How To Use A Locality Guide In Your Genealogy Research

As a genealogist, one of the best tools you can create is a locality guide. This guide can become your go-to resource when research ancestors from a specific area. It saves time, keeps your research organized, and helps you discover resources you might have otherwise missed.

In this blog post, you’ll learn what a locality guide is, why its useful, and how you can create and use one effectively.

There are some tools in genealogy that may seem counterintuitive. A locality guide is one. By investing a little time upfront, this guide will set you up for more efficient and effective research.

Let’s see what this is all about…

What Is A Locality Guide?

A locality guide is a comprehensive resource about a specific geographic area relevant to your genealogy research question. It includes information about available records, repositories, historical context, and other details that can help you in your research.

Now I know we don’t want to slow down…we want to dive head-first into the records. But if you just take a minute and complete this step, you’ll find it will pay off in the end.

Why Use A Locality Guide?

There are several reasons why a locality guide is invaluable:

1. Efficiency: Instead of searching for information each time you need it, you have all the important details in one place.
2. Completeness: Having a locality guide makes sure you don’t overlook any resource that may help your research.
3. Context: Knowing the historical and social context of the area can help you understand more about your ancestors’ lives.
4. Organization: Keeps your research organized and focused.

How To Create A Locality Guide

Creating a locality guide may seem daunting at first, but you don’t have to complete it all in one sitting. Here’s a step-by-step approach to creating your own:

1. Identify the Locality

Start with a specific area where your ancestors lived. This could be a town, county, or even a parish, depending on the records you’re investigating.

2. Gather General Information

Begin by collecting general information about the locality:

• Geography: Understand the physical layout, neighboring towns, and important landmarks.
• History: Learn about significant historical events and migration patterns to and from that area.
• Economy: What industries or occupations were common? This can give clues about your ancestors’ lives.

3. Identify Key Record Types

Next, identify the types of records that are available for the locality:

• Vital Records: Birth, marriage, and death records.
• Census Records: Population schedules and other census-related documents.
• Church Records: Baptisms, marriages, burials, and other documents.
• Land Records: Deeds, grants, and other property-related documents.
• Probate Records: Wills, inventories, and estate documents.
• Military Records: Draft registrations, service records, and pension files.

4. Locate Repositories and Resources

Identify where these records are held:

• Local Archives: County or municipal archives, historical societies, and local libraries.
• State and National Repositories: State archives, national archives, and specialized repositories.
• Online Databases: Websites like Ancestry, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage.

5. Understand Record Availability

Determine the availability and accessibility of these records:

• Indexes and Transcriptions: Are there indexes or transcriptions available?
• Digital Collections: Are the records digitized and available online?
• Physical Access: If not online, how can you access the physical records?

6. Gather Historical and Social Context

Include information that provides context to the records:

• Local Histories: Books, articles, or websites detailing the history of the area.
• Maps: Historical maps showing changes over time.
• Directories: City directories, business directories, and other types of directories.

7. Create Your Guide

Now, organize all this information into a cohesive guide. Here’s a suggested format:

1. Introduction: Brief overview of the locality.
2. Geography and History: Summarize key geographical and historical details.
3. Record Types and Availability: List each record type, where it can be found, and any notes on access.
4. Repositories and Resources: Detailed information on where to find records, both online and offline.
5. Contextual Information: Include historical maps, local histories, and other context.

Use headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to keep your guide clear and easy to navigate. Consider adding images, screenshots, and links to online resources for added value.

Tips for Effective Locality Guides

Here are a few additional tips to make your locality guide even more effective:

• Be Specific: Make the guide work for you. Tailor it to your specific research needs. Focus on the records and resources most relevant to your ancestors.
• Stay Organized: Use a consistent format and keep your guide well-organized. This makes it easy to find information quickly.
• Use Technology: Use digital tools to create and store your guide. Software like Evernote, OneNote, or Word can help keep everything in one place.
• Share: If you’re part of a genealogy group, consider sharing your locality guides. If others have created guides that you need, you won’t have to start from scratch.

An Example From Bucks County, Pennsylvania

One of my favorite places to start a locality guide is at FamilySearch. If you go to their catalog and search by place, you’ll find a list of records available online and in person. An in-depth blog post on searching can be found here.

Since I have been working on my Krewson/Kroesen line, I decided to do my locality guide for Bucks County, Pennsylvania. That’s where most of my dad’s maternal line started.

Some Items To Include:

• Quick Facts – Bucks County was one of the three original counties in Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1682 by William Penn.¹ Add any tidbits of information that may be interesting and come in handy later.
• Online Research Guide – no guide is complete without a link to the FamilySearch Wiki: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Bucks_County,_Pennsylvania_Genealogy – you might also include Cyndi’s List, GenWeb, and The Family History Guide.
• Maps & Geography – Library of Congress map collection, David Rumsey map collection, and the Map of Pennsylvania County Formations. Maps are wonderful to use for any project.
• County Histories and Reference Books – Google Books has a wonderful assortment of county histories for Bucks County. A free e-book of Bucks County History can be found here.
• Laws and Government – it’s hard to understand the circumstances of your ancestors if you don’t know the laws that were in place at the time. A great place to start is the Legislative Reference Bureau of Pennsylvania.
• Archives, Societies, and Libraries – a handy quick list of genealogical and historical societies, libraries, museums, etc. Don’t forget to include hours of operations, address, phone numbers, directions, parking information, etc.
• Record Loss – was the region you are researching a burned county? Is there any record loss? Write this information down now, so you’ll have it for the future and won’t have to look again.
• Record Collections – you might include bible records, cemetery records, census records, military, land, probate records, and vital records (birth, marriage, death).

My locality guide was initially nine pages, but continues to grow every time I find a new resource for my Bucks County ancestors.

Finally

Your locality guide can cover a state, county, or city in the U.S. or any other country. It’s adaptable to the specific needs of your project. Plus, you can update it as you discover new information.

Take the time to make this guide. It will make you a more efficient and effective researcher.

Genealogy Tip: A locality guide is a living document. As you find records or resources in the future add those to your locality guide to make it more complete over time.

If you need some help tracing ancestors in a new place and time, I’d love to help. Call now for your 30-minute no-obligation consultation.

¹ Visit Bucks County Pennsylvania (https://www.visitbuckscounty.com/press-room/facts-figures/ : accessed 5 Sep 2022).