How to use maps for ancestry and genealogy research..
Using Maps and Gazetteers to Trace Immigrant Ancestors
Table of Contents
- Determine Record Locations
- Identify Changing Boundaries
- Recognize Changes in Place Names
- Topographical Features
- Plot the Migration Patterns of Ethnic Groups and Individuals
- Other Resources to Help Trace Immigrant Ancestors
Maps and gazetteers help us trace the migration paths individuals took. More detailed maps will show what routes were available at the time, including railroads, waterways, early roads, and so forth. The following are a few ideas of how you can use maps to assist your research:
Determine Record Locations
By pinpointing where an individual lived, you can locate records that contain addresses—directories, vital records, court records, military, and naturalization records. By plotting these addresses on a map, you can locate where records might be kept—such as in churches, civic districts, and so on—or where to look in the census, such as ward, township, and street.
Identify Changing Boundaries
Maps help locate boundary changes that occur over the years that will put an individual in a different city, county, state, or country during a given period.
Recognize Changes in Place Names
It’s not uncommon for the places a person lived to no longer exist, have name changes or be spelled differently in the country of origin. the following are examples of other significant cities whose English name does not match the native spelling:
Topographical Map Features
You may find references to mountains, roads, rivers, or other topographical features in your records. You can use these features to help find the exact location of a city or town on a map when you have multiple options to choose from. Don’t be surprised to find the names of cities different at various times. Also, having some history of the area can help you understand what you see on the map and what parishes or districts the town belonged in.
By studying the topographical features, you can see places an individual may have gone because they were easier to access. For example, I was able to find a wedding certificate in the state in which an individual lived. The couple lived on the border of the following state, but I found no records upon searching the town just across the border. After researching the topographical map, it became clear that while those towns were close, there was no practical access point when the family lived. I narrowed the search to two possible locations by following the roads, and the marriage record was found.
Plot the Migration Patterns of Ethnic Groups and Individuals
As you research the migration patterns of individuals, you can see the flow of an entire group and then map the individual path of an individual associated with the group they belong to. Suppose you can find more detailed maps. In that case, you will be able to find the roads, railroads, and waterways they would have traveled, which are essential to locate records and associated families with specific groups. The following are a few examples:
- Records may be scattered. The naturalization process may have been started at the port of entry, and the records may be scattered in stops along the route to the final destination. Ethnic and religious groups often travel together, and a persons’ travels can be traced by tracking others in their group. Also, on the long journey west in the United States, babies were born, people married, and people died. There may have been records of events created along the way.
- City or town names can give clues to the country of origin. The origins of new immigrants can be observed through the names of the cities they lived in. For example, the Quakers from Wales tended to flock together in the Cambry or Welsh tract. The village names of this district define the region of origin in the mother country—Flint, Montgomery, Bala, Tredyffrin, Radnor, Haverford, and Denbign. The East Anglian origins for the settlers of Massachusetts before 1660 can be confirmed by the names they gave to their New England towns. Examples of New England towns named after their counterparts in England are Ipswich, Groton, Boxford, Sudbury, Hadley, Wrentham, and Framingham from towns of the same name in Suffolk County, England. Town names taken from Norfolk, England, were Lynn, Newton, and Hingham. Other towns from East.
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Other Resources to Help Trace Immigrant Ancestors
Are you developing a family history for an individual or family? Are you trying to find their immigrant origins? Start by seeing the articles
- 5 Steps to Finding Immigrant Ancestor Country of Origin
- Overcome Research Brick Walls to Find Ancestor’s Country of Origin
The following videos can help you get a head start in understanding immigration and country of origin ancestor research.
How to Find the Origin of Immigrants Coming to America
An introduction to immigration and migration historical research. You will be introduced to a five-step methodology to find the immigrant origins when conducting individual and family history research.
Addition videos include:
- What Records to Search to Discover Immigrant Origins-Part 1
- What Records to Search to Discover Immigrant Origins-Part 2
- How to Find Immigrants Real Surname and Life Event Dates
The following are records I have found extremely helpful and full of clues to finding an individual’s birthplace and immigrant origins. It is designed to provide a quick reference and direction for finding and searching for records as probable places to find information. You can use these records to develop an immigrant paper trail to assist you in finding and tracing an individual immigrant’s origins. Check out these articles:
Check out the following country profiles to learn more about their immigration and migration in America.
| Immigration and Migration in America | ||
| Czechs and Slovaks | Danish | Dutch |
| English | Finnish | French |
| German | Greek | Hungarian |
| Icelandic | Irish | Italian |
| Norwegian | Polish | Russian |
| Scandinavian | Scottish | Swedish |
| Welch | United States Western Migration | |
Articles include:
- British Immigration to America for Ancestry Research
- Scandinavian Immigration to America for Ancestry Research
- Western European Immigration to America for Ancestry Research
- Eastern European Immigration to America for Ancestry Research
- Western Migration in America for Ancestry Research
Learn more about immigrant records at “Immigrant Records at the National Archives.”
