Franklin Memorial Library recently hosted a genealogy workshop called “Who to include in your family tree.” Lillian Wingate, regional genealogist, suggests including more than just direct, biological family. Recording other family connections may lead to more information. Make sure to record the relationship of others in your family tree, and to always include the name, dates, and locations.
Researching your family may reveal many interesting relationships. Have you ever heard of the song “I am my own grandpa”? Some family histories are so convoluted that people can end up in weird relationships with others in their family. These are usually several generations in the past, however.
In the south, there were often larger families due to labor needed on the farms. There are often multiple relationships within large families in the rural south. This is why it is important to include collateral family as well as direct ancestors.
Understanding naming patterns may help figure out some of the different relationships. For example, the first son may be named after the father or father’s father, while the second son may take the name of his mother’s father. A female’s maiden name may have also been used as a given name for a child.
Don't miss out on the next genealogy event at Franklin Memorial Library on February 23 at 2 p.m. The topic of that class will be "Genealogy without documentation is Mythology”.
