only resources you have–family stories and traditions–and run with them. After a while, though, you begin to think that someone threw you a curve ball, perhaps inadvertently or perhaps not. You reexamine everything you have and then try to make some sense of it. When it doesn’t make any more sense than it did before, this is called a BRICK WALL!

Obviously, no one realizes that they are hitting a brick wall until some considerable time has passed and the desired information is not available. But there are some other characteristics of Mr. Morgan's search that are significant. First, he was looking for a person who was a known historical figure, his great-uncle. Second, he was looking during a time period when records should have been available to document the event. Third, he was looking for information which, apparently, was vital to the continuation of his research on this particular family.

Given those parameters, it turns out that he was looking in both the wrong time frame and in the wrong places for the desired information. The information he was looking for was found in the Missouri State Archives. The records were transferred to the Missouri State Archives in 2004. The Website explains,

House Bill 1634 (2004) made changes to RSMo 193.225 and 193.245 (4), the Missouri statutes that govern the reproduction of vital records and the information contained in them. The legislation, effective August 28, 2004, states that death records over fifty years old will be transferred to the Missouri State Archives and copies of death records over fifty years old may be disclosed upon request.

From the dates on the Missouri Website, it is apparent that the digitized copies of the death certificates only became available in 2007, shortly before the information was found and transmitted to Mr. Morgan. From the Website, as a side note, I searched for Brisco Holder and found the copy of the death certificate in a few seconds.

A couple of observations are indicated, at the time Mr. Morgan began his search, the records were not readily available. They did exist but did not appear in a convenient form until the year the specific record was found. Even though the record exited, the researcher did not have any indication that he should look in Missouri or even look during the time period during which the record was found.

Now, what then is a brick wall? Perhaps, it is easier to say what it is not. It is not a situation where the records do not exist at all. For example, a commoner born in the 1300s in England or a foundling where no records exist of either the mother or the father. This type of situation should not be considered to be a brick wall, usually no amount of further research will extend the line. (However, I will address the problem of foundlings in a future post).

A brick wall should be considered to be a situation where the individual lived in a time and place where the records should and probably do exist. Most commonly, the situation of brick wall arises when the researcher is looking in either the wrong place or searching during the wrong time period, or both. Sometimes the condition arises when the search is for the wrong name. What does Mr. Morgan's experience teach us? That as time goes by, more and more records are becoming generally rather than specifically available. As those records become available, it is important to extend our searches for the brick wall people to the newly available records. In real brick walls timing is everything. Keep searching.

More later.

A return to the "brick wall" issue

In one of my last posts, I gave the opinion that most of the so-called "brick wall" claims in genealogical research were mostly fallacious. Of course, I immediately received contrary opinions. For that reason, I believe the discussion of the issue should be expanded. Genealogical research is not entirely open ended. As with all historical research, there are finite limits to the amount of information available in any given locality or time period. It is evident that in the current era, the amount and number of available records concerning individuals are both expanding at an increasing rate. In the future, there will be no lack of sources about almost anyone.

The general rule is that the number and availability of records about an individual decrease as you research back in time. If you go back in time far enough, say to the early 16th Century or even the 15th Century, it is evident that few if any of the surviving historical records deal with genealogical information about individuals other than royalty or other prominent people. There are exceptions in some cultures and societies, such as in China, genealogical records date back as far as the Shang Dynasty (1523 to 1028 B.C.).

European records do not have nearly so long a history. For example, the earliest surviving Protestant records from Germany are from 1524 at St. Sebald in Nürnberg. Lutheran churches in general began requiring baptism, marriage, and burial records in 1540; Catholics began in 1563. By 1650 most Reformed parishes began keeping records. Some countries began keeping records as early as the 1300s, such as a few Catholic Parishes in Italy. The church records of Palermo, for example, start about 1350, and the baptistery in Firenze has records from the early 1400s. See Wiki FamilySearch for a particular country.

Knowing the limitations of the existence of records leads us to the conclusion that at some point, all genealogical investigations come to a dead end. The records simply do not exist. Even in China, the existing ancient records emphasize the male lines at the expense of providing very limited information about the female lines.

Another example is the fact that the civil registration of vital records, births, deaths, marriages and divorces, is a relatively recent activity. England began civil registration in 1837 and some of the U.S. states did not include birth or death information in their vital records until well into the 1900s. It is a fact of life that some ancestral lines will simply end when the records run out.

However, I do not think that this ultimate lack of written records is what is commonly meant by the use of the term "brick wall." It is my understanding that the issue of brick walls comes about a result of having someone who does not appear readily in the existing records during a time period when the records of his or her life should have been available. There is always a remote possibility that some very early records, generally unknown to historical researchers, could be found, but it is highly unlikely for that to happen.

There are also special circumstances which by their nature, do not lead to further research. It is extremely difficult to find the parents of abandoned children or sometimes for orphans. In some societies, the parentage of an illegitimate (born out of wedlock) child may be entirely obscured by the record when the birth is attributed to another, but married relative. Even in these extreme situations, there is always the possibility that further research either of the person or his or her immediate descendants, may reveal crucial information about parentage.

What I find to be a problem is the very issue of categorizing a lack of information with the terminology of "brick wall" thereby making the name itself somehow to blame for our own inability to address the investigation correctly and solve the riddle.

The reasons for an inability to make further progress is commonly due to searches in the wrong locality or for the wrong name. I do find a tendency among a significant number of researchers to abandon the search as soon as readily available records do not correspond to the researchers' preconceived idea of where or who the ancestor should be. It is one thing to come to the end of the line in the 1500s in England and quite another to be unable to find a family in Ohio in the 1800s. It may also be unfruitful to continue to spend time researching a transported immigrant in the 1600s. There are times when it is appropriate to come to the conclusion that all of the possible records have been searched.

Another observation, very few researchers have really searched all the available records. Again, most so-called brick wall situations involve inaccurate assumptions. I could give many, many examples just from the last few weeks of assisting with research, but that will have to be another day.

Do you read Latin?

The National Archives is "the UK government's official archive, containing almost 1,000 years of history, with records ranging from parchment and paper scrolls through to digital files and archived websites." I have discussed some of the online resources of the National Archives before, but found an especially useful online service, a Beginners' Latin tutorial. To quote the Website,

This tutorial is a beginners' guide to the Latin used in documents between 1086 and 1733. It is the first online tutorial to help you learn the Latin from this period. Try our new Advanced Latin

The tutorial covers the period between 1086 and 1733, when Latin was the official language of documents written in England.
Knowing Latin will help you to read documents from this period. After 1733, official documents were written in English.

No previous knowledge of Latin is required. This tutorial is suitable for everyone who wants to learn. You may

• Be a beginner
• Want to refresh your skills
• Have studied Classical Latin and want to find out about Latin from a different period

All of the grammar is fully explained. No previous knowledge is required.

You can practise by translating sentences taken from real documents held at The National Archives. For example, some are from the Domesday Book, written in 1086. It is the earliest surviving public record.

In addition to the Advanced Course in Latin, the National Archives also has a online tutorial on reading old handwriting from 1500 to 1800.

Records you may not even know exist

In helping others with their genealogy, I constantly hear about the so-called "brick wall." This popular subject is consistently discussed in blogs, magazine articles and forums. Of course, I have to concede that some people left very few historical records, but the concept of a brick wall is basically a fallacy. In the vast majority of cases, the issue is not a lack of records, but a lack of the awareness that the records even exist. Some people truly believe that they have search "every record." However, there is usually no basis for this belief. I find very, very few researchers that are not surprised when I suggest other places they might look. One puzzling, but common response is a total lack of interest in searching different types of records.

I talk to people who think they have hit a brick wall when all they have searched is Ancestry.com! Many of these people have never even looked at a microfilm or gone to look for original records in local or state repositories. There is even a common and understandable belief that the records will fall out of the air and land at their feet.

Here is an example of some records that are very extensive, and likely very infrequently consulted or even cited. All of these records are available from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. They are probably not searched because there is a charge for searching.

Naturalization Certificate Files (C-Files), September 27, 1906 to March 31, 1956

Naturalization Certificate Files (C-Files) are copies of records relating to all U.S. naturalizations in Federal, State, county, or municipal courts, overseas military naturalizations, replacement of old law naturalization certificates, and the issuance of Certificates of Citizenship in derivative, repatriation, and resumption cases. Standard C-Files generally contain at least one application form (Declaration of Intention and/or Petition for Naturalization, or other application) and a duplicate certificate of naturalization or certificate of citizenship. Many files contain additional documents, including correspondence, affidavits, or other records. Only C-Files dating from 1929 onward include photographs. The majority of C-Files exist only on microfilm.

Alien Registration Forms (Form AR-2), August 1940 to March 1944

Alien Registration Forms (Form AR-2) are copies of approximately 5.5 million Alien Registration Forms completed by all aliens age 14 and older, residing in or entering the United States between August 1, 1940 and March 31, 1944. The two-page form called for the following information: name; name at arrival; other names used; street address; post-office address; date of birth; place of birth; citizenship; sex; marital status; race; height; weight; hair and eye color; date, place, vessel, and class of admission of last arrival in United States; date of first arrival in United States; number of years in United States; usual occupation; present occupation; name, address, and business of present employer; membership in clubs, organizations, or societies; dates and nature of military or naval service; whether citizenship papers filed, and if so date, place, and court for declaration or petition; number of relatives living in the United States; arrest record, including date, place, and disposition of each arrest; whether or not affiliated with a foreign government; signature, and fingerprint. The AR-2 files exist only on microfilm. Important: Alien Registration Forms AR-2 are only available for A-numbers 1 million to 5 980 116, A6 100 000 to 6 132 126, A7 000 000 to 7 043 999, and A7 500 000 to 7 759 142.

Visa Files, July 1, 1924 to March 31, 1944

Visa Files are original arrival records of immigrants admitted for permanent residence under provisions of the Immigration Act of 1924. Visa forms contain all information normally found on a ship passenger list of the period, as well as the immigrant’s places of residence for 5 years prior to emigration, names of both the immigrant’s parents, and other data. Attached to the visa in most cases are birth records or affidavits. Also attached may be marriage, military, or police records. The Visa Files exist only in hard copy (textual) format.

Registry Files, March 1929 to March 31, 1944

Registry Files are records, which document the creation of immigrant arrival records for persons who entered the United States prior to July 1, 1924, and for whom no arrival record could later be found. Most files also include documents supporting the immigrant’s claims regarding arrival and residence (i.e., proofs of residence, receipts, and employment records). The Registry Files exist only in hard copy (textual) format.

Immigrant Files (A-Files), April 1, 1944 to May 1, 1951

Immigrant Files, (A-Files) are the individual alien case files, which became the official file for all immigration records created or consolidated since April 1, 1944. A-numbers ranging up to approximately 6 million were issued to aliens and immigrants within or entering the United States between 1940 and 1945. The 6 million and 7 million series of A-numbers were issued between circa 1944 and May 1, 1951. The Immigrant Files exist only in hard copy (textual) format. Only A-File documents dated to May 1, 1951, are releasable under the Genealogy Program.

More about this subject later.

Additional Stakes added with release dates in New FamilySearch

September 7, 2009 is the new release date of New FamilySearch for additional Stakes in the St. George and Idaho Falls Temple Districts. With the new date, all of the Stakes in the St. George Temple District will be online with the program. Although the remaining stakes along the Wasatch Front are presently (September 5, 2009) listed as receiving the preparation notification, no dates for the general introduction of the program have been announced.

Is there a wiki in your genealogy future?

Wikis are specialized Web programs that allow users to create and edit the content of Web pages using any browser. The organization of the contributions can be edited as well as the content. See What is Wiki. Although the concept is simple, the content can become extremely complex. The first Wiki was created online in 1995 as is known as the Wiki.

Because of their collaborative nature, Wikis are dynamic and when popular, can change minute by minute. Inevitably, Wikis have been created for genealogists. Cyndi's List currently lists eight genealogy Wikis. One of the larger Wikis is the Family History and Genealogy Wiki, which has currently, 37,966 articles on genealogy. Here are some statistics from the site:

• Pages: 113,600
• Articles: 38,149
• Info pages: 7, 075
• Files: 20,326
• Edits: 333,810
• Surnames: 4,262

Another newer and smaller Wiki is Wiki FamilySearch. This is a very informational Wiki, which includes the FamilySearch Research Outlines and other resources.

We Relate claims to be the world's largest genealogy Wiki with pages for over 2,000,000 people. Quoting from their home page, "WeRelate is a free public-service wiki for genealogy sponsored by the Foundation for On-Line Genealogy in partnership with the Allen County Public Library."

FamilySearch Record Search 2.0 released

Record Search 2.0, the newest version of FamilySearch's rapidly increasing database of images from the FamilySearch Indexing project has a new look and and a completely different homepage.

The changes to the program include the following, quoting from the FamilySearch Labs blog:

Record Search releases version 2.0

Today Record Search released a new update. This release has been months in the making and you will notice a major difference in how the site looks, along with some cool new features. As always we would love to hear from you on what we got right and what needs a little more work. Here is a quick glance at some of the changes.

Unsupported Browsers

You complained and we listened. We removed the header that would appeared if you were not using a Record Search supported browser. For the most part unsupported browsers still work, but this header was making the screen shift down so you could not see everything.

Home Page Layout

The home page has undergone major changes; most noticeable are the new colors, layout, and title & label name changes.

Where’s the map?

The map and ability to search a specific collection are now accessed by selecting the “Browse our record collections” link. This separates the search functions and templates for searching in all collection vs. a specific collection or browse only collections. We would love your feedback on this change.

Share a record

Try sharing a record you found in Record Search on Facebook, or in an e-mail or text message.

Print, Copy & Share Record Details

We think you will love the option to let you print, copy and share the record details.

About this collection

About this collection link now takes you to the Research Wiki. Having this information in the Wiki makes it easier for us to update and keep it current. It also lets you have Record Search and the user guidance open at the same time to use as a reference.

Un-Indexed collections

The un-indexed collections or Browse only collections have an entirely new look. You’re now able to keep the context of what images you are browsing, and moving to a different level in the film is a snap.

Tune in for more details in the near future.