5 Quick Tips on Finding Ancestors in Colonial America

So you have created a family tree and you are proud of the information you have found. You have managed to track your line all the way back to the mid 1850s and now you are stuck. Well I was faced with the same problem and I managed to track down the famous gunsmith in my family. Hopefully my experience can help those of you who are also stuck.

1. Pension Reports

If any man fought in a war during this time he was required to give a recorded oral history to determine whether or not he deserved a pension. Occasionally the government would reject pensions because they did not believe the party that gave the report, regardless their name was recorded. If you are able to find a pension report than consider yourself lucky as many of them were destroyed during the War of 1812, but many still do exist. If you are able to locate them then you will have a first-hand account on what your ancestor saw during the war or a particular battle.

However, most of you won't be that lucky. Even if you are not able to find a pension report you can see if your ancestor filed for a pension or not. This will give you a date and location, which can be invaluable when you are grasping at straws.

2. Letters

It is amazing what has been passed down through generations. The Americans communicated in the 1700s was through the mail. Often times they would save their correspondence.

I was able to locate my famous ancestor from a letter that he wrote to the Maryland Council.

It is a long shot, but it is possible.

3. Wills and Land Deeds

A living will is a gold mine of information and it is not too difficult to find if you can establish the location of the death of an ancestor. Once the location is established you will want to contact the courthouse and get as much information as possible. A local library will also be a great help in this area. Many times libraries will have or have access to land deeds. If you can find either of these you will also find other ancestors. In a Living Will the deceased will mention parents, children and wives. Land Deeds will help verify where your ancestor lives and can also give you information on other ancestors that may have also owned the house.

4. Immigration Reports