The Master Chronology
First things first, so let's take a look at the "hows" of creating a "significant events timeline" and then we'll start looking at some items you may want to include. This timeline is going to serve as a kind of research guide that will help you:

1) Get new ideas for different records to look for.
2) Locate those records.
3) Locate ancestors who are "missing."
4) Gain significant insight into the life of your ancestors by learning about the times and places in which they lived.

While all of these are great reasons to compile a chronology of this nature, the fourth seems the most significant to me. I've actually set aside much of my research lately and have been focused on reading and learning more about the history of the areas where my ancestors lived. My hope is that by understanding more about the times and places in which they lived, I will be better equipped to knock down some of those brick walls by predicting where they may have come from, where those with the disappearing acts may have gone, and how they fit (or don't fit) with the norm for that time. They can also help me to flag things that don't quite make sense and question some of my findings.

I've centered my chronologies geographically and am fortunate that my ancestors were "clumpers." By that I mean those people who settled in one place and stayed there. (Yes, I made that word up, but it seems to fit so I'm sticking with it. If you plot my New York ancestors on a map, you'll see "the clump.") Anyway, because of the clumpers, I'll only have to make a few chronologies of this type, but some of you whose families moved around a bit may find yourselves creating more. In any case, it's worth it, and once completed, you'll have a resource you can turn to again and again.

If you're like me, you may find much of the information needed for this chronology in your own files. Recently, when I reorganized my research into binders, I had a ton of important information on where to locate records, history of the area, etc. I was pretty much buried in paper. As I unearthed myself from the piles, I created a "locality file" and all of these website printouts, helpful messages from mailing lists and message boards, copies of pages from history books and periodicals, maps, etc. went into it. (More information on creating a locality file is here)
This is where I'll start in creating my chronology and as I learn more, I'll add that information too.

Because we'll probably be referencing this tool frequently, we'll want to make it as complete and as easy to use as possible. After noting the date and a brief description of the event, make a note of where it came from so that the source can be revisited quickly when questions arise and when looking at other lines in the area. In some cases you might also want to note where records for follow-up are kept. An example might read something like this:

28 August 1823
St. James Church completed and consecrated.
Current Address:
250 Cathedral Place (cor. Cathedral and Jay, 4th Ward)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 855-6390
Sacramental records held in the parish office.
(Sources: Diocese of Brooklyn website and Roman Catholic Churches, Brooklyn, N.Y., site by Tim Desmond )

If you find yourself citing the same sources over and over, you might want to create a source list at the end and just use abbreviations in your entry, such as:

28 August 1823
St. James Church completed and consecrated.
Current Address:
250 Cathedral Place (cor. Cathedral and Jay, 4th Ward)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 855-6390
Sacramental records held in the parish office.
(Sources 1 and 2)

Then your source list at the end of the chronology would list:

--- Source List
1. Diocese of Brooklyn website

2. Roman Catholic Churches, Brooklyn, N.Y., site by Tim Desmond

I've chosen to save separate copies of both the personal timelines that contain the record of a particular family and the main "significant event" list. The "significant event list" for the area remains the same, but after making a separate working copy of the personal timeline, I can copy and paste this information into it, making a third timeline that makes it get a clearer view of where I need to search next on that line. Now let's take a look at some of the things we may want to include:

Jurisdictional Dates
An obvious benefit to timelines is in placing your ancestor in a particular place and time so that we can locate other records that he or she may have created during that period. But there are other considerations. Some names of streets and towns change, some borders change, and some towns and settlements have vanished completely. This information can be extremely helpful when incorporated into a timeline. Knowing when borders and names changed can be the difference between a successful search of records and frustrating failure.

This information can often be found by checking with local historical and genealogical societies, libraries, or with local governments. You might even be able to locate this type of information online. For example, I did a search for:
chicago street name changes

I came across a wonderful site created by "POINTers in Person," a local affiliate of " (POINT) Pursuing Our Italian Names Together ." This site contains a database of Chicago street names, addresses and changes.

We also need to know about institutions in the area, such as churches, cemeteries and schools. When were they established, and in some cases, when did they cease to exist? Was a closer institution built in the neighborhood that might have resulted in your ancestor switching their affiliation from one to another?

Unfortunately that's all we have room for this week, but next week we'll continue discussing other events—on a world, national, or local scale--that we'll also want to include.

Note: Follow this link to view part II of this article.

Juliana Smith is the editor of the Ancestry Daily News and author of The Ancestry Family Historian's Address Book. She has written for Ancestry Magazine and Genealogical Computing. Juliana can be reached by e-mail at: ADNeditor@ancestry.com, but regrets that she is unable to assist with personal research.