The private thoughts of an ancestor, written down in a diary or a journal,
may be the most revealing clues a family historian may ever encounter. It is
a
pity that so few of these treasures survive because they provide such rich
insights into the times in which our ancestors lived, their observations and
reactions to events, and some of their innermost thoughts. In "Along Those
Lines . . ." this week, let's discuss diaries and journals and their
importance
to understanding our ancestors.
Diaries
When I think of diaries, I recall the discussions we had of our female
classmates in the 1950s and 1960s and the precious diaries whose secrets
they guarded so carefully. When discussing diaries with some friends
recently, I was saddened to hear that most of the diaries had been destroyed
because "they were so childish." I'm afraid that may have been too common a
fate for many of these documents.
Diaries are an important chronological presentation of the life of the
writer.
The Diary of Anne Frank, whose diary chronicled the desperation of being
Jewish in Amsterdam during World War II and having to go into hiding from
the Nazis, is two things. First, it is the day by day account of life of a
Jewish
Family and their friends. Second it is a biting commentary of the depths of
suffering that men can impose on other men. A stunning Web site about this
child and her story is at http://www.annefrank.com/.
The diaries that survive provide us with intimate details of individuals'
lives and perspectives on events as experienced by these contemporary
citizens. There are a good number of diary transcriptions on the Web these
days that provide fascinating reading and a better understanding of the
periods that they describe. Some of these are:
Journals
A journal is also a chronological record of events and observations in the
writer's life. A journal may be more associated with a male than a female,
but this is not always so. A friend who teaches the occasional genealogy
course for library students at his institution told me about a journal
maintained by a student's Italian grandfather in the early- to mid-1900s.
This priceless family treasure contains, in Italian, a description of daily
life from the days of the monarchy through the rule of Mussolini. What an
heirloom!
In the management of an estate, the term "journal" may be applied to
describe a record taking any of several forms. It may be:
1) A central book in which all financial transactions were recorded.
These include the purchase of supplies, the sale of crops, the purchase and
sale or livestock, and the purchase, sale, birth, marriage and death of
slaves,
apprentices and other servants;
2) The record of all agricultural activities from year to year, including
the purchase of seed, fertilizer, cordage and wire, plows and other
equipment, cost of labor, places of sale, transportation costs, and the
prices obtained for the crops; or
3) A chronicle of life on the farm, including some or all of the above.
Journals can provide essential clues to African-American genealogists
researching their slave ancestors. Plantation records may be the only place
to ascertain names and dates necessary to prove ancestral ties.
Other types of journals include:
- Captain's journals, maintained by a ship's captain as a detailed account
of a voyage;
- Politician's journals regarding their professional activities;
- Lawyer's journals containing details of their legal careers; and
- Other professionals' journals.
The term, "journal," is also associated with something which may be
published, such as one published with information for a professional group,
such as doctors, lawyers, bankers, dentists, and many other professions.
While these are not of a private nature, they still provide a chronicle of
events. (The Journal of the American Medical Association is rightly called
a journal in that it chronicles new discoveries, new treatments and evolving
trends in medicine.)
What about Letters?
There may be letters of a personal nature written by your ancestors that you
may have in your possession. Used in place of diaries or journals, or in
addition to them, you may find extremely interesting material in what appear
to be ordinary correspondence. For instance, before my Grandparents MORGAN
were married in December of 1902, they exchanged a series of fascinating
letters. I took the time to place them in chronological sequence and read
each one. While my grandfather's letters gushed with love, my grandmother
wrote about social life in the country, places she had visited, and about
her family and friends. One letter, however, dated 17 September 1901
described her shock at the assassination of President William McKinley, and
her feelings about other people's reactions to the event.
Summing Up
Diaries are sometimes full of extremely private thoughts and emotional
outpourings. Ideas and feelings never expressible to another human being
might be confided in the diary. Journals, on the other hand, may contain
information of a more general nature.
The insights gleaned from these written confidences may help us better
understand our ancestors. While our own ancestors' diaries and journals may
not exist, or we may not have ready access to them, it is important to read
the diaries and journals of their contemporaries. On the other hand, there
may be letters of a personal nature written by your ancestors that you may
have in your possession that provide a similar chronological value to your
understanding of your ancestors.
If you haven't invested the time looking for diaries, journals and letters
among your family members' collections, hurry before it's too late!
Happy hunting!
George
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"Along Those Lines"
