Friday, June 18, 2010

Back to the Drawing Board

Sometimes it's good to get away from genealogy. When you come back, you have fresh eyes.

I'm doing that with my Featherston line. In the past, I was quick to accept documentation from others that did the work. That was not always the correct choice because much of the information was wrong or not collaborated.

For example, I am trying to trace the Featherstons back to England. I have good sources for tracing my great great grandfather Charles R. Featherston back as far as 1790. His father was William J. Featherston Sr. William's father was Carolus Featherston of Virginia who died in Franklin County, Kentucky. There is a will as well as other sources. Carolus father was Charles Featherston of Charles City, Virginia. He left a will in Brunswick County that was probated in January 1790. That's where the line gets squiggly. There are so many Charles and William Featherstones that the lines need detangling like Christmas tree lights. To make matters worse, one Featherston family named two of the sons William so there's a William the elder and William the younger.

When I look on ancestry.com or family search, the lines are not distinguished from each other. It makes a big difference. So my family may or may not have come from Warwickwshire, England. So it's back to the drawing board for much of my information.

3 comments:

Claudia said...

I have to agree with you about being cautious. But I have the theory to every rumor is a bit of truth.

I just write it down and make my theories, when it is proven we can claim it as our own.

Others give us avenues to search.

Carol Haynes said...

Just dropping by to say that I love the name of your blog "But now...". I can relate to a lot of the issues that you have brought up. Keep up the good work. I recently stopped posting to mine (17 months) but started again a few days ago. I think that you are correct that it is a lifelong thing. So far that reason I'm not going to pressure myself to post regularly. I'm at aagenwv.blogspot.com but it is a West Virginia blog. I didn't even realize that you could have "followers" until I started blogging again. I only have 2 of them!! Stay well.

Jennifer said...

Thank you so much. I like your attitude about not giving up but also not pressuring yourself. I just became a follower so your number has doubled.