Welcome to the Lafayette Parish, Louisiana Genealogy Help for Beginners
There is a lot of help for Beginner Genealogists. Finding it can prove difficult at times. Here are a few tips and some links to other helpful areas.
TIP # 1: Books
TIP # 2: Calculating Birth dates
TIP # 3: Calculating Marriage Dates
HELPFUL LINKS
TIP #1: BOOKS - A WARNING !
Go back to the top of the page
DO NOT buy the family history books advertised as "a one of a kind" and originating in Pennsylvania. They do not include naything of importance. Each family book is the same except for the insertion of computerized telephone listings.
If you want to read about Columbus or the Mayflower or George Washington, try other books. These books look good, but they are of no value to anyone in genealogical research.
Check with local genealogical libraries, or research through the Mormon Church, Catholic Dioceese records, or any of the various archival facilities, including actual materials in courthouses, churches, etc.
Readers continue to write about this situation and those who order find only disappointment.
Times Picayune Magazine, Damon Veach's Column, 13 Feb 1983
TIP #2: CALCULATING BIRTH DATES
Copied from a handout I was given at the Ouachita Parish Library, Monroe, La. It was typed on plain paper, Author and date unknown. Good information
Go back to the top of the page
It is important to know the birth date of any particular person in order to carry your ancestry back another generation. When birth date is unknown, you will want to estimate so as to pinpoint the years in which you will search for this ancestor. You may already know how old your ancestor was at a certain date, or you may have his/her marriage date, or the birth dates of one or more of the children. If you have any of these facts you will be able to estimate your ancestors birth date with a fair degree of accuracy.
WHEN ONLY THE MARRIAGE DATE IS KNOWN(husband and wife)[1] Known date ________
[2] age at this date ________
[3] subtract line 2 from line 1 ________ (possible birth date)
Search 5 years on each side of the date on line [3]. Every effort should be made to find a record showing an age at a certain date. This narrows your search for birth records to an eleven year period.
When no age at a certain date is known, calculate ALL the following possibilities, then search the SHORTEST time Period.
WHEN ALL CHILDREN'S (OR ONLY CHILD) BIRTH DATES ARE KNOWN (wife)[1] marriage date _______ born between dates on line 3 & 6
[2] possibly married at age 16 ____-16_
[3] subtract line 2 from line 1 ________ Search for this year first
[4] marriage date ________
[5] possibly married at age 40 ______40__ then work backwards in time to
[6] subtract line 5 from line 4 __________ to this date
WHEN ALL CHILDREN'S (OR ONLY CHILD) BIRTH DATES ARE KNOWN (husband)[1] b date for first (or only child ________ Born between dates on lines 3 & 5
[2] could have been age 16 ____-16_
[3] subtract line 2 from line 1 ________ Search for this year first
[4] birth date of last (or only) child ________
[5] could have been age 50 ______50__ then work backwards in time to
[6] subtract line 5 from line 4 __________ to this date
[1] b date for first (or only child ________ Born between dates on lines 3 & 5
[2] could have been age 16 ____-16_
[3] subtract line 2 from line 1 ________ Search for this year first
[4] birth date of last (or only) child ________
[5] could have been age 70 ______70__ then work backwards in time to
[6] subtract line 5 from line 4 __________ to this date
Please realize that the above chart is not foolproof. Your ancestor could have been married at 14 instead of 16. Or may have gone past the normal age for childbearing.
HELPFUL LINKS!
Mormon Church FHC addresses.
Search SS Death Index free!
Books we own
Mailing lists
General Land Office
Lookup Volunteers list!!!!
United States Master Page*
General index of Surnames
General index, lists, sites
FREE Genealogy Tips
Read 1880 Soundex
Read 1900 Soundex
Read 1910 Soundex
Treasure Maps the How-to Genealogy WWW Site - Main Menu