Continuing on the census trail, George G. Morgan’s “Along Those Lines” column from last week, concerned the importance of documenting and studying past census information (as well as other related documents). Specifically – study the families around the person(s) you are researching, as at some point there maybe a chance they’ll be connected in some way (among other reasons, which George notes).
Excerpt:
One of the cardinal rules that most new genealogists are given when working with census records is, “Make note of surrounding families on the census population schedules.” While you may have been told to note a different number of families on either side of your family, such as two, four, six, or some other number, I heartily agree with this strategy. And while you’re at it, obtain a printed copy of the population schedule if you can for future reference. You will find yourself going back to the record again and again to reexamine some aspect of it. In “Along Those Lines …” today, I want to list some reasons why you want to make note of surrounding families, and not just in census schedules.
Via Legacy News