Looking for the context in genealogy is incredibly important if you wish to have more than names and dates in your family tree. I have talked endlessly about looking for your ancestors’ stories and ‘fleshing out the bones’. Let’s go one step further and look for motivations behind your ancestors’ actions.
What is ‘Context in Genealogy’?
Context refers to the environment around your ancestors at the time and in the area in which they lived. Knowing what was happening around them gives great insight into what may have influenced them to make the choices they did.
This may include social upheavals, political events, religious changes, wars, disease epidemics and even weather events leading to bad harvests.
How Can You Find the Context?
Local Histories
Many cities, towns and even villages have had local histories written about them. These will contain details of significant events around that place, and often mention local families. If you’re lucky you may get some details about yours!
Several times I have discovered information on my specific family just by reading a local history book. For example, I never would have known why my branch of the Swinbourne family came to Warwickshire from Northumberland in the 17th Century unless I had delved into ‘Discovering Bickenhill‘.
Likewise, my purchase of ‘A Concern in Trade: Hatting and the Bracebridges of Atherstone 1612-1872‘, uncovered a story of one of my families that was entirely unexpected! My family was not the Bracebridges – I had just bought the book as I had another family who were hatters from that town. I was just seeking context.
You can find many local history books online. Try Google Books, FamilySearch and Geneanet! You may be lucky enough to find hard copies in local bookshops, thrift stores, in local and larger specialised libraries, or even on eBay.
Another great source of local histories is the relevant Family History Society for the area. They usually have a bookshop, and additionally, their journal will often contain articles that provide great social context to that location.
Newspapers
Reading newspapers of the time provides a great sense of what was going on. The information will be local, national and even international. The greatest column space will be devoted to topics that influenced the lives of their readers. When looking for information about events in your ancestors’ lives, also spend a little time reading other news. This will give you more context.
There are many sites where you can access old newspapers. Depending on the place you are seeking, the following may be useful –
- British Newspaper Archive (also accessible through FindMyPast)
- Newspapers.com
- Trove (Australian)
- Papers Past (New Zealand)
- Google News Archive
Other Sources of Useful Context in Genealogy
Keep your eye out for almanacks for the years you are interested in. These provide good agricultural and weather-related information at the very least. Some also provide other local statistics and information which can be invaluable.
Try ‘browsing’ rather than just ‘searching’ parish registers for your ancestors. Often you can find additional notes by the vicar mentioning unusual weather events, disease outbreaks, the impact of certain taxes or even just gossip! And don’t forget the rest of the parish chest, as the documents usually paint a great picture of life in the local community.
Educate yourself on the bigger picture using courses and seminars. If you live in the area, there might be talks given through your local library or family history society. For a wider context, try online courses. For example, those interested in Australian history might be interested to know that the University of Newcastle is commencing a free course next week on just that topic!
Isn’t All This Context Just ‘Fluffy Stuff’?
No. Knowing why our ancestors may have done what they did is part of what makes them real human beings rather than just names. That’s wonderful, isn’t it?
But also, the context can help you with concrete solutions to genealogical problems. If you know that Mormon missionaries were rounding up a lot of followers in your town around the time a branch of your family disappeared from local records, that narrows down where you should look for them considerably. Stop looking in surrounding parishes for a moment and take a look in US records. They may have headed for Utah! If so, there is probably a genealogical goldmine awaiting you.
Jump in and look for context in genealogy. You won’t regret the effort as it will definitely pay off.