As you attempt to build your family tree, it’s only natural to focus on important dates, such as when someone was born, when they died and got married. These milestones are important, but they often don’t tell you much about the actual lives of your ancestors. Occupational records, however, do.
Tapping into information about what they did to earn a living can add a new dimension to your research, helping you to see more than just basic facts. Occupational records come in many forms, and each one you find has the potential to help you fill in blanks on your family tree.
What Can Occupational Records Tell You?
So, what can occupational records actually give you? The truth is that they can reveal a surprising amount about your ancestors’ social status, where they plied their trade and even their personality. For instance, if you were to find out that a distant relative was a tailor, you’d get a huge piece of the jigsaw of their life’s story.
How? Well, employment records can sometimes include descriptions of an ancestor’s skills, work habits, or reasons for changing jobs. Apprenticeship records, too, often show the name of the master, the trade being learned, and sometimes the terms of their working agreement.
These details immediately bring that person to life in a way that few other documents can.
Where Can You Find Occupational Records?
Typically, you’ll find occupational records are scattered across a wide range of sources, and knowing how to use them properly can make all the difference. Here are a few ideas on where to look and what to do when you find them:
- Census records: These often list a person’s trade. Look for consistency to help confirm identities, but don’t ignore changes, as these may point towards career shifts or periods of unemployment.
- City directories: Just like modern phone books, these often include names, addresses, and occupations. They can be especially useful between census years or when tracking families that moved around a lot.
- Military records: Civilian occupations are often mentioned alongside service details, helping you link military and home life.
- Trade directories: Shopkeepers, artisans, and professionals often appeared here. Cross-reference names and addresses with other records for stronger matches.
- Guilds, unions, and trade associations: Membership lists can reveal years of service, apprenticeships, or job changes that flesh out their career path.
- Newspapers: Job adverts, business openings, and obituaries often name occupations. Matching these to known family details can unlock new leads.
When you cast a wide net and check occupations across different types of records, it can help you to spot patterns and confirm family links. Coincidentally, MyHeritage is constantly expanding its historical newspaper collection on OldNews.com, making it easier than ever to find mentions of your ancestors’ professions.
Helping You Piece Together Your True Family Story
Exploring occupational records can turn dry family trees into vivid stories, giving you an interesting glimpse into how your ancestors really lived. Finding and interpreting those records can be challenging, particularly as jobs changed, spellings shifted, and sometimes the same occupation went by many different names.
However, when you combine occupational clues with traditional records, it’s possible to build a richer, more accurate picture of your family’s journey through history. With billions of historical records available, MyHeritage makes it simpler than ever to discover where your ancestors worked, moved, and built their lives.
Interested in finding out more? Then be sure to check out our smart search tools and extensive archive collections that can help you connect the dots and turn names and dates into a living, breathing family story.
The post How to Use Occupational Records to Learn More About Ancestors appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.
Source: My Heritage