A dive into RootsTech, celebrity cousins, archival gaps, and the surprising fragility of family graphs. What happens when one branch explodes — and the rest sit in the dark?
Very thought provoking piece. I think I will go in and analyze the religions of my 32. I suspect that will gain some insight. I also have VERY large families. And almost everyone survived. I also will look at those numbers and see how that affects my cousin count.
One of these years I hope to make the time for RootsTech. Interesting to read of your experience there. The differences in the ways lives were documented, archived, indexed are illustrated by the two sides of your family.
It’s a lot to process. Without using Roottechs , I know that I’m related to Ann Hutchinson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Hutchinson And to Ann Foster who died in prison in Salem, Ma. was accused of being a witch 🧙
You can definitely see who is “findable,” from which ancestor, and draw conclusions about which people get documented. I am always reminded how genealogy relies on records that lock out so many people from the past.
And then there are ancestors who aren’t connected to anyone else. Segregation imposed by geography, religion, race, and caste. I have the same skew in my family tree. There are ancestors I crave to learn more about, and I am not going to find them, or any cousins, at RootsTech.
Very thought provoking piece. I think I will go in and analyze the religions of my 32. I suspect that will gain some insight. I also have VERY large families. And almost everyone survived. I also will look at those numbers and see how that affects my cousin count.
Oh I am glad you liked it, cousin! Was afraid it was too rambling.
One of these years I hope to make the time for RootsTech. Interesting to read of your experience there. The differences in the ways lives were documented, archived, indexed are illustrated by the two sides of your family.
It was revealing to me to see the difference. But not so surprising once I thought about it
It’s a lot to process. Without using Roottechs , I know that I’m related to Ann Hutchinson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Hutchinson And to Ann Foster who died in prison in Salem, Ma. was accused of being a witch 🧙
There’s a lot of math in there! I’m so sorry about that!
You can definitely see who is “findable,” from which ancestor, and draw conclusions about which people get documented. I am always reminded how genealogy relies on records that lock out so many people from the past.
And then there are ancestors who aren’t connected to anyone else. Segregation imposed by geography, religion, race, and caste. I have the same skew in my family tree. There are ancestors I crave to learn more about, and I am not going to find them, or any cousins, at RootsTech.
All of this!! But we will not be discouraged!!