C IS FOR...

C is for Caroline, Charles, Clara, Colin, Cordelia and Cornelius to name a few christian names found in my family tree. All these names belong to Collateral relatives of mine.

When searching for information on a direct ancestor, I have found that Collateral ancestors sometimes give me information that has been very elusive in my search. 

A Collateral ancestor is someone who is not your direct ancestor. Collateral ancestors are siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews etc of your parents, grandparents, great grandparents etc. 

In other words sideways searches. 

In the early days of my research I always thought that it was a waste of time looking at aunts, uncles and distant cousins. I wanted to concentrate on my immediate relatives. 

But I soon learnt that those aunts and uncles had the same parents as my ancestors, and their records could well have information that is not on my ancestor’s records.

I have sometimes found what I was looking for on one of these Collateral ancestor’s records. 

For example parent’s names in full on a death certificate. As I have said before in a previous post, Death Certificates rely on the informant knowing the correct information. So the informant for a great uncle’s death certificate may have known more information than the informant of my great grandparent’s certificate.

It is wise to have a research log and a research plan before you start though. It is very easy to go down “rabbit holes” that have fascinating tidbits of information. 

Without a plan you will find yourself hours later with no relevant information on who you were looking for but a lot of other possible names for your tree. Don’t get me wrong, it can be a very satisfying journey down one of these “Rabbit Holes” but only if you have the time to wander!

But where do we draw the line in who goes on our tree? I feel that is entirely up to each individual Family Historian. 

I save information about relatives as I find them in one of my Collateral “rabbit hole” searches. Then once the information is proven that they belong on my tree, they are added. 

I enjoy finding relatives that I didn’t know and feel all of our past needs acknowledging, it may make my tree a bit cluttered, but I am fine with that.

I am looking forward to the day when I wander down a rabbit hole for my above Cordelia because...

“It's such a perfectly elegant name” ![1]

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[1] Montgomery, L. M. (Lucy Maud), 1874-1942. Anne Of Green Gables. Boston :Godine, 1989.