Pointers On Finding Those ‘Lost’ Women

As working genealogists, aren’t we forever chasing that elusive great-grandmother or great-aunt? Doesn’t it seem like women’s lives are much harder to document than the lives of their husbands?.

They are!

Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, in an article titled “Researching and Writing About Female Ancestors” in the September/October 1998 issue of Ancestry Magazine, proposes seven steps for researching female ancestors:

Start by focusing on the woman herself, obtaining all the available records either she created or were created about her.

Broaden your research scope to her immediate family.

Widen your research even more and look at her neighbors, friends and relatives. Carefully examine records created by relatives and friends; women of the past generally spent more time in the company of other women than with men.

Look at her husband’s associates: business partners, friends. Some of these people could very well be your ancestor’s relatives.

Check all possible types of records for the time and place of your female ancestor. You never know which record will reveal a clue or piece of information.

Traditional genealogical records, however, will only take you so far. Expand your horizons and read women’s social histories. Social historians research many of the same records as genealogists do - wills, court records, land and tax records - but historians focus on an entire community rather than specific individuals.

Don’t get discouraged. Researching women takes time, patience and creativity.

In her book, “A Genealogist’s Guide to Discovering Your Female Ancestors,” Carmack expands on the seven steps and presents special strategies for uncovering hard-to-find information about our female lineages.

The book ($16) can be ordered from Better Way Books at (800) 289-0963

“The Hidden Half of the Family, A Sourcebook for Women’s Genealogy,” by Christina Kassabian Schaefer, is a brand new book which will also greatly help us search for our evasive female ancestors.

It’s important to realize a woman’s identity was usually under that of her husband, Schaefer writes. A “feme covert” (literally, a covered woman) must be sought through the ways she was permitted to interact with the various jurisdictions of government.

In her book Schaefer provides a synopsis of important dates in the history of each state.

Then she details pertinent information on the records for each state. A bibliography rounds out the list.

As an example, turning to Wyoming, I learned that by 1887 county clerks were required to issue and record marriage licenses, and by 1899, a wife could divorce her husband.

In 1869, a married woman’s earnings were her separate property, and in 1876 she could leave property in her own will.

In 1803, all residents of Wyoming, including women - but excluding Native Americans - became citizens. In 1869 the Suffrage Act was passed and women were eligible to hold political office. In 1925, Wyoming became the first state to elect a woman governor.

There were a dozen items listed in the bibliography for further reading.

The book ($35, plus $3.50 shipping) can be ordered from Genealogical Publishing Co. at (800) 296-6687.