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"Along Those Lines ..."
by George G. Morgan
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| "Ancestral Animals" |
We've just adopted a new kitten from the Humane Society. Her presence in our home makes me think of the animals our ancestors owned. Unless your family is involved with farming and/or livestock production, the animals most of us own today are kept as pets. In "Along Those Lines ..." this week, let's consider the animals our ancestors owned, and the important places they occupied in their lives. A DIFFERENT TIME Our ancestors lived very different lives from our own. Many were responsible for growing, hunting, and producing many or all of the materials used to make their lives comfortable. They did not have shopping malls where they could purchase ready-made clothing and other products. Instead, the family unit divided their labor to acquire specific resources from which shelter, food, clothing, furniture, metal goods and other items were made, and to actually make these items. The farther back in time we go, the more important animals were to our ancestors' survival. While certainly there were some animals kept as pets, most animals were raised for a function. Each must earn its keep. Horses were used for transportation: ridden by individuals or used to draw wagons, buggies, stagecoaches, or other vehicles. Horses and mules were used for hard farm labor such as plowing, dredging, and drawing heavy loads on sleds or wheeled conveyors. Oxen were used for pulling even heavier loads, for threshing, milling, and other tasks. Cattle were raised for milk, beef, hides, and other byproducts. Pigs were raised for pork and hides. Sheep were raised for their wool and for lamb and mutton. Chickens, ducks, geese, and other fowl were raised for eggs and meat, as well as feathers for pillows and bedding. Cats were used to control mice and other vermin, and dogs were often used for hunting, herding, and retrieving. Records created or kept by your ancestors are often filled with references to their animals. You may be surprised at the values placed on their livestock. Consider the following: ~ Wills and Probate Packets--After land, property, and money, horses were generally considered to be the most valuable of an individual's assets. Then as now, transportation was essential and a healthy, reliable horse was considered a most valuable commodity. You can often ascertain the depth of a relationship between the deceased and another person by the bequest made to him or her. It is therefore quite usual for horses to be left in a will to a spouse, an elder son, or to a dear family member or a cherished friend. At the same time, the bequest of a mule, cattle, or other livestock may be considered a wealthy gift, especially because it may have meant the beginning of a sizable farm or ranch or, in especially hard times, the difference between survival and starvation. ~ Ledgers and Account Books--The owner or manager of a well-run farm or ranch of any size usually maintained account books. Listings of expenditures, an inventory of assets, annual lists of crops planted and yields for specific acreage, accounts of sales, acquisitions, use and liquidation of livestock, weather conditions, and a variety of other things may have been included in these books. A close examination will provide a detailed picture of the lives of the inhabitants of the property and a very good indication of the values, financially and physically, placed on the animals owned and used by your ancestors. One journal I saw contained an inventory of the number of mules the man and his two sons used to farm their two hundred and fifty acres. The journal included a daily account of how many acres were plowed (including the length and number of furrows) and when and where planting was done and how much seed was used. ~ Journals and Diaries--Accounts of your ancestors' lives may include information about the "Sunday horse" and its use to drive the family to church or to important social functions. Few rural families had a show horse for such purposes, but perhaps an especially handsome horse was not worked as hard as others were, because he was to be used for "show." My grandmother, born in 1873, used to tell the story about the two mares her father kept for her during the early 1890's. One was reserved for riding and the other, named Missy, was only used to pull her small, green carriage. ~ Auction Records--Livestock was often sold at public auction, sometimes for delinquent taxes or other debts. Your ancestor may have participated in such an event as a purchaser or even as an individual whose assets were being liquidated. Sheriffs' auctions are a matter of public record in the county in which the auction took place. I find that few genealogists investigate these types of records, yet they can be very rich in details. An auction record can provide proof that your ancestor was at a certain place at a certain time, and it can indicate his or her financial status. An auction may also have taken place after the death of an ancestor in order to provide cash for the surviving family members. One such auction for one of my ancestors showed many of the livestock being purchased by in-laws in order to keep the animals for the family's use. ~ Bills of Sale--The cash value of livestock purchases or sales are a great indicator of the lifestyle of your ancestor. Do your research of the time period in which your ancestor lived. Determine what the value of money then equates to in today's currency, and then compare what prices were paid for animals bought and sold. Bills of sales, receipts, and auction records can provide you these details and are likely to be found among public records in courthouses, as well as in your family's private papers. If your ancestor owned several horses, he may have been a well-to-do man or he may have been buying up cheap horseflesh. You can judge the quality of his livestock possessions by their prices and then develop some hypotheses about his other asserts. AND THEN THERE ARE THE PETS Certainly our ancestors became close to many of their animals. As you research your ancestors' lives and write their biographies, don't hesitate to include references to your Aunt Mary Allen's cats, Winkie and Snooky, your grandfather's hunting dog, Jack, your mother's parakeet, Chipper, or your Cousin Edna's opossum, Jake. Their choice of animal companions and the bonds that developed between them add another dimension to the lives you are recording for posterity. Consider the information you already have about your ancestors' animals. Perhaps by re-reviewing the details, you can gain a deeper insight into your ancestor's lifestyle, personality, business acumen, farming or ranching ability, or other traits about the family unit or individual family members. It's worth another look! Happy hunting! George
Copyright 1999 George G. Morgan. All Rights reserved. "Along Those Lines ..." is a weekly feature of the Genealogy Forum on America Online (Keyword: ROOTS). The article originally appeared in the Genealogy Forum on America Online. You may send E-mail to alonglines@aol.com. George Morgan would like to hear from you but, because of the volume of E-mail, is unable to personally respond to each letter individually. He also regrets that he cannot assist you with your personal genealogical research. Visit George Morgan's new Web page at: http://members.aol.com/alonglines George is also the author of "The Genealogy Forum on America Online," which is available in the Ancestry Online Store at: http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/.
Click Here for George Morgan's Archive
Copyright 1998 George G. Morgan All Rights reserved "Along Those Lines ..." is a weekly feature of the Genealogy Forum on America Online (Keyword: ROOTS). This column originally appeared in the Genealogy Forum on America Online. You may send E-mail alonglines@aol.com. George Morgan would like
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