Records often mention two groups of people: the people who the records are about, and the people who work for the organization that created the records. As genealogists, we often only think about the first category. But we can learn a lot from the records about the employees or officials too.
Orphanage in Katwijk, about 1880. Credits: Rijksmuseum
A few examples:
| Record | About | Employees or officials |
|---|---|---|
| Civil registration | people who are born, married, or died | mayor, aldermen, clerks witnessing records |
| Police records | criminals, victims, witnesses | police officers, wardens, night watchmen |
| Orphanage records | orphans | directors, administrators, overseers, nurses, caretakers |
| Church records | parishioners, including baptisms, marriages, burials | priests, ministers, aldermen, deacons |
| Court records | plaintiffs, defendants, contracted parties | judges, lawyers, aldermen (depending on the type of court) |
| Tax records | residents who have to pay tax | tax collectors |
About Yvette Hoitink
