Brick Walls in Genealogy: When Your Ancestors Play Hide and Seek
- Robert Stevens
- Jul 9
- 3 min read
Burnout from burned counties, bad info, and missing pages.
Every research and genealogy buff knows the feeling. You are hot on filling in the branches of your family tree when you find it: EOL.. End of the line… A brick wall. Did my 4x Grandfather enter into some 19th-
century witness protection program?
Brick Walls – a Frustrating Reality
A brick wall in genealogy is that maddening moment when the paper trail runs cold and you find yourself unable to adequately identify an ancestor, his/her origins, or parentage. Perhaps the records were destroyed in a courthouse fire, or maybe your 4x Great-Grandfather decided to keep his origins a secret by moving every time the census taker came knocking, or refused to talk to the census taker, not that I am admitting to that. Sometimes, it’s just that no one bothered to write things down—after all, early societies weren’t exactly known for their meticulous record-keeping, and poverty can create a vacuum where records should be.
The Quirks and Quandries of Brick Walls
Genealogy is like being a cold-case detective. After spending hours researching people you’ve never met, you find out that your ancestor’s maiden name was recorded on the one page that’s not found in the book. Or worse yet, there are three people named Moses Follansbee living in the same area, born within a couple of years of each other.
And then there are the names. Originality be damned – we need another “Thomas Prather” said Thomas Prather the 3rd or trying to discern what kind of a nickname is Wiggy – Willamina? William? Ophilia? Phillia? What the heck?? And Mary, Polly, Molly, can you please choose just one?
Pulling Your Hair Out
Hitting a brick wall can be downright frustrating. You might feel like you’re the only person up your family tree, and that your ancestors are actively avoiding you. Do I need a psychic? A psychiatrist? Medication?
Don’t feel alone. A great conversation starter with others sharing the genealogy addiction is “tell me about your worst (or craziest) brick wall.” Misery loves company. But in sharing your pain, you may learn a new idea or two – for example, www.familysearch.org/labs - a site that has been responsible for obsessive late-night research in our household.
Tips for Busting Through Brick Walls
Start a Research Log in Excel | Or Google Sheets – but something – I like Excel because I can paste actual images and hyperlinks in it. This can ensure that you don’t do the same research over and over again. |
Check out the FAN club | Friends, associates, neighbors. People always moved in groups – perhaps old Wiggy shows up in another source. |
Try writing a proof argument | While it may not be helpful, it can point out a possible solution or show how impossible the task is. (See Diana Elder’s case of “which John Smith” and you will think anything is possible.) |
Don't be afraid to ask for help | Hiring someone with subject-matter expertise in the area can be wonderful – thanks to a Vermont source I learned about the Munsil Papers – just wow!! |
Refuse to rely on the unsourced | In epidemic proportions, the Ancestry.com community appears to be pushing theoretical lines with the belief in repetition makes a connection correct. |
* Refuse to rely on the unsourced. In epidemic proportions, the Ancestry.com community appears to be pushing
Ultimately, remember that your work is important. Our ancestors want to be found.
So, what’s the funniest brick wall you’ve hit in your research? Please share your stories below.
