My second great-grandmother lived with her maternal grandparents from about the age of eight until shortly before her marriage. I initially assumed it was because her own parents had so many children. While that may have been a part of it, there likely was more.
I’m not certain when she began living with her grandparents, but after learning more about her grandparents’ family I discovered that there were several things that took place about the same time she began living with them:
- Her mother’s younger sister had a child whom the grandparents raised from birth.
- All of her grandparents children were out of the house with their own families.
- Her grandfather’s mother moved in with her grandparents.
Those three things may have played a role in why gg-grandma remained with her grandparents–or at least why she came to live with them initially. The grandmother may have needed a little extra support with household duties when her empty nest suddenly had an infant and a mother-in-law in it.
Looking at her living with her grandparents made more sense when I looked at what was going on in the lives of her grandparents at the time. Context and chronology matters.
2 Responses
how do you get into the years between the census, and beyond what might be in newspapers?? not all of us have assessable family letters. what else is available??
thanks.
long time reader.
Cathy G
Tax records are one way–just make certain you’ve looked at all possible records including all those kept at the county or town level.