I was reading a guidebook that indicated that in deeds one witness was from the husband’s family and one was from the wife’s family. That is not necessarily true. While the names of witnesses can be clues to potential associates of your ancestor (particularly if they appear on more than one record your ancestor signed), the only rules about witnesses are ones set in law. Those rules are usually that the witness actually sees the person sign their name and that the witness is of legal age. If an ancestor had concerns about the content of the document, was unable to read, did not know the language, etc. then the witness may have been a trusted person who read it for them–but that’s not a requirement.
Of course, common sense should be used. If the same witnesses appear on documents your ancestor signed over twenty years in three different locations—that’s a person who should be researched.
No responses yet