Finding females

Finding records for females in the past is a special problem. Prior to the twentieth century, as a rule, menfolk typically created the family records. A wife usually was not entitled to act in her own stead, and a respectable unmarried woman seldom dared. When a public record was required for her, a brother, father, or guardian was expected to handle such affairs for her. Today, we offer 6 tips for teasing yesteryear’s women out of the shadows in which they lived: