This is a guide to using maps for family history. It focuses on using the SLV maps collection, and on researching Victorian family history, including immigration to Victoria.
Maps allow you to pinpoint a place which you can’t otherwise find, particularly a place which has changed names. As borders changed, so did place names, and it is helpful to know all the names by which a place is known – particularly when the name may have been incorrectly scribbled down on an immigration card by someone who had never heard of the location.
Maps reveal the kinds of lives your ancestors lived. Historical maps can help you to reconstruct what life was like for your ancestors. For example, a town plan showing features such as houses, businesses, churches and schools can help you to understand the kinds of jobs and educational opportunities that were available to them.
Topographic maps reveal the natural features of an area, such as creeks, hills, swamps, forests, or even the kinds of soils or rocks in the region. With a topographic map you can see how difficult it may have been for an ancestor to farm the land, or traverse a mountain or large lake to get to the closest town or even to church or school. In the past these geographical structures served as solid boundaries that seriously affected migrations.
Maps can help you find other family history resources. A map can tell you which administrative district covered the area where your ancestors lived. This allows you to check the appropriate district records to further your research.
Discover the regional centres that may hold records pertaining to your ancestors. This is particularly true in Europe and the UK where parish registers are important sources of information, and the United States where local archives and courthouses hold many historical records.
Maps make information from other sources clearer. If another source, such as a newspaper article or a diary entry, mentions particular locations, a detailed map may allow you to pinpoint the exact whereabouts of your ancestor. Maps make it easier to follow the narratives provided by other sources.
Maps in atlases provide information about the economic, environmental or social conditions at a particular time.You can use this information to make deductions about:
