When the Record Doesn’t Exist: A Lesson in Documenting Negative Evidence
Part of the Storyline Genealogy Series: Finding the Lost. Documenting the Found. Honoring Them All.
The Case of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hamall's Missing Birth Certificate
A genealogy methodology lesson using five documents that tell the complete story—including one that proves a record doesn't exist and one that reveals the tragic cause of death
The Problem Every Genealogist Faces
You're researching a child who died in 1893 Chicago. You find her burial in a cemetery database. You need her birth certificate to confirm her parents and establish her exact birth date. You search the official records. And the answer comes back: "No Record Found."
Do you give up? Document the dead end and move on? Or do you turn this "missing" record into proof itself?
Let me introduce you to Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hamall, and show you how five documents—including one that certifies a record doesn't exist and one that reveals she died of diphtheria—can tell a complete, professional genealogical story that begins with a cemetery card and ends with documented negative evidence.
Meet Lizzie: One of Four Lost Children
Elizabeth Hamall was born in March 1887 in Chicago to Irish immigrant parents Owen (Eugene) Hamall and Catherine (Kate) Griffith. She lived only six years. On March 30, 1893, Lizzie died at 302 Desplains Street—one day after her infant brother Eugene (age 10 months) and exactly one month before her older brother William (age 10) would follow.
But the tragedy had begun even earlier. Eight months before this devastating spring, the family had buried their youngest daughter, Catherine "Katie" Hamall, who died in July 1892 at age 2½.
Here's what makes this story even more haunting: These four children are hidden from history. They appear in no census records. Born after 1880, dead before 1900, these children existed in the gap between enumerations. Without cemetery records, they might have been lost to history entirely.
Lizzie was one of four children Owen and Kate lost between the 1880 and 1900 census years—four children who left barely a trace in the official record. Of these four, only Lizzie has absolutely no birth documentation: the Cook County Clerk certified "No Record Found." The others have birth register entries (though not full certificates), making Lizzie the perfect example for a lesson on documenting negative evidence.
To document Lizzie's brief life, we need to establish her birth date and parentage. But there's a problem: her birth certificate doesn't exist. Or does it?
The Research Discovery Process
Before we dive into the methodology, let's talk about how these children were discovered:
The Chain of Discovery:
- Cemetery records on FamilySearch revealed children's burials that didn't appear in census records
- Cemetery information provided death dates and ages
- Death certificates were requested from Cook County based on cemetery data
- Birth records were then sought using information from death certificates
This is crucial: the cemetery records were the key that unlocked the entire research chain. Without them, these children would remain invisible.
And let's talk about that Cook County records request process: by mail, with a physical check, waiting 6 months for a response. This is the reality of vital records research in many jurisdictions.
Document #1: The Baptism Record (What We Have)
Source Type: Primary evidence, original record
What It Shows: Elizabeth Hammall, baptized March 21, 1887
Parents: Eugene Hammall and Cathrine Griffith
Birth Date: March 20, 1887
Church: St. Charles Borromeo, Chicago
Why This Matters
Catholic baptism records are gold when civil birth certificates are missing. Here's why:
- Contemporaneous: Baptisms typically occurred within days or weeks of birth
- Primary information: Parents provided the information directly to the priest
- Official church record: Maintained in permanent registers
- Standard practice: Irish Catholic families prioritized religious sacraments
The baptism record gives us:
✓ Both parents' names
✓ A specific birth date
✓ Confirmation of Chicago residence
✓ Religious community context
Citation: Catholic Church Records, Chicago Archdiocese, St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Baptism Register, p. 16, Elizabeth Hammall, baptized 21 March 1887, born 20 March 1887; parents Eugene Hammall and Catharine Griffith; Archives of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Document #2: The "No Record Found" Certificate (What We Don't Have)
Source Type: Negative evidence, official certification
What It Shows: After diligent search, NO birth certificate exists
Date Searched: March 20, 1886 through March 20, 1888
Search Date: September 27, 2019 (and again in 2025 with same result)
Why Document What Doesn't Exist?
This "negative evidence" certificate is NOT a research failure—it's valuable proof:
1. Demonstrates Reasonably Exhaustive Research
Professional genealogy standards require showing where you looked and what you didn't find. This certificate proves you searched the official repository.
2. Confirms Historical Record Gaps
The missing certificate isn't your fault—it documents that Chicago birth registration was incomplete in the 1880s.
3. Strengthens Alternative Evidence
When you can prove the "best" source doesn't exist, it justifies relying on alternative primary sources like baptism records.
4. Prevents Future Redundant Searches
You (and other researchers) won't waste time searching for something that's been officially documented as missing.
Citation: Birth certificate search, Elizabeth Hammall, estimated birth March 1887; Cook County Clerk's Office birth records, Chicago, Illinois. Official search conducted 27 September 2019 and [2025]. Result: "No Record Found" for births 20 March 1886 through 20 March 1888.
Document #3: The FamilySearch Index (The Mystery)
Source Type: Derivative evidence, database index
What It Shows: Entry for Elizabeth Hammall birth, 20 March 1887
Parents: Eugene Hammall (age 41) and Catherine Mary Griffith (age 34)
Certificate Number: 7617
Wait—FamilySearch Says the Record EXISTS?
Here's where it gets interesting. FamilySearch shows an indexed birth record with certificate number 7617. But Cook County says no birth certificate exists. Both searches were conducted years apart (2019 and 2025), with the same negative result.
What's happening here?
Explaining the Discrepancy
Several possibilities explain this contradiction:
Theory 1: Different Record Collections
FamilySearch may have indexed records from sources the County Clerk's office doesn't maintain:
- Delayed birth registrations filed later
- Hospital or physician records
- Church-submitted birth notifications
- Coroner's records (since Lizzie died at age 6)
Theory 2: Record Damage or Loss
The original certificate may have existed when FamilySearch indexed it but has since been:
- Lost
- Damaged beyond retrieval
- Misfiled in a way that makes it unsearchable
Theory 3: Index vs. Certificate Files
FamilySearch indexes birth information from multiple sources. Cook County searches only official birth certificates. The index might reflect:
- Information from Lizzie's 1893 death certificate
- A delayed registration that was indexed but never properly filed
- An amended birth record created after her death
Theory 4: Database vs. Physical Records
The certificate number (7617) suggests a record once existed. It may be:
- In archives not accessible through regular clerk searches
- In a special collection of damaged or incomplete records
- Listed in indexes but with the image lost or destroyed
The Professional Approach
Rather than declaring one source "right" and another "wrong," professional genealogists:
- ✓ Acknowledge the discrepancy openly
- ✓ Present all evidence without cherry-picking
- ✓ Explain possible reasons for contradictions
- ✓ Rely on the strongest source (baptism record) while documenting others
- ✓ Leave the door open for future discoveries
Citation: "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed [date]), entry for Elizabeth Hammall, born 20 March 1887, Chicago; citing certificate 7617, Cook County Clerk's Office, Chicago.
Document #4: The Cemetery Record (The Discovery Key)
Source Type: Derivative evidence, cemetery office record
What It Shows: Elizabeth Hamall burial record
Deceased: 3/31/93 [recorded date]
Died: 3/30/93
Age: 6-0-1 (6 years, 0 months, 1 day)
Location: Lot 17, Block 14, Section D
Death Address: 302 Desplains St.
The Record That Started Everything
This cemetery record card is what made finding Lizzie possible. Here's why this matters:
The Discovery Process:
When searching for the Hamall family, researchers hit a wall: census records showed Owen and Kate in 1880 and 1900, but their children seemed to vanish. The 1880 census showed young children. The 1900 census showed a couple who had clearly experienced loss. But where were the children?
Catholic Cemetery records on FamilySearch revealed the answer:
- Four children buried between 1880 and 1900
- Names, death dates, and ages recorded
- Cemetery lot information proving family group burial
- Death addresses providing research leads
Without this cemetery record, Lizzie would remain one of the invisible children—born and died in the census gap, leaving no trace in the official records that genealogists typically search.
Citation: Chicago Catholic Cemetery records, burial card for Elizabeth Hamall, died 30 March 1893, age 6 years 0 months 1 day; Lot 17, Block 14, Section D; 302 Desplains St., Chicago; "Illinois, Catholic Church Records (Calumet City), 1848-1946," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed [date]).
Document #5: The Death Certificate (The Tragedy Revealed)
Source Type: Primary evidence, official vital record
Name: Lizzie Hammill
Age: 6 years, 10 days
Date of Death: March 30, 1893
Place of Death: 302 Desplaines Street, Chicago
Cause of Death: Diphtheria with complications (acute illness of approximately 2 days duration)
Birthplace: Chicago
Burial: Calvary (Mount Carmel Cemetery)
The Missing Piece: What Killed the Children
This death certificate finally answers a crucial question: What killed Lizzie?
Diphtheria with complications.
The death certificate shows Lizzie died of diphtheria after an acute illness of approximately 2 days. This highly contagious bacterial disease was one of the leading causes of child death in the 19th century, before the vaccine was developed in the 1920s.
But Lizzie wasn't the only victim of diphtheria in spring 1893. Her 10-month-old brother Eugene died one day earlier (March 29) of "membranous laryngitis and oedema of glottis"—this is diphtheria by another name. The "membrane" that forms in the throat is diphtheria's signature symptom. Their older brother William died a month later (April 29) of pneumonia, possibly weakened by exposure to the household epidemic or suffering a secondary infection.
And this came just eight months after the family had buried their youngest daughter Katie (age 2½) who died of meningitis in July 1892.
Four different causes. One devastating year: July 1892 - April 1893.
Why Diphtheria Explains the Pattern
Understanding diphtheria helps explain the tragic timeline:
Highly Contagious:
- Spread through respiratory droplets
- Incubation period of 2-5 days
- Extremely contagious among household members
- Children were particularly vulnerable
Rapid Progression:
- Could kill within days of symptoms appearing
- Created a thick membrane in the throat that could cause suffocation
- Complications included heart and nervous system damage
- Medical treatment in 1893 was largely ineffective
Family Outbreaks:
- Once one child was infected, siblings often followed
- Close quarters in urban tenement housing accelerated spread
- No effective treatment meant high mortality rates
- Families could lose multiple children within weeks
The Spring 1893 Timeline Makes Tragic Sense:
- March 27-28: Eugene and Lizzie likely show first symptoms of diphtheria
- March 29: Eugene (10 months old) dies of membranous laryngitis and oedema of glottis—this IS diphtheria, as the "membrane" is the disease's signature symptom
- March 30: Lizzie (6 years old) dies after ~2 days of acute diphtheria
- April 29: William (10 years old) dies of pneumonia one month later (possibly secondary to diphtheria exposure, weakened immune system, or separate illness during the same stressful period)
This wasn't random tragedy—it was primarily a diphtheria outbreak sweeping through one household (Eugene and Lizzie showing the characteristic membrane formation), with William possibly succumbing to secondary pneumonia. The family had already lost their youngest daughter Katie to meningitis just eight months earlier in July 1892.
Four children in less than one year. No vaccines. No antibiotics. No effective treatment.
What the Death Certificate Confirms
Cross-Validation:
- Death date matches cemetery record (March 30, 1893)
- Death address matches cemetery record (302 Desplaines Street)
- Burial location confirms cemetery documentation (Calvary/Mount Carmel)
Age Calculation:
The death certificate states Lizzie was 6 years, 10 days old. If we calculate backward from March 30, 1893:
- 6 years back = March 30, 1887
- Minus 10 days = March 20, 1887
This matches the baptism record exactly! The baptism record stated she was born March 20, 1887, and the death certificate age calculation confirms this date.
Citation: Illinois, Cook County, Death Certificates, 1878-1922, certificate for Lizzie Hammill, died 30 March 1893, age 6 years 10 days, cause of death: diphtheria with complications; 302 Desplaines Street, Chicago; Cook County Clerk's Office, Chicago; FamilySearch digital images.
What This Documentation Proves
About Lizzie's Birth:
- Born: March 20, 1887 (confirmed by both baptism record and death certificate age calculation)
- Parents: Owen/Eugene Hamall and Catherine (Kate) Griffith
- Location: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
- Religious background: Irish Catholic
- Civil birth registration: Completely missing - "No Record Found" (unlike her siblings who have birth register entries)
About Lizzie's Death:
- Died: March 30, 1893 (exactly 6 years, 10 days after birth)
- Cause: Diphtheria with complications
- Duration: Acute illness of approximately 2 days
- Location: 302 Desplaines Street, Chicago
- Age: 6 years old
- Burial: Calvary/Mount Carmel Cemetery, Lot 17, Block 14, Section D
About the Family Tragedy:
- Timeline: Four children lost in less than one year (July 1892 - April 1893)
- July 28, 1892: Catherine "Katie" Hamall dies of meningitis (age 2½)
- March 29, 1893: Owen "Eugene" Hamall Jr. dies of membranous laryngitis/diphtheria (age 10 months)
- March 30, 1893: Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hamall dies of diphtheria (age 6)
- April 29, 1893: William Hamall dies of pneumonia (age 10)
- Pattern: Three children in 31 days during spring 1893, following Katie's death 8 months earlier
- Primary cause: Diphtheria (Eugene and Lizzie confirmed diphtheria symptoms)
- Context: Four total children lost between 1880-1900 census years
- Discovery: Found through Catholic cemetery records on FamilySearch
- Documentation gap: Only Lizzie has certified "No Record Found" - others have birth register entries but no certificates
About Genealogical Methodology:
- Cemetery records can reveal children missing from census records
- Primary sources can come from churches when civil records are missing
- Death certificates provide cause of death and age calculations that validate birth dates
- Negative evidence ("No Record Found") should be documented, not hidden
- Distinguish between incomplete records (indexed but no image) vs. no records (nothing found)
- Discrepancies should be explained, not ignored
- Multiple source types strengthen conclusions and validate dates
- Historical context (epidemic disease) explains tragic patterns
- Research often follows a discovery chain: cemetery → death → birth records
The Bigger Story: Four Children, Two Waves of Tragedy
Lizzie's story doesn't end with documentation questions. It ends with tragedy—multiplied across two devastating waves.
July 1892 - The First Loss:
- July 28, 1892: Catherine "Katie" Hamall dies at age 2½ (born December 28, 1889)
- Cause: Meningitis
- The family buries their youngest child
The "Spring of Death" 1893 - Eight Months Later:
Then, just as the family begins to recover, catastrophe strikes again:
- March 29, 1893: Owen "Eugene" Hamall Jr. dies at age 10 months (born May 28, 1892)
- Cause: Membranous laryngitis and oedema of glottis (this IS diphtheria - the "membrane" is the classic symptom)
- March 30, 1893: Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hamall dies at age 6
- Cause: Diphtheria with complications (confirmed by death certificate)
- Death after approximately 2 days of acute illness at 302 Desplains Street
- April 29, 1893: William Hamall dies at age 10 (born January 14, 1883)
- Cause: Pneumonia (possibly secondary to diphtheria or another infection)
Three children in 31 days. An infant, a six-year-old, and a ten-year-old. Likely a diphtheria outbreak that swept through the household, with Eugene and Lizzie showing the characteristic diphtheria symptoms, and William succumbing to pneumonia a month later (possibly weakened by illness or a secondary infection).
Combined with Katie's death eight months earlier, Owen and Kate Hamall lost four children in less than one year.
Practical Takeaways for Your Research
When you encounter missing vital records or "invisible" family members:
1. Start with cemetery records—they may be your discovery key
- Check FamilySearch for digitized cemetery records
- Contact cemetery offices directly
- Look for Catholic, Jewish, or other religious cemetery records
- Cemetery records often capture children missing from census
- Burial cards provide death dates, ages, and addresses for further research
2. Don't assume the record doesn't exist—search creatively
- Check church records
- Search cemetery records
- Review family Bible records
- Look for delayed registrations
- Check coroner's records
3. Document what you DON'T find
- Request official "No Record Found" certificates
- Note which repositories you searched
- Record date ranges searched
- Keep copies of negative search results
4. Explain discrepancies openly
- Don't ignore contradictions between sources
- Present multiple theories
- Let readers evaluate evidence
- Admit when something is uncertain
5. Understand historical context
- Research record-keeping laws for the time/place
- Learn about record preservation issues
- Understand cultural practices affecting registration
- Account for disasters, fires, floods
6. Use multiple sources to cross-validate
- One source alone may be questionable
- Multiple sources pointing to the same conclusion strengthen your case
- Document all sources, even those that "don't help"
7. Be prepared for the bureaucratic reality
- Some jurisdictions still require mail requests with physical checks
- Wait times can extend 6+ months
- "No Record Found" is a valid and valuable result
- Budget time and money for repeated requests
Conclusion: Making Missing Records Tell a Story
Elizabeth Hamall's "missing" birth certificate tells a powerful story—not about what we couldn't find, but about professional genealogical methodology and the power of persistence:
- The cemetery record unlocked the discovery of four children hidden in the census gap
- The death certificate revealed that diphtheria killed three children in one tragic month and confirmed Lizzie's birth date through age calculation
- The baptism record proves her birth, names her parents, and anchors her in the Irish Catholic community
- The negative search certificate proves we looked thoroughly and documents historical record gaps
- The FamilySearch index raises questions, prompts investigation, and shows honest handling of contradictory evidence
Together, these five documents—including the one certifying that a record doesn't exist—tell a complete story of life, death, and meticulous research methodology.
This is genealogy done right: transparent, thorough, and honest about both what we know and what remains uncertain. It's also genealogy done realistically: mail requests, physical checks, six-month waits, and celebrating "No Record Found" as a valuable result.
And somewhere in those records, between the baptism register and the death certificate noting "diphtheria," is a little girl who died after two days of acute illness at 302 Desplains Street on March 30, 1893—one day after her 10-month-old brother Eugene, and one month before her 10-year-old brother William. One of four children Owen and Kate Hamall would bury in less than one year: Katie in July 1892, then three more in the devastating spring of 1893. Four children who almost vanished from history entirely.
The missing birth certificate couldn't erase Lizzie from history. The death certificate told us diphtheria killed her. The cemetery record showed us where she rests alongside her siblings. The baptism record captured her beginning. And the documented negative search proved we looked everywhere—and that she's the only one of the four with absolutely no birth documentation.
Because we started with cemetery records, followed the research chain, documented both what exists and what doesn't, distinguished between truly missing records and incomplete ones, explained the gaps, and told her story anyway—diphtheria and all.
Citations Summary
Cemetery Record:
Chicago Catholic Cemetery records, burial card for Elizabeth Hamall, died 30 March 1893, age 6 years 0 months 1 day; Lot 17, Block 14, Section D; 302 Desplains St., Chicago; "Illinois, Catholic Church Records (Calumet City), 1848-1946," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed [date]).
Death Certificate:
Illinois, Cook County, Death Certificates, 1878-1922, certificate for Lizzie Hammill, died 30 March 1893, age 6 years 10 days, cause of death: diphtheria with complications; 302 Desplaines Street, Chicago; Cook County Clerk's Office, Chicago; FamilySearch digital images.
Baptism Record:
Catholic Church Records, Chicago Archdiocese, St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Baptism Register, p. 16, Elizabeth Hammall, baptized 21 March 1887, born 20 March 1887; parents Eugene Hammall and Catharine Griffith; Archives of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Negative Evidence:
Birth certificate search, Elizabeth Hammall, estimated birth March 1887; Cook County Clerk's Office birth records, Chicago, Illinois. Official search conducted 27 September 2019 and [2025]. Result: "No Record Found" for births 20 March 1886 through 20 March 1888.
FamilySearch Index:
"Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed [date]), entry for Elizabeth Hammall, born 20 March 1887, Chicago; citing certificate 7617, Cook County Clerk's Office, Chicago.
About This Research
This methodology lesson is part of the Hamall family research documenting Irish immigrants in Chicago during the 1880s-1890s. The family experienced two waves of tragedy: Catherine "Katie" died of meningitis in July 1892 at age 2½, then eight months later came the "Spring of Death" 1893 when three more children died within 31 days: Owen "Eugene" Jr. (age 10 months, membranous laryngitis/diphtheria), Elizabeth "Lizzie" (age 6, diphtheria with complications), and William (age 10, pneumonia). Four children lost in less than one year.
These children were discovered through Catholic Cemetery records on FamilySearch, which revealed burials that don't appear in federal census records. This discovery led to death certificate requests and subsequent birth record searches.
Critical documentation finding: Of the four children, only Lizzie has a certified "No Record Found" response from Cook County for her birth. The other three have birth register entries in FamilySearch (though not full certificates), making Lizzie the ideal case study for documenting truly missing records versus incomplete records.
Research notes: The four children who died 1892-1893 are documented through death certificates (confirming causes: meningitis, diphtheria, diphtheria, and pneumonia), cemetery records, and baptism records. The process of obtaining records from Cook County required multiple mail requests with physical checks and approximately 6 months wait time per request, conducted between 2019 and 2025.
Have you encountered missing vital records in your research? Have you documented negative evidence? Have you discovered the tragic causes of ancestor deaths through death certificates? Share your methodology stories in the comments below.
Keywords: genealogy methodology, negative evidence, missing birth certificates, death certificates, Chicago vital records, baptism records, Irish Catholic genealogy, 1880s research, Cook County Illinois, record gaps, source citations, genealogical proof standard, diphtheria epidemic, 19th century child mortality, cemetery records, FamilySearch
Explore the Complete Owen Hamall Case Study
This story is part of a comprehensive BCG-compliant case study with methodology, evidence analysis, document gallery, and timeline.
View Complete Case Study →Want to see what happened next? Explore the Three Thomas Hamalls case study—the three generations that followed Owen's son Thomas Henry.
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