Family history research is hard: don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Our knowledge of the available sources, our ability to tease the information out of the documents and the skills that we use in the course of our critical investigation are the equal of any mainstream historical research. That is, of course, assuming that we’re doing things properly.
This month’s case study is a good example of how difficult it can all be. It’s a return to a theme that we’ve visited on numerous occasions in the Family Tree Academy; namely, our ancestors’ annoying habit of adopting a flexible approach when it comes to their surnames.
The story starts in America
The story starts on the other side of the Atlantic on 26 August 1941 when the death of an 88-year old man called Frederick William Robertshaw was registered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Frederick had died two days earlier and the informant, his son Frederick Charles Robertshaw, provided the authorities with the necessary details to complete the registration process.
As is the case with many American states, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania kept very detailed death certificates. The information recorded about Frederick William includes his date and place of birth (10 July 1853 in Covington, Kentucky)
