I is for Investigative Initiative
One of the things I have learned from my genealogy research is that if you get stuck then try again from a different angle. I use several different online sources and often find that something which may not be indexed on one will turn up on another. I have also learned that it is wise not to be too restrictive on search terms. A wider search can often throw up something that will be filtered out if the search criteria are too narrow. It can also give interesting collateral information about other family members than the object of the search.
I is for Ironside
I is also for Ironside, one of my Scottish pedigree lines which starts with 3x great grandmother Margaret Ironside. Margaret was born in 1816 at New Deer in Aberdeenshire.
If you would like to know more about this alphabet challenge or read I-contributions from other bloggers take a look at Family History Through the Alphabet.
Digging up the ancients 
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‘Investigative Initiative’ is a fabulous word for i … and I bet most people can agree, that after getting stuck, and wondering ‘where next’, we’ll suddenly think of a different angle to try.
Often helps to take a step back and reconsider.
I also find that if I get stuck with genealogical, that if I set it aside, I’ll sometimes discover the answers when I am researching something else and least expect to find it.
Me too. Found one missing set of folks who were not showing up on indexes purely by accident as they turned up on a census form next door to someone from a completely different line I was researching.
I like “Investigative Initiative” too… good one! So very satisfying when it “pays out” 🙂
We are definitely “Investigators” and need to use “Initiative”. Ingenious!! 🙂
By any Chance was your Margaret Ironside married to Alexander Watt? My 2nd Great Uncle was married to Maragret Watt, whose mother was Margaret Ironside born 1816 in New Deer 🙂
Hallo Tray, Apologies for the slow response. My Margaret Ironside married George Murray in 1834 at Turiff. I have her birth as 11 June 1815 in Bonnykelly and baptism as 25 June 1815 New Deer. She was my 3rd great grandmother. Since your Margaret was born in New Deer in 1816 it may be worth investigating whether they were cousins.