Ancestry Extends Behind Prison Bars

Question: I know from census records that one of my ancestors was a convict at San Quentin. No one wants to talk to me about him or his background, but I want to trace the line back further. Can you tell me what information is available from prison records and how to obtain it?

Answer: San Quentin was established in 1852, so you have a good chance to locate its records. Write to California State Prison at San Quentin, San Quentin, CA. 94964 and to California Department of Corrections, 630 K St., Sacramento, Calif. 95814, to determine if any or all of the following pertinent records are available about your ancestor and how you can obtain photocopies: Admission and Discharge Books, Register of Prisoners, Biographical Registers, Reception Descriptive Lists of Convicts, Hospital Record Books, Death Warrants, Clemency Files, Pardon Books and Lists of Executions.

The court records (county where he was convicted) may have information about his trial, so search criminal court records and newspapers for additional material. We can’t change what our ancestors did--family historians should record information accurately and properly without judgment.

Q: How can I find where copies of a local newspaper of a particular town are filed? The 1860 census shows a Sarah Brown, age 100, living in Harmony Township, Union County, Fairfield post office, Ind. I believe this is my ancestor, Sarah Guffey Brown, and I would like to locate her obituary.

A: Check at your library for “Newspapers in Microform: U.S., 1948-72” (and supplements). These dates have nothing to do with the dates of the newspapers. This is a union list of available (negative and positive) microfilmed newspapers, some dating to the 18th Century. Use it to determine if there was a newspaper published in the locale and for the approximate date you need, and if so, your reference librarian can determine by the codes at the bottom of each entry list which U.S. libraries own copies of that newspaper and can then request the issues you want via interlibrary loan.

It appears the Fairfield of 1860 Union County no longer exists. The county seat of Union County, Ind., is Liberty. Write to the editor of a weekly newspaper there, the Liberty Herald Union County Review, 10-12 N. Market, Liberty, Ind. 47353, to determine if it (or a predecessor) may have been the newspaper that ran the obituary and how you can obtain a copy. Many newspapers and local libraries maintain indexes and copies of obituaries or can tell you which depository now has them.

Q: What sources do you recommend for those researching Latino lineage in Southwest United States back to the 1500s?

A: The best material to get you started can be found in a new genealogy guidebook, “The Source.” Read Chapter 18, “Genealogical and Historical Sources in the Spanish and Mexican Southwest” by George J. Nixon. He lists repositories and a bibliography of guides, inventories and catalogue that should keep you busy for some time and help you locate the desired records.

Q: I love needlepoint and would like to embroider a sampler like a family tree, but I don’t know how to put it down correctly. Can you help me find a chart to stitch?

A: There are “My Family Tree” patterns (counted cross-stitch chart) available for about $3 from needlework material retail outlets. Readers may have additional genealogical patterns and be kind enough to share their sources.

Address genealogical research questions to Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Box 64316, Tacoma, Wash. 98464 and please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. For a beginner’s genealogy kit (includes charts) showing how to get started researching your family tree, send $3 and allow about two weeks for delivery.