Genealogy Hints

Genealogical Society of Marion County, Indiana
Deed to Property

There are various types of deeds to property. The most common are the warranty deed, which transfers property with assurance of good title and the quitclaim deed which transfers one person's interest in the property without guarantee of good title.

Birth Records

Birth Records are difficult to obtain because they can be (mis)used for so many purposes. You may be required to provide proof of relationship and proof of the person's death.

Death Records

Death Records can be the least accurate records depending upon the knowledge of the person reporting the information about the deceased. Unfortunately, you will never be able to report your own information. How much do your children know about you?

Marriage Records

Marriage Records may only be records of the wedding. However, you may also find the Application for Marriage completed by the bride and groom-to-be. Marriage records may also be corroborated with church records.

types

Vital Records include birth, marriage, divorce and death records.

calculating birth date

To find a birth date from a death date, subtract the age in years, months and days from the date of death. This is a very close approximation.

non-certified copy

When ordering a death, marriage or birth certificate, request a non-certified copy. It contains exactly the same information as the certified copy but is less expensive.

timing of recording

Vital records and event information are more reliable when they are recorded near the time of the happening. The longer the time from the event occurrence that the record is made, the less accurate it may be based on the memory of the person involved.

More information on Long Form

When ordering a death, marriage or birth certificate, request the long form which will have more information than the short form.

Public record keeping

Public record keeping was very unorganized in previous generations.