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Four Letter Words for Genealogists
by Val Atkinson
Article ID: 11, First Published: September 2004Have you a child in your family like my niece?
She brandishes a stick like a sword, and yells: ‘JUSTICE IS ON MY SIDE!
She demonstrates how she can speak ‘parsel tongue’. (Eat your heart out, Harry Potter!)
She’s Pocohontas paddling up the river (bath time)
On holiday, true to form, she pointed out a landmark by shouting: ‘LOOK!’ then followed it up with a classic statement:
‘LOOK IS THE WORD THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING!’
‘LOOK’ might not be the word that launched a thousand ships but it should be a genealogy starter, and a signal for action stations big time!
My best genealogy moments are when I’m tracking a problem that won’t go away, and when I’ve solved it I long to get my teeth into another one, and if I’m patient and wait awhile something turns up.
Research is different every time, and if you’re not keen on one aspect just choose something else. It’s similar to the English weather, as an American friend of mine once said:
"If you don’t like it just wait a minute!"
Continual tracking and problem solving is the keystone, cornerstone, and whole foundation of research.
Genealogy is never ‘finished’ though I have heard less informed people say they’ve ‘done’ it.
‘Done’ isn’t a word I use to identify what I’m trying to achieve with my ancestors.
I’VE LEARNED FROM EXPERIENCE, AND MY WATCHWORDS INCLUDE:
Don’t take gilt-edged facts at face value
Double-check everything.
Read everything (twice) before you do anything.
If the idea’s in your head, use it, and don’t let the moths put holes in it.
Turn stones over every time you pass them and don’t be scared of mess, worms and beetles.
Get used to family skeletons, learn about bone structure, and make the closet your first port of call.
Be patient, long suffering, and always carry a pencil sharpener.
Take pride in achievements and indulge in righteous gloating and boasting.
HAVING THIS TYPE OF ETHOS HELPS GENEALOGISTS THROUGH THE PROBLEMS OF:
Unmarried couples who pretend they’re married
People lying about/not knowing birth dates
Illegitimate children with unknown fathers
Illegitimate children with known fathers!
Constantly moving ancestors
Atheistic ancestors with no baptisms
Names spelled twenty different ways in the records
Census shy families
WE GENEALOGISTS NEED TO EVOLVE AND DEVELOP UNTIL WE CAN SAY WITH CONFIDENCE:
I don’t care about skeletons
I collect maps of closets
I tolerate beetles and worms
I delight in tidying up mess
I always have mothballs handy
I’m a speed reader
I’m never without a pencil sharpener
I’m patient and longsuffering
WE WANT TO BRING THE PAST TO LIFE WITH REAL PEOPLE.
We do this by focusing on four letter words for genealogists:
LOOK!
JUST LOOK!
HAVE EYES WILL LOOK!
