Why Do You Do Genealogy?

This post was first published 14 Nov 2008 and my reasons for doing genealogy remain the same today in Nov 2022. Genealogy is still fun and there is still a thrill each time a piece of new information is found.

When you are really frustrated at not finding the information you want to know, do you wonder why you even do genealogy? I do, but only for a short time. Genealogy has been such a big part of my life for so long that it is hard to imagine life without it.

But why do I do genealogy? It isn’t in hopes of finding a connection to a famous person - I gave up that hope six months after I started researching. From the very beginning of time, or so it seems, my ancestors were hard working farmers whose lives centered around providing the basics for their families. None achieved greatness in terms of money, land or personal fame, but most were blessed with courage and perseverance. I’ll take those traits over money any day.

That still doesn’t tell you why I do genealogy. I can’t answer in one word, but I can give you three reasons why genealogy is so important to me

*  The need to know my place in the world - the place where I belong, where I can call home and where my history is known. I think we all have that need and it is what drives us to find the answers in genealogy.

*  The need to organize - the need to fit each ancestor and his family into their own proper place and time. There is a sense of accomplishment when gaps are replaced with facts. This is why I still like the old fashioned family group sheets. I can see at a glance the information I have and the information I still need. When the group sheet is complete, it is time to go on to the next one.

*  Genealogy is just plain fun! There is a thrill each time a piece of information is found and connects to another bit I already have. I have met some wonderful people in this journey to find my ancestors and I would not trade the experiences I’ve had for any amount of money.

So, why do you do genealogy? I bet you can't answer in just one word!

Published 15 Dec 2022, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Spiritualism in Smithland

The following was originally published here on the 11th of June 2020.  

On the 1^st day of July 1875, a jury of 12 men met in a special term of the Livingston County Court to hear evidence and decide if Charles S. Lyon, a 35 year old resident of Smithland was of unsound mind and, if so,  to determine the cause. 

Lyon, the son of Harriet Cook and Stephen Lyon, had come under the influence of a different kind of religion and had wandered away from home. His half brother suspected he had gone to Memphis, Tennessee where one of the leaders of this religion might be found.  Although a reader of general spiritualistic literature, Lyon’s relatives believed that the immediate cause of his insanity was the reading of Dr. Samuel Watson’s works on that subject.  Lyon was found in the bottom lands across from Memphis and was brought back to Smithland to determine the condition of his mind. [1] The jury, after  hearing the evidence, rendered the following verdict: “We the Jury find that Charles S. Lyon … is of unsound mind, that he is a Lunatic … lost his mind about the 13^th day of May 1875, that the probable cause from the evidence, was Spiritualism, Religion and Love.”[2]  E.G. Leeper was appointed to convey Lyon to the Lunatic Asylum in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. We do not know if Lyon continued his interest in Spiritualism, but we do know that Lyon lived in the Asylum until his death 37 years later. His remains were returned for burial near his relatives in Smithland Cemetery.  

What was this Spiritualism that was given as a reason in Charles S. Lyon being declared insane?  Wikipedia describes Spiritualism as a religious movement based on the belief that the spirits of the dead exist and have both the ability and inclination to communicate with the living. Some people believed in elements of this movement that later became known as Spiritualism, but there was no organized movement prior to 1848.  Also, there was no formal text outlining the principles of Spiritualism.   “Spiritualists believe in the possibility of communication with the spirits of dead people, with whom they regard as ‘discarnate humans.’ They believe that spirit mediums are gifted to carry on such communication, but that anyone may become a medium through study and practice.” They believe spirits are capable of growth and perfection, progressing through higher spheres or planes …  The two beliefs – that contact with spirits is possible, and that spirits may dwell on a higher plane – lead to a third belief, that spirits can provide knowledge about moral and ethical issues, as well as about God and the afterlife. Many believers therefore speak of ‘spirit guides’ … [3] 

During the early years the fundamentals of Spiritualism were spread mainly through magazines, lectures and camp meetings and many of the speakers were women.    One of the early leaders was the Rev. Dr. Samuel Watson. In 1875, he published Volume 1 of The Spiritual Magazine.  A prominent member of the Methodist church for 30 years,  Dr. Watson chose to sever his connection with the Methodist church in favor of his strong belief in Spiritualism.    Dr. Watson was living in Memphis in 1875, the same year Charles S. Lyon wandered off to that city. [4]                                                                                                                                           

It was “A Sad Case,” when Charles S. Lyon was judged to be of unsound mind because of “Spiritualism, Religion and Love.”  Was he, indeed, of unsound mind or was he simply practicing a different kind of religion?  Lyon was not the only person in the area who espoused Spiritualism. Peter H. Conant of Smithland (1809-1890) was also a believer in this religion. According to his obituary, he was “a Spiritualist and an earnest believer in the faith.” [5]  “The Conant family belonged to a religious group that did not believe in marking the graves of its dead. Many of the family members were buried in a sand bank on the left of Highway 60 that now runs from the town of Smithland to the Cumberland River bridge.”[6]  His burial place is unknown.

Robert Dale Owen of New Harmony, Posey County, Indiana was also a Spiritualist.  Owen (1801-1890) was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, wrote about his personal and political views and published two books. His family is found throughout New Harmony’s history.  Another well-known Spiritualist was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) who was interested in many subjects, including the paranormal and those of a mystical nature, but is perhaps better known as the creator of the character, Sherlock Holmes.

Spiritualists are still found in all segments of society with some having websites and online videos explaining their beliefs.

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[1] “A Sad Case,” Daily Louisville Commercial (Louisville, Ky), Fri., 9 July 1875, p. 4, GenealogyBank, accessed 1 June 2020.

[2] Lunacy Record, Charles S. Lyon, Livingston County Loose Court Clerk’s papers, Box 19, July term 1875, Livingston County Court Clerk, accessed 2008.

[3] “Spiritualism,” Wikipedia, < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritualism>, accessed 4 June 2020.

[4] S. Watson. The Spiritual Magazine, Volume 1, (Memphis, TN: Boyle & Chapman, 1975) Google Books, accessed 4 June 2020.

[5] “A Sad Case,” Daily Louisville Commercial, 9 July 1875, p. 4.

[6] Leslie McDonald. Echoes of Yesteryear, (Smithland, KY: Livingston County Historical and Genealogical Society, Smithland, Kentucky, 1972) 105-106.

Published again 1 Dec 2022, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Happy Thanksgiving!

Published 24 Nov 2022, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Interview with Mother

In 1992 and 1993, I did several  oral interviews with my mother, usually as I was driving her back to Kentucky after visiting my family in Indiana.  These tapes laid in a desk drawer until they were recently re-discovered.  They are now a precious reminder to me of my mother, who passed away in 2006. I can press the on button and immediately hear that soft Kentucky accent with the infectious laugh.

Never one to mince words, Mother was "on stage" as soon as that light started to glow on the recorder and she didn't stop until the tape ran out. She remembered and told me about things that happened when she was a young child, including the names of neighbors and exactly where their houses stood.

 Mother was born in 1919 in Western Kentucky where life was hard during the ‘20s and '30s.  Of primary importance was providing for the family and families were usually large. As the second oldest in her family of six children and the oldest daughter, Mother helped care for the younger children.  She learned at an early age to cook, clean and do laundry. Mother's mother was of delicate health and much of the responsibility for running the household fell to Mother and her sister. Play time, or what there was of it, was spent with her brothers and sister or with her many cousins, most of whom lived in the Pleasant Grove Church neighborhood of Crittenden County.

All of her life, Mother called her parents Mama and Daddy. Her voice softened when she talked about them. They were strict disciplinarians, but they were respected always. Anything less would not have been tolerated.

When news of a possible war in Europe began to filter to the United States, my grandfather would go to his brother's home nearby to listen to their radio and then would go home to tell his wife and children what was going on. Mother said the news frightened the children as they thought war was imminent. They got their own radio for Christmas shortly thereafter, but Mother's father was disappointed that there was nothing but seasonal music on Christmas day.

Mother attended Pleasant Grove School through eighth grade and then boarded with her grandfather, Chester Bebout, and his wife Minnie, to attend Salem High School. Mother told how her mother had always said that her daughters could not marry until they were 18 years old so when Mother turned 18, she thought it was time to marry ... and she did on the 25th of July 1937 when she was 18 years and 18 days of age. That marriage lasted until my father's death 39 years later.

There was much more that Mother had to say. She talked about pie suppers at Pleasant Grove, spending the nights with relatives and the childhood antics of my brother and I. There was much that came in Mother's life after these interviews. I wonder what she would have had to say about her re-marriage and the death of her son and second husband.

If I can make one comment about these tapes, it is that I am so very fortunate to have made them over 20 years ago. If you have older relatives living, I strongly recommend that you interview them while it is still possible.

Originally published 12 March 2015, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

To Some Evil -Minded Person

 Some things are just too good not to share, even if they have little genealogical importance. The following advertisement appears in the Henderson Weekly Reporter, Thursday, 19 September 1861. It was first published on this blog on the 8th of April 2009.

To the Public

Some evil-minded person has put in circulation a report concerning me which I desire to be forever set at rest. The person who said that I was a married man, and had two children, is an infamous liar and the one who started it is a d--d rascal. I defy the originator of the lie to come before me and prove it, and from what I can find out, some of you Henderson class has started it. [signed] G.W. Boone. Corydon, August 1, 1861.

Published again 9 Nov 2022, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Children Born Out Of Wedlock

 The following post on bastardy cases was originally published 11 Jul 2017.

What happened when a woman gave birth to a child begotten and born out of wedlock?  Did the mother have any legal recourse?   If she named the child's father, yes, she did have legal recourse.

An unmarried white woman could go before a judge of the county court of the county in which the bastard child was born and accuse a person of being the father of the child. Her statement was then reduced to writing and signed.

If the child appeared to be less than three years of age, a warrant was issued, requiring the accused person to be apprehended and brought before a judge of the county court. He was required to enter into recognizance, with good surety, in the sum of $300, to appear at the county court and abide by the judgment of the court.

If the accused person refused to give recognizance, the judge would commit him to the county jail where he would remain there until he gave recognizance or otherwise be discharged by due course of law. [1] If ordered to pay a sum of money, the father might pay in a lump sum or in installments.

There were cases, however, where the mother of a bastard child never went to court to name the father of her child and it is assumed she and/or her family provided support for the child. The aim of having the father pay for the child was to prevent the child from becoming a charge upon the county.

Bastardy cases are most often found among loose county court papers in the county clerk's office.  Among the information given is the name of the mother and the accused father, the date of the child's birth and whether male or female and sometimes where the child was born. Bastardy cases may also be mentioned in the county court minutes, but with fewer details given.

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[1] The Revised Statutes of Kentucky, Approved and Adopted by the General Assembly, 1851 and 1852, and in force from July 1, 1852, Vol. 1 (Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & co., 1867) Chapter 6, Approved 17 February 1858; accessed through Google Books, 2 February 2016.

Re-published 27 Oct 2022, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Research Tip - Sources and Credit

The following post was originally published on this blog 17 Sep 2019 and is still important today.

To be the best genealogist possible, there are several research guidelines and rules we should follow. To disregard them shows we either do not know how to properly do research or we do not care. The following rules are among those most often disregarded.

1.  Genealogists are taught that every fact not within common knowledge must be substantiated with a source.  Using proper source citations demonstrates your knowledge of what constitutes proof for each fact and where it can be found. Not citing your sources is asking people to read your mind to learn where you found your material. I don't know anyone who has that ability.

2.  "Borrowing" material from other genealogists without giving them credit is not acceptable - anytime. This applies to family group sheets prepared by others, family trees on Ancestry.com, photographs taken by another person, family histories written for family reunions and, yes, blog posts. The rule of thumb is this: If you didn't write it, it isn't yours and you should not use it without permission. If permission is given, be sure to give credit to the person who did write it. 

There are many rules in genealogy, but the two listed above are ones that are consistently disregarded.   Be a responsible genealogist, cite your sources and give credit to others for their work.

Published again 6 Oct 2022, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog.