Early Landmarks

Time travel has its difficulties.  Names, places, locations, streams, creeks, and all sorts of geography can change.  This often generates a great deal of confusion when reading wills, deeds, surveys, land grants, and historic records from the time period that you are traveling...or wish to travel.  Finding early maps that give this information can be very helpful in breaking down some of those brick walls.

The following is an example of an early map of Kentucky.  It was published 1784 and presents the major landmarks, settlements, roads, and waterways into this "dark and bloody ground".

The picture is focused around my own area of interest. [Written a book on Walker Daniel and the naming of Danville, KY]  Here the path of the "Wilderness Road" is given as it approaches the geographical center.  Kentucky's first Constitution was framed and adopted here.

Col. Shelby's station is clearly shown on the map. [Issac Shelby was the first governor of Kentucky.]
I can go to his cemetery today and see this geographic location.  It is essentially a landmark in time.  I know that standing here, I am located in time upon this map.   I  have a physical location from which to work.  A present landmark found on a map more than 200 years old!  Which way to one of my brick walls?  I have a place to start...an early landmark.

Flow Charts

At times, the leaves on the branches seem to get extra thick.  How am I going to see through all the cluster of names, dates, marriages, wills, deeds, surveys, patents, etc...etc...until there seems little hope.  A flow chart may helpful in these times of troubles.   The following figure is an example of what I mean.

David Jones of Charles City Co., has been one of those times for me.  His life begins in the documents of time around 1635.  Many genealogist have associated his name with many different family groups.   The chart below shows how one can take the date (beginning record), geographic location, and given information to form a "flow chart" of these leaves that seem to be getting in the way.

The reference is Cavaliers and Pioneers, Vol. I, 1623 - 1666.  [CP I in upper right corner.]  The date 1635 is placed in the upper left, and the number of acres, followed by the name of "David Jones #1." [Using squares and circles.]   Any associated names, places, or information is added as each reference is examined. [ Page number given under CPI.]  Thus, a "flow chart" begins to appear with a variety of information that can be used to link other family groups into the family tree. 

For example, Tappahanna Marsh becomes Weyanoake, where David Jones names "David Jones his creek".  Any future document using any of these names would place them connected to this David Jones.  Others by the same name could then be separated among the clusters of names.  A pattern can them be recognized in which to place associated surnames and individuals of interest.  This flow chart is from 1635 to 1655 and identifies this David Jones to be active at least 20 years. 

Go ahead, get into the flow, the "flow chart" that is.

A Chronology Cluster

Putting together a family tree is one goal of the genealogy endeavor.  Brick walls often get in the way, and can be frustrating to the tree climber.  When trying to get around some brick walls, a chronology cluster may be helpful.  By this I mean placing your family tree into a chronology that outlines "dates" and "clusters" (groups) the family members into a single view.  The following figures show two methods.

The figure above is taken from my own research showing how one may go about designing such a cluster.  Starting with a blank sheet of graph paper (one of my favorite tools), the dates are placed along the outside margins, top to bottom upon the page.  You can use any sequence of dates, but I usually begin with "50 year" periods. [Assumes a generations is 20 - 40 years.]  Then I place the "known" family members  along the dates that "best fit" these folks. [Using squares and circles.]  Then I connect the family members along this "time line" (Chronology).  It helps to color code distinct family groups, so that a visual picture can be seen.  This also means that if you have an individual out of line, they should become evident.

The above figure takes a more "linear" approach with wider intervals for dates, and keeping the family members in straight lines.  This allows you to add more comments, facts, and information to the family tree as you are trying to put things together.  Again, color coding each family helps keep every group separate as the tree gets bigger and longer.

A chronology cluster I call it...shake some tree branches with it.

For a discussion of "squares" and "circles" see my blog -
              http://ge-ne-al-o-gy101.blogspot.com .

Finishing The Task

Genealogy is a way to find our family's past.  The roads we follow to discover this past are often full of curves and bends that seem to block our way.  Family stories give us some direction in this tree climbing process, but they may not always be correct.   My own genealogy experience has followed a lot of family stories told me during my childhood.   One such story was "W.C.". 

The kitchen table was the location of my grandmother's family stories.  She could remember that the first JONES was named W.C.  She did not know what the W.C. stood for, but she was certain that he lived and was buried at the mouth of the Red River.  It would take me some 20 years to find this family cemetery, and discover the "W.C." stood for William Carter.

In 1999, my father and I managed to walk back the road to the ground that contained this cemetery.  It was a rainy day, and my plan to chalk his head stone was dampened by the rain. [My chalk and paper were wet.]  The head stones were buried, and it took a good effort to raise the stones.   The following picture shows me and ground that surrounded our family cemetery.

Lots of grass, lots of dirt, and a cast iron fence kept us company.  After raising the stone, and cleaning its surface, I used my t-shirt to make a impression of this headstone.  This impression now hangs in my library. [Along with several other impressions of grandfather's headstones.]

The following picture shows this headstone as it came up from the ground.

 "Peaceful be thy silent slumber" it reads.  For me, it was finishing the task.

A Genealogy Bed And Breakfast

"We close in 5 minuets"...was often heard when I had just gotten everything lined up and ready to go.  "What ... you've got to be kidding me..." would flash through my head.  "I can't leave now...I've only just begun...", but what was a fellow to do?  I may never be able to come this way again, and I have just found what I needed.   How can one keep this from happening...over...and over...and over again.     A genealogy Bed & Breakfast was my answer.  You can come....research all night if needed...and keep going until you've climbed all the branches.   Wow, how does one go about setting up a Bed & Breakfast for the genealogist?

 Some ten years in the making, a Bed & Breakfast dedicated to the JONES surname exist.  It is called "The Golden Lion", named after my families' coat of arms.  It contains my personal research library on the JONES surname [some 52 years of research], a Jones Surname Museum, and all the time that is needed to break down some of those brick walls so common to the surname JONES.  A picture of the B&B is shown, along with information on how to contact us.  A "genealogy" Bed & Breakfast...who would have guessed.

Come...stay a while...we are not closing in five minutes.

Lookup(s) : Tree Climbing Helps

Over the years, a large number of folks have written/e-mailed/called/ and personally appeared seeking help with their tree climbing.  Since the blogs have reached over 80,000 page views, it has become increasing difficult to keep tract of all the incoming request.  A resent blog on my genealogical research collection [ tjgresearchnotebooks.blogspot.com ] has generated some interest.  On this blog site you can "search" the notebooks for particular subjects/topics which may provide some help in brick wall destruction.

The figure above shows a sample page from this blog and identifies the "Search This Blog" tag where you can enter a subject/topic.  A research notebook may contain an item of interest, and the subject/topic can be examined. [ A Lookup !]

The notebooks are physically located in The Joseph Wheeler Jones Memorial Library, Danville, KY.  As pictured above, they are regular sized notebooks, numbered and organized by topics. [Now over 250 of them!]   A "lookup" involves my direct selection and review of content.  It has become necessary to try and establish some order to this process.

A request will need to be done by direct mail.  Please send your question with a self addressed, stamped envelope to The Jones Genealogist, 243 N. Third St., Danville, KY 40422.  A $10 lookup fee needs to be included.  Only one question per envelope.   This fee will cover cost of copies, paper, ink, and indicate a sincere interest in seeking the information.

Brick wall destruction...a lookup may help.

A Running Record

Recognizing and organizing certain themes, topics, and subjects can be the secret weapon needed to break down many of those brick walls.  What brings people together as a group at one point in time, or in one place in time, or in one why in time, may help the genealogist to put an end to one of those pesky red brick things standing in the way.

Themes can be something laid down by cultures or social groups which bond them to one another.  Perhaps religion, political party, or social group may remove them from one area and go to another.
For my own family, the Baptist movement in early colonial Virginia helped me follow my family from one area in Virginia, to the wilderness of Kentucky.  They became known as the "Traveling Church" becoming a topic of interest in early Kentucky history.

Perhaps it might be a topic like the "Theory of Divine Right" of kings.  Who did the family fight for or against.  This topic became an important subject during the English Civil War period (1638-1649).  Understanding and organizing this concept helped me recognize, and group together my own JONES family during this period of history.

Likewise, a subject can be anything that might effect thought or consciousness bringing into to action an individual or group of individuals.  What subjects make the group united in action.  Placing Mary, Queen of Scots, on the English throne was one such subject that united a small group of men, including my own family.

Keeping a running record of these themes, topics, and subjects as one goes about their own tree climbing may help solve many questions which seem to get in the way.  For me this was done in a series of notebooks which became the record of discoveries on these items.  Piece by piece, these became the thread to weave a rope over many of those brick walls.

For those interest, I have started a blog on my collection of notebooks.  These list the themes, topics, or subjects that I have collected during the past 52 years of genealogy.  The list can be found at http://tjgresearchnotebooks.blogspot.com.  You can search for topics/subjects using the search space given.