When you’re stuck at a dead end in your genealogy research, many people call that a “brick wall.” That can be so frustrating! You’ve looked everywhere for records to help you get further and still come up short. However, sometimes, it’s not about what you haven’t found, but how you’re organizing what you already know. One simple but effective tool for genealogy research is the use of tables. They help you see patterns, compare facts, and make connections that you might not otherwise see.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how using tables can break through brick walls and get you moving in the right direction.
Getting Started
You don’t need anything fancy to create a table. A simple spreadsheet program like Excel or Google Sheets works well, or you can use paper and pen. Word Docs or Google Docs have tables, and even Airtable can work. So you have a few choices.
Your table’s columns and rows will vary depending on the type of information you want to track, but here are a few ideas for common categories:
- Event type (birth, marriage, death, census, etc.)
- Date
- Place
- Source (the record you found the information in)
- Details (names, occupations, ages, etc.)
- Notes (analysis, observations, or hypotheses)
Word Doc Table
Excel Spreadsheet
Airtable
Brick Wall Tips Using Tables
Reviewing What You Already Know
When you get to the point in your research where you can’t go any further, take a step back and review. Revisiting your research is always a good idea.
If you haven’t logged that information, do it now and use a table to help you. Airtable is a tool I use every day along with Excel, Word, and Evernote. Read more about that here.
Using a log can help keep track of where you’ve been and what you found. Staying organized is key to not repeating research.
Here’s an example of an Airtable research log from my Dettinger line:
Having this information in a table helps me correlate it so I can make sound conclusions in my genealogy research. It gives me confidence that I’m researching the correct ancestors and following the right family line.
Tracking Name Variations
One of the most common genealogy brick walls happens when ancestors’ names vary across different records. Spelling inconsistencies, name changes, or transcription errors can make it difficult to know if you’ve found your person.
Let’s say you’re researching an ancestor named John Staples, but records for him list different spellings. You’re not sure which ones apply to your John. Creating a table to track these variations might help.
Having this information all in one place can help you make connections that you didn’t see looking at each record individually.
Same-name People
In genealogy, it’s not a matter of if but when you will encounter two or more people in the records with the same name. It could be men or women. How do you know which person is YOUR person? Tables can help.
I wrote a paper for my ProGen Study Group where tables helped me distinguish between two men of the same name. The surnames were spelled differently, but then the name Krewson can be spelled dozens of ways.
Here’s what they looked like:
Making comparisons is a great way to use tables.
Finding Gaps In Your Research
One of the most effective ways to break through a genealogy brick wall is by identifying gaps in your research. When you’re tracking an ancestor, missing records or incomplete information can go unnoticed unless you organize what you already have. A table can show you gaps in your research which can point to new record collections to search.
Using A Table To Analyze One Record
Sometimes, you need a little help analyzing one record, like a pre-1850 census record. Before 1850, the census only listed heads of household with tick marks to account for everyone in the home. This is a big reason many people don’t look at them…it can be difficult. A table can make it easier.
Here’s how I broke down the 1830 census for John Krewson and his family:
Using a table can help you form a hypothesis. In this instance, I felt comfortable that this was the correct household for my John Krewson.
Putting It All Together
When I was trying to prove the mother of my 2x great-grandmother, Susanna Krewson, I had to use many different records. A single record didn’t exist that identified her mother by name.
I presented this case to my local genealogy society and I finished with a recap – in the form of a table. You can do this too!
This one table helped me to see all that I had found and how it fit together. Not to leave you hanging…I proved Jane Parker was the mother of Susanna Krewson.
A Few More Tips
Be consistent – Always fill in the same types of details for each record, even if some information is missing. This will help you spot patterns or identify gaps.
Use color – Highlighting the cells or boxes in different colors can help you see what you have at a glance. It also makes using tables a bit more fun!
Update – Don’t forget about your table once it’s created. Keep updating it with the latest information you find so that it evolves with your research.
Finally
As you can see there are many ways to use tables in your genealogy research. Breaking down a brick wall ancestor is just one of them. You can also use tables to help with your DNA match list – to organize them and keep track of how they fit in your family.
No matter what you need to do in genealogy research, a table can help you do it better. It may take a few minutes to set up, but it will be well worth the effort!
Genealogy tip: These tips are only the start of brick wall busting methods. Using tables in Word, Google, Excel, or Airtable can help you see what you have and how it all fits in your genealogy research. In case you want to try Airtable, they have a free version. Check it out at www.airtable.com.
Need help with your brick wall ancestor? I’m a professional who can help with your research or do the research for you. Click below for your free 30-minute, no-obligation chat.
