Livingston County- Land Records

Land records in Livingston began being documented in 1836. These records tend to be a often overlooked part of most peoples genealogical research. Land records provide actual documentation of a time period when a person moved into a county, relatives that live close to that person and approximate times when the person died. This truly is part of the detective work we hear about in genealogy.

Land records can vary in length and information. In my own personnel research I have seen many mentions of relationships identified in these documents not only with children, but also brothers, sisters, parents, aunts and uncles.

Be certain when researching your families land records. It is hard work and takes some getting use to, but pays off in big dividends. Have a wonderful day.

Livingston County- Wills

The research necessary to locate a will for a dead ancestor is well worth the search. Key to the search is to identify the persons date of death and use that as the starting point. Typically the will if written will be filed within six months after the persons death.

The wills in Livingston County are located at the Probate Court. After searching I was unable to come up with a time period that the records were filed and indexed. Be certain to obtain a copy of the document when you send or visit the courthouse. Names and comments provide valuable clues when doing ones search. Maiden names for daughters are often only found in her parents Wills. Executors are often relatives and can be traced later for more clues.

Tomorrow I will be talking about naturalization records. Have a great day.

Livingston County- Death Records

Death records are important to confirm facts about our ancestors and their relationships. Records in Livingston county are at the courthouse in Howell.

The County Clerk records include those deaths in the county from 1867 to present. All certified records can be obtained at these two locations. Be sure to have the date narrowed down to the day or at least the year. Please be patient with the these folks as it takes time to retrieve the records.

Remember the information in a death records is only as good as the person giving the information. Be sure to confirm the information with other source records. Many times maiden names of mothers, spelling and place of birth have errors. Be certain to confirm this information.

I will be discussing the wills in Livingston County. Have a great day.

Livingston County Marriage Records

The county of Livingston started recording marriage records in 1836. This is a very early period of time as compared to many other counties. The records are located at the courthouse in Howell.

All of the marriage records are indexed. Be sure to pay special attention on marriage records to who the trustees that are listed. They often provide valuable clues to family relationships that are often overlooked when to doing your genealogy. Be sure to make copies of this document, because some of the names don't always stick out as clues immediately. In my family a person listed on a marriage record as a witness later was traced to be the maiden name of the mother once I traced the family back into Virginia.

Tomorrow I will be going over the death records of the county. Thank you again for your support and please send any questions or ideas you might have.

Genealogy Program- Mt Clemens, MI

For all folks in Southeast Michigan I thought this might be a wonderful oppourtunity
to expand your genealogical understanding. 


There will be a Book Fair on Saturday, February 9th from 10 am - 4pm at the
Mount Clemens Public Library featuring a variety of talks and workshops on
different subjects.   The schedule, details and registration form is online
at  www.libcoop.net/mountclemens/bookfair.htm

The sessions on genealogy (all free) include:

10:05-11:45  "The Roots of Your Family Tree: Learn How to Dig"    Ann
Faulkner and Lisa Eschenburg of the Macomb County Genealogy Group (MCGG)
will present a Beginner's Workshop on how to Trace Your Family Tree.   An
overview on how to find, record, prove, and organize your information using
both traditional and computerized methods, will be discussed.    Assisted by
other members of the MCGG, we will then divide up into small groups to
answer your questions and discuss your individual research.   It would be
helpful if you brought any photocopies of family documents that you might
have, for this phase of the workshop.   Handouts will be available.

1:15-2:45  "Putting Flesh on the Bones of Your Ancestors" with Bob Bauer.
How to write up the lives and stories of your ancestors to make them come
alive to their descendants.

3:00-4:00  "Genealogy and Local History Roundtable."


Have a great Sunday.

Genealogy Groups

I hope that this site is providing valuable information for those folks that are readers. Now is the time to be attending your local genealogy group meetings. These are excellent places to learn new skills for future search and networking with people that can help you with your family search.

This take some time to attend these meetings in your area. The time spent will be well worth your time.

Thanks again for your support. Please let me know if there are any specific topics that you would like to see covered. Spread the word on the blog.

Birth Records- Livingston Co., MI

Birth records are valuable document in our family searches. The primary location to locate these records is at the county courthouse in Howell. It did not become the responsibility of the county to start recording birth records until 1867. Prior to this time they are non existent unless found in other sources.

Birth records start in 1867 and run until present. Be sure to have at least a decade narrowed down when you begin your search. Birth records tend to be indexed so you will be able to not only get the name of the person you are looking for, but also people with the same last name. This is helpful is rural counties where the population was not so high. Sure there are exceptions to this search, but they are few. Common surnames in a particular area translate into common relationships.

Be patient with the courthouse folks and realize they get many requests for searches. If you plan to go in person it is always a good idea to call ahead and make sure that they will be open when you wish to go.

Have a great day.