Consider Using a Genealogy Work-Around!
Sometimes all that we need is a few good ideas (or clues) as to where to search next. Many complaints evolve around unfound marriage records and estates (or wills). Yet there are "work arounds" for all genealogy issues. While one cannot always complete the puzzle, they can form the surrounding pieces. Picture an incomplete farm house, then search for the barns, roads, fences, wells, trees, flowers, etc. The farm house represents the family itself, while the surrounding areas complete the neighborhood structure with friends, relatives and community affairs. Actually, it is the neighborhood which is so revealing of the family tree. Local churches and graveyards identify the neighbors and in-laws that you could not find in the marriage records. Most States did not require marriages to be filed at the court house until after 1900. That means that those which do appear on the records (before 1900) are but a small sampling of what "lshould be." Small farms were building their homes upon virgin lands. The neighbors were few and far between. Who else would the daughters marry, unless they traveled some distance to visit other relatives? Clues do exist. The secret is familiarizing oneself with the surrounding puzzle pieces. This type of familiarity can begin by carefully reading all of the tombstones in the old section of church graveyards, even photographing them for later reference. The names which appear in the old section also more
Index to South Carolina Wills and Estates
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