How To Find More Stories Of Your Ancestors

Are you a name collector or a story collector? Your ancestors deserve more than just names and dates—they deserve your time to learn their stories. One way to do that is to find records beyond census or vital records. I’m not even talking about land or probate records. What about those obscure record groups that may add that extra spark?

In this blog post, I’ll tell you about some free resources and share examples to show how simple it can be to uncover those pieces of their lives, helping you understand them a little bit more.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m working on getting certified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists, and I’m right in the middle of it now. One of the projects we have to do is a family narrative. It’s about piecing together someone’s life—figuring out exactly where they were and when, and then telling their story. It’s like “nailing their feet to the floor” in time and place throughout their life.

To do that effectively, there needs to be more than just census and vital records. And luckily for us, there is! Let’s get started!

Why Overlooked Records Matter

The beauty of these less-common records is in their details. Whether it’s school attendance lists, court transcripts, or voting lists, these documents often give you a glimpse into the day-to-day activities of your ancestors. They can answer questions like:

• Where did they go to school?
• Were they involved in their local community?
• Did they vote?

Sometimes, these collections are the only surviving records for certain periods, making them valuable for solving family mysteries.

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How to Find These Records on FamilySearch

FamilySearch is a free site. Go to www.familysearch.org to sign up and then log in.

United States Record Finder

This is a great place to start if you’re trying to figure out what records are out there. The links will take you to wiki pages that break down how to use these records. Try it out: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/United_States_Record_Finder. Pay close attention to the records in the Personal Details and Affiliations section.

The FamilySearch Catalog

The FamilySearch catalog is one of my favorite places to find obscure records. Once you’ve logged in, select Search > Catalog from the top menu. From there, you can search by location, topic, or keyword. Be sure to look for things like Schools, Voting Registers, or Court Records.

Browse Unindexed Records

Not all collections on FamilySearch are indexed, meaning they won’t come up in general searches. Use the Images section under Search to browse digitized but unindexed records. This requires patience, but the rewards can be worth the effort.

For example, the Maine collection starts out with court records that may have my ancestors mentioned in them. At the very least, scroll through to see the different kinds of records that are out there. If this is too broad a search, narrow the location by adding the county or town name.

Use the Research Wiki

I can’t say enough about the FamilySearch Research Wiki. This is ALWAYS the first place I go when I need to research a new location. Once you’ve decided on a place, look on the right side of the page under Record Types and choose where to start. To learn more about this amazing genealogy tool, read my blog post here.

What Can You Find?

Here are some of the lesser-known records you should look for:

School Records

If your ancestors went to school during the 19th or early 20th century, school records might exist. These records can include:

• School censuses, which list students, their ages, and sometimes their parents’ names.
• Attendance logs, showing not only who went to school but when they were there.
• Teacher rosters.

Court Records

Court documents are an underused source of family history. They go beyond criminal cases to include:

• Guardianship records, which often name children, parents, and sometimes extended family. These can also be found in probate records collections.
• Civil disputes, which may involve neighbors or family members.
• Insolvency or bankruptcy cases can explain an ancestor’s financial life.

Voting Lists and Voter Registration Records

Voter registration records can reveal more than just eligibility to vote. These documents may include:

• Addresses, helping to pinpoint where your ancestor lived.
• Occupations, offering insight into their daily life.
• Naturalization status for immigrants, as voting often required proof of citizenship.

Licenses and Permits

Licenses for marriages, businesses, or other activities can provide surprising details. Examples include:

• Business licenses, which could help explain your ancestor’s occupation.
• Liquor licenses, which often included personal information like addresses or co-signers.
• Hunting or fishing permits.

Fraternal and Organizational Records

Many ancestors were active in fraternal societies or community organizations. These records might include:

• Membership applications, listing personal details like birth dates and places.
• Dues records, which can help trace an ancestor over time.
• Meeting minutes, sometimes naming members and describing their involvement.

Groups like the Masons, Odd Fellows, or Grange were popular, and FamilySearch could have records for their local chapters.

Employment and Union Records

Employment records can tell you about an ancestor’s trade or profession and sometimes even more personal details. On FamilySearch, look for:

• Railroad employment records.
• Factory or mill rosters, which sometimes include family connections.
• Union membership lists, which might show how long an ancestor was part of a trade.

Medical and Hospital Records

Medical records are rare, but when they exist, they can provide fascinating details. These might include:

• Admissions logs for hospitals or asylums, often listing reasons for treatment.
• Vaccination records, which sometimes exist in school or local government files.
• Death registers from medical institutions, offering insight into causes of death or family contacts.

Check the catalog for local or state hospital records, especially if you know of specific illnesses or events in your ancestor’s life.

Caution

Not all of these records will be available for your ancestor’s place and time. Think outside the box to what records may have been specific to the place they lived.

Examples

Voting Lists

While I was looking for records for my person of interest (not my ancestor), I found an amazing record group on FamilySearch:

Right off the bat, it’s interesting because of the year, 1864. Voting during the Civil War? Yes! When I found my town, the opening page said 1864 Poll List. So I Googled Maine 1864 Poll List to find out more.

The website, Maine Genealogy, explained Maine passed a law that allowed soldiers fighting in the Civil War to vote by absentee ballot. There were two elections that year, one in September for state and congressional races, and one in November for president. One of the men in the presidential election was Abraham Lincoln. In a separate search, I even found the booklet from 1864 explaining the law.

So I went back to the list on FamilySearch and saw that my person did vote in both elections, but that some voted absentee. This gives me more clues about whether someone was a soldier in the Civil War or was home…boots on the ground in time and place.

Hospital Records

The brother of my person of interest for my family narrative was listed on the census records as insane. So, I thought, what types of records might this involve? I came up with guardianship papers and hospital records.

Looking in the Maine Record Collections, I didn’t see these categories, so I tried using the FamilySearch Full-Text Search. When I plugged in the name and place of my person, I got a hit. Guardianship papers are part of probate in Maine.

Reading these documents led me back to Google and a search for Maine Insane Hospital. Just by following these clues, I found patient records for my person online that explained his history of mental illness. These records also mentioned my person by name. An amazing find!

Finally

Exploring these types of records takes time, but it’s worth it. They may reveal details of your ancestors you won’t find anywhere else. They may even help you break down that brick wall. So think about records regarding schools, occupations, hospitals, education, and more when you are trying to fill in the gaps between census years.

What records can you think of that will paint a bigger picture of your ancestors’ lives?

Genealogy tip: Staying organized is the only way you’ll make sense of all you find. Keep a research log in Word, Excel, Airtable, Goldie May, or your favorite software. And make sure to write about what you find. It’s only through writing that you make connections between records and come up with new questions to ask.

If you’re pressed for time, but still want to know your ancestors’ stories, let me know. I’d love to help you find them. Click below for a free 30-minute, no-obligation call.