By Alice Lyndon
The fundamental sources of family history information – such as births, deaths and marriages records; electoral rolls and cemetery records – can help you lay the groundwork for sound historical research. But what do you do when you’ve exhausted these resources and still have dead ends? It’s time to think outside the box! Here, we take a look at some of the less conventional and often overlooked approaches to family history research.
Start at home
When researching an ancestor’s name no longer yield’s information, try searching instead for their address. Tracking a house or block of land can reveal occupant movements, who moved in and out, and even relationships year by year. This is particularly useful if there is confusion about name spellings or changes, as addresses tend to stay relatively stable. You can also find out who lived in the property before and after your ancestors.
In addition to street directories, council and rate books record property owners as well as tenants, which can provide information about people’s movements and land ownership. These can most readily be found in local or state library archives.
Look for trouble
Even if you’re not aware of any criminal activity surrounding your ancestors, searching legal and police-related records such as police gazettes, court cases, jail records, and coronial inquests might reveal useful information. Even minor incidents can include information about the victim or perpetrator, such as name, age, occupations, address and family connections. Legal and police records are often available in digital format via Trove.
Check objects for clues
Last but not least, don’t overlook the humble everyday items your ancestors left behind. Objects like heirlooms, service medals, trade tools, school pins, textbooks and recipe books can provide unique insights into your ancestor’s work, hobbies, or community connections. The best part is that they often reveal stories that records alone cannot tell.
Inspect objects carefully for inscriptions. These might include names, units, military service details, ranks and dates. A family bible often hides inscriptions that have gone overlooked for years, and can yield valuable forgotten information.
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