Ancestor Profiling. adding life & color to our family tree

Transcription

1 Ancestor Profiling adding life & color to our family tree

2 Our research comes in pieces, from different places at different times Revisiting these clues can help us learn more about their lives

3 Creating a profile of an ancestor can help in several ways. Identify how much information you have Identify gaps in your research Put your ancestors lives in chronological sequence Make educated guesses about their thought processes and choices See them less as words and numbers Form the basis for a good biographical sketch

4 Genealogists are historical detectives

5 Building an ancestor profile

6 Although we've never met most of our ancestors face to face, we can get to know them by doing a little (or a lot) of detective work.

7 Everyone has a story to tell! Start at the roots and work your way out

8 Grab a notepad and lets see what we already know. Name Sex Maternal / Paternal Birth year Birth order within family

9 Grab a notepad and lets see what we already know Occupation Marriage Religion Affiliations and groups Ethnicity Residence / Migration

10 Grab a notepad and lets see what we already know Photographs Documents Letters and Journals Obituaries

11 Grab a notepad and lets see what we already know Military Public records / Newspapers Family Lore

12 Be organized and take notes

13

14 My Pepe'

15 Name Joseph Adrien Gaudias Cote'

16 maternal relative

17 Birth year What was happening that could affect their view of the world? 1. famine 2. depression 3. war 4. abundance

18 Born in Hemmingford,Quebec

19 Birth order oldest son or daughter 1. Responsible, natural leader 2. ready to escape the family home 3. may take younger siblings with them to help out

20 Birth order middle son / daughter 1. more social than older siblings 2. caretakers in older years 3. Steps up if oldest leaves a vacancy

21 Birth order youngest son / daughter 1. Risk takers 2. Check the newspapers for antics 3. Feels entitled to nothing, remembers everything

22 Marriage 1. Age they married 2. Circumstance

23 Occupation or Skill

24 Occupation or Skill

25 Married Marie Therese Anne LaPlante at 20 years old Eldest child and only son until he was 15, 8 sisters Likely a skilled baker

26 Religion 1. shows their church community and activities they may have participated in 2. Helps to pinpoint where they may be buried

27 Education how many years of school if any? What was the average at that time and in that area?

28 Roman Catholic Grade 11

29 Affiliations and Groups MEN - free masons, sons of Italy, honorable order of the blue goose, veterans of foreign wars WOMEN - Inner Wheel Club, Christian Temperance Movement, Relief Society,

30 Ethnicity and language What group do they consider themselves from? Research traditions, holidays of this ethnic group What language was spoken at home How would this have affected their movements

31 Where did they live Locate your ancestor at every available point in time Make a timeline of these locations What could explain why they stayed or left each area

32 Where did they live Adrien Hemmingford, Quebec Piercefield, New York Niagara Falls, New York

33 United Paperworkers International Union French and English spoken in home Quebec and New York

34 Photographs clothing and hairstyles furniture or professional props autos, homes and architecture locations

35 Pay attention to things that don t seem to have value at the moment

36 Letters, Diaries and Journals family members internet - location, event, time period libraries and archives contact family and friend of ancestor

37 Census How many slaves escaped from you in the last year and how many slaves did you free? net worth, real estate, other possessions? Are you not allowed to vote for some reason other than rebellion or other crime? If you are a polygamist, are your wives sisters? (Asked only of Native Americans.) water supply within 50 feet of dwelling unit ~~COMING SOON~~ Does your home have a basement? And how many television sets do you own? Do you enter your home through a front door, or do you enter through someone else s living quarters?

38 Obituaries church affiliation organization cause of death who came to town for funeral government positions migration birth town parents names cemetery burial military or noteworthy life event occupational details biography of deceased

39 Frank Somara stabbed with a stiletto

40 Public Records local newspapers religious and ethnic newspaper voter registration telephone books

41 Never assume!

42 Family lore Start with names and dates Note details of every version

43 Joseph Adrien Gaudias Cote' Maternal relative Born in Hemmingford,Quebec Eldest child and only son until he was 15 with 6 sisters Married Marie Therese' Anne LaPlante at 20 Likely a skilled baker Roman Catholic Grade 11 United Paperworkers International Union French and English spoken in home Quebec and New York

44 Now what? Don t take for granted that the lives of your ancestors are lost to time. Evidence of the people they were exists somewhere and is discoverable.

45 Now what? Create a Timeline Timeline the major events of the life of your subject such as education, relationships and jobs. Include other noteworthy accomplishments, events, tragedies and successes. Add Some Color At this point, you may wish to insert family memories, newpaper clipping info, thoughts and childhood recollections. For instance, if you were writing a family biography of your grandfather, then you could add childhood memories from his children or grandchildren

46 Now what? Rough Draft Always start with a rough draft. Just start writing. Expand your outline by taking each point in the outline to a full sentence and then a paragraph. Read, Revise and Rest Let your first draft sit for maybe a day, a week or a month while your creative battery recharges. Then, look at it with fresh eyes and re- read it and revise. The End If the person is still living, end with an uplifting conclusion, future endeavors, or an outlook on life. If they have passed, then conclude with one of their greatest accomplishments, or how they influenced others in their life.

47 Now what? The End If the person is still living, end with an uplifting conclusion, future endeavours, or an outlook on life. If they have passed, then conclude with one of their greatest accomplishments, or how they influenced others in their life. Start again When you start to compile multiple profiles for ancestors, suddenly, a wider family history is revealed, as many members of a family may share similar experiences while others may offer a different perspective or unique memory. You are now ready to start writing your family biography. Happy Writing!

48