Don’t Sweep ‘Black Sheep’ Under Rug
Question: I have just learned that my great-grandfather was hanged for murdering someone, and I am still in shock. There are jokes about finding such a horror story while doing a family tree, but when it actually happens, it is sad. Should I write about it or ignore it? Should this story be included in our family history? How do other genealogists handle this?
Answer: In the past, few family histories dealt honestly with their less-than-perfect ancestors (and we all have them), which makes their genealogies suspect. If we write about only the “good” and illustrious ancestors, we are not being fair. On the other hand, I see no reason to dwell upon black sheep ancestors or their misdeeds either.
The best way to handle this episode is to incorporate it in your family history, but write it as a reporter would. Present only documented facts in a forthright manner, making no moral judgment or editorial comments about this ancestor.
Q: My mother’s family has claimed for generations that we are descendants of President Zachary Taylor. I have found nothing in reference books and biographies about him that matches my family’s information.
Grandma claims Zachary Taylor married an Indian girl of the Choctaw tribe, and that this union produced my ancestor, Betsey Taylor Barlow, born in 1830. How can I prove this lineage?
A: You may indeed have a family connection to our 12th President, but trace your Taylor line first all the way back to 1784, when President Taylor was born. Then compare this information to what you know about Zachary Taylor’s pedigree.
Use censuses, land, tax and probate records. Examine all lines of your Taylor family carefully. Often family stories have a way of getting tangled up regarding relationships to famous people.
If you can locate a book, published in 1975, entitled “The Descendants of the Presidents” by R. Whitney Tucker, it may shed light on any illegitimate children Taylor might have sired. If your local library does not have this book, check with a university library near you. In-depth biographical and genealogical information about Presidents is usually available in university libraries.
Q: In my ancestor’s obituary it says she was born 26 Oct. 1858 in Illinois on a Mississippi riverboat. The family was on the way to Iowa. Would there be birth records available, and if so, where?
A: Prior to 1900 few birth records were recorded anywhere, except in church records and family Bibles. Our ancestors were too busy moving and building this country to be involved in record-keeping.
You are fortunate to have found the obituary that provides this information. Use the 1860 and later censuses for additional proof of her birth date.
Try to learn the name of the riverboat your ancestors took on their trip to Iowa, and read books on the subject to complete the historical background of this adventure for your family history. See if you can find “Steamboats on the Western Rivers” by Louis C. Hunter, “History of River Navigation” by E. W. Gould and “Directory of Western River Packets” by Capt. Frederick Way Jr. These books most likely will be found in university libraries.
Write to Inland River Library at Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, 800 Vine St., Library Square, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2071 and inquire about sources it has on this subject.
Genealogical research questions are welcome. Send to Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Box 64316, Tacoma, Wash. 98464 and enclose a No. 10 self-addressed stamped envelope. For a beginner’s how-to kit (with charts) send $4.