Sustainable genealogy : separating fact from fiction in family legends /
Hite, Richard,author.
"There are a lot of textbooks that describe how to find your ancestors; this new one by Richard Hite clarifies how not to. In short, Sustainable Genealogy explains how to avoid the traps many family historians can fall into. Whether it's a proud family legend, a venerable publication or the claims of an Internet family tree, the unsubstantiated genealogical source is like a house of sticks before the Big Bad Wolf -- it won't stand up. As Mr. Hite demonstrates in this collection of case studies, many are the 'oral traditions that have fallen by the wayside under the lens of careful research in primary sources and more recently, DNA testing'"--Back cover.
Includes bibliographical references.
Chapter 1. Recurring patterns in oral history -- Chapter 2. Ethnic origins of family names -- Chapter 3. Maiden names of female ancestors -- Chapter 4. Relationships to someone famous -- Chapter 5. Relationships to royalty, nobility, or wealth -- Chapter 6. Birthplaces of ancestors -- Chapter 7. Military service of ancestors -- Chapter 8. Two or more brothers as immigrants -- Chapter 9. Associations or encounters with famous people -- Chapter 10. Native American ancestors -- Chapter 11. How much misinformation can be crammed into one paragraph?
"There are a lot of textbooks that describe how to find your ancestors; this new one by Richard Hite clarifies how not to. In short, Sustainable Genealogy explains how to avoid the traps many family historians can fall into. Whether it's a proud family legend, a venerable publication or the claims of an Internet family tree, the unsubstantiated genealogical source is like a house of sticks before the Big Bad Wolf -- it won't stand up. As Mr. Hite demonstrates in this collection of case studies, many are the 'oral traditions that have fallen by the wayside under the lens of careful research in primary sources and more recently, DNA testing'"--Back cover.
Genealogy.
Genealogy.