Be an Ancestor Whisperer

Whispering refers to techniques in dealing with animals (commonly, horses and dogs) that emphasize understanding the animal rather than using brute force. Similarly, I like to think that there are a couple of approaches to genealogy. We use brute force when we look up census records, track down vital records or church records, and build up our database of names, dates, and places, and we add "meat" to the genealogy with stories that have been passed down, and information about our ancestors from obituaries, biographies, newspaper articles, etc. But sometimes there just isn't much available. You need to be an "ancestor whisperer". I know that sounds strange, but just as trainers learn about the basic nature of animals to get what they need from them, you need to learn about your ancestors' environments so that you can get the information you need from them.

How many times have you wished you could go back in time and visit one of your ancestors? You could ask any number of questions - the answers for questions which haven't yet been found. Who were your parents? What made you get on the ship to cross the Atlantic? Why did you move west? What was your childhood like? What was your day-to-day life like? Who did you vote for? Who were your friends? How did you learn to play the piano? And the deeper questions: What was the most difficult challenge you had? What was the saddest thing that happened to you? What was your happiest time? But since that isn't possible, we have to use the tools at hand to try to put together a mental picture of their lives. We need to understand our ancestor, his/her environment, and the current events of the time to put things into perspective. We need to use everything available to us to learn about our ancestors environment, to supplement the facts specific to our ancestors. We need to look for clues that say more. We need to be ancestor whisperers. While we may not answer all our questions with certainty, the understanding we gain can point us in the right direction.

Photographs - faces, clothing, others in photo, surroundings, all suggest more than meets the eye. Are the faces young, old, weathered, or delicate? Who else is in the photo? Why are they included? Who is missing and why? Do the surroundings suggest anything? Are the clothes homemade, or finely tailored? Besides the names and dates (hopefully) on the back, what is the photograph telling you?

Maps - I like to try to build a mental image of the surroundings where my ancestors lived. Many places change little over time. The natural geography seldom changes dramatically - lakes, rivers, creeks, hills, and mountains usually take centuries to change the slightest bit. Streets and roads generally run the same course they did when they were first built. Towns and cities don't usually move much. Cathedrals and castles stand for centuries, and even the most humble buildings might still be found a hundred years later. Of course human progress changes things over time. A new factory, bridge, or highway might wipe out an entire section of a city. Old houses are torn down to make room for the new. Nature takes its toll. Things do change. But finding and studying old maps of ancestral homes can be helpful.

Finding the exact location of an ancestor's home is always a thrill for me. Addresses from census, old letters, and other records sometimes reveal the address, but even knowing a village name is helpful. When I have a place to go on, I get on Google Maps and find the location. I love to use Street View to "travel" up and down the current streets and see the neighborhoods where my ancestors lived. Even if the buildings have changed, or if I don't know a street address, I can see what the area was like - hilly or flat, near a river, swamps, farms, forests, village, city. Where were the churches and schools nearby? How far did they travel to town? If I know what they did, I might be able to see where they worked. And then I can start to see the routes they took. Things like that all help me visualize my ancestors' lives. Maps can say a lot about your ancestors, if you take the time to study them and consider what they say about your ancestors.

Visit - Even better than looking at maps is visiting the ancestral homes. As good as Street View is, actually being there lets you more fully experience the sites, sounds, and smells. And local museums and libraries often have collections that are unavailable online.

Study History - Learning about the history of an area is also helpful. Maybe there are significant events that affected the community (and our ancestors). What were the major industries in the area? Were there any major migrations in or out of this location? Where did the people who settled this area come from? History may not mention your ancestor by name, but it tells you a bit about life at that time and place.

Broaden Your Approach - Study the area and learn who the other families were. These are the people that lived and worked and, often, intermarried with your people. Look for their biographies to learn how they lived, and consider how similar they might have been to your ancestral family. Take a broader look at census records to understand the neighbors a bit. Where did they come from? What did they do?

When you are successful, you will have a strong mental image of your ancestor's environment. You will find your imagination transporting you back to a time and place where your ancestors lived. When you think about this ancestor, you'll immediately have details of his or her life come to mind. And the more you learn, the more accurate your image will be. And this will lead to additional sources of information and research paths you had never thought of before. By studying and broadening your approach you can raise your level of understanding and become an ancestor whisperer.