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Finding the Ancestral Home |
| When the client seeks to find the European home of an ancestor,
it is usually necessary to gather data on both sides of the Atlantic
in order to fully identify the ancestor. Immigrant research is some
of the most difficult that a genealogist faces. Clients need to be
made aware of these challenges before research begins. How would you
explain this in your report?
Clients are often disappointed during a second phase of research in a large city, where the immigration records point, when results slow down compared to previous research in a rural community. They need to understand the challenges of research in heavily populated areas, in frontier states where records are sparsely kept, or where a courthouse has been destroyed by fire or pillaging. When a client presents the genealogist with a large amount of previously extracted information he should understand that it will take a considerable amount of time to properly examine, evaluate, and remember the information. It is possible an entire research period may be needed to properly analyze a client’s previous research efforts. Finally, there are family traditions. Many clients provide lengthy stories that have been handed down through generations that may or may not be accurate. Parts of the tradition may be valid or not. Stories can be exaggerated. The genealogist seeks to determine the correct ancestry of an individual, regardless of what family lore might state. Your Challenge |
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