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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 14, 2002
If you're a "rooter" who snubs relatives not in your direct line, you may be giving short shrift to potentially significant information. Records pertaining to collateral kin can shed new light on dark corners and help you distinguish among families with the same names.
In genealogical parlance, collateral relatives are siblings, aunts and uncles. Your direct line means you, your parents, your grandparents, etc. It's strictly linear.
Take my Murray family of Fayette County, Pa. Brothers John and Jacob both married women named Catherine. Each couple called their first-born son John and their second son Jacob. Each named a daughter Elizabeth.
Once the offspring reached adulthood, three John Murrays and three Jacob Murrays lived within a few miles of each other. Four of Jacob's sons married women named Elizabeth. Everyone conducted business at the same courthouse.
This proliferation of same-named Murrays reached its crescendo before 1800, a time when paperwork was scarce and census rolls only gave the name of the person who headed the household. Determined not to latch on to just any John or Jacob who seemed plausible, I meticulously investigated each one. I also checked out their spouses and in-laws. Wills and probate records helped untangle many of these alliances.
Sorting out the lives of six Elizabeth Murrays proved to be as much fun as sitting on a hot tack. Focusing on the two originals, I learned that one got married and one didn't. That tidbit paid big dividends. By 1850, patriarchs John and Jacob had died. Each left a widow named Catherine. Census returns showed one Catherine Murray living with her daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Jacob Miller. The other Catherine Murray lived with her unmarried daughters, Elizabeth and Hannah. Knowing that Jacob's daughter Elizabeth never married, it was immediately apparent which woman was my fourth-great-grandmother.
Fortunately, I descend from Jacob's son Samuel. He married Eva Schneider. None of their children was named Jacob, John, Catherine or Elizabeth! Your clan may not have fixated on a handful of names, but there are still plenty of valid reasons for hunting down collateral relatives.
Moses Johnston didn't father any children, but he left a lasting legacy. He said in his will that he wanted his estate to be divided among his siblings and those of
his late wife, Elizabeth. It took almost 10 years to settle Johnston's estate. Several heirs died without seeing a nickel. Their shares went to their children, according to the provisions of the will.
For descendants of the Johnston or Grimm families, latching onto Moses Johnston's will was akin to hitting the mother lode. Voluminous probate records detailed family ties for two generations. Death dates for each sibling who died were noted. Marital names were confirmed. Yet I am sure that some amateur researchers have ignored Johnston's bequest because they don't grasp the importance of delving into the lives of collateral relatives. It's their loss.
Unmarried relatives make good prospects for mining clues. Thanks to George Murray, I discovered the fate of his brother. George never married. He left his estate to his siblings and/or their heirs, including a portion to the "children of my late brother, Samuel."
Probate records identify the kids and show them living in West Virginia, which explains why Samuel seemingly vanished from Pennsylvania. They also indicate that Samuel had married twice and that his youngest child was born to his second wife. George's will gave me better directions than a compass. Don't bypass unmarried female relatives either. They often left estates, too.
Another good reason to investigate aunts and uncles is to establish where they were born. If children from the same family were born in different places, a migration pattern could emerge that might direct you to other counties or states.
-- Donna Murray Allen welcomes your questions about genealogy and will respond to those of general interest in future columns. Sorry, she can't take phone calls, but you can write to her c/o Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or e-mail her at rootscolumn@aol.com.
Donna Murray Allen will present a beginning genealogy seminar at the St. Petersburg History Museum 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 23. The cost is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Contact Amy Nolan at (727) 894-1052 to register.