Lunatic Fringe

I am late but I am here. I am always late, but I always show up. You can count on me to do what I said I would, and I did. I have been researching lunacy records by using Google.com and have found some interesting finds.

First, Lunacy Records is not the group so ignore that if you do search for the records under this name. Second, once you find the records. you may not be able to view online. This is where your local genealogical Family History Center comes in. They allow you to have access to the Ancestry.com records for free and many other choice paid websites. To have one in your area can be a great help.

There are also many libraries that offer access to the records of the area and the state. You can also ask your local historian for help. They are usually in only at certain times but check with your local library and they may be able to help. The point is that there are many places that one can turn to for help. Now, back to the records.

The National Archives can help you as well. There are many searchable records on this website. They hold the lunacy records as well as any archived records. It is a great resource to use and study. They have loads of information on the country and the people who lived in it.

Searching for these records can be frustrating because every record has to be digitized before it can be searched. Your record may not be there yet. Do not give up on the search because unless the records were destroyed, they exist. If the record was destroyed in the fires or floods, I am sorry for your loss. There is no regaining that record.

It is mournful to think that a piece of history that told a story of a person can no longer be accessed. The loss of those records that were destroyed is almost heartbreaking. No birth and death certificates, no record of their life. Finding a piece of that time that helps establish the individual is so much more important and fulfilling.

Searching and researching is what we do when we want to know who we are and how we got here. The records of our ancestors, even if they are from the lunacy papers, are important and tell the story of family. Happy searching this week.