1. Hamilton County Genealogical Society Applying for a Lineage Group

3. What’s In It for You?

4. Application Process

5. Rules and Procedures
Application
Generations
Evidence

12. What Constitutes Evidence?

13. Documentation must be provided for each date, place or name written on the application.

14. Evidence from vital statistics (birth, marriage and death), courthouse or other government records, and church records usually is considered excellent proof.

15. Other evidence such as Bible records, diaries or letters, censuses, newspaper clippings, county histories and family records contemporary to the facts reported are considered as corroborating evidence.

16. City Directories can provide excellent evidence of residence in Hamilton County. Watch out for more than one person with the same name. You can use a red pencil check mark to highlight the name.

17. A Death Certificate can provide excellent evidence for relationships, residence, date of birth and death.

18. Marriage Licenses should include the “Return” to be considered valid.

19. Photographs of tombstones are acceptable for proof of birth and death dates and for relationships actually stated on the stone. Include the name and location of the cemetery in which the tombstone is found.

20. Documents written or printed in a foreign language must be accompanied by a translation into English and the translation certified by a third party; (not the applicant or his/her family member).

21. Make sure you cite sources.

22. Cemetery Records

23. Wills and Newspaper Articles Can Be an Excellent Sources
Contains evidence of
relationships, residence in Hamilton County, property ownership and approximate date of death.

24. Newspapers
Source:
Cincinnati Daily Gazette,
p. 2, 1834.

25. Transcriptions and abstractions from web sites such as Heritage Quest, Ancestry, and many genealogical organization sites are considered acceptable evidence but must have the original source fully cited as well as the URL citation. Web site information will be judged on an individual basis by the individual lineage society chair(s) as to the credibility of the data presented.

26. Pre-1850 censuses cannot be used as sole proof of residence for anyone other than the head of household.

27. This church record shows date and place of birth.

28. Deeds
Hamilton County Ohio, Deeds, Series 1, Book 594, p. 148‐149, Wainright to The Little Miami Rail Road, 16 November 1852, Office of the Hamilton County Recorder, Cincinnati, Ohio.  (Children listed).

30. Military Records

31. Evidence for residence, age, occupation, marital status and birthplace.

32. From a Civil War Pension

35. Published genealogies may not be considered proof without additional corroboration.

36. Family letters and notes are not proof, but can provide corroborating evidence.

37. Attach a Family Tree to Your Application if Possible

38. Sample document with full citation including a certified
translation.

39. There are many additional resources
There are many additional resources. Some of the best proof can come from non-standard resources.
Take advantage of the expertise of the members of your Hamilton County
Genealogical Society. The members of the
Heritage Committee are ready to assist.

40. Best Advice – Review the rules, application procedures and rules of evidence BEFORE working on the application. Refer to the HCGS website at and click on
“Lineage Societies” for directions and downloadable forms.

41. Heritage Committee
Top Row: Mary M. Nyktas, Kenny Burke, Bev Breitenstein, Sandra Morgan, John Tholking
Bottom Row: Kathy Reed, Gail Burkholz, Karen Klaene