by Paula Stuart Warren, CG
Some of my favorite records are those labeled as "miscellaneous" or
"loose." Miscellaneous can mean the data in the back of a totally
unrelated record book or on the back of a note or index card.
Do you have a relative who says "I really don't have anything about
Great-grandma Hazel's ancestry?" Yet, in a collection of "loose"
papers, they have a stack of family funeral cards that were kept by
Hazel.
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous records can be found in major repositories. The Family
History Library Catalog includes some
miscellaneous court and vital records. Some state and other archives'
online catalogs or in-house inventories show volumes of "Miscellaneous
Records" for a town or county. A check of the catalog of the Missouri
State Archives using only the word
"miscellaneous" yields "Miscellaneous Court Records." The subject
tracings include "elections," so I would check this out to see if any
personal names are listed.
The North Carolina State Archives has
informative descriptions of what may be found in county records it
holds and miscellaneous records are frequently listed. One item
listed is "Miscellaneous Court Records: Includes boxes of
miscellaneous court records and dockets from both Court of Pleas and
Quarter Sessions and Superior Court." It is possible that some
miscellaneous records are not found in court indexes.
Loose Papers
Loose papers may refer to records that were kept on unattached pages
or possibly a probate file (or part of a file) that is in a packet and not in
a volume. Loose papers may be less likely to survive than a bound
volume. When county records were turned over to an archive, the
resulting finding aid often called a section of loose, possibly
unrelated, or previously bound pages, simply "loose papers" or
"miscellaneous." Loose papers turn up when a courthouse or other
government entity moves into a new building or transfers records to
an archive.
Back at the Missouri State Archives site, I noted some "loose papers"
that refer to "Missouri Militia, 1861-1865" and include orders,
discharges, deaths, and desertions. Neither the state nor the
counties were recording deaths at this time period.
A minister or justice of the peace faithfully turned in a piece of
paper or a signed certificate with the details of an ancestor's
marriage. Are you sure the county clerk recorded that or did it end
up in a pile of "loose papers?"
Back of the Book
If you ever saw me in an archive or a courthouse, you would know I go
to the back of the book first. No, not to check for an index, but to
see if there are any gems on those pages. I have a couple pages I
found in the back of another school related record book that list
teacher salaries with information on when they taught and their
educational background. A clerk may have run out of space in the
proper volume and used the back of another volume to enter data. When
viewing microfilm, check at the end of that volume for such neat
items. A notation there may be about a relative.
Turn It Over
When taking my own genealogical notes by hand or printing out pages,
I resist using the back side of the paper, index card, or other
paper. I am afraid that later I will not remember to check that back
side. A microfilm of a newspaper index might be helpful, but the
camera operator may not have looked at the reverse side of the cards.
I have a copy from a microfilmed newspaper index which has cards with
extensive hand abstracted details from an obituary. Thankfully this
camera operator did turn the card over and film the notation stating
that the details were incorrect and that it was actually the obit for
the brother, and it also states the person listed on the other side
was still alive!
"I Don't Know Anything."
Most of us have had a relative tell us that they know nothing about
their ancestry. In some cases it is true, but in others, the person
doesn't realize there are genealogical gems hidden in their brain.
This same person may say they have no family history papers. Ah, but
if you ask the right questions or show them the 1880 census page
for the family, they suddenly remember hearing about Aunt Mabel and
her children who moved to California. Or if you show them a few old
photos, the pictures might spark a story that is filled with details.
Soon the family loose papers and the miscellaneous "stuff" are opened
for you. Many websites and publications offer oral history interview
suggestions and ideas for getting the reticent relative to converse
with you.
The Lesson?
What lesson can we learn from this? Turn over every piece of paper.
Check state and federal archival catalogs and other finding aids for
"loose" or miscellaneous" records. Ancestry.com has miscellaneous
records within some databases. Use the online and microfilmed
sources, but try to find the actual original records so you can check
the back of the book, look at the back of the index card, and create
effective ways to refresh a relative's memory.
A Minnesota resident, Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, is a professional
genealogist, consultant, writer, and lecturer who is frequently on
the road. She coordinates the intermediate course, American Records &
Research, at the annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She writes
for several periodicals including Ancestry Magazine. Comments and
additions to her columns will reach her at
PaulaStuartWarren@gmail.com but she regrets that she is unable to
answer individual genealogical research inquiries due to the volume
of requests. From time to time, comments from readers may be quoted
in her writings. Your name will not be used, but your place of
residence might be listed (i.e., Casa Grande, Arizona).
Upcoming Appearances by Paula Stuart Warren
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