England Beginning Research Series:
| CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE CLASSES Research Series Classes OnlineThe beginning research course for England is provided by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Learn the basic methods and key resources to start your family history. SCREENSHOT:
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Social Security Death Index
Historical Context: Begun in 1935 by the Social Security Act signed into law by FDR, more than thirty million Americans were registered for the economic security sanctions by 1937. From 1937 to 1940, payments were made in one-lump sums amounts with the first amount being seventeen cents. Following amendments in 1939, the payments turned into monthly benefits and increased. Following further amendments in 1950, cost-of-living increases were awarded to those who were receiving benefits. From 1950 to the present, benefits have increased yearly in response to inflation concerning the costs of living.
Questions Asked: Social security number Name Date of birth Date of death State or county of residence (prior to Mar 1988) ZIP code of last residence, ZIP code of lump sum payment (Prior to 1939).
Why This Database is Valuable: The Death Master File (DMF) from the Social Security Administration (SSA) contains over 80 million records of deaths that have been reported to SSA. This file includes the following information on each decedent, if the data are available to the SSA: social security number, name, date of birth, date of death, state or country of residence (prior to Mar 1988), ZIP code of last residence, and ZIP code of lump sum payment. The SSA does not have a death record for all persons; therefore, SSA does not guarantee the veracity of the file. Thus, the absence of a particular person is not proof this person is alive.
You can search the Social Security Death Index online at FamilySearch for free:
Take note of the years statewide vital-record-keeping officially began in each US state—that’s when counties started to collect birth, marriage and death information and report it to state offices. Some counties or towns kept stats earlier, and some were slow to comply with state laws, so check with your ancestors’ local government for record availability.
With all the resources which you have collected so far, you probably have a good idea
which ancestor you would like to know more about. It is wise to select one direct-line ancestor rather than trying to research several at a time. This way you can be sure that you do not get side-tracked and become discouraged or miss important details.
You will want to be sure you enter important details and sources into your PAF 5.2 database, or one of your choosing. We recently discussed the importance of entering information onto extraction forms, and we even included a link in the last post to several of my favorite free extraction forms.
Keep in mind also that as you search, you may not find records on your ancestor. You may find that you are only able to document a death and not the birth. It is important to become familiar with the spouse and siblings of your ancestor in case the documents that you need to find the previous generation name these individuals instead. I have used my collateral line many times to link back to the previous generation.
We are going to move next to our next phase of research. We will focus the next several posts on specific records, how to use them, and where they can be found. We will begin death records. Hopefully as you commit to following this process, you will find success you have not thought possible.
I began my own research with very little details. I have been able to find a great deal. I will not live to complete all the books that need to be written to preserve all I have found. I am hoping that by sharing what I have learned, you too will discover enough to satisfy your curiosity about you own heritage. I hope you will also preserve it for future generations. I firmly believe society today would benefit from the stories of faith and courage that are waiting to be told. We have the power to change the tide, one story at a time!
At this point, if you have been following these posts in order, you have:
1. Conducted oral history interviews.
2. Gathered photographs and historical documents and digitized them.
3. Uploaded the items above to your free Heritage Makers account for safe keeping.
4. Learned how to fill out a Pedigree Chart and a Family Group Sheet.
5. Learned how to use PAF 5.2
Now you are ready to learn how to locate resources which document the life of an ancestor. Before we proceed, there are a few extraction forms which will help you keep track and be able to see all the details you will find on public documents. Using extraction forms will help you see what information is still needed and keep you from duplicating you research efforts.
People tend to get a little lax when it comes to using extraction forms, but they have enabled me to focus my time and resources, and I have found much success in locating resources which I had no idea existed.
I have linked my favorite types of forms below. They are available free at Family Tree Magazine.
Census Extraction Forms:
1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850
1860 1870 1880 1900 1910 1920 1930
Census Checklist: Click Here
Record Worksheets:
Deed Index-Grantees Deed Index-Grantors
State-Wide Marriage Index Military Records Checklist
Cemetery Transcription Form Vital Records Chart
Oral History and Heirlooms
Artifacts and Heirlooms
Tradition Recording Form
Time Capsules
Oral History Interview Record
The following are the steps to add a link to photos, sound, and video files to PAF 5.2.
