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SIMSBURY 
Genealogical and Historical Research Library 
	Volume 15 Issue 3 	Fall 2008 
Where'd They Go? 
Finding Ancestral Migrations in Federal Records 
Unless you have a very unique pedigree, some of your ancestors moved somewhere at some 
point in time. Rarely did all our ancestors live their complete lives in one place. Where they went, 
how they got there, and why they moved can add flavor and depth to our research and family 
knowledge. Figuring it all out can be very complicated but fascinating research. This article outlines a 
few of the Federal records that can be used for this research as well as some combinations with other 
record types. 
What do you need to know before you start doing migration research? It's helpful to know at 
least either where the family started from or where they ended up. I've gone from both ends on 
different puzzles, and I prefer knowing where they ended up. For example, in my Ide family research, 
I knew they ended up in Vermont, but had no idea where they started. Finding a Revolutionary War 
pension file gave me information on not only where the soldier was born but also where his wife and 
children were born.' So looking at military pension files, if the person was of the right age to serve 
during war time, can also be usefu1.2 
If you can place the family in the 1880 or later census, you'll find information on not only the 
one person you're researching but their parents' places of birth as well. The 1870 census asks for the 
number of adult males in the household who are United States citizens. The 1830 census asked if there 
were any aliens in the household; so those censuses are both useful to discover if your ancestor was 
born somewhere other then the United States, ifhe'd become a citizen. In the case of Jacob Goodman, 
my mother's great-grandfather who was a German immigrant, the 1830 census showed me that he was 
a citizen.' 
Knowing other pieces such as land ownership can also help this type of research. Deeds and 
federal land records can give us ideas on where people lived during certain times. And if they owned 
About the Author 
Jean Nudd is an archivist with the National Archives and Records Administration in Pittsfield, Massa- 
chusetts. She came to the National Archives in 1994 from the Arizona State Archives where she was responsible 
for the collection of local records, outreach activities and the archives reference room. At the National Archives 
in Pittsfield, she manages the microfilm reading room as well as the volunteer and outreach programs. 
Ms. Nudd earned her Bachelors degree in history from Plymouth State College in Plymouth, New 
Hampshire, and her Masters from Arizona State University in local history. Her training also includes the Mod- 
em Archives Institute, a National Archives Preservation Institute, and numerous Society of American Archivists 
workshops and seminars. 
Her frequent lectures on using Federal records and doing genealogy include appearances at the Federa- 
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