Tips from the Pros: Know It All?

I firmly believe that no genealogist knows it all. It took me a while to be able to admit I did not really know it all; the old ego gets in the way. Standing up in front of an audience or being interviewed can be a tricky experience if you don't know the correct reply to a question. The same goes for our own family history research. How on earth could we know it all? Think about how many cities, counties, states, provinces, countries, and types of records exist. How many nationalities and religions are in your background? My ancestors come from at least seven countries. Their religions also number seven at this point.

You may be experienced in research related to a specific time period, locality, religion, ethnic group, or type of record. Some twenty years ago, a retired police detective told me that he had learned never to call himself an expert--all it took was difficulty in answering one tough or specialized question from a lawyer or judge in court and his expert status was in jeopardy. They would not forget him--but not for the right reason. A genealogist himself, he told me to keep this in mind in my research and teaching and to use the word experienced rather than expert.
There have been times when I have heard people say to me, "How do you know it all?" My reply varies somewhat but basically the response is that I don't know it all and that if I don't know the direct answer to their question, I am usually able to refer them to a website, guidebook, repository, or another genealogist...

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Ancestral Biographies

Of all my children's ancestors, only two have biographies in old county histories. There are no letters or diaries left behind that provide insight into how our family lived one hundred years ago. Those who have such materials are extremely fortunate. This week we look at some other places to get biographical information and consider one of the great ironies of genealogical research.

A comprehensive search of genealogical sources can turn up biographical information. Of course county histories, obituaries, and home sources are potential sources of personal details beyond the vital statistics of births, marriages, and deaths. Pension files and court records are two great places to potentially learn more about your ancestor.

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Researching Neglected LinesJuliana Smith

Before I dive in to this week's column, I'd like to apologize to all who have received corrupted, duplicate, or otherwise garbled newsletters over the past couple weeks. There were some necessary back-end technological changes that have made life a little challenging for those of us on the newsletter front. We're very sorry for the inconvenience. If you missed reading any of the past issues, we've included links to them in the Blog Extras section of this newsletter.
Today I decided to take out some of my frustrations on a somewhat neglected family line. (I'm noticing I have a few these days.) I seem to focus on my Kellys for the most part, so today I sidestepped to my Tobin line to see if I could make some progress there. I don't know as much as I'd like about Thomas Tobin (my third great-grandfather) and his family, so I thought he'd be a good place to start.

Maybe you've been a little neglectful of one of your ancestral lines too. So why do we abandon a family line? Brick wall? Lack of accessible resources? Let's take a look at some reasons and possible solutions.

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