Please, if you have any additions, corrections or name changes, let me know. For lookups, please refer to the Lookup page for what is available.

Have you hit a proverbial dead end in your research?  The following may help you to analyze your problem(s).
 

• There are approximately three generations per century.
• The average age for men to marry was 24.  They rarely married before age 16.
• The average age for women to marry was 20. They rarely married before age 16.
• First marriages were usually between couples near the same age. Women generally outlived their husbands, but older widowers frequently married much younger women who had never been married before.
• Birth generally occurred at two-year intervals. Frequently the first child was born a year after marriage. As a woman aged, the interval between births grew slightly. Child bearing usually ended around age 45.
• Families and neighbors usually migrated together from their previous location.  Women rarely traveled alone.
• Men usually married women from their neighborhood, but if a seemingly "strange" woman turns up, check the man's former home.  Often men returned to their prior residence to find a wife.
• If you can't find an older parent, chances are he/she "went West" with a son.
• If you have a male ancestor born around 1840, strongly consider Civil War service.
• If your ancestor has a virtue name (eg Patience, Charity, Silence) consider a New England heritage.
• Children were often named for grandparents, both male and female.
• Frequently middle names or even a first name was the mother's or grandmother's maiden name, especially if the name was repeated through several related families.

• Son - Eldest named after paternal grandfather. Second son named after maternal grandfather. Third son named after the father.
• Daughters - Eldest named after the maternal grandmother. Second daughter named after the paternal grandmother.  Third daughter named after the mother.

In 1723 the state of Illinois was bought from ten Indian chiefs representing ten tribes by 22 white men of Pennsylvania and England.  The territory was in two tracts, one called "Southern Illinois" and the other called "Northern Illinois".

The consideration was 200 strouds (whatever those were), 260 blankets, 360 shirts, 150 pounds of stroud breech-cloth, 500 pounds of gun powder, 4,000 pounds of lead, one gross of knives, 30 pounds of vermillion, 2,000 gun flints, 200 pounds of tobacco, 2 dozen gartering, 10,000 pounds of flour, 5,000 bushels of Indian corn, 12 horses, 12 horned cattle, 20 bushels of salt and 29 guns.  The articles were paid and delivered in full council. The deed was signed and executed before a French notary public at Kaskaskia village exchange.  (Courtesy of Henry County GS-IL X:6)

When you're out "tramping" the cemeteries, don't you ever wonder about the exquisite carvings on them and what those carvings mean?  How about some of the terminology from back then....

• The term "relict" on a tombstone means that the woman was a widow at the time of her death.
• The term "consort" on a tombstone means that her husband survived her.
• The term "cenotaph" engraved on a tombstone indicates an empty grave, with the stone erected in honor or memory of a person buried elsewhere (often erected in honor of a person lost at sea or in war)

• Arches - victory in death
• Arrows - mortality
• Bouquets, Flowers - condolences, grief, sorrow
• Roses - brevity of earthly existence
• Portals - passageway to eternal jouney
• Bugles - ressurection and the military
• Crossed Swords - high-ranking military person
• Flying Birds - flight of the soul
• Fruit - eternal plenty
• Garlands - victory in death
• Thistles - remembrance
• Trees - life
• Trumpeters - heralds of the resurrection
• Willows - earthly sorrow
• Morning Glory - beginning of life
• Butterfly - short-lived, early death
• Ivy - friendship and immortality
• Laurel - fame or victory
• Oak Leaves & Acorn - maturity, ripe old age
• Corn - ripe old age
• Lamb - innocence (usually used for children)
• Dove - innocence, gentleness, affection, purity
• Cherub - angelic
• Anchor/ships - hope or seafaring profession
• Broken Ring - family circle severed
• Broken Column - loss of head of family
• Urn with Blaze - undying friendship
• Hourglass - swiftness of time
• Winged Effigies - flight of the soul

An ancestor's military record often gives you a lot of information. A military record can provide such details as the date of birth, age at enlistment, and the city, county, and state of residence.

An ancestor may have enlisted in the military for a number of reasons, including the following:
- To gain citizenship
- To be perceived as an adult and to get away from home.
- To receive an original land bounty or warrant (deed to property)
- To earn money during hard times
- To gain a specific skill or specialized training
- Because he was drafted
- Because he wanted either medical or Veterans Administration benefits or to qualify
   as a property/home buyer
- For personal reasons such as getting away from a bad situation or a bad relationship.

Although you may not think an ancestor served in the military, a little research may prove you wrong. Consider the circumstances in your ancestor's life and the financial and social situation surrounding him.  If there's a chance he might have participated in military service, search for a military record.

They often give the following information:
- Age at enlistment
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Physical description
- Whether the person could sign his own checks
- Nativity or county of origin if person was a foreigner
- City, county and state of residence
- Company and Unit
- Rank
- Date of enlistment
- Battles participated in
- Wounds (if any)
- Discharge date and place
- Retirement benefits
- Spouse and heirs (if widow applied for a pension)
- Names of dependents on military insurance or benefits
- Health issues due to military service
- Place of burial
- Information placed on person's headstone (if provided by the military)
- Military honors and awards

Above all, don't forget that women served in the military, too.........