March 1 — Do you have a favourite female ancestor? One you are drawn to or want to learn more about? Write down some key facts you have already learned or what you would like to learn and outline your goals and potential sources you plan to check.
Last year I wrote about my ancestor Esther Bellasis nee King. Esther, over the past few years has featured several times. I find her and her husband fascinating.
When I sat recently to write this post I reflected the question, do I have a favourite ancestor? and if I did, should I have? Each of my female ancestors made their contribution to my ancestry and in each one of them is important.
In recent weeks, I have revisited the research I hold of specific ancestors. In that revisit I have drawn out a time line of events of their lives and found in some cases I knew very little beyond the paper trail of existence for them. I guess that this is because we females tend to change names upon marriage; and perhaps that causes us to loose our identity as women and individuals in our own right. In revisiting the information of my female ancestors it enables me to progress their existence beyond that of mother and wife.
It would be so much easier to follow the female lines if we had the Italian practice of keeping our own surnames on marriage. Our neighbours find it strange we share a surname. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree Linda. We we got married I did consider keeping my maiden name, but didn't. On reflection I wish I had, as there is no link at all from my line of descent. Hindsight is a wonderful thing!
DeleteIt's strange how strong is the social imperative for us to change our names..I'd like to see men do the same...hah! I married young in the days when keeping your name was nearly unheard of, so I've had my married name all my adult life, but it's not truly "me" if you see what I mean. I love the Scottish practice where they retain their name eg Isabella Morrison wife of James McCorkindale. Female lives are so hard to trace beyond the paper trail. I think that's where digitising newspapers will make a difference -at least there's a chance some of their activities will come to light.
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