Putting an Ancestor in Time and Place

I enjoy reading well-researched and well-written historical novels, especially when they take place at the times and in the places where my ancestors lived.  They open wide the door to life as it may have been lived with details about topics such as home-keeping, child-rearing, food preparation and diet, health, clothing, travel methods, care of animals and gardens, dealing with weather, not to mention manners and the interactions between family, neighbors, friends, and business associates/owners.  An excellent author of historical fiction will have researched these topics in old newspapers, books, journals, magazines, and any other available resources, including some of the records we family historians use:  census records; birth, marriage, and death records; wills; probate, property, other court documents, etc.  The excellent author strives for accuracy as s/he paints the picture of some specific time and place in the past.

But I don't envision my ancestors as characters in a book of historical fiction.  I see them as the lead characters in their own lives, lives lived with with purpose (even if the purpose was only survival), spunk, fervor, humor, stamina, determination, and often faith.

My interest in family history has always extended beyond names, events, dates, and locations.  I've been interested in getting to know about their lives, activities, and interests, as much as possible, and learning about the social and political environment of the times in which they lived.  Knowing details like these helps me avoid the pitfalls of assumption.  Non-fiction books about social history and specific topics pertaining to ancestors' occupations and interests often help fill in details about places they lived and newspapers can give local details, sometimes including information about specific individuals.

These are a few examples of errors in thinking I could have made had I not been aware of the customs, standards, and expectations contemporary to my ancestors.

• My father ended his formal education with eighth grade.  By today's standards he might be considered a drop-out, but not so.  It was common practice in rural communities of the early 1920s to end formal education at that time.  My father was an intelligent man and I think part of his insistence that his children go to college was because he never had the opportunity and could see how beneficial it would be.
• Ten of fifteen of my grandmothers born in the 1800s were married when they were between the ages of 16 and 18.  In today's culture, we would generally consider that too young to make such an important decision.  Had I not learned that it was common for young ladies to move from home to marriage at this age during the times in which they lived, I could have misjudged the situation.  Cultures and mores change over time.  (I will admit that I still marvel at the marriage of my great-grandmother, age 17, to my great-grandfather, age 35.)
• One of my great-grandfathers died leaving a pregnant wife and six children.  The children were assigned a guardian by the court.  It would have been easy to assume my great-grandmother was not capable of caring for her children except for the knowledge that it was common practice for a guardian to be assigned in cases like this one.

There's lots I love about genealogy and family history:  the mystery of finding the next individual or family, finding as much as I can about him or her, the search and the sleuthing for documents, the satisfaction of having found an individual, tracking and recording the search and results.  I also love putting an ancestor in his or her time and place and learning details about both. 

This post was written for Amy Johnson Crow's 2019 version of 52 Ancestors.  The post topic for the week was "Context."

 –Nancy.

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