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Best of ESM Methodology and Skills

Finding Fathers: Tracking Males Who “Disappeared” or “Just Showed Up”

Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL
Jan 26, 2024
2.8K views
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Content

Play. Playing.
Welcome
1m 53s
Play. Playing.
Introduction
9m 06s
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Land Surveys
3m 25s
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Federal Land Records
1m 57s
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Bonds
1m 31s
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Tax Rolls
1m 30s
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Court Records
6m 25s
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Private papers of public men
5m 00s
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Sideways Research
15m 30s
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Naming Patterns
1m 33s
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Environment
14m 03s
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Announcements / prizes
4m 39s
Play. Playing.
Questions / answers
11m 52s

About this webinar

The legendary Choctaw Chief Pushmataha swore that he sprang full grown from Mother Earth. As genealogists, we sometimes wonder whether our ancestors did the same. Most elusive men do have traceable origins, once we learn to deal with the issues that thwart us—migration, high mortality rates, and illegitimacy being not the least of them. This hour offers practical suggestions and strategies for extending paternal lines, focusing upon the pre-1850 period when censuses don’t identify children in parental households.

About the speaker

About the speaker

Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL
Across a long career, Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS, has been an innovator of research methods and strategies. Published widely by academic and popular presses, she edited a national-level scholarly journal for 16 years, taught
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  1. LA
    Lu Ann Pillar
    3 months ago

    Typical. ESM’s webinars are always…exquisitely detailed and informative. Her syllabi help me to follow up with activities to learn more deeply and then apply the knowledge to my own genealogy. Thank you, Elizabeth Shown Mills, for sharing your considerable knowledge that helps me in my own education plan.
    Legacy Family Tree Webinars is, as well, so appreciated.

    Reply
  2. RC
    Rebecca Corson
    3 months ago

    I have new hopes in finding my 2nd great grandfather that seemed to walk off the face of the earth. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Can’t wait to apply these new techniques

    Reply
  3. AW
    Angie Wysong
    3 months ago

    The “Best of Elizabeth Shown Mills” is always “the best”! Thanks again for an amazing presentation!

    Reply
  4. GC
    Gay Campbell
    4 months ago

    Excellent! Again! You’ve given me a few new ideas to check out. Thank you!

    Reply
  5. FB
    Frances Bumann
    4 months ago

    Such superb methodology!

    Reply
  6. KW
    Kathryn Watts
    4 months ago

    I’m hoping this will help me with my brickwall. my 2nd Great-grandfather married my great-grandmother’s mother and disappeared before she was born. He didn’t leave many many clues, but I’m going to check through everything I have and using some of what I learned today and see if I might be able to at least knock down a few of those bricks in that wall.

    Reply
  7. MC
    Melissa Collins
    4 months ago

    Fabulous info. Have been introduced to new resources I wasn’t aware of. As always, enjoy webinars produced by Elizabeth Shown Mills.

    Reply
  8. KM
    Karen McAtlin
    4 months ago

    This is a fantastic presentation as are all of Elizabeth’s webinars! She is such a great teacher. Thank you so much!

    Reply
Show all comments

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