tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post2814030546571251241..comments2023-03-29T12:49:14.244+01:00Comments on The Professional Descendant: Who belongs on the Family Tree?Kirsty F Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-18372642146081078722013-04-12T13:56:39.114+01:002013-04-12T13:56:39.114+01:00Thanks for sharing such a useful info It really he...Thanks for sharing such a useful info It really helps me research in Irish history. chromosome dnahttp://www.paulmaccotter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-34898792775469555872013-01-30T21:32:39.012+00:002013-01-30T21:32:39.012+00:00In both my personal and professional research I ha...In both my personal and professional research I have repeatedly found that the best way to overcome dead ends is to thoroughly research the subject's siblings, parents, children, grandparents and extended family. I have obtained copies of letters, photos and precious original documents that belonged to my direct ancestors by tracing descendants of their siblings (some as remote as 3rd & 4th cousins). Free (or almost free) resources that have worked for me include LostCousins, CuriousFox, and postems on FreeBMD (all of which are described in blog posts at <a href="http://uk-australia.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">UK/Australia Genealogy</a>).Judy Websterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09730547717403140047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-48240478714579235792013-01-15T05:34:52.579+00:002013-01-15T05:34:52.579+00:00My family came from Ireland so I won't get ver...My family came from Ireland so I won't get very far back. I am doing my best to build a accurate data base as Kristy Wilkinson commented.<br /><br />"I work this way. Most trees start with "you" and work their way up. "You", your parents, their parents and so on up the tree. My main research interest is my father's mother's grandfather or my great great grandfather's family. I research from him on down. To research up from him will require divine intervention! But I digress. I research everyone of his descendants including those that marry into the family. But I only research those people that marry into the family. I don't research their family or their family history unless it is "necessary" to document the life of the person that married into the family. About the parents of the person that married into the family, I could care less. That is how I work."<br /><br />This describes my plan. I'm documenting vital records, census and obituaries. My hope is to encourage my family to continue this hobby.<br />mbm1311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-37294650072234753892013-01-14T22:20:23.587+00:002013-01-14T22:20:23.587+00:00Good article. I had been struggling with the same,...Good article. I had been struggling with the same, especially as I try to clean up my paper and sources. I decided there isn't enough time to try to source every single fact I have from my early work, so I am concentrating on only my direct lines and their siblings. I'm sure my tree will continue to grow, but my focus has got to be on cleanup or it will never get done. I find the hunt far more fun though.Laurihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09312025277661530407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-26953958251625029332013-01-14T19:09:43.685+00:002013-01-14T19:09:43.685+00:00I'm at pretty much the opposite end of the sca...I'm at pretty much the opposite end of the scale (thus proving the point that one size doesn't fit all). While I naturally put more emphasis on my direct line, I'm fascinated by the idea of how we're all related to each other. As a result I work on what I call my "family bush" -- connections up, down, and sideways. I don't put a lot of effort into the side lines and they to consist mostly of names, dates, and places, but on the periphery that's what I'm interested in.<br /><br />Dave LAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-77876027207642290302013-01-14T18:35:55.761+00:002013-01-14T18:35:55.761+00:00I've thought a bit about this too. I've d...I've thought a bit about this too. I've done some prototype work to develop a method that will compute an objective distance between any two people in a tree. I'm still working on refining it to the point where it could be useful in software products, but wanted to solicit some feedback from those on this blog since it's relevant to the topic being discussed. I believe it may provide help for a more "organized genealogical approach" like DanielMT commented about.<br /><br />Anyhow, the short version is that distance in 3 "dimensions" is computed for people - generationally, collaterally and through marriages. These three numbers are combined to produce a single distance metric. Weighting factors basically make direct line ancestors, even several generations back, closer than say a 2nd cousin, so if looked at in distance order closer relatives would show up first.<br /><br />I'm trying to get some slides together to better explain it all and plan to present at a conference in the future, but thought I'd solicit some feedback as to whether this sounds like an idea that has merit.Bennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-26580801781367966392013-01-14T17:12:04.376+00:002013-01-14T17:12:04.376+00:00Comment from Jeff Ford that apparently got lost by...Comment from Jeff Ford that apparently got lost by Blogger:<br /><br />"I work this way. Most trees start with "you" and work their way up. "You", your parents, their parents and so on up the tree. My main research interest is my father's mother's grandfather or my great great grandfather's family. I research from him on down. To research up from him will require divine intervention! But I digress. I research everyone of his descendants including those that marry into the family. But I only research those people that marry into the family. I don't research their family or their family history unless it is "necessary" to document the life of the person that married into the family. About the parents of the person that married into the family, I could care less. That is how I work.<br /><br />Thank you,<br />Jeff Ford"Kirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-59927749983843563762013-01-14T03:48:01.791+00:002013-01-14T03:48:01.791+00:00Initially I vowed not to attempt "descendants...Initially I vowed not to attempt "descendants of my ancestors" because, well, isn't life too short? I have now changed my perspective, with understanding that the neighborhood was part of my ancestors' lives, and discoveries of ancestors' being documented in the estate records (such as sales of personal property) of distant relatives or just neighbors. With this approach I still hope to discover the whereabouts after 1803 of Mysterious Cousin Sarah, who evidently left the neighborhood of her stepchildren in Kentucky and has not turned up with her mother in Maryland, with her nieces and nephews in (West) Virginia, or with her brother in another part of the same State . . . . Those neighborhood estate inventories and vendue bills are of immense interest regarding my relatives' material culture and how it changed over decades, too!Geoloverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12050268303916428230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-31161068445043394972013-01-14T00:01:01.761+00:002013-01-14T00:01:01.761+00:00When I got serious with my research, I started wit...When I got serious with my research, I started with a firm goal... the descendants of each of my direct ancestors... As I discovered an ancestor further back, I had a whole class of relatives to research. That is still my priority. It has worked very well, for me. Simple rule. Many relatives. Good discussion. ;-)William L. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10755831942458441154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-34535338937595882912013-01-09T23:55:18.628+00:002013-01-09T23:55:18.628+00:00This is a very interesting topic. Initially I ten...This is a very interesting topic. Initially I tended to cast my net wide, but as I've progressed, I tend to research more on my direct lines. Quite frankly, there is just not enough time to research everyone. Most contacts through my collateral lines are brief as many of those above have commented. That said, I have made some remarkable discoveries as well. I met an entire side of the family I never knew before.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686141155733545208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-36548762000879245252013-01-09T22:02:40.379+00:002013-01-09T22:02:40.379+00:00Good topic! I am an "up the tree and down the...Good topic! I am an "up the tree and down the tree" researcher. Here is my reply:<br /><br />http://sallysearches.blogspot.com/2013/01/up-tree-down-tree.htmlSallySearcheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12085309109469827084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-76520214847411745252013-01-09T16:18:23.509+00:002013-01-09T16:18:23.509+00:00Great discussion. My philosophy is that I share a ...Great discussion. My philosophy is that I share a common family story with distant cousins. We might have to go up a few generations to reach our common ancestors and shared story, but these are the generations I'm most curious about at this point. So many of these distant cousin hold a piece of the puzzle or a clue that they might not even know I'm looking for. By reaching out to them, and sharing my tree, I find key collaborators and together we break down walls that I couldn't possibly do myself. For example, I now have a picture of my third great-grandmother. One of my third cousins had it and knew who she was. One other cousin had the picture but had no idea who the woman was. My great-grandfather died before any of his grandchildren were even born, so I knew almost nothing about him, let alone his grandmother. If I hadn't researched his siblings and their descendants, I would have missed out on a huge part of his story. I feel the same about "friends and neighbors". If I have photos of these people who were important to my ancestors than maybe their descendants have photos of my ancestors or stories they can share. I try to seek them out, but I limit my self by remembering that my goal is to get in formation about my ancestors, not theirs. <br /><br />What I find frustrating are people who research my family because some distant x-sister-in-law of a cousin of theirs was related to me and then they introduce mistakes into. I've had a discussion with a woman how has some of my great-grandfather's brother's as still living for example. She won't mark them as deceased until she finds documentation, even though she got their names and info from my try and I am 100% they are all dead. I'm in touch with all their descendants, but some graves and death certificates have been elusive. <br />Smadarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09765946753514711483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-21471889627774625582013-01-08T17:49:43.424+00:002013-01-08T17:49:43.424+00:00Thanks for the comments, Sue. I've also found ...Thanks for the comments, Sue. I've also found revisiting my early research to be really helpful, now I just need the time to follow up the new leads....Kirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-4293671969627628262013-01-08T17:47:04.193+00:002013-01-08T17:47:04.193+00:00I also find it much easier to stick to the main li...I also find it much easier to stick to the main line of a family when researching professionally than with my own family and have had quite a few 2am experiences when researching them of late!<br />Thanks for the comments.Kirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-89098126819947445442013-01-08T11:43:38.576+00:002013-01-08T11:43:38.576+00:00I had several legends to work on when I started. ...I had several legends to work on when I started. Some have been verified, but 15 odd years later, I'm still working on others. I used to follow any line of enquiry, but now I am a bit more disciplined. I find that revisiting some of my early research is a great way to focus.<br /><br />Common surnames and illegitimacies need a wider approach.<br /><br />I have made fewer but better quality connections through my blog and website than through Ancestry, GenesReunited etc. A high proportion of GenesReunited contacts were no relation at all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-52838277932673305942013-01-08T11:22:30.255+00:002013-01-08T11:22:30.255+00:00When carrying out research for other people I agre...When carrying out research for other people I agree on the line required and stick to that unless anything of real interest pops up in extended family that would add to the interest of the report.<br />Although many years since I started my own family history I still continue to research it and with the increase on online records I am still able to add to it.<br />For my own line I lack the professional discipline and tend to wander off into interesting corners finding myself at a 4th cousin and then notice that its 2am!<br />On a more serious note I think that its YOUR family tree which means that as long as you are able to provide a citation for members then YOUR family tree can be as large or small as you choose to make it. <br />Peter Layzellhttp://www.essex-family-history.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-3381829078166391432013-01-08T10:23:43.265+00:002013-01-08T10:23:43.265+00:00I'm sure any hard and fast rule is impossible ...I'm sure any hard and fast rule is impossible to stick to as each family brings new challenges and new possibilities. It's also difficult to resist looking into an interesting family, especially if it involves an area or set of records that's new to you, and serendipitous discoveries are a wonderful thing!Kirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-8823416006243143052013-01-08T10:11:25.930+00:002013-01-08T10:11:25.930+00:00Thanks for the comment, Liz. It sounds like resea...Thanks for the comment, Liz. It sounds like researching the wider family was a very successful technique for your research.Kirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-60382188835395471622013-01-08T10:08:46.395+00:002013-01-08T10:08:46.395+00:00Thanks, Celia. You raise an important point about...Thanks, Celia. You raise an important point about the 'two people - same name' problem and how researching the wider family may be the only way to sort everyone out.Kirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-49729113000009582662013-01-07T20:53:43.386+00:002013-01-07T20:53:43.386+00:00I wish I were ever disciplined enough to have a ha...I wish I were ever disciplined enough to have a hard and fast rule! I have tended to research, siblings, cousins, in-law.s etc. based on whether or not they appear interesting enough to merit the work. It's hardly the sign of an organized genealogical approach though, I freely admit. But some of the stories I've come across in this way have been marvellous, so I can hardly complain. Also, as I find is common elsewhere, sometimes a more distant branch is simply easier to research; if I can get "more" out of a few hours research on that side, well I'll do it.DanielMThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03187700038566886908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-203051677698025882013-01-07T19:53:53.337+00:002013-01-07T19:53:53.337+00:00Very interesting discussion... I have found great ...Very interesting discussion... I have found great value in casting my net wide. One case in point is looking for the siblings of my 2x great grandmother, whose name was a very common one (Taylor) I found her sister living with an aunt in the 1871 census, who subsequently I discovered was a great aunt, and this via a convoluted puzzle led me to break down the brickwall of my 4x great grandmother's parentage. As both she and her sister (the aunt) were on to their second marriages by 1871 this was no mean feat and I don't think I would ever have figured it out if I hadn't been researching all the siblings.Liz Plummerhttp://lizplummer.com/genealogynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-55926137040960551432013-01-07T19:49:36.560+00:002013-01-07T19:49:36.560+00:00Those 2nd and 3rd cousins I've found through m...Those 2nd and 3rd cousins I've found through my extended family lines, have been the most rewarding! Photos, stories, details, all adding to my understanding of my family. Like you, I knew next to nothing about both sides of my family, and then I found out that my maternal grandmother told (gasp!) LIES! Made research interesting to say the least. Then I've found multiple generations with the same name, with first cousins with same name, all living in the same area - doing extended family research was absolutely necessary to be certain I had the correct person as my direct ancestor. Great post, Kirsty - thanks for writing about this common issue.Celia Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04096301290962083820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-61534591907824464592013-01-07T18:42:07.893+00:002013-01-07T18:42:07.893+00:00But not of course the answer I'm still looking...But not of course the answer I'm still looking for! A case in point was that if I hadn't reserached the life of my grandmother's brother I wouldn't have found his will and where she was working when he made it, or indeed that she had worked in that place at all. Also the will indicated the fact that he seemed not to know of my mother's existence and she was a well kept secret to some family members.Chris Wibberleyhttp://www.christinewibberley.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-13777388700534327742013-01-07T18:00:11.598+00:002013-01-07T18:00:11.598+00:00Thanks for the comment, Jane. I think there is def...Thanks for the comment, Jane. I think there is definitely an urge to learn more about people who were known to your (or your parents) personally, as several of the previous comments demonstrate. I suppose focusing on direct lines becomes more necessary the further back in time you go. Good luck with the British Newspaper Archive, hope you make some interesting discoveries!Kirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-82243619701946386282013-01-07T17:52:51.002+00:002013-01-07T17:52:51.002+00:00Thanks for the comment, Chris. Having read about ...Thanks for the comment, Chris. Having read about your research into your mother's family through your website, I can certainly see that casting your net widely was an essential approach to learning more about that branch of your family. It's wonderful that you were able to make such exciting discoveries!Kirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.com