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Into the Family Net
by Val Atkinson
Article ID: 30, First Published: October 2005I’m not a fan of fishing, and neither was my husband, but he used to wear a sleeveless green Barber ‘fishing jacket’ with numerous pockets etc. to carry all the paraphernalia needed on walking and photographic holidays.
My husband thought it would be a good idea if I had a jacket like his, so we went to a fishing shop In Newcastle on Tyne to buy one.
The assistant said to me: ‘Are you a fisher person?’ and when I said ‘No’, he said that these jackets were specifically for fisher people, and therefore we couldn’t buy one.
We were flummoxed (taken aback) at this, because we couldn’t see why it should matter whether we were ‘fisher people’ or not, but he was adamant.
NO FISHING JACKETS FOR NON-FISHER PEOPLE!
We realised this was no joke, and were a bit nonplussed. It was just too bizarre, but my husband was all for the easy quiet life, so he began to leave the shop. I was made of sterner stuff, and asked to see the manager.
The manager came, and we told him the sorry tale, with great detail (and demonstration) of why we required this jacket, and what ‘non-fishing’ uses would be made of it. My husband had his on at the time, so we had a ready model to prove our need.
After deliberation, The manager made his decision, and said to the assistant:
‘SELL THEM THE JACKET!’
And since then that jacket has come in very handy on family fishing expeditions of the human variety, because I am in fact a ‘fisher person’. It’s just that I specialise in fishing for people.
Sometimes in research we need to be made of sterner stuff if we are to successfully gather our people into the ‘Family Net’.
Setbacks in research are legion, and you can’t always trust your sources and the information they give. If you’re not a ‘proper fisher person’ you might get put off. Worse, you might accept what you’re told, and fish no further.
Take Mary Ann FARISH example, I needed her and found an entry on the IGI index:
Mary Ann FARISH 2 July 1865 at Sherburn Hill Durham parents John FARISH and Jane WELSBY.
This was a good solid entry with all the details I needed.
However, when I tried for the marriage, IGI brought up:
About 1864 marriage of John FARISH to Jane WELSBY of Sherburn Hill
In this situation these are the questions to ask:
• Who gets married on an approximate day?
• Who gets married at an approximate place?
• Are these approximate people or real people?
1871 census at Willington Durham brought up real people:
• John FARISH born about 1839 Thornley, Durham, England Head
• Jane FARISH born about 1845 Coxhoe, Durham, England Wife
• William FARISH born about 1864 Oakenshaw, Durham, England Son
• Mary Ann FARISH born about 1866 Sherburn Hill, Durham, England Daughter
The IGI marriage for John FARISH is an example of research that does not quite fit the facts.
Unless the parents married just as William was born, the marriage was not in 1864.
To continue:
I searched GRO indexes for this 1864 marriage, and did not find it. I searched back to 1859 when Jane WELSBY would have been about age 15, and still did not find it.
In genealogy, when you’ve fished in the correct spot, and made no catch, you go to the ‘incorrect’ spot and cast your net again.
I searched forward and found the marriage in 1866, and the certificate showed that John FARISH aged 26 was a widower.
This is his real story, fully authenticated by certificate:
• 14 July 1860 John FARISH married Mary Ann KYLE at St Mary the Virgin Easington. She gave her age as 17 years, but must have been about 15.
• 12 Apr 1861 Mary Ann FARISH died at Trimdon Colliery with age given as 16 years
• 1863 William WELSBY illegitimate son of Jane WELSBY was born in Oakenshaw (No father was named). He appeared on the census in 1871as William FARISH
• 2 July 1865 Mary Ann FARISH was born. Her parents claimed to be married but weren’t.
• 13 Mar 1866 Mary Ann’s parents John FARISH and Jane WELSBY were married at Durham Register Office
Let me sum up for you:
WHEN FISHING FOR PEOPLE:
• We’re not in for the easy life
• We don’t go to the door when the first problem rears its head.
• We’re made of sterner stuff, and we see the manager to explain our need
• We authenticate the ground before settling down to fish
• We cast our nets on the other side, though we’ve fished all night and found nothing
• We want the whole catch, not just the odd fish
• So far as we’re concerned: The FAMILY NET is for families
TRUST ME IN THIS
Be a real Fisher Person, locating real people from real places.
To paraphrase an old song:
• Accentuate the definite
• Eliminate the approximate
• Latch on to the permanent
• Don’t mess with ‘Mr In between’
