Your Guide to Finding Female Ancestors
Everyone has an equal number of male and female ancestors... but it is much easier to find records that name the men. Even when you find a record that names the woman, it often gives only her married name. So it is harder to find the parents of your women ancestors than those of the men, just as it is more difficult to delve into the details of her life.
As we search for our women ancestors, we will be interested not just in their names and dates, but of the society in which they lived. How did the laws affect them? How common was it for them to work outside the home? What was home life like during the time they lived? Can we find letters or diaries kept by them or their relatives or neighbors? Is there mention of them in the local newspapers?