Genealogy Roadblocks: How to Overcome Them and Move Forward

Stuck in your genealogy research? Discover our tips and resources to overcome obstacles and continue building your family tree.

Genealogy is a bit like a police investigation: it requires curiosity, perseverance, and sometimes a lot of patience. And yet, even the most experienced researchers hit dead ends. An unfindable first name, a missing date, a lost record… and suddenly, progress stops.

But don’t panic! Roadblocks are part of the game. With a few additional methods and resources, it is entirely possible to bypass obstacles and restart your research. Here’s a practical guide to help you.

The Best Leads to Unlock Your Research

1. Go Back to Relatives and Family Memories

A simple call to a family member can sometimes reveal a forgotten anecdote, a photo, or an approximate date. Don’t neglect this living source of information.

2. Contact the Town Hall or Departmental Archives

They can confirm the presence (or absence) of a record. Even if documents have disappeared, this will save you from looking where it’s not necessary.

3. Explore Population Censuses

Provided you know the location, censuses allow you to locate a family over time, find forgotten children, or specify a period of life.

4. Consult Military Service Records

The military service records are real gold mines of information: birth date and place, physical descriptions, military careers, death mentions…

5. Research Through Children and Their Marriages

The marriage records are full of details (parents, witnesses, places of origin). They can open new leads to your blocked ancestors.

6. Study Collateral Relatives

The siblings, uncles, aunts, or distant cousins can provide clues about the place of residence or family history.

7. Dive into Notarial Archives

Inventories after death, marriage contracts, wills, donations… These documents often reveal the family composition and the estate.

8. Look for Naturalization Records

For a foreign ancestor, this is an essential lead that may contain a decree and precise personal information.

9. Visit Cemeteries

During your visits to cemeteries, read the epitaphs, as they sometimes indicate dates, family connections, and lead to unexpected branches.

10. Explore Hospital and Electoral Archives

Some institutions keep useful registers, even if electoral lists mainly concern men before 1945 and women after 1944.

11. Consult Historical Newspapers

Between news, ads, and death notices, local newspapers are full of information. Consider Gallica or Google Books for quick name searches.

12. Consider Your Ancestor’s Occupation

Some occupations had specific registers (railways, guilds, administrations…).

13. Don’t Neglect Postcards and Iconographic Documents

The postcards offer a glimpse of the living environment and can sometimes reveal names or places associated with your family.

Additional Tips to Bypass a Roadblock

• Bypass the Blocked Ancestor : explore their children, siblings, and cousins.

  
  

• Watch for Spelling Variations : names and first names varied a lot over time.

  
  

• Account for Place Name Changes : towns and villages sometimes changed names.

  
  

• Compare Signatures : they confirm identity despite spelling variations.

  
  

• Verify, Verify, Verify : always cross-check your sources, whether oral, from archives, or online family trees.

  
  

Finally, remember: a roadblock is often temporary. Sometimes, it’s enough to take a break from your research to come back later with fresh eyes.

Go Further with Geneafinder

At Geneafinder, we know roadblocks can be discouraging. That’s why our platform helps you organize your research, test new leads, and cross-check your data.

👍 Sign up for free, create or import your tree, and embark on the quest to unravel the mysteries left by your ancestors.