Researching the Women in Your Family Tree

Abigail Adams, wife of one President and
mother of another.

"Remember the Ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors"  - Abigail Adams

In her 1776 letter to her husband, John Adams,
who was attending the Continental Congress, Abigail
urged her husband to give more rights to women
than they had up to that point. Later in her letter she  says,

 
"Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.”

John tried placating her with the words that men "are masters in name only".  History tells us he ignored her advise.

Why is searching for women any different than any other genealogical research?

For much of history in many cultures, men served as the "public face" of the family. They were the ones who most often went out in public and their names were the ones published in documents. Here are some of factors involved in making women harder to research;

• Women change their surname every time they marry. Ex.: Margaret Evaline MASON married: Arthur Burkhart, Walter Fouse, Glen Marshall, and Ben Christian and had children by each of them. Her marriage records appear under her maiden name as well as her previous married names. 
• Prior to even 1950, women were less often listed under their own names in any records. So it becomes necessary to look for a woman under her husband's name. 
• Further back in time, women become "invisible" in the records. This was because the were not allowed to:
• Vote
• Own real estate in their own name.
• Sign legal documents
• Men wrote the histories, paid the taxes, participated in the military, left wills, and gave their surnames to their children.

Women advocating their right to vote.
Photo courtesy WikiCommons.

This has slowly changed over time. But when working to flesh out the lives of the female half of your ancestors you will need to sharpen up your research skills.

First, follow traditional research methods thoroughly. Don't skip someone or something just because it is difficult to locate.

Then take a closer look at these records:

• Marriage records - are the best place to find a woman's maiden name. However, if a woman had previously been married, she might be listed under her previous married name. Witnesses to the wedding often were relatives of either the bride or the groom. The person performing the marriage can give you a clue as to what religion the family belonged to. If a surety or bond was put it, often the father or brother provided the money. And sometimes, a marriage record just does not exist.
• Cemetery listings -While a woman is most often buried under her married name, you will want to check nearby tombstones to see if she is buried near her family members. Tombstones sometimes provides the spouse's full name.
• Census records - women are listed under their husband's surname in the census records. But check to see who is listed with the family. Brothers and aged parents of the wife have shown up in the census records of my great grandmothers. Also, check to see what middle names are given to the children. Often, the mother's maiden name is preserved as a first or middle name of  her children.
• Church Records - witnesses on church records are most often relatives.
• Land Records - women would release their "dower" rights when communal land is sold. Land she inherited from a previous husband required an agreement as to how it would be handled.
• Guardianship records - even when one parent survived, a guardian would be appointed to protect the financial interests of the child. 
• Probate records and wills - sometimes reveal the married names of daughters, or if she is deceased, the names of her surviving children. She could be named in the will of her husband or her children. Prior to 1900, people generally married people in their direct neighborhood. So check the wills of neighbors to see of your ancestress is listed among the married daughters. 
• Public welfare records - applications for aid for minor children. 
• Naturalization Records - prior to 1922, a woman's citizenship status followed that of her husband. After 1922, women applied for citizenship in their own names. Check this blog for more information on women and naturalization records. 
• Children - Research all the known children to see you can find any mention of the married sister or deceased mother. She might be listed in the obituary, or the will, etc. 
• Newspapers - after 1900 newspaper articles carried articles on social happenings and followed club activities. Many women's groups featured heavily in these society pages. 
• Military Records - while few women officially served in the military prior to WWI, they could apply for pensions if a husband or unmarried son had died.

Think about the activities that women were doing and look for those records:

• Ephemera - such as letters and diaries or journals.
• Volunteer organizations - did your grandmother roll bandages for the Red Cross during WWII?
• Women's clubs - After the mid-1800's women's clubs became a popular way for women to expand their horizons beyond their household. Did your ancestress belong to one?
• Church groups - women often are the backbone of charitable groups within the church.

The Friday Afternoon Club is a women's club that is still active in the Medina Ohio area.
Medina Gazette 2 May 1969, page 5

Happy hunting!

SOURCES:

• Alzo, Lisa, "Best Records for Finding Female Ancestors", Family Tree University, 2008.
• Haddad, Diane, "Best Records for Finding Female Ancestors", Family Tree Magazine, 25 March 2019, https://bit.ly/2OrZVnx?fbclid=IwAR03Yk4KF5eRtWjFTQYk2MJSbuqNoBYIuAwI8AxS_8m46B4GUp81nQfFqlA 
• Moneymaker, Will, "How to Overcome the Difficulties of Finding Female Ancestors" Ancestral Findings.com https://ancestralfindings.com/how-to-overcome-the-difficulties-of-finding-female-ancestors/
• Powell, Kimberly "How to Research the Women in Your Family Tree" ThoughtCo https://www.thoughtco.com/invisible-women-ancestors-1422869
• Schaefer, Christina Kassabian, Hidden Half of the Family, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, 1999.
• Wilcox, Jane E., "Unusual Sources for Finding Female Ancestors" Generations Cafe Episode #24, https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/female-ancestors/, 28 March 2019.