Before I extensively research individuals who appear as witnesses on ancestral documents, I keep in mind a few things:
What is a witness?
A witness is simply saying that they saw the signer of the document sign it.
Who is a witness?
A witness usually has to be of legal age at the place and in the time where the document is signed. They could be a relative of the person signing the document. They could be another warm body nearby when the document is signed.
The witnesses in ancestral documents that I research first are those whose names appear most often or who witness documents an ancestor signed in different geographic locations. People in those two categories have the highest chance of having a significant connection to my ancestor.
That doesn’t mean that someone who appears as a witness one time is someone I should ignore. But the “one-off witnesses” are less likely to have a significant connection to my ancestor.
Genealogy Tip of the Day book can be ordered here.
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