Genealogy Unlocking Family History and Lineage

Family history and genealogy are more than just names and dates on a family tree. Genealogy is the study of family origin, history, and culture, while family history focuses on individual stories and the broader context. Family stories are important because they shape how we see ourselves and passing them down helps future generations build on that foundation. Research shows that knowing family history is linked to less anxiety, depression, and higher self-esteem in children. Family stories can be categorized as directives, stories of social bonding, and personal identity stories. Accuracy is important in genealogy, and historians compare family accounts to documented evidence to build the most accurate picture possible. Legacy is a term often used in relation to family, and every family has a legacy that is shaped by each member. Preserving family legacy is done through recording family stories, oral histories, diaries, letters, photographs, and more. It is important to think about wh Welcome, everyone. Today, we're diving deep into something that I think is so fascinating, and that's family history and genealogy. I've been looking over these sources you sent, and it really struck me how it's about so much more than just names and dates on a family tree. Yeah, absolutely. I think these sources really dig into the idea that genealogy and family history, they really are profound explorations of who we are, where we come from. Yeah, and why these stories, why our family's stories are even relevant to us today. Right, exactly. Maybe we can just start with defining some terms, right? We use genealogy and family history a lot together, but what is the difference? Yeah, that's a great place to start. Genealogy, it literally comes from a Greek word meaning generation knowledge. It's really like the framework. It's the science and the study of family origin, history, and culture, focusing on the family story and legacy passed down through generations. Like you said, it is more than just names and dates, but those are certainly part of it. Sure, yeah. Those are the building blocks. Right, exactly. If genealogy is the framework, then family history is like the picture, right? It's like all the details. Right. Absolutely. Genealogy is really about building a profile of those family members from the past, learning about them as individuals within their historical context. So we're looking at questions like, who were they? What were they like? What did they do? How did they live? What were their traits? What about their health and interests? How did world events impact them, and what is their legacy? Yeah, I love that. So it's not just about like, this happened, this happened, this is their birthday. Right. It's like, how did they live? What were their hopes and dreams? Exactly. It's interesting, because one of the sources you sent had this beautiful quote. It said, genealogy isn't just a hobby, it's a profound exploration of who we are and where we come from. Oh, I love that quote, and it really speaks to how like these two things go hand in hand. They do. Because, you know, you need that genealogy framework. You need those dates to even start doing that, like deeper dive. Right, exactly. You know, genealogy gives you that outline, the branches of the family tree, and family history. It adds the color and texture, the individual stories, and the broader context that just makes those names, those dates on the tree, come to life. Yeah. That's so cool. So thinking about all that, what is our mission with this deep dive today? Like, what are we trying to uncover? So our aim today is twofold, really. We want to explore why telling family stories and researching our genealogical connections is so important. Okay. And we also want to break down and clarify some of the terminology that we come across when we're talking about family relationships. Okay. Perfect. So I think the first thing that struck me from these sources was like, why are family stories even important? You know, we all tell them, we all have them, but what is it about these stories that's so important? Well, these sources highlight something really, really fundamental, and that is that family stories, they're unique, they belong to us, and they shape how we see ourselves in the world. Yeah. It's like no two families have the same story, right? Exactly. There's no other family out there that has the exact same collection of stories that your family has. Yeah. It's like your own little folklore. Yeah. Right. You know? So cool. And telling these stories, it makes sure that that wisdom, that legacy, isn't lost. It gets passed down, and future generations, they build on that foundation. Oh, that's such a good point, and it made me think, like, maybe it's not even just, you know, passing down a story, but it's like passing down values, right? Absolutely. Family stories, they often embody the family's values, what the family stood for, what was considered important. And when we hear these stories, it teaches us how to articulate and stand up for our own beliefs. Oh, wow. Yeah. That's so powerful. Yeah. That's a really powerful thought. Now, the sources also went into how this kind of storytelling impacts different age groups, and I thought that was really interesting. I was thinking, okay, sure, it's good for kids to hear family stories, but does it really matter for, like, everyone? Right. What did these sources have to say about that? So research suggests that for children, knowing about their family history is actually linked to less anxiety, less depression, and higher self-esteem. Really? Yeah. Wow. Isn't that interesting? That's incredible. So that sense of belonging, that sense of connection to something larger than themselves, it seems to be pretty protective. Yeah, like a sense of place, a sense of belonging. Yeah, exactly. That's so cool. And then for young adults, it helps them connect with their parents' stories and experiences. And for adults in midlife and older, passing down those lessons and values through stories, it enhances their well-being. So it's kind of like a benefit for all ages. It is. Yeah. Now, the sources mention that there are, like, three general types of family stories. What are those? Right. So the sources outline these three categories. We have directives. Those are stories about successes and failures that are shared to guide behavior, you know, to offer those unspoken life lessons. Okay. Then we have stories of social bonding, and those really illustrate what the family does as a unit. You know, they reinforce shared experiences and values. Okay. And finally, we have personal identity stories, and those illustrate the family's character or their, like, their stock, if you will. Okay. So it's like, this is who we are, this is what we do, and this is what we believe. Yeah. That's so cool. I could, like, picture those stories being told, you know, at family dinners or something. Everyone knows those stories. Right. Now, when it comes to family stories, how important is, like, accuracy? Because you mentioned how memories can fade, you know, things can get twisted over time. Yeah, absolutely. Accuracy is so important in genealogy. In fact, one of the sources put it simply, truth is better than fiction. You know, to really understand our ancestors, their motivations, their decisions, we need to place their stories within the proper context of their time. Yeah. Otherwise, we risk misinterpreting things or even romanticizing the past. Right. Because, like, their struggles were probably different than our struggles, and just, like, the world was a completely different place. And I think, you know, sometimes there is this tendency to, like, think, oh, like, it was so much better back then or something. But the truth is, we don't know unless we do this research. Right. And oral accounts, they are valuable. They offer that personal perspective, but they're very rarely 100% accurate. Details shift, things are omitted, and sometimes we just plain forget things. Yeah. That's where genealogists and family historians come in. They look at the family account critically, they compare it to documented evidence, and they try to build the most accurate picture possible. Oh, that's really interesting, like, a real, like, historian, like, you have to look at the primary sources. Exactly. Okay. So, it's data-driven. It is. And we're not looking at someone's word for it. Right. We're looking at, okay, here's the birth certificate. Right. Exactly. We're looking at documents, photographs, official records, putting it all together to create this timeline. Yeah. And it helps us appreciate their lives, you know, their struggles, their choices, their contributions, their achievements. And when we look at it in that historical context, we get a richer understanding of history itself. Yeah, because it's like everyone was living through the same thing. Yeah. And because our family was there at that time experiencing those events, it kind of makes history come to life, right? Absolutely. That's so cool. Now, something else these sources mentioned was this idea of legacy. Yeah. And the sources actually ask, what is your family's legacy, and how have you built upon it? And I thought those were such, like, poignant questions, because we hear this term legacy a lot. Yeah. But what does it actually mean when we're talking about family? Well, the sources emphasize that every family has a legacy, whether it's something they consciously think about or not. And every member of the family contributes to and shapes that legacy, how it's preserved, how it's transmitted, that can vary. But one thing that was important is that the loss of one family member, it shouldn't destroy that entire legacy. Right, because everyone plays a role in it. Exactly. And when we're thinking about preserving family legacy, the first step is to record what we know. And as one source put it, if it isn't recorded, it is gone. Wow. Yeah. So true. Yeah. So how is that legacy passed on? So it's passed on through all sorts of things. It's passed on through family stories, oral histories, diaries, letters, family trees, family Bible. Oh, wow. Yeah. Photographs, old home movies, audio recordings, tombstones, historical plaques. Yeah. Family customs. Yeah. Recipes, food waste. Oh, yeah. Like your grandma's special, whatever. That's a tangible link to the past. Yes. Food is so powerful for memory. It is. And that's why the sources ask, what are your favorite parts of your family's legacy? And how will you pass it on? Yeah. It's something for all of us to think about. Yeah, for sure. Now, I know this can be a little bit intimidating to start thinking about genealogy and family history. So maybe we can like shift gears a little bit and talk about some of the like terminologies because there's a lot of jargon in genealogy. Yeah, there's a whole new vocabulary. Yeah. So maybe we can like start with just like the word kin. What does that even mean? So kin refers to a group of people who are related. And that relationship can come about through a few different ways. It can be through blood ties, and that's what we call consanguineous, which just means blood relative. It can also be through marriage, and that's called conjugal or affinal, which includes spouses and in-laws. Okay. And it can also be through adoption. Okay. So it's just like everyone you're related to. Exactly. No matter how. Right. Okay, cool. Now, there's also this idea of kinship systems. Yes. And why those are so important. Can you tell us a bit more about that? Yeah. So kinship systems, they really help maintain unity and harmony within a group. They kind of set guidelines for how people communicate with each other. Okay. You know, they determine who can marry whom. And those rules around marriage are called marital taboos, and they influence behavior between family members. Okay. So it's a way of regulating behavior and kind of be the watchdog of social life. So it's not just like who you're related to, but like how you behave with those people. Exactly. And kinship systems, they define family rights and obligations. And this is especially important in like rural or tribal societies because it influences things like production and political power. Oh, really? Yeah. Kinship can determine who you can trade with, who takes care of you if you're orphaned. Wow. So yeah, it's more than just knowing who's related. It's like a system of rights and responsibilities. Oh, that's so interesting. Okay. Now, we also have lineal descent, and I see these terms patrilineal and matrilineal. Yes. Can you break those down for us? Yeah, absolutely. So every individual, they descend from two bloodlines. You have the patrilineal, which is your father's side of the family, and the matrilineal, which is your mother's side. And together, these are referred to as your pedigree. Oh, okay. So your whole family tree. Your whole lineage. Now, how does that differ from a lineage or a bloodline? So a lineage or a bloodline, it refers to all the descendants of a common ancestor. Okay. So if you and I share a particular ancestor, we are both part of that ancestor's lineage. And people who share a bloodline, we say that they're a consanguineous family. So it all goes back to that one person. Exactly. Okay. And then, of course, we also have the conjugal family or aphenal family and the adoptive family. Yes. So that's a little bit more, I think, straightforward. Right. But maybe we can define those. Okay. Just to be sure. So conjugal or aphenal family, it's the people connected through marriage. That's your spouse, your in-laws, and step-relatives. Okay. And then the adoptive family, it's those connected through the legal process of adoption. Okay. So it can be your own adoption or it can be someone who's adopted into your family. Exactly. Okay. Now, I know some languages, they have very specific words for each relative, even indicating which side of the family they're on. Right. But English isn't so precise, is it? No, it's not. You know, you look at languages like Hindi or Chinese, they have different terms for a maternal uncle versus a paternal uncle, you know, mother's brother versus father's brother. Yeah. In English, we use uncle for both. And we usually just have to rely on context. Yeah. We have to say, like, my uncle on my mom's side or something. Right. Exactly. But in English genealogy, we use the terms degree and removed to indicate the closeness of relationships. Okay. And that's where the primary, secondary, tertiary degrees come in. And that kind of tells us how close two people are. Exactly. You know, there are primary, secondary, and tertiary degrees, and they indicate the number of steps in the family tree between two individuals. Okay. It's interesting because people do have some instinctive awareness of these kinship degrees. Really? Yeah. And even if it's not conscious, it really does impact how we conduct ourselves socially. Wow. That is interesting. Okay. So let's break down these degrees. What is a primary relative? So primary relatives are those with the most direct relationships. They form that basic family group, your nearest relatives. Okay. So in the final sense, it's husband and wife. In terms of blood, it's a parent and child or siblings. That's what we call primary consanguineous. So your spouse, your parents, your kids, and your siblings. Exactly. Okay. Got it. So then secondary relatives would be? So secondary relatives, they're obtained through those direct primary relationships, either a final or blood. And so these would be your close relatives to extended family. Okay. So examples would be like your spouse's parent, your spouse's sibling, or your spouse's child, or your spouse is not the birth parent. And then a blood example would be a grandparent and grandchild. Okay. Or the relationship between grandchildren. So first cousins. Okay. So it's just one step further away from those really primary relationships. Right. And then you have tertiary. And tertiary is even further. Right. It's the most direct relationship obtained through those secondary relationships. Okay. So these are your extended to distant relatives. Okay. And if we're looking at the example in your sources, for Phoenix, her tertiary blood kin would be Esme, her grandmother's father, Arthur, Adal, and Atwell, her grandmother's brothers, and Keziah, her grandmother's great niece. Okay. So we're really like branching out on the family tree. Exactly. Now there's also tertiary, a final relative. Right. So tertiary, a final relative. They're the relative of your grandparent's primary kin. So for example, Hannah, who is Arthur's wife, she's the sister-in-law of Phoenix and Keziah's grandparents. And that makes her their grand-aunt by marriage. Okay. So it's like- So she's their tertiary, a final kin. In-laws, but like further removed. Right. Okay. The in-laws of your distant blood relatives. Yeah. Okay. Got it. And then of course we have our collateral relatives. Yes. Tell us about collateral relatives. Those are the individuals who share a common ancestor with you, but they're neither your ancestor nor your descendant. You both come from the same ancestor, but from a different line. Okay. So examples of this would be siblings, half-siblings, cousins, half-cousins, aunts, uncles, half-aunts, half-uncles, nieces, nephews. We can also use the term nibblings. Nibblings. Okay. I've never heard that one. Yeah. Nibblings for nieces and nephews. Okay. And in-laws. So it's like anyone who's on my family tree that's not directly above me or directly below me. Exactly. So you share a common branch, but you share that common ancestor. And understanding collateral relationships is really important in genealogical research because it can help break through those brick walls that we encounter. Yeah. That's a good point. Sometimes information about your direct ancestors can be found by looking into the lives of their siblings or other collateral relatives. Yeah. So you might hit a dead end, but if you look over to this other branch, you might find that connection. Exactly. Yeah. That's so cool. Now the sources give an example with Esme. Uh-huh. So Esme is the common ancestor of Arthur, Esme, Adal, and Atwell. Uh-huh. For Phoenix, everyone in that tree except for Esme, Esme and Albert are her collateral relatives. Right. So that really shows like, okay. Yeah. It's a great illustration. This is what a collateral relative is. Uh-huh. Now just to like round out all these basic terms. Okay. Who is an ancestor and who is a descendant? So an ancestor is anyone, living or dead, who comes before you in your direct lineage. So that's parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. Okay. A descendant is all those who come after you in your direct lineage. Okay. So going forward. Exactly. Okay. So I think where I always get tripped up is removed cousins like never. Right. Yeah. Removed cousins, it trips a lot of people up. Yes. Because it sounds so complicated. Yeah. So maybe you can explain that one. Yeah. So basically removed signifies a generational difference between two cousins. So you and your first cousin are in the same generation. Uh-huh. But if one of you is a generation younger or older than the other, relative to your shared grandparent, then you are first cousins once removed. Okay. And then if they have children, those children are your first cousins twice removed. Okay. And so on. So that removed just indicates how many generations away they are. Okay. Now the sources have this really great analogy called, it's easy to reckon, it's a great thing. Yes. And I love this analogy. Yeah. So maybe you can explain that to our listeners because I think it's so helpful. Yeah. Absolutely. So this is a way of using your hand to help understand cousin relationships and that concept of removed. Okay. So think about your closed fist. Your closed fist represents zero degrees of separation. That's for siblings and parents. Okay. Now stick your thumb out. The thumb represents one degree. Okay. That's first cousins and grandparents. Okay. Your index finger is two degrees. That's second cousins and great grandparents. Okay. Your ring finger is three. Three. Third cousins. Great, great grandparents. Okay. Ring finger is four. Fourth cousins and great, great grandparents. Okay. And then your pinky is five. Fifth cousins and great, great, great grandparents. Okay. So just going down the hand. Exactly. It's so simple. I love it. And then the phrase, it's a great thing. Those four words help you remember that you can reckon up to four greats on one hand. Oh, wow. Yeah. So you have great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great. And then each increasing generation of cousin is going to count as one less great. Okay. So as the cousinship number goes up, the number of greats in that corresponding grandparent term goes down by one. Okay. So this is so helpful. Yeah. Now, how do we actually figure out how many times removed someone is? So removed just indicates that generational difference between the two cousins and it's separate from that degree of cousinship with their first, second, third cousins and so on. So your first cousin will always be your first cousin, but all their children will be your first cousins once removed, their grandchildren twice removed and so on. Oh, okay. Okay. So it reflects that generational gap. Got it. Yeah. So if I understand this right, the way you would do it is you find that most recent common ancestor, like you were saying, you and your first cousin, the most recent common ancestor would be your grandparents. Exactly. So it's about how many generations down it is from that grandparent to you and then from that grandparent to your cousin. Right. And if there's a difference, that's the removed part. Exactly. So if the most recent common ancestor occurs between cousins of different generations, the cousinship is going to be counted at the level of the cousin who has the closest relationship to that most recent common ancestor. And then the removed number is the difference in generations. Okay. That makes sense. Can you give us an example of that? Yeah, absolutely. So if the most recent common ancestor is one cousin's grandparent and the other cousin's great grandparent, that relationship is going to be first cousin's once removed. Okay. Because there's that one generation difference. Exactly. So it sounds like there's two ways to calculate the removed, right? Yeah. So you can use the hand analogy like we talked about and count the generational difference that way. Or you can identify that most recent common ancestor and then just subtract the smaller number of generations back to the most recent common ancestor from the larger number. Okay. So either way, you get to the right answer. Exactly. And sometimes it's just helpful to use a tool or a chart to figure it out. Oh, yeah. And the sources have this relationship chart that I thought was really helpful because it lays it all out. Yeah, absolutely. They can be so valuable, especially when you're dealing with more complex family structures. Yeah. It's a quick visual reference to help you determine the precise relationship. Yeah, for sure. Now, the sources give us these great examples using a family tree with these names, Shanice, Colleen, Erin, Candace, Serenity, Sommery, Nigel, and Timothy. Right. And I was wondering if we could maybe walk through some of those examples just to really like solidify this idea of removed cousins. Right. So in that family tree, we have Shanice, Colleen, Erin, and Candace. Okay. And they're all first cousins because they share the same grandparents. Okay. Now, Serenity is a generation younger than Shanice, Colleen, and Erin. So because of that one generation difference, they are Serenity's first cousins once removed. Okay. Candace, Erin, and Shanice, they are Omri's first cousins once removed. Okay. Because Omri is also one generation younger. Okay. So one generation younger equals once removed. Right. What if there's more than one? Right. So then we have Nigel, and he's two generations younger than Shanice, Erin, and Candace. Okay. And Nigel is their first cousin twice removed. Okay. And Timothy is also two generations younger than Erin, Colleen, and Shanice. So he's their first cousin twice removed as well. Oh, okay. And then we have Omri and Serenity, and they are second cousins because they're in different branches both being grandchildren of different siblings. Okay. And then Nigel, because he's a generation younger than Serenity, he is Serenity's second cousin once removed. Okay. Timothy, a generation younger than Omri, is Omri's second cousin once removed. Okay. And finally, Nigel and Timothy, who are in different branches and two generations apart, they're third cousins. Okay. So it's all about where you are on the family tree. Exactly. And how far apart you are from that common ancestor. Exactly. Okay. This is making so much more sense now. Yeah. Now, the sources give us this really great practice round where they ask some questions about Esme and Camellia. So I thought maybe we could go through those and test our knowledge a little bit. Let's do it. Okay. So the first question is, who are Esme Sandy's siblings? So Esme Sandy's siblings in birth order were Cornel Baird, Harry Sandy, Vernon Sandy, Alberta Igard, Olda Igard, and Naomi David. Okay. And who are his parents? His parents were Justice Sandy and Rhoda Charles. Okay. And it says here that his father was born in Marabella, Victoria, Trinidad, and Tobago. Oh, interesting. So we're going international with this one. We are. Yeah. How old was Esme when his mother first got married? So he was 16 when his mother first got married. Okay. And what religion did he practice before his SDA conversion? So his religion before he became Seventh-day Adventist was Moravian. Okay. And sometimes Moravian is referred to as Anglican. Right. So we want to know where and when he died and at what age. Yeah. So Esme died in Marabella on October 30, 2002 at the age of 80. Okay. Now let's move on to Pamelia Gueron. What were her siblings' names? So her sibling in approximate birth order were John Adolphus, Paulina Clarissa, Philip Vrade, Vixilia, Clarex, and Burnett. Wow. Okay. That was a big family. Big family. And who were her parents? Her parents were Eugene and Victoria Nicoduo Gueron. Okay. And we also know that her mother was born in Aron, St. Patrick, Trinidad, and Tobago. Okay. So lots of good information. Uh-huh. How old was Pamelia when she married Esme? She was 30 years old when she married Esme. Okay. And can you list all of Esme and Pamelia's children in birth order? Okay. So their children in birth order were Ola, Cleve, Dallas, Deanna, Arthur, Louise, Atwell, Esme, Victoria, Adalie, and Linda. Okay. Another big family. Yeah. Now it looks like there's some ...