Reality vs Expectations
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Reality vs Expectations |
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This document is my attempt to raise awareness of the reality of doing family tree
research. I decided to write this as an encouragement to others who may be just staring out in genealogy and are feeling somewhat discouraged by their progress. It is based upon my own findings and, to an extent, feelings. Myth vs FactMany families have myths, rumours and secrets. Some are baseless, some have some degree of truth about them, and some are proven to be true. Just because there is a family secret doesn't mean it is true. Treat memories as clues, not facts! I had/have a family rumour of some 'scandal' in the family, but, as yet, I have been unable to find any evidence of this. That said, I haven't found anything to say it isn't either! Then there are intentionally hidden secrets. Every family has them. Some of the secrets may be dark or even shocking, but they in no way reflect upon the family. One person making an error in judgment doesn't make them a bad person.Remember that some secrets are best kept secret. Royalty, Famous or Pauper?Don't expect to discover famous people in your tree. If you do, great, but you are more likely to discover that your tree contains, general labourers, agricultural labourers, dressmakers and laundresses. This is more likely what you will discover as the trades of your ancestors. I have a tree with close to 2000 entries in it and I have yet to come across anyone famous or with blue blood. Does that mean that my ancestors were lesser people? Of course not! They were doing the best they could with the hand they were dealt.Current Values vs Past ValuesSocieties values change over time. What used to be illegal, is now legal. What used to be legal is now illegal. Don't judge!Just because Aunty Flo married at age 14 doesn't mean her husband was a pervert. In the past young girls were sometimes 'married off' at a young age. You can't take modern values and laws and apply them to your ancestors. Things were different back then. At one time being homosexual would have seen someone locked into an asylum, prison or worse. Illiteracy Was RampantThe further back you go in your family tree research the more likely you are to find illiteracy. This does not mean that your ancestors were thick, or dumb. It does mean that they were not given an education back then.It does, however, mean that they used someone less to write for them (census takers etc.). This can lead you into all kinds of issues with name spelling. The poor scribes had to deal with local accents, inflections and 'pet names'. For example I have a relative who was born Elizabeth Jane, but on some census forms she is recorded as "Jenny"! This was the name folks used to call her, for whatever reason. You should also check spelling for surnames. I have a Furgeson in my records that took forever to find. Dead Ends and Brick WallsInevitably, you will hit dead ends and brick walls. These happen. Some dead ends actually are dead ends. People die without offspring, bringing that branch to a halt. There are also 'brick walls'. These are so frustrating and can be costly (if you are buying records and/or certificates). I recommend that you keep a track on certificates and records that you acquire while researching these brick walls. If you think you have hit a brick wall here are some hints:
Also remember that in the United Kingdom, recording births, marriages and deaths was not a legal requirement prior to 1836. Even then it wasn't strictly enforced until much later. Beware the Duplicate Families!You may, as I have done, run into families living in the same location with family members with exactly the same first and last names. This gets confusing and the only real way of homing into your particular family group is to try and acquire the certificates and check those. Even those may not help. I like to put these investigation into a separate spreadsheet to help me track my research. Sometimes it is better to take a step back or leave it for a while and go back to it with fresh eyes. Sometimes even this doesn't help!I have been stuck on one direct line for years, which just adds some credence (but not proof) of the 'scandal' previously mentioned. Illegitimate births don't make it easier either! ConclusionGenealogy is a meant to be fun. If you aren't having fun, maybe it is time for a break, or to start working on another branch?Always back up your work. No excuses, if you lost your computer would you be able to recover your hard work? Storage is cheap, yet invaluable. I recommend the 3-2-1 approach. 3 backups, 2 onsite, 1 offsite (online or at a different address). I also recommend that you use different media type (solid state hard drive, USB stick, DVD). Label, or otherwise track which backup was taken when. Get into the habit of taking backups (this applies to all data, not just ancestry work), they can save you time and stress. Finally, I recommend letting your family where your work is. Tomorrow is guaranteed for any of us and you have spent hours digging, rejecting, accepting and purchasing to get where you are. Don't waste it. Enjoy your time digging into your family roots. |
