Many of us, if we go back far enough, can find evidence linking us to some noteworthy individual. Perhaps you are a direct descendant of or are related through a collateral line to a famous person such as a U.S. president or some other historical figure. Or perhaps you are related to a more infamous individual, such as a bank robber, a murderer, or some other less illustrious personage.

At first glance, researching an ancestor whose name and reputation are somewhat high profile may seem like an easy task. Just go to the library, check out the biography, read it, and enter data into your genealogical database. WRONG! There can be many pitfalls in assuming that everything written about a famous or infamous ancestor is correct. Remember that books and newspapers are written to sell copies, and that sensationalized stories and exaggerated facts capture the public's attention and sell more copies.

In “Along Those Lines . . .” this week, let's discuss sources for obtaining information about both our famous and infamous ancestors and how we should evaluate the materials we locate.

Sources for Information about Famous Ancestors
Famous people's lives are often placed under a microscope, and the people who write about them do so for a variety of reasons. Writers may be motivated by a desire to present accurate accounts and historically correct information. They may be motivated by greed, trying to capitalize on the public's interest in someone who is enjoying their “fifteen minutes of fame.” They may want to document their familial ties, personal relationship, or professional affiliation with a famous person. There are other motivations too. The important thing as you begin your research and evaluation of materials about a famous person is to recognize the author's motivation. By doing so, you may detect a bias that influences the accuracy of the content one way or another.

Let's use Thomas Jefferson as an example of a famous person to whom you might be related. There has been a tremendous amount written about this man, including the recent revelations concerning his relationship with his slave, Sally Hemming. Some of the records in which you might find information about Thomas Jefferson include:

• Biographies written between the late 1700s and the present
• Illustrations and paintings of him
• Newspaper accounts written during his lifetime, recounting his participation in historical events
• Correspondence between Jefferson and others relating to his political career, his involvement with the founding of the University of Virginia, his inventions, his agricultural developments, and his writings
• Presidential papers and entries in the Congressional Record
• Documents he signed, both public and private
• Journals he kept
• Articles published in historical magazines and genealogical society journals
• Publications produced by heritage and lineage societies and, in some cases, published copies of membership applications

As you can see from this sketchy list, there is a rich physical collection of materials from which you could draw if you are interested in tracing and documenting your ancestor, Thomas Jefferson, for your family history.

Sources for Information about Infamous Ancestors
An ancestor “with a past” can present many opportunities for uncovering detailed information. You may be unaware of an ancestor's notoriety when you begin your research. It may not be until you uncover newspaper accounts and court records that it becomes clear you're dealing with a “black sheep” in the family. Some genealogists stop dead in their tracks and quietly sweep what they consider an unsavory ancestor back into the shadows. Others proceed with relish, trying to uncover more information about what they consider a “colorful character.” (I know a woman in Pennsylvania who cheerfully recounts that her grandmother was “a great businesswoman in Chicago at the turn of the twentieth century.” In fact, her grandmother was employed by the famous Everleigh sisters in Chicago as a prostitute, “entertaining” gentlemen at the famed Everleigh Club, and amassed a small fortune in the process.)

If you have an ancestor who has a less than illustrious history, evidence will usually come to light in a variety of places. If you are seeking information, the following list will suggest some materials where you may find detailed accounts.

• Newspaper accounts of the time
• Law enforcement offices' records, court records, trial records, prison records
• Depending on the era, illustrations or photographs
• Biographies
• Local, state, regional and/or national histories
• Correspondence located in libraries or archives
• Personal accounts by witnesses
• Criminal journals
• Old newsreels, movies, or made-for-television dramatizations, depending on the circumstances. (Think of Lizzie Borden or Bonnie and Clyde.)
• The Thomas Jefferson Papers, Library of Congress, American Memory Project at: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/mtjhtml/mtjhome.html

As you can see, there may be a wealth of historical and biographical information available about your infamous ancestor.

Evaluating the Information You Find
When dealing with the informational legacy of a famous or infamous ancestor, you may find yourself buried in detail--a much different situation than we usually encounter with other, less documented ancestors.

Once you have all of this information at your fingertips, you must evaluate it for accuracy of content. It is vitally important not to accept these materials at face value. Consider again the possible motivation of writers, journalists, and others describing events. It is possible that they had an agenda that may have caused them to misrepresent the facts. However, your job should be to review multiple sources, if possible, and look for evidence that corroborates the facts. As with other genealogical data, be especially wary of sources that perpetuate the ideas of other sources in evidence. We all know that an incorrect piece of data from one document can be cited as a fact in another document, thereby perpetuating the error. Therefore, not only should you read the materials, but you should review their source citations as well. You will often find works cited in bibliographies and source citations that otherwise might never have come to your attention. Be prepared to follow those leads and trace the writer's research path.

Fact vs. Fiction
Finally, always beware of fictionalized accounts. Sensationalized accounts of persons, personalities and traits, and events sell books and newspapers. Some writers cover gaps in their research or in the availability of materials in other ways. Even eyewitness accounts may contain exaggerations and erroneous data. People may consciously or unconsciously make assumptions and develop fictitious information to bridge time gaps, link individuals, or otherwise rationalize events. Be skeptical, and carefully examine premises presented by one source that seem to miraculously solve problems other sources could not resolve. More often than not, they may be too good to be true.

Your responsibility with the information you acquire about your famous and infamous ancestors is the same as with information about other ancestors. Acquire the information, research the data, evaluate the quality of the materials, examine the sources and any motive or bias, corroborate the facts you find with other solid pieces of evidence, examine and question all hypotheses and conclusions, and continue researching any materials you feel are questionable.

Keep an open mind throughout your research, and be on the lookout for new avenues of research that present themselves. Enjoy the broader body of knowledge that is available for these high-profile ancestors, and take the opportunity to learn as much about their lives as possible. That information may, indeed, provide additional insight into the lives of their other family members. And who knows where those research paths may lead?

Happy Hunting!

George
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Copyright 2000, MyFamily.com. All rights reserved. George G. Morgan is a proud member of the Council of Genealogy Columnists. He would like to hear from you at mailto:atl@ahaseminars.com but, due to the volume of e-mail received, he is unable to answer every e-mail message received. Please note that he cannot assist you with your individual research. Visit George's Web site at http://ahaseminars.com/atl for information about speaking engagements. 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/product.asp?pf%5Fid=1101046&dept%5Fid=10102000

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