Chatgpt

This morning I decided to try chatgpt to search for my brick wall.

Here are the results:

Mary J Carroll was born in 1835. Her death certificate says she was born in New York and gives the name of her father as Francois Malquit. I am searching for the name of her mother.

To find the name of Mary J. Carroll’s mother, you can try the following genealogical research strategies:

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🔍 1. Check Marriage Records

Marriage records often list both parents of the bride and groom.

Where to search:

FamilySearch.org (free)

Ancestry.com (subscription)

FindMyPast.com

Local county clerk’s office (if you know the county where she married)

Tips: Search under both “Mary Carroll” and “Mary Malquit” (maiden name); also try “Marie” or “Maria” for French origins.

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🧾 2. Census Records (1850–1880)

U.S. census records starting in 1850 list every household member by name. If Mary was living with family before she married, her mother may be listed.

Search strategy: Look for her as a child or young adult in New York in the 1850 census. See who else is in the household—especially women born around 1800–1815.

Helpful tools: Use wildcard searches for “Malquit” (e.g., “Mal*it”) due to possible misspellings (e.g., Malquette, Malquet, Melquit).

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⚰️ 3. Obituaries

Obituaries for Mary or her siblings (if known) may mention their mother.

Where to look:

Local newspapers (Library of Congress: Chronicling America)

Local historical societies or public libraries

Newspapers.com or GenealogyBank.com

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🧬 4. Church & Baptism Records

If she was Catholic (given the French name “Francois Malquit”), look for baptismal records in New York parishes around 1835.

Search on:

FamilySearch – New York Church Records

Diocesan archives (e.g., Archdiocese of New York)

AmericanAncestors.org

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🧑‍🤝‍🧑 5. Siblings' Records

If you can identify any of Mary’s siblings, their records (marriages, obituaries, death certificates) may name their mother.

Strategy: Use census records or death records to look for people with the surname Malquit or a variation, born in New York in a similar time frame.

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🪪 6. Naturalization or Immigration Records for Francois Malquit

If Francois immigrated from France, his records might list a wife’s name, especially ship passenger lists or naturalization petitions.

Where to check:

Castle Garden (pre-Ellis Island): castlegarden.org

Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org

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If you'd like to share:

Where Mary J. Carroll lived as an adult

Who she married (if known)

Her children’s names

Where she died

…then I can help dig deeper into the specific records likely to reveal her mother’s name.

Wow!!

I will follow up with more.