Abstract: There are challenges in genealogy that can hinder your research or send you down the wrong path in the future. Make sure you understand the sneaky pitfalls that you may encounter so you can be on the lookout throughout your journey.
As you conduct your research, there are a few genealogical pitfalls that you will want to avoid in order to help make your search successful. Be on the lookout for circumstances that can potentially hinder your search or send you down the wrong path in the future. Many of these situations center on an important point: the broader you make your search, the more success you may have. If your search is too specific, then you limit yourself to far fewer results to evaluate. This, in turn, leads you to far fewer paths for investigation in the future. Keep these pitfalls in mind so as to avoid any unnecessary confusion or frustration throughout your research.
The Meaning of Words
Throughout history, many different words were used to describe relationships among family members. Records of the past often used words to describe relationships that would not have the same meaning we attribute to them today. For example, in the past, the word cousin was used to refer to any member of a family that is not a brother, son, sister, or daughter, including distant relations. Today when we refer to a cousin, we are usually indicating a first or second cousin.
Another common change is with the term in-law. Today we refer to an in-law as a relative of one’s spouse. Historically, however, the word in-law was also used to describe step and adoptive relationships as well.
The terms brother and sister have also changed. In older documents, brother or sister can refer to a wide variety of relationships, including full siblings, step-siblings, adoptive siblings (and those of one’s spouse). The term is also used to describe brothers and sisters in the church, and is sometimes used as a term of affection for close friends.
Another example is the use of the title “Mrs.” While today the title is used to assume marital status, in the past it was commonly used as a sign of respect and did not necessarily denote marital status.
When evaluating the information in your records, ensure that you validate any relationships that use terms such as these. Research the meaning of the words used at the period in which the documents were written. Validating your evidence may seem like a cumbersome part of the research process, but it will save you precious time in the end, by ensuring you are following the correct clues down the right paths.
Hello My Name Is . . .
Usually the research process starts with an ancestor’s name. Names, however, can also be the first piece of information that can lead a genealogist astray.
For those with roots in England, surnames are carried from father to child. Those with ancestries from other countries may find other traditions. For example, some countries have patronymic surnames. John, son of Samuel, is John Samuelson. But when John has a son Stephen, the child is Stephen Johnson.
Those from Spanish cultures will find that people have two surnames, one carried from each parent. The patrilineal surname comes first. The matrilineal surname of the husband is dropped and replaced with the patrilineal surname of the wife when a couple has children. Thus, the child of Juan Carasquillo López and Maria Férnandez Ruiz would be called Edouardo Carasquillo Férnandez.
Another problem arises when people change their names. Getting past such a roadblock can be very tricky. Although a legislative process was often in place, in times past it was also possible to change your name simply by using another name for a period of time. As long as it wasn’t for illegal purposes, the change would become legal.
One place to look for clues is in newspapers. The name change may have been done through petition, but it may have taken place in a place other than you think it did. As part of the petition process, the petitioner would usually have to place announcements in newspapers to give people the opportunity to bring to the court’s attention any potential illegal reasons why the petitioner might be trying to change his or her name.
Compiled family histories also may provide clues. Children taken in by other families may have left a family tradition of their original name. These traditions were sometimes recorded in the compiled genealogy.
The Problem with Colloquialisms
When our ancestors migrated, especially across great distances, their place of origin can be difficult to identify. Unfortunately, colloquial place names may make this task even more difficult. Often colloquial names are used instead of the official name of the location. While some colloquial names survive through time, others fall into disuse and are lost. Modern inhabitants may have no idea of previous colloquial names. When dealing with place names, take into account that the information you have on an ancestor may include a colloquial name. Be certain to check gazetteers and maps (especially older ones) as well as modern databases. If you know what state it should be in, then try contacting the state library or state historical society. They might be able to help you identify the place.
Another potentially confusing situation is when a location can both change names and boundaries during the course of history. This is important to remember when you encounter a brick wall and cannot seem to find a solution to a question. When this situation occurs, make sure you check to see if a name or boundary change took place in the region that you are researching. If so, you may have found one piece to your genealogical puzzle.
Finally, keep in mind that your ancestor may also be accidentally leading you to the wrong location. For example, people who migrated across long distances might say that they were from the nearest well-known populated place, when in fact they lived in a smaller village nearby. So, when looking for records, you might also check the smaller surrounding villages if you cannot find your family in the larger location. You may be surprised of what you find!
Julian Vs. Gregorian: The Battle of the Calendars
Did you know that Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare both died 23 April 1616, but they did not die on the same day? How is that possible? Easily. Cervantes died in Spain while Shakespeare died in England. And these two countries were using different calendars at the time.
The Julian Calendar, established in ancient Rome, was not completely accurate in measuring the length of a year. As a result, the vernal equinox had changed by 10 days by the late sixteenth century. This change was interfering with the date of Easter and causing problems for the Catholic church. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII changed the length of the year slightly to account for the problem. In order to reset the vernal equinox to the proper time, 10 days were removed from the calendar. Finally, he set the start of the New Year as January 1.
With the Protestant reformation, however, not all countries were swift to adopt the Gregorian Calendar. In England, for example, while the New Year festival was celebrated on January 1, the new civil year began on Lady Day, March 25. When using parish registers, you will see that the new year begins after March 24. After the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in other countries, you will notice that dates between January 1 and March 24 are often written with a dual year, such as January 15, 1631/2.
In 1752, Great Britain finally switched to the Gregorian Calendar. December 31, 1751 was followed by January 1, 1752, with the New Year now official starting on January 1. By now the calendar was eleven days off, so September 2, 1752 was followed by September 14, 1752.
Thus, this is how Cervantes and Shakespeare, while both died on the same date, died ten days apart. Spain was on the Gregorian Calendar while England was still using the Julian Calendar, thus there was ten days difference between the dates in the two countries.
While researching and confirming the dates in your family history, be sure to check if they fall within the time span that the Julian and Gregorian Calendar were both in use, between the years 1582-1752. As stated above, a quick way to recognize these special dates is to notice that the date is accompanied by a dual year, for example, January 15, 1631/2. When you recognize this information, be sure to record the date as accurately as possible by including both years.
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