When we go back in time, we often hit a brick wall for a person for whom we only know the name. Perhaps we find a marriage record that lists the father, or we find a name with a patronymic that suggests who the father was.
It is very hard to find records if you only know a name. Often, names are not unique. There may be multiple people in the town with the same name, perhaps named after the same grandparent. You will need to know more about your ancestor to be sure that the record you find are indeed about that person.
One way to do this is by searching for more records about his children. These records may give you direct or indirect evidence that tell you more about your brick wall ancestor, such as the name of the spouse, an approximate date of death, or the location of property that he owned.
By knowing more about the person, you will be able to assess whether any records you find are indeed for the person you are looking for. Don’t go back too soon but take your time to complete the research for the later generations. That will prevent you from going off-track and tracing the wrong line.
Derailed train. Credits: Spaarnestad Photo (no known copyrights)
About Yvette Hoitink
