If a document or record does not make any sense, if someone seems to appear out of nowhere, if someone seems to disappear without a trace, brainstorm on all the possible things that could have been going on at the time. Make a list. Don’t worry about how likely or realistic they are. Then, when you are completely out of ideas, think about:
- the ones that are too far-fetched or unrealistic–I eliminate these first.
- the ones you could never prove
- the ones that are the most likely
- the ones that might have left records.
The four categories above are not mutually exclusive.
Start with the situations that are most likely and might have left behind some sort of record. Work to find those records, but remember you are looking to find any and all information that was left behind–not just that which your most likely hypothesis about what happened. Research is about locating all available material and analyzing it–not only finding what proves you were right.
Brainstorming is good. Sometimes we need to think through totally crazy possibilities to get at other more realistic ones we might have overlooked.
And occasionally the crazy situation is what happened. The reality is less dramatic–but no less interesting.
Learn more about Genealogy Tip of the Day–the book.
No responses yet