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When my husband and I bought an old farmhouse we were going to rehab, we found all sorts of things when we tore out walls. We didn't find any hidden money...sigh...but we did find really old booze bottles (which explained why the house 'leaned'...yes, it really leaned), a petrified squirrel (lol), some kids toys from the 50's and old wallpaper. But additionally, the most interesting thing we found was an envelope dated from the 1870's and on the risers of the cellar stairs, in very faint letters were people's names. On the envelope, there were some figures that at first, made no sense. But it got me to thinking about the people who built the house and who lived there back when the property was considered 'Indian Territory'.
After a little digging at the courthouse, I tracked the deed to a family who came from Ireland. Using the census, I discovered that the names on the risers of the cellar steps were the names of their children and using other clues found in the house, I ascertained that the figures on the envelope were most likely the number of days, months and years they had been living in the house since leaving Ireland and arriving in America. Researching the family made me feel closer to the house its history and helped me to understand why the property was nicknamed "Victory Hill."
History is fascinating to me and since most family/professional historians are 'ethically' searching for answers (in one way or another) I don't see any of it as unethical in the least.
RVcook
People do this all the time. Did you ever watch that TV show If Walls Could Talk? I always loved that show because the people who bought old homes generally found some fascinating things in the homes and did the research to find out about the families that lived there. I miss the show and wish they'd bring it back.
I know that I have hit a wall before with my family research and to help my research binge I will work on closely related families or families that lived in the same area... You never know what you might find from a family that lived 2 farms away from your great grandparents...
I've had help on more than one genealogy search using Craigslist. There are people who enjoy the challenge of finding something that is hard to find. I've gotten volunteers before. They are glad to help.
I know genealogy encompasses a larger period of time than 2012 back to 1600, but when I use the term genealogy, to me, it means persons who are deceased, ancestors, and family trees that started in the 1700's and 1800's. That was my introduction to it by my Father.
Names are hard enough to find back then, but from my family's experiences, it's photos (pre 1925) that are very hard to find. I think my Father and I found 3-4 through years of searching. One happened to be a lawyer and his photo was on the wall in his office. People back then were not rich, and getting photos taken was expensive. We also found that many of the funerals were held at the home due to incomes.
People do this all the time. Did you ever watch that TV show If Walls Could Talk? I always loved that show because the people who bought old homes generally found some fascinating things in the homes and did the research to find out about the families that lived there. I miss the show and wish they'd bring it back.
LOVED that show! Now that Who Do You Think You Are is cancelled, the only 'show' left...unless I don't know about it...is Finding Your Roots on PBS. I'll have to check and see when that one starts up again.
After I made my post, I actually looked up a little more information on the Victory family using some local resources. I found a few more things...like who the children married and where they lived. Then I sent messages to some family tree owners with a link to the information to help them fill out their trees. I'm not really concerned whether or not I get a response. The important thing for me is sharing what I've learned and helping others find answers to their genealogy questions.
As far as 'ethical' behavior goes, I regularly check genealogy message boards for people with research problems and then do a little digging to see if I can unearth anything of value. If I come up with something, I contact the people and tell them what I've found as well as suggesting what their next research step could be. It may seem unethical to some people to dig into another's family, but if I have valuable information that can help them put their puzzle together, then isn't it equally unethical NOT to share it? Although difficult, I usually have to restrain myself from doing the work for them, because as we all know...the journey is what's fun !!! What a fascinating hobby!
No, not unethical! I've researched tons of non-relatives for various purposes, both professional and just for fun. We've never been home owners, but I've often researched the apartments in which we've lived.
Names are hard enough to find back then, but from my family's experiences, it's photos (pre 1925) that are very hard to find. I think my Father and I found 3-4 through years of searching. One happened to be a lawyer and his photo was on the wall in his office. People back then were not rich, and getting photos taken was expensive.
Photography was not necessarily that expensive pre-1925. The Brownie was introduced in 1900 which made low-cost "home snaphots" possible and affordable for most. Before 1900, getting your photo taken was really only available from a professional photographer and only affordable to the upper-middle to upper classes. But there's a good 25 years in there where it was affordable to the masses.
I also don't think it's accurate to say "people were not rich back then" - as though people today are rich? If you mean that there was less of a middle class and more divide between the minority of very wealthy and the lower classes, that may be true. But middle class was not non-existent. And middle class today is not "rich" so just because we have a bigger middle class today does not necessarily mean there are anymore rich people today than there was in the past.
LOVED that show! Now that Who Do You Think You Are is cancelled, the only 'show' left...unless I don't know about it...is Finding Your Roots on PBS. I'll have to check and see when that one starts up again.
After I made my post, I actually looked up a little more information on the Victory family using some local resources. I found a few more things...like who the children married and where they lived. Then I sent messages to some family tree owners with a link to the information to help them fill out their trees. I'm not really concerned whether or not I get a response. The important thing for me is sharing what I've learned and helping others find answers to their genealogy questions.
As far as 'ethical' behavior goes, I regularly check genealogy message boards for people with research problems and then do a little digging to see if I can unearth anything of value. If I come up with something, I contact the people and tell them what I've found as well as suggesting what their next research step could be. It may seem unethical to some people to dig into another's family, but if I have valuable information that can help them put their puzzle together, then isn't it equally unethical NOT to share it? Although difficult, I usually have to restrain myself from doing the work for them, because as we all know...the journey is what's fun !!! What a fascinating hobby!
RVcook
I was disappointed when Who Do You Think You Are was cancelled. Haven't checked on Finding Your Roots to see if it's still going to be on. Let us know if you find out.
That's really good of you to share the info you find. Over the years I have been beholden to MANY who have helped me out in my research and tried to 'pay it back' with others. Consider that you are 'paying it back' and I see nothing unethical about researching other people's families.
Genealogy can be, and IS, more than a "fascinating hobby". It can become an obsessive addiction! lol It's so exciting to get answers to questions but it seems like one question answered brings up half a dozen more TO answer!
I was disappointed when Who Do You Think You Are was cancelled. Haven't checked on Finding Your Roots to see if it's still going to be on. Let us know if you find out.
That's really good of you to share the info you find. Over the years I have been beholden to MANY who have helped me out in my research and tried to 'pay it back' with others. Consider that you are 'paying it back' and I see nothing unethical about researching other people's families.
Genealogy can be, and IS, more than a "fascinating hobby". It can become an obsessive addiction! lol It's so exciting to get answers to questions but it seems like one question answered brings up half a dozen more TO answer!
When I first started, I received a lot of help...and I mean a LOT! I knew absolutely nothing about my family beyond my grandparents and the same was true of my husband. Then I started looking around and asking questions. I was AMAZED at the generosity that was afforded me even when asking seemingly ridiculous questions like: "Does anyone know where I can get a birth record for someone born 1816 in Green Co., KY?" -OR- "Does anyone know the name of adoption agencies that existed in the early 1800's?" People were naturally amused, but encouraging at the same time. In addition to answering some of my questions, they also took the time to point me in the direction of other online genealogy communities and suggested that I take a class or two so I would understand how genealogical records worked in tandem with each other so I could locate those ancestors that seemed to either be dropped or beamed up by aliens . I learned so much from them; I am forever grateful.
And there is always an upside to helping others in that sometimes I am forced to reach beyond my skill level and find new and unique ways to problem solve. This in turn, helps me in my own research and that is the only payback I need. To this day, I still receive personal emails from individuals I've assisted and I'm always interested in their new discoveries. Yeah...I guess you could say I'm addicted, but WOW...the things I've learned!
When I first started, I received a lot of help...and I mean a LOT! I knew absolutely nothing about my family beyond my grandparents and the same was true of my husband. Then I started looking around and asking questions. I was AMAZED at the generosity that was afforded me even when asking seemingly ridiculous questions like: "Does anyone know where I can get a birth record for someone born 1816 in Green Co., KY?" -OR- "Does anyone know the name of adoption agencies that existed in the early 1800's?" People were naturally amused, but encouraging at the same time. In addition to answering some of my questions, they also took the time to point me in the direction of other online genealogy communities and suggested that I take a class or two so I would understand how genealogical records worked in tandem with each other so I could locate those ancestors that seemed to either be dropped or beamed up by aliens . I learned so much from them; I am forever grateful.
And there is always an upside to helping others in that sometimes I am forced to reach beyond my skill level and find new and unique ways to problem solve. This in turn, helps me in my own research and that is the only payback I need. To this day, I still receive personal emails from individuals I've assisted and I'm always interested in their new discoveries. Yeah...I guess you could say I'm addicted, but WOW...the things I've learned!
RVcook
When I first started my research, in 1984, I had just ONE piece of paper with a very short history of the family. It had been written by a cousin of my grandad's who had done some family history as a college project in the 1930s. One of my aunts had it and gave it to me. It, at least, told me which counties to start looking and this was all in my pre-computer days. I joined all kinds of county historical societies, which led me to people who were also researching my family lines, etc. etc.. What an adventure! Some of them had been researching for a lot of years, some had written books that I bought and I was even able to contribute to one of them. I will be forever grateful to all the people who spent so much time gathering all that 'stuff'. Now *I* have a TON of 'stuff' and I wish at least one of my kids, grkids, cousins, etc. were interested enough for me to leave it all to someday. Alas, they aren't. They DO love it when I can tell them stories and things but they don't want to do anything to help. I think I know more about my ancestors than I do about all the relatives alive today.
I think family researchers are a 'special breed'. And GREAT detectives!
LOVED that show! Now that Who Do You Think You Are is cancelled, the only 'show' left...unless I don't know about it...is Finding Your Roots on PBS. I'll have to check and see when that one starts up again.
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!!! What a fascinating hobby!
