NEED HELP FINDING PRIMARY SOURCES FOR BIRTH & MARRIAGES

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Thomas Acocks Shaw

You’re in the post colonial period actually.

Are you documenting for a lineage society? What rules do they have and what evidence do they accept as proof of identity?

You’re right on both accounts - I started with the colonial generations and moved forward, now post colonial, just don’t know where to go from here. Birth death and marriage dates with documents also showing both parents are ideal for them, but official records with sources are what they are looking for ( ie not unsourced family or town histories, personal recollections, personal notes or family trees. Vital statistics, that sort of thing). I am just having trouble with it because New York State didn’t require documents until the 1880s, and these were homesteaders out in Western Chautauqua county. Not really a town or church area. I just didn’t know where to ask about how to go from here.

It’s an interesting hole in the primary sources, isn’t it. These are some thoughts.

1. Since he died 1909 & his wife in Delia Fluvia Shaw they will be referenced as parents in the vital Records of their children. That infers their marriage.

2. Bible records? I have that for my family 1849 - 1940, and that would, I think, be sufficient for many lineage societies.

3. I see you have a town history reference. Perhaps write to the town clerks for what they might have, especially property records.

4. Check state archives for wills and probate records for them, their parents, their children.

5. Burial and church records.

6. Sometimes there are some less thought of records to demonstrate lineage. Heirlooms of course. School records, medical records, store receipts, letters, farm sales ...

7. And don’t forget the census reports and tax records.

Anyone else with specific knowledge for researching New York State?

Hi Anne:
I see Erica has given you great advice; my family is from the same area. Those years are defiinitely early pioneering years in New York. But I was able through reading some history to back track them. Many of the churches that existed then are no longer there. We are fortunate many of the cemeteries are.I found our burial ground and since my family traveled in a group with kinfolk, as many did, when I ran into a brick wall I searched brothers and sisters which really helped. Also I read the history of who the different Western New York settlers were, which in my case came from Vermont and Fairfield Connecticut (also New Hampshire). Once I knew that I kept reading genealogical and history books from those specific counties and cross referenced with revolutionary war records. Sure enough I found the son of my Rev. War ancestor who lived out in the woods in New Hampshire, but once I pinned him down location wise I wrote to the town historian who went and looked and sure enough, 1 year before his death he came into town and joined the church and is buried there. Her letter has been accepted as proof. I find that the local county historians are much better to go through, they love a search, especially since you are probably related to them, and can get them on the phone. I had 2 other Rev War ancestors who just disappeared into the snow, but finally, again after some cross referencing and reading where they were mustered and fought, I found them on the Valley Forge death roll, which is online. If your ancestor was a soldier, his father and mother should be researchable, as well as his wife, and the wives nearly always drew their pensions. The children would also nearly always use their father's vetern status to get land, especially in Western New York, so there should be a land record for one of those families, Shaw or Allen. One last bit of advice; back then there wasn't really a line between Pennsylvania and New York and the Susquehanna River made it very easy to travel. Towns along the river and it's creeks were boomtowns. Hope that helps!

It helped me, thank you Pamela. Great ideas.

Thanks everyone, those are great ideas indeed.