In my last post about Lawrence Huber, I showed how I finally found Lawrence’s baptismal record in Butschbach. Now that indexing efforts are making records more findable, there is another way (today) that I could find where he was baptized.
FamilySearch [FS] has been indexing its records for years now. Always keep an eye out for new databases or additions to existing ones. Today, Lawrence Huber is included in the FS database called “Germany, Baden, Archdiocese of Freiburg im Breisgau, Catholic Church Records, 1463–1931.” He also appears in the older database “Germany, Births and Baptisms, 1558–1898.” When you click on the details of that record, under “Document Information,” it tells you the “Digital Folder Number,” also known as the “Image Group Number [IGN].” It also tells you the “Microfilm number.” FamilySearch is moving away from the microfilm numbers and are using the IGN numbers. Currently, you may enter either into the FamilySearch Catalog to find what you need.
The document information does not always tell you at what image you would find Lawrence’s baptism. You will have to search the IGN chronologically to get his baptism. Sometimes that information is provided. Also, you will notice that the IGN in this case is not available from home. You would need to be at an affiliate library or a FamilySearch Center to access that.
But wait! When I searched for Lawrence Huber in the database, I received a lot of results, not just one. If I were starting with just the information from US resources, I would have to use all information I have to narrow to the right person. This is why you need to do thorough research on an immigrant before crossing the pond.
I knew from his death record that he was likely born in July 1817. I also knew he had a brother named Frank Xavier. To find the right Lawrence, I need to consider that his birth date shown on a death record might not be exact. I also need to find a couple in the index who had a child named Lawrence and one named Frank Xavier. One way to evaluate that is to search for all children whose last name is Huber and who have parents with the same names as the Lawrence Huber candidate. If you had, say, three possible Lawrence Hubers, you would need to do this test for each of those three sets of parents. In the case of my Lawrence, I was fortunate because I also knew he had brothers named Joseph and George. This will help determine the right parents. You will probably have to play with different spelling variations, too.
To see all German-related databases on FamilySearch, check out this link. Ancestry has Germany databases that may be found here. Also check out the holdings of Findmypast and MyHeritage. They have indexed records for Germany, as well.
Not all our ancestors have been indexed, not even close. But always revisit indexes to see if there have been changes that might help you.
Next week, I’ll show you what I was able to find in German church records about Lawrence and his family.
Lind Street Research 