Where the problem is a particularly thorny one, develop some sort of process for diagrammatically and verbally presenting it, one that also suggests a means to a solution. Be sure the problem is clearly defined and segments of charts place it visually in context. Once you have identified the quarry and the parameters (of date and area), it is time to review the six questions itemized below about each one in turn. Keep these questions handy, and you will always be able to plan a strategy. This approach does not guarantee a solution at the end, but it does provide a common-sense method that will insure that you have done all you can.

1. What time period does the record cover?
2. What geographical area does the record cover?
3. How is the record organized?
4. What information is needed to access the record?
5. What new information will the record supply?
6. Are there finding aids for the record, and where and how can the record be consulted?

Tables 11-1 and 11-2 (at the end of this article) list roadblocks and solutions. Every genealogical puzzle can be reduced to one or more of these basic generic elements. Once that has been done, you can select possible sources and test their usefulness by applying the questions above.

Problem solving will improve as knowledge and experience grow. Nevertheless, in some instances, only tedious, plodding work offers any hope of producing an answer. Be sure that you have tried all possible short cuts, and that all the facts are gathered and weighed for accuracy. It is sometimes necessary to hypothesize, to assume that one situation was the case and follow through the research on that basis. If it is proven incorrect, the gain is that something has been eliminated, and another theory can be tested.

This is where the concept of reconstruction may come into play. Throughout this book, I have drawn your attention to the importance of the historical and geographical context of the research you are undertaking. Family history is, to some degree, local history; it cannot be studied in isolation from the wider world. If you confine your efforts to the extraction of facts, the results will be deficient, and they may miss the mark. Family history research must incorporate ingenuity and the skillful posing of questions about people, places, and their socio-economic context. Reconstruction of the lives of our ancestors, and of their surroundings, is immensely interesting, satisfying, and potentially rewarding for further research.

A genealogy is only a skeleton, and the most interesting part of the family historical work is to paint in the flesh and to catch the breath of the spirit . . . much can be achieved, particularly in the study of ancestors by proxy, as it were. Thus if one's forebear was a weaver living in Glasgow, one can illuminate his existence through a general study of the life of weavers or of Glasgow at that time, even though one has no direct historical references to the ancestor concerned. In this sense, the family historian is also a local historian, able to point to the buildings and institutions in his or her town and to tell a story of the lives and aspirations of those who build them, lived in them and worked in them." (Moody, David. Scottish Family History London: B.T. Batsford, 1988. Reprint. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1990.)

Meeting the challenge to formulate a research strategy that identifies the necessary records and recognizes the potential of ancillary historical or geographical material is one aspect of family history that keeps us interested. Another aspect is the lucky break.

There are lots of wonderful stories about lucky breaks or inspired guesses and almost spooky visions or impulses which have led researchers to solutions. For everyone who believes that there is a logical explanation for everything, a saying of the ancient Persians may have some appeal: "Luck is infatuated with the efficient." This ties in rather neatly with the idea that you are the instrument of your own fortune (or misfortune), that you make your own luck. Put lots of entries in a surname index, browse libraries every chance you get, talk to your family, follow up on any new leads. People who do these things create their own lucky breaks.

You can post your problem for hundreds, thousands, or more people to see. There are club query pages, surname directories, and the Internet. Personal preference will determine how much you use these vehicles of exchange. Like me, you may follow the "has it been done before?" routine, and then move on to research, or you may chat by letter, fax, phone, or computer to others, turning up tips and answers. If you choose the latter be sure to verify anything for which you have not received a definite source reference.

There is, ultimately, the matter of proof, or the establishment of the existence or nonexistence of a fact. When you receive information from another person, critically examine its validity. Have you been given sources, and can you verify some of the facts yourself? There is no doubt that many errors are spread quite innocently and shared through a genuine desire to be helpful; nonetheless, they are errors. Repetition will not make them true. There is an excellent discussion of the subject of evidence including at what point, in the absence of absolute proof, evidence can be assumed to support a conclusion. The article is in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, and is titled "What is the Preponderance of the Evidence?" (Rose, 1995)

I want to leave you with one final reminder. You can never know too much about the records you may use in your search. The quest for knowledge of what records exist should be ongoing. Do not confine your inquisitiveness to only the standard genealogical records. Look beyond to what local, economic, political, and social historians have used. Discover where records are kept, where copies may be found, and in what format. Maintain a file or database of possible sources for future use, especially when the inevitable conundrum arises. Extensive knowledge of source material will keep you in the driver's seat, whether you are planning your own activities or directing an agent. In the end, diversity of sources will create a broader picture. Your family history will be more than a flat, two-dimensional chart; it will have an added vitality. You will have put life into history.

1. The basic information you are working from may be inaccurate. [Solutions B, C, H, J, K]
2. You may not have gathered enough of or the right kind of information for the record. [Solutions H, J, K, L]
3. There may be a gap in the records for the particular time and place. (The records may have been damaged or destroyed, may not have been kept for a time, or may be in private hands. [Solutions A, E, I]
4. No listing has been found in the index or finding aid, although you are certain one must be there (could be due to human error in indexing). [Solutions A, F, G, I]
5. A search of a record has produced no result, although many other indicators suggest the anticipated entry should be there (may be due to hurried searching, a forgetful minister at the time, deliberate failure to report an event, tax avoidance). [Solutions A, D, E, F, I, N] 6. Your research has turned up several possible solutions. [Solutions I, J, K, L, M, N]
7. The scale of the search may be too large (too many years to cover, too large an area, too common a name, or a combination of these). [Solutions D, I, L, N]
8. There may be a technical problem involving language, handwriting, or organization (e.g., only chronological, not completely alphabetical, or haphazard geographical arrangement). [Solutions D, N, O]

Your Scottish Ancestry: A Guide for North Americans,
by Sherry Irvine, CGRS, FSA (Scot)
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Your English Ancestry: A Guide for North Americans,
by Sherry Irvine, CGRS, FSA (Scot)
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product.asp?pf%5Fid=13946&dept%5Fid=10203001