Ancestry Magazine

Julia Morgan was married in 1876 in Greene County, Arkansas, leaving her maiden name, Craven, behind. Now it’s time to find her parents, but where to start? With clues on Julia’s marriage license.

Step 1
Julia was 18 in 1876 (A). She should be with her parents on the 1870 census and her husband in 1880. While a search at Ancestry.com for Julia Craven in Greene County or Arkansas in 1870 comes up empty, the 1880 search finds Joseph Morgan and Julia in Greene County plus two Craven households on the same page.

Step 2
Backtrack to 1860 where a Julia Craven, age 1, is found in St. Francis, Greene County, in the household of John Craven. The adult female in the house is L.A.M.—one of the Craven households in 1880 was John and Lean M.

Step 3
Return to 1870 with a variety of search combinations of given names, birth dates, and places. You’ll find John W. Croven in Clark, Greene County, with wife Leann, and daughter Julia, age 11.

Step 4
Check the Family History Library Catalog www.familysearch.org for other Greene County records to help fill in family details.

Step 5
Search family trees at Ancestry.com. Why not search here first? In this case, using other records gives you a better grasp of the family and details allowing you to conduct a more educated review of what others posted.