Your Ancestors’ Unmarried, Childless Siblings Could Be the Key
I was slow to learn. When I began genealogy, I was focused exclusively on my direct ancestors. Why would I care about anyone else? Why would anyone? After a while, and begrudgingly, I conceded that researching my ancestors’ siblings and their spouses could occasionally be helpful. Very big of me, frankly, because venturing back into the 19th century and earlier meant that I would be researching a lot more people. Families of eight to twelve children were the norm.
I grew to recognize that siblings, their spouses, and their spouses’ families could have a significant impact on my research. Repeated given names became onomastic evidence, and spouses’ surnames helped track migrations and sometimes led to the maiden names of previously unidentified mothers. But the siblings I cared about least, the siblings I usually ignored were those who never married and never had children. What, after all, was their genealogical usefulness?
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About Author
Aaron Goodwin
Aaron is a genealogist and house historian specializing in New York City research across all time periods, from the Dutch colonial era to the 20th century. His book, New York City Municipal Archives: An Authorized Guide for Family Historians, won the National Genealogical Society’s 2017 Award for Excellence: Genealogical Methods and Sources. He is also editor of NGS Monthly, former contributing editor of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, and former editor of the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. In 2011, he received the American Society of Genealogists’ Scholar Award.
Wonderful article. Can’t wait to see what’s in my family tree.
I, too, am unmarried and childless, yet am the genealogist in the family. Perhaps not having children is what calls me to find out everything I can about my ancestors?
Hi Elizabeth,
I, too, am unmarried and childless. The only child that I have is my 4 legged furbaby that keeps company. It is very interesting that I too do genealogy about my family and ancestors. Some of my single ancestors became farmers, teachers nurses. They too hold many interesting facts.
I didn’t know my Great Aunt had married for a third time until I found her living with her oldest son on a census that listed her as his mother under her third husband’s name. Then I found her death and burial records. Her death certificate listed her mother’s maiden name. Wouldn’t have found that without tracking my cousin.
Thank you Aaron for writing this article! I also fit into the group of “single, childless, family-genealogist”. And I’m so glad you just proved it — us single folk are important to the family too!
An unmarried second uncle was tried for murder in 1879. I found his legal file in the state archives and found descriptions of the family home, their meal times, and more. The testimony from his mother and sisters gave a glimpse of their personalities and also of their love for him. Amazing information!
Yet another single childless genealogist here. One of the biggest brick walls in my family (maiden name of a 3rd great grandmother which had eluded family historians for at least a half century) was solved this year by the estate file of an unmarried childless sister which identified by g-g-grandfather’s younger brother as her nephew. Excellent article. Thank you.
I so agree with this article. I found my great grandfather’s brother’s probate records – who was childless and his wife had predeceased him – which listed 74 relatives including the brother who had remained in Ireland. I got not only the name of the Townland of my ancestor but an address too! Since then I religiously track down collateral relatives.
I have been researching all my ancestors siblings because I am just that crazy curious, and oh the stories! and it has definitely helped to find out what happened to the single ancestors. Great article!
Thank you for an excellent article. I am married, but childless, and apparently the de facto family Genealogist in my family tree. I have often wondered as I have put my family tree together how I could be really the first Genealogist for many of my family lines? I suspected not having children of my own was part of the reason. Some research about “who are Family Genealogist?” would be interesting. The question being: why us? I’m grateful for my opportunity to document and acknowledge ALL my ancestors lives and if this is my legacy in my family, its hard to think of a better honor.
I was working with a group of Lesley researchers on Thomas J. Statham, whose descendant was a 100% Y-DNA match with a Lesley descendant. The answer to his identity was found in the estate documents of his maternal first cousin, who was unmarried and childless and had outlived his parents and siblings. These records show Thomas under both surnames and state who his parents were.
I am married and childless. I started genealogy when I was 19 because I never knew my grandparents and my father died when I was 5. I had no sense of family. I had very few relatives left to speak with and began my journey. I have gone to siblings many times for answers and it has never failed. This was a great article. I can only hope that a great niece or nephew will sometime benefit from my 40+ years of research.
Following my ancestor’s siblings and their families led to a study of the entire county of Liberty County, Georgia. Before about 1890, when the railroad and industry found its way there, few people married someone from outside the county. Consequently, nearly every family in some way or another were connected. An anthropologist could have a field day there!