Riverton FamilySearch Library - QSG—Finding Ancestors Using the FamilySearch Research Wiki Rev. 04/02/14 Page 1 of 6

Finding Ancestors Using the Family History Research Wiki

The Family History Research Wiki is an extremely valuable tool we can use to learn how to find information on our ancestors. It offers information on how to find, use, and analyze records of genealogical value. This guide will show you how to find specific information on an ancestor by using the Wiki to Search by Locations. You will need to know the possible location of an event you are interested in as well as the time period. An easy way to get to the Research Wiki is from familysearch.org. Simply click “Search” and then “Wiki.”

1. Click on any of the labeled areas on the map to get to the next screen.

2. From the Category page

you can scroll down to the subcategory, United States and click it for an extensive listing of categories and pages useful for U.S. re-search. 3. In the upper right area

of the screen, click

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4. Use the index by clicking on the

letter “U” for United States or

scroll down to find the “U” sec-

tion and then click on “United

States.”

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This is the country page for the United States. It includes the following items: 1. An extensive list of the various

topics available. The links will take you to articles (many with links to sources) about the topics listed.

2. The first entry under Topics, “Record Selection Table,” is a three column list that shows you where to look for information you need to find on an ancestor. Column 1 lists the information you need or are looking for. Column 2 shows where you should look first. Column 3 then shows where you could search next.

3. Articles with information on getting started with U.S. research including Principles of Family History Re-search.

4. A map of the United States with links to each of the states. Hover your mouse over a state to verify its name and then click it to view the state’s page.

5. A list of Research Strategies. 6. A list of available Research Tools. 7. To narrow the search to the state

of Kentucky, use the map of the states and click on Kentucky.

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The various location pages may be orga-nized slightly different, but the contents are similar. Some states may have more infor-mation than others. Be sure to check all the items. Depending on the state and time periods, the records may be kept at the state, county or city level

Kentucky has the following items:

1. Key Topics—The more frequently viewed.

2. Other Topics—Again, a very diverse listing.

3. News and Events. 4. Navigation link—Use to return to the

United States page. 5. Brief historical information about the

state. 6. Online Records for Kentucky—This is

very useful. See page 6 for a sample listing of the online records for Kentucky.

7. How to find vital Information on your ancestors, (birth, marriage, & death).

8. A list of counties—Click to view infor-mation on a county level.

9. A map of the state’s counties. Hover over a county to verify its name and then click it to view the county’s page.

10. Other items not shown but listed lower on the page include such things as: ma-jor repositories, migration routes, re-search tools, genealogical features, fea-tured content, record availability, and many others.

Select “Fayette County” from the list or the map . It is shown on the next page.

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To the left is the Fayette County page. 1. Navigation link—Use the links to

return to the Kentucky or United States page.

2. A table of contents that lists all of the topics and entries contained on its page, including links to records.

3. Link to Online Kentucky Records. 4. Map and county facts. 5. A list of the availability of records

from a start date. 6. Click the “Vital Records” link. An

extract is shown below indicating the type of information available.

Vital Records Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Although Kentucky enacted a stat-ute in 1852-1862 requiring registration of births and deaths, many counties did not comply. A second law was written in 1874-1879, and 1892-1910 but, again, was not always followed. By 1911, the law was more clearly defined and kept by 1920. Any existing births 1852-1960 and death records 1852-1953 can be accessed online. See How to Find Kentucky Birth Records and How to Find Kentucky Death Records for links to indexes and images. Original marriage records are held at the office of the Fayette County, Kentucky Clerk, with divorce rec-ords 1849-1958 located with the Fayette County, Kentucky Circuit Court. For more information see How to Find Kentucky Marriage Records. For Ken-tucky divorce records see the wiki page Kentucky Birth—1852-1861 - Fayette County Birth Index 1852

-1861. Batch C517311 at FamilySearch - free. Marriage—1854-1861 - Fayette County Marriage

Index 1854-1861. Batch M517311 at Fami-lySearch - free.

Unsorted: The Kentucky Vital Records Project Transcriptions

of and Images of KY Death Certificates KY Births & Christenings Kentucky Births and Chris-

tenings, 1839-1960 Family Search KY Deaths & Burials KY Deaths & Burials 1843 -

1970 KY Marriage Records KY Marriages 1783 - 1979 ~

Family Search Searchable KY Vital Records Searchable databases

of KY Births, Deaths & Marriages Kentucky Marriage Records 1973 - 2000 Kentucky

Marriage Records - 1973 - 2000 KY Divorces 1973 - 1993 Kentucky Divorce Rec-

ords 1973 - 1993 ~ University of Kentucky Vital Records Databases

The Social Security Death Index - Searchable

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The other countries in the Wiki have a format similar to that of the United States. 1. For example, select England and scroll down to the

map and list of counties 2. Select Kent to view its county information. 3. Scroll even farther down to view a list of parishes

(414) in Kent. Click the parish links to view more.

Below is the Wiki page for New Zealand.

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An example (Kentucky) of the available online resources for a state in the United States.