Brickwall inflation

[venelow]

It seems to be a term first used by professional genealogists to advertise their expertise. It is convenient shorthand to convey that if you have reached the limits of your genealogical knowledge we can help you. It has got overused due the Internet and yes sometimes one has to smile at the pleas of someone who has not really bothered to learn the basics even though the Internet is full of "how to" information.

Sometimes researchers have diligently built their own brick walls because they are emotionally invested in family stories and not open to other interpretations of the data.

However, I have to agree with with ggrocott that a foundling left in the church porch with no information pinned to their swaddling clothes is a true Brick Wall. Such children were left without a name except that provided by the parish. Many did not survive. Reading any London parish baptism / burials records will attest to that. Some were left at the Foundling Hospital, often by their parents. But that was a tiny proportion.

I have a foundling in my tree. She is my 4 X great grandmother and I don't even have a baptism for her. A Dade type register for her daughter mentions her grandparents are unknown as her mother was a foundling. All the climbing, digging or smashing in the world is not going to sort that one out even if I eventually find a baptism. Not sure even a DNA test would help.

Venelow
Canada

[JACK GEE]

Sadly all genealogists have brickwalls or else we would all have a family tree back to the caveman!
There are ways round or over some walls. Like researching spousal lines or other sibling branches to expand your clue  pool. Or spending lots of coin with professionals  to dig deeper. Part of the fun or the enjoyment of the journey is to find it yourself with like minded people. All of my trees are brickwalls now. This does not mean that i have stopped digging. Example one - My Gilbert lines stops at William Gilbert circa 1757 at Shirehampton. But my DNA  tree - recently tested - starts about 1300 and is now to about 1650. One of the challenges is to match the DNA tree to the known paper trail. Example two - George Patullo of St. Madoes circa  1760 - There are 5 possible George Patullo's in the same area with further generations attached. But finding the link to "OUR" George is proving difficult.

[Knight-Sunderland]

I am guilty of using this term too much in the past.

When I started my family history in 2008 I was 15 and after about 2 years of research I though I had pretty much gone back as far as I could and any lines that were difficult I labelled "brick walls" and had no hope in breaking them.

My family history was interrupted by exams and university for a few years and I only started to get back into researching my family tree again in 2016 aged 23. I started from scratch, not trusting the research of my 15-17 year old self. The difference in how I approached everything surprised even myself.

I was a LOT more careful, not falling into the traps I had done before. Dozens of ancestors were trimmed from the tree but dozens more were added. "Brick walls" I previously had came tumbling down all around me. Ancestors I had given up hope of ever finding anything about were suddenly enlightened by me simply tweaking a census search form or tweaking the surname variation in a parish record search.

They still fall every day. If I sit at my desk and decide I am going to try and discover a new ancestor, with the right amount of time and effort, I usually can.

I don't believe in brick walls anymore, they're just locked doors!

[Melbell]

Hi Knight-Sunderland

I like your term 'locked doors' and the whole more positive attitude it conveys, rather than 'brick walls'.  I shall try to think of mine in that way from now on - thank you.

By the way, I don't think anyone should feel guilty for using the term.

Cheers,
Melbell

[coombs]

Well I recently demolished a brick wall with my Mary Pratt born c1760. Born in Tannington, Suffolk daughter of Philip Pratt and Susan (Whistlecraft) Pratt. The surname Whistlecraft is a rare name and quite colourful. Susan was born c1735 I think if she wed in 1756. Gives me a new line to discover.

I say "brickwall"  rather than "barrier to be broken down". Unfortunately with some ancestors, we will probably hit a permanent brickwall. But you never know that you could descend from some very colourful ancestors before the "brickwall" ancestor. You may find a John Smith born c1750 in Suffolk for example whose grandfather was a top doctor who travelled the world.

[Elise_CL]

Hi Knight-Sunderland

I like your term 'locked doors' and the whole more positive attitude it conveys, rather than 'brick walls'.  I shall try to think of mine in that way from now on - thank you.

By the way, I don't think anyone should feel guilty for using the term.

Cheers,
Melbell

This is how I’m going to think of mine as well! I started doing my family tree in my early teens and definitely fell into the trap of thinking “I’ve hit a brick wall, okay, I guess I can’t go further” and put it completely out of mind. It’s only now as I’m redoing my tree to make up for young!me’s mistakes (oh me of the past, you should have listened to teachers more! cite your sources!) that I’m trying to have a more positive attitude towards it. I accept there might be some things I’ll never have the answer to, but that won’t stop me from giving it a good try!

[iluleah]

Reality is no one has to feel guilty saying 'brick wall' it is just a term and everyone understands exactly what it means.... as with any terminology it can mean a bigger brick wall than someone elses, but to all it means you are 'stuck' and are not sure what to do , where to look next.

'Brick walls' in the main can be climbed over, knocked down, walked around or dug under, so the terminology is perfect and over, under, round or knocked down is exactly what other researchers do when they help/suggest