Family Tree of Knowledge 3: The Anatomy of Genealogical Research
In reality, genealogical research is not an easy “hobby” to undertake. It requires a huge amount of patience, persistence, hard slog, and many other worthy attributes. For accurate genealogical research it is required that, having found a potential ancestor, the researcher ought to attempt to establish him or her fully in the lineage through additional evidence from further research. Researchers may forget, or even ignore, this important point, but ultimately it will be at their cost. Genealogical research that eventually goes “off-track” is highly expensive and fruitless.
With genealogical research one has to be a detective to search out the clues, and a barrister (a prosecuting or defence attorney) to prove the case. That, unfortunately, is the true nature of this beast. Throughout history genealogy had always come under the umbrella of the legal profession, and in practice remains so.
It has often been boasted that some had traced their families entirely through on-line genealogical research. In reality, however, that would be an impossible task! They may have traced persons with the same names as their ancestors, but how do they know that they are the correct ones if they had not confirmed them with other sources? If continued in this vein, they would merely compound their problems. To discover one’s true ancestor involves a great deal more in genealogical research than clicking buttons on a computer, and even solely searching through parish register fiches for baptisms and marriages.
An acquaintance with an uncommon name, with the help of information software, discovered hundreds with the same name currently living in England. Bearing in mind that in previous generations there were very much fewer forenames in existence than today (and in the sixteenth century, many families had two or more children with the same name), genealogical research naturally becomes more difficult.
Most on-line researchers trace their families through the International Genealogical Index. The IGI has been around for many years, but, in the main, professionals only use it as a guide when undertaking genealogical research. It is a great concept, but, unfortunately, it started off badly by including numerous inaccuracies, and sometimes complete fallacies, which can never be corrected, despite the compilers’ numerous attempts.
When undertaking genealogical research, on-line researchers can only key in to what is already there. They will naturally be unable to trace what is not there. Hampshire (a county in England) contains over 250 parishes. Yet, less than 20% of the county was ever covered on the IGI, and this minute portion of the whole is largely concentrated in the south of the county. So, if an on-line researcher is looking for somebody, supposedly born about 1700, and if the real ancestor was born in northern Hampshire, the enquirer who only undertakes on-line genealogical research will never know. Instead, he or she would have “adopted” an ancestor who was not in the least related to the family. One can never assume that somebody with the same name as one’s ancestor was that ancestor, without undertaking further time-consuming accurate genealogical research.
Local knowledge is also very important, and on-line genealogical research could never be a substitute for it. Accurate research entails numerous activities, and can quite often include the use of professional and local assistance. It cannot be accomplished solely through the means of a computer. Pure on-line genealogical research can ultimately become the most expensive kind, for the chances of tracing the wrong ancestors increase dramatically through this method of investigation. That surely cannot be in anybody’s interest - except perhaps those who profit from promoting this type of genealogical research.
[The author is a professional genealogist and historical researcher of 35 years' experience, dealing with all types of sources in England, but now specialising in medieval, manorial and legal work. For more information visit http://www.thechangingseasons.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=22&chapter=40 ]
In reality, genealogical research is not an easy “hobby” to undertake. It requires a huge amount of patience, persistence, hard slog, and many other worthy attributes. For accurate genealogical research it is required that, having found a potential ancestor, the researcher ought to attempt to establish him or her fully in the lineage through additional evidence from further research. Researchers may forget, or even ignore, this important point, but ultimately it will be at their cost. Genealogical research that eventually goes “off-track” is highly expensive and fruitless.
With genealogical research one has to be a detective to search out the clues, and a barrister (a prosecuting or defence attorney) to prove the case. That, unfortunately, is the true nature of this beast. Throughout history genealogy had always come under the umbrella of the legal profession, and in practice remains so.
It has often been boasted that some had traced their families entirely through on-line genealogical research. In reality, however, that would be an impossible task! They may have traced persons with the same names as their ancestors, but how do they know that they are the correct ones if they had not confirmed them with other sources? If continued in this vein, they would merely compound their problems. To discover one’s true ancestor involves a great deal more in genealogical research than clicking buttons on a computer, and even solely searching through parish register fiches for baptisms and marriages.
An acquaintance with an uncommon name, with the help of information software, discovered hundreds with the same name currently living in England. Bearing in mind that in previous generations there were very much fewer forenames in existence than today (and in the sixteenth century, many families had two or more children with the same name), genealogical research naturally becomes more difficult.
Most on-line researchers trace their families through the International Genealogical Index. The IGI has been around for many years, but, in the main, professionals only use it as a guide when undertaking genealogical research. It is a great concept, but, unfortunately, it started off badly by including numerous inaccuracies, and sometimes complete fallacies, which can never be corrected, despite the compilers’ numerous attempts.
When undertaking genealogical research, on-line researchers can only key in to what is already there. They will naturally be unable to trace what is not there. Hampshire (a county in England) contains over 250 parishes. Yet, less than 20% of the county was ever covered on the IGI, and this minute portion of the whole is largely concentrated in the south of the county. So, if an on-line researcher is looking for somebody, supposedly born about 1700, and if the real ancestor was born in northern Hampshire, the enquirer who only undertakes on-line genealogical research will never know. Instead, he or she would have “adopted” an ancestor who was not in the least related to the family. One can never assume that somebody with the same name as one’s ancestor was that ancestor, without undertaking further time-consuming accurate genealogical research.
Local knowledge is also very important, and on-line genealogical research could never be a substitute for it. Accurate research entails numerous activities, and can quite often include the use of professional and local assistance. It cannot be accomplished solely through the means of a computer. Pure on-line genealogical research can ultimately become the most expensive kind, for the chances of tracing the wrong ancestors increase dramatically through this method of investigation. That surely cannot be in anybody’s interest - except perhaps those who profit from promoting this type of genealogical research.
[The author is a professional genealogist and historical researcher of 35 years' experience, dealing with all types of sources in England, but now specialising in medieval, manorial and legal work. For more information visit http://www.thechangingseasons.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=22&chapter=40 ]
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