That "thing-a-ma-jig"

We all have one.  Those "what you ma-call its" that help us get through our days.  Those things that you never really got around to get the "official" name or title, but it comes in handy when you need them.  For me doing genealogy, the picture shown is one.  I have used it for years when those "squares and circles" need to be drawn, or those maps need to be drawn, or those straight lines need a little help, or when... on and on it goes.  You can use it for all kinds of stuff.

I still don't know what it is officially called.  It has "professional SKETCH MASTER template" in small print on the surface.  "STAEDTLER" is written in caps surrounded by black highlight.  A variety of scales and sizes are given.  A inch ruler and a metric ruler are in place.  I believe I got this in my college days at our university book store, but I don't really remember.  Does anyone know if you can still find them?  Please post.

Anyway, this is an example of one tool that I have used over the years...that thing-a-ma-jig!

Color Coding: Brighten Up Your Day

Tree limbs and branches on the old family tree can get complicated fairly quickly.  After a few generations "bunches" of them start to appear.  Keeping them kind of organized, and grouped appropriately, can be a real challenge.  Over the years I have found that a color coding system can be helpful.

The figure to the right shows my own system, developed after a few generations had passed.  Three sons of one grandfather started things off.  Each son was given a color (magic markers were used) and from that point onward in the family tree, this color was applied to this branch of the tree.  Pink to the oldest
[his line descended through a daughter ], yellow to the second son [the color I had at the time], and blue to the youngest which was my direct branch [ Go Big Blue ! cause we grew up in Kentucky under Adolph Rupp!]

You can see the branches bloom before your very eyes.  The second son seemed to get the advantage with more children around the tree. It became evident that the baby of the family must have remained in contact the oldest branch since one grandfather married into this group.  Each page can then be used to show the relationship between the branches. [For us visual learners, this can be very helpful.]

The "square and circle" method has been presented in my blog entitled: Ge-ne-al-o-gy 101.  My complete family tree using this method is given in my blog entitled: Jones Surname DNA.  Have a go at it if you like to color...it will brighten up your day.

Name That Topic

The Brick Wall Protocol has been written to try and help those genealogist who are stuck before one of those road blocks.  Sooner or later it will happen if you climb trees long enough.  I thought it might be helpful to give those who have been reading these post a place to share a topic that is important to them.  This may be a question, a document, a resource, an archive, etc. that has been helpful or useful in their own tree climbing.  There may be a method or technique that has been helpful.  It just may be a question about the brick wall you are now facing.

If any reader has a topic or question that has been important to them, please place in the comment section of this post.  Perhaps this may then begin a conversation among us, we might call the demolition derby. Any drivers out there?

Getting the Poynt

Landmarks are important aspects in examining the history of an area. Especially if you are trying to establish the location of ancestors. Getting around certain brick walls may depend upon identifying and placing certain landmarks in the correct location recorded in deeds and surveys.

History often gives the stories behind these landmarks. Sting Ray point (poynt) is such a case. John Smith in his own writings give the following account:

"...vpon the riuer of Rapahanock, by many called Tappahanock, but our bote by reafon of the ebbe, chanfing to grownd vpon a many fhoules lying in the entrances, we ipyed many fifhes lurking in the reedes;..." [spelling as written 18 June 1608, f = s]. Thus, on low tide, the boat was grounded near the shore.

"...our Captaine fporting himself by nayling them to the ground with his sword..." [Interesting way to fish!]

"But it chanfed our Captaine taking a fifh from his sword (not knowing her condition) being much of the fafhion of a Thornback, but a long tayle like a ryding rodde, whereon the middft is a moft poysoned fting, of tow or three inches long, bearded like a faw on each side, which the ftrucke into the wreft of his arme neere an inch and halfe:..." [Take that Captain John Smith for sticking your sword into me...!]

"no bloud nor wound was feens, but a little blew fpot, but the torment was inftantly fo extreame..."

The tracing above is the mouth of Rappahannock River. The south landmark is Sting Ray point. The north landmark is Musketo Point. It was from these landmarks that the survey crews would begin their survey. The drawing shows 1 mile makers as they would be counted from these landmarks. Thus, "eight miles up" would be from these geographic points.

Certainly, Captain John Smith got the point!

Taken from: The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and Summer Ifles: with the names of the Adventuresr, Planter, and Governours from their firft beginning. An: 1584 to this present 1624. London, Printed by I.D. and I.H. for Michael Sparkes, 1624. p.58-59.

Making Wishes

Wishing upon a star reflects the mental power of the human brain. The Latin language [those Romans] uses the word velle meaning to wish. By the time the Anglo-Saxons arrived[Old English], they used the word wille. This has come down to us in the English as the word will. Interesting that in a genealogical sense, this means a legal declaration of a person's mind as to the manner in which property or estate is dealt with after the death of that person. Litterally, it is like reading a person's mind.

Being of a very personal nature, the will offers a chance for the genealogist to open the window of the mind of an ancestor. In addition, the will offers tremendous information regarding the family. It usually list the name(s) of the deseased's heir(s), often including married names of the surviving females. [Family branches!] A listing of what the deceased possessed in property, real and personal is frequently helpful to establish a life-style. Approximate date of death from the date of the will's probate by the court can help establish or clarify chronology. Signatures which indicate close friends, relatives, or repected members of the deceased's community can be used to break down a few brick walls.

Making wishes, a window to the mind of our ancestors...be sure and open some windows to your own family tree.

Using An Index For Genealogical Analysis

One of the most time consuming activities for the genealogist is library work. At least that's the way it use to be. [Still an important aspect for those of us who like to smell a good book every now and then!]

In many cases, large volumes of texts exist with pages and pages of information. However, most texts contain an index which directs the researcher to a specific page number with information about that individual and/or subject title. For the surname JONES [my surname], the list is extensive with all those Johns, Williams, Richards, Thomases, Marys, Elizabeths, and the like. Likewise, the researcher may only have "clues" as to which John or Mary is important. Taking the time to "look up" each Jones listed [or any other surname], is sometimes necessary. Often, it will be more helpful to analyze the index before looking at each individual reference.

The figure to the right gives such an example. It uses a reference text entitled, Jefferson Co., VA-KY Early Marriages. Book I: 1781 - July 1826. This reference lists early marriages recorded in Jefferson Co., now KY in chronological sequence.

The first step is find a bland page such as notebook paper, copy paper, or graph paper. [By now you should have tons of graph paper!] The next step is to to find the length of the book or reference that contains the information. [This book is 200 pages.] Next, you select a scale between 1 and 200 that would represent the page numbers in the text. You place this scale along the top of the page and leave room for the alphabetical listing of the first names on the left hand side of the paper. You then turn to the index and begin listing the first names of all the JONES [or what ever surname you have chosen]. You place the page number of each along the scale at the point of each name. Thus you end up with a chart or table which list all names along a grid which fills up the paper. [Shown above] At one glance, each individual can be crossed reference for the same page number and approximate time period. Thus each person can be examined for relationship to all others listed.

This method allows the researcher to locate names which appear together (on the same page) without having to look up each name individually.

Table taken from an article written Jerry E. Jones, MD, MS, The Jones Genealogist, Vol. X , No. 6, March/April 1999 , pp. 5-7.

Learning Land Laws

The migration and settlement of one's ancestors is dependent upon the land laws that were "on the books" when they arrived to make their way. These laws would often change based upon the needs and political environment that produced them. It is helpful to be sure and try to understand the laws that were "in effect" at the time of settlement. I have written an example in a series of posts on Virginia Land Laws. These can be found at my blog,

http://thejonesgenealogist.blogspot.com in the following order:

Virginia Land Laws: A Chronology (Part I) - Sunday, December 19, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part II) Importation Rights - Monday, December 20, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part III) Treasury Rights - Tuesday, December 21, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part IV) Escheated Lands - Wednesday, December 22, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part V) The Processioning - Thursday, December 23, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part VI) The Surveyors - Tuesday, December 28, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part VII) Surveyor's fees - Wednesday, December 29, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws after 1713 (Part I) - Wednesday, January 5, 2011.
Virginia Land Laws after 1713 (Part II) - Friday, January 7, 2011.
Land Laws Virginia - Meritorious Service - Thursday, January 13, 2011.
Land By Rank - Virginia Land Laws 1763 - Friday, January 14, 2011.
Virginia Land Laws : Cabin Rights - Saturday, January 22, 2011.
Tidewater Virginia - Thursday, March 3, 2011.

This gives an outline of the land laws of Virginia from the earliest days to the Revolutionary War period. Each colony would have their own laws. Identifying these laws could make a difference in a few brick walls!