"Letters Patent" : A 12 Step Process

Governmental red tape has been present since the onset of...well, governments. Being sure to jump through all the correct hoops, and in the correct order, is part of the process. In May 1498, it was no different. John Cabot was about to leave England on his voyage to discover land not claimed by another nation. He of course needed a "letters patent" from the King. The process to receive a "letters patent" is not generally discussed in the history books. I thought it might of interest to those genealogist who would appreciate the process.

The following pages are an outline of the 12 step process of obtaining a "letters patent" as it stood in early colonial history. Please remember that you can click on the pages to enlarge them. They are copied from The Jones Genealogist, Vol.X, No. 2, July/August, 1998, pp.4-5. Going through these steps would certainly keep one occupied for a certain period of time. It would also provide many opportunities to line someones pock, or to provide that extra favor.

Understanding this process certainly helps the genealogist to appreciate what our ancestors accomplished.

For The Serious Genealogist

You know your a GENEALOGIST when:

You can't drive past a cemetery without wondering if your ancestors are buried there.

Your neighbors think you are crazy, your friends wonder, and you know you are.

You have to watch the credits of a movie to see if any of the surnames are ones you are researching.

The mailman can't believe that you got this much mail from someone you don't even know.

Your fear of snakes and bugs is overshadowed by the need to get through those brambles to that old gravestone.

You worry about the roof's leaking only if the drips threaten your genealogy section.

When you read the New Testament in Sunday School and find yourself comparing the pedigrees in Matthew and Luke.

When you find your ancestor's executions by hanging or burning at the stake, far more interesting than the mass-murder that just took place next door.

You move to a new town and the first thing you look for is a historical or genealogical society in the area.

submitted by: Mary Jones, MD

Copied from: The Jones Genealogist, Vol.XII, No. 4, Nov/Dec, 2000.

Clarify Dates

Detailed chronology is the foundation to brick wall demolition. Having just started a new blog on Cadwallader Jones, I was reminded how important this is in the documentation of facts. The very first item is such an example. {see: http://cadwalladerjones.blogspot.com } It documents a "Dower" release of Alice Corbin. It is dated "6th day of January 1672". In the text, it records that land transaction occurred "September 21st 1672..."! This would mean that the document was signed before the land transaction even occurred if one did not recognize the old system of dating. In addition, the item was recorded in the court records "4 die 9bris 1674", some one year after the action was taken. If one only looked at the date the item was recorded, it would be some two years after the event. What in the world is one to do?

All this is said to remind the genealogist, that a correct date is important in establishing the identity of many in the family tree. Reading and recording the dates appropriately is vital to breaking down many of those brick walls.

A New Blog: Cadwallader Jones

For those who would like to read about "Primary Documents" and "Secondary Documents" relating to tree climbing, I have started a new blog titled: Cadwallader Jones. [ca. 1650-1703] I hope to tell his life story using these types of documents. The link is:

http://cadwalladerjones.blogspot.com/

come see what the documents tell.

BWP (37): Connecting the Dots

There are times when the tree branches get pretty thick. All those names, locations, histories, dates, etc., etc...how do you connect all those dots? This is very common in Welsh genealogy when the family is recorded in various towns with very unusual names. How are they all connected?

It was not until I connected a number town locations that it became evident that the family was really from the same area of Wales! The map to the right shows a drawing of many of the towns and locations that my JONES family resided. The names were taken from records, wills, deeds, etc., and their geographic locations identified. They fell along Wat's Dyke which had been the border between Wales and the Marches since 700 AD. The family located in a geographic area that represented the tribal group from which my JONES surname originated. An explanation that helped connect the dots!

BWP(36): A Place to Work

Having a good place to work is important in breaking down many of those brick walls. It often takes placing all the information about you in a single location that can be utilized over a period of time. A card table, a dinning table, even an end table can work. [It will sometimes take those in the family to agree to let you leave the work items about.]

The picture shows my work table. Lights, action, camera...well maybe not the camera. But you can get the idea. Space to work... a place to work... brick by brick.

BWP(35): Your Own Research - An Example

There often comes a time when things just seem to go nowhere. No helps, no records, no documents, no leads, and no direction to help get you around those brick walls. What is one to do?

At this point in my own tree climbing, I would begin to do my own research. What do I need to know? Where do I need to go? What questions can I try and answer for myself?

The following two figures represent such a research attempt. I wanted to know if those who shared the JONES surname were more likely to go to Oxford or Cambridge. If so, would there be an area of the county which they would more likely come. I wanted to try and bridge that part of colonial history which sent their sons to England for their "higher" education. I was hoping this would connect my Virginia JONES family back to an area of the "mother country".

These first figure shows that the JONES surname attended Oxford roughly 3 to 1. This would help me decided to go to Oxford first, looking for my "Richard Jones".



The second figure shows a map that outlines the counties from which those JONES originated. Blue for Oxford, and pink for Cambridge. Yellow showed those counties that had did not have a single JONES for the time period under study. I would at least know that the JONES surname would not come these counties.

This study also showed me that Wales seemed to send their boys to Oxford. The eastern counties seemed to send their boys to Cambridge.

This at least gave me some ideas as to where to start looking.