Sunday, January 15, 2017

My 2017 Ancestor Tally: Researching The Romance Novel

A genealogist's work is never done. Like any profession that's always in demand, sleuthing for ancestors keeps us occupied because the numbers are forever in our favor.

One you. Two parents. Four grandparents. The numbers expand exponentially as you climb further back into the family tree. An army of ancestors stand behind each of us. Without any one of them we would not exist.

As family historians, we're charged with the imperative of identifying them and remembering their lives.

A Numbers Game With Meaning
This isn't merely a numbers game of no consequence.

Sure, when you climb back each generation the numbers balloon and become quite daunting. For example, eight generations ago you had 128 fifth great-grandparents. If you add these 128 people with the six descending generations down to your parents, you have 254 people. That's enough folks to fill an average-sized movie theater (what I wouldn't give to see that movie!).

Don't let the numbers fool you. These were people - singular individuals - who lived, breathed, achieved, struggled, loved, and died. In a sense they're each a chapter in the story of our existence.

The genealogist may tally numbers, but the family historian recounts the life lived.

Remember Tim Urban's excellent article, Your Family: Past, Present, and Future, on his Wait, But Why blog? He poignantly observed that the past eight generations, which "only represents the last 200 years of your ancestry, contains 127 romantic relationships, each involving at least one critical sex moment and most of them probably involving deep love. You’re the product of 127 romances, just in the last 200 years alone."

When you put it that way, it's clear that we're really researching a great ancestral romance novel.

Tallying Deep Love
After reading Linda Stufflebean's Ancestor Count for 2017 on her Empty Branches on the Family Tree blog, I decided I too wanted to begin tallying the ancestors I've traced. I plan to make this an annual update for the blog, so we can check in on both the numbers game and see what stories I've uncovered about the many lives (and deep love) that led to me.

As of the opening month of 2017, I've traced just 29% of my ancestors in the past ten generations. I know who all of my third great-grandparents are, but the work begins in the previous generation where nine ancestors remain unknown to me.


At this generation, it's difficult and slow-going work. Records are limited and collective memory is dim. Two years ago, I knew 53 of my fourth great-grandparents. Two years later, I've uncovered the identities of just two more people. Two. Perhaps that number will climb in the year ahead.

How about you? What's your ancestor tally? Let's see where we all stand in twelve months.

12 comments:

  1. I love this! I've been doing them on Valentine's Day since 2014. Last year I wrote, "We would not be here without all the Valentine couples who came before us." ~ Cathy

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    1. I saw your comment to Linda and wondered why your annual update came on Valentine's Day. That makes a lot of sense. Great sense!

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  2. I love your way of describing our ancestors as 127 romances. Even in those that were arranged marriages or marriages of convenience, there was (one hopes) some romance.

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    1. Or, in those arranged marriages, at least a fondness that developed over the years.

      The notion of 127 romances is perhaps idealistic on the surface, but at its core I think true and moving.

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  3. Thank you for the shout out, but I can't take credit for thinking this up. I started keeping track a couple of years ago after I saw numerous other bloggers doing the same.

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    1. Duly noted. But you're still the spark the prompted me. :)

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  4. I've seen so many other geneabloggers do this, but I never have...until now. Thanks for prompting me to do so! I'm doing 2 because my Grandma was adopted. One will include biological ancestors, and the other adoptive ancestors. You'll be able to tell which one I know more about...

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    1. Glad to hear you're taking the challenge on, Caitlin. Good idea to track ancestors for both the biological and adopted lines (all family). Looking forward to seeing your progress.

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  5. Love the chart and idea. I may have time to do one by Valentine's Day.

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    1. I think that's a great holiday/deadline to aim for. Enjoy and good luck!

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  6. Very interesting exercise. I'm OK until x3 great grandparents - only one set missing there - but after that things go downhill. One set of x 3 great grandparents appear in two lines. Overall on 13%, up from around 9% early 2016 by my estimate. There are a few lines where there might still be some relatively easy wins.

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    1. 13% sounds pretty good to me, and represents a decent increase over 9% Good job, congrats, and good luck with your continued hunting!

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