How far sideways are you researching?

[Nick Carver]

Actually, Horatious Ponsonby-Smythe b 1860 was the elder brother of Horatious b 1861. So that is a very easy mistake to make. 

[goggy]

Well now!
We are not alone!!!Failure's at h/keeping,loner's at the quest,lacking disciplinary method,but as happy as pig's in three foot of muck .
Try 360 degree's,that's MY problem!!
               Still Laughing,Goggy.

[g a r]

if I didn't do any sideways research, I would've quit a long time ago.
dad-blamed brick walls - easier to go around than go through

 

skooner

[julianb]

I've just remembered this thread, as a result of a number of recent research breakthroughs I've had.

I've bothered with the sideways research for a number of reasons (a) you find out more about the nature of the family your ancestor was part of, (b) you can corroborate details about the family especially through the census returns, (c) it increases the likelihood of finding others with similar research interests on Genes Reunited, and (d) there's the thrill of the chase itself!

The corroboration angle is very important.  I'd had a lot of trouble tracing any information of substance about the brothers and sisters (and uncles and aunts) of my Great Grandfather Henry Carter.  He was born in 1832 in Purleigh, Essex, but had his family in Croydon, where he had a small bakery, from 1871 or earlier.  I couldn't work out why he had ended up in Croydon. 

I'd identified Henry's siblings  and aunts and uncles from the County Archives at Chelmsford, but there was a big gap about what happened to them.  I found Henry in 1861 in Aveley, Essex, working as a journeyman Baker.  After some patient research of the census's and FreeBMD on Ancestry I slowly pieced together what happened to most of Henry's siblings and his aunts and uncles.  Not least he was working for his aunt's husband in Aveley in 1861; one of his sisters and her family was living next door to him in 1871, and that cousins/nephews/nieces moved around between different family members (but not always identified as such) at the times of the census.  You can see this pattern at:

http://juliancbaker.rootschat.net/html/24_william_carter2.htm and
http://juliancbaker.rootschat.net/html/12_henry_carter.htm

With a quite common name like Carter these corroborations are really essential.  It's not just in this family that this approach has helped.  For example the Aunt of Henry's wife had two young children (different surname) as "visitors" with her in the 1871 census, and it now transpires these were second cousins whose mother had just died.

So why did Henry Carter end up in Croydon?  It seems that most of his siblings and aunts and uncles also moved away from the Purleigh area, probably to find work in what we now know as the London metropolitan area or the newer towns springing up around it.  Also, for Henry and his siblings, his mother had died and his father remarried and moved a few miles away to Maldon - thus breaking the link with the "home" community.

JULIAN

[KathMc]

Great topic because I wonder how far I should go sometimes. I tend to get carried away often, especially on a brickwall branch. My goal is to find a living relative who might have more information for me, and it has worked. I like to look at my tree and have complete branches. I've even becme a little obsessed finding my great-great-grandfather's brother's stepdaughter (Mary Ann Whiteleg). I know, back off. It is very satisifying. So, if anyone out there was related to Michael Hayes, born 1847 in Ireland, raised in Staffordshire England or his brother George, born 1860 in Staffordshire, give me a shout. 

Kathleen

[bodger]

I would be happy to fill my "direct decendants", as far as the fourth GGGG, place, once ive done that then i will worry about the hanger's on, I suppose, if we are critical we should only consider D N A   tracability !!!
Bodger

[Headbanger Veron]

Well I've had an interesting experience recently, when I realised that lines of ancestors originated from a REALLY tiny village in Kent. So I downloaded ALL the census for that village, with the result that I now have the whole picture of the village, every year from 1841 to 1901. And - guess what - I have found that the "other" pages have led me to whole branches of the family, who I never knew existed - as well as identifying one particular lady (only given as "Mrs Wood" in the 1861 census - not helpful) - now I know from the "other" pages what her name was, and how she relates to all the other Woods in the village.

I appreciate that this may be difficult to do if your family comes from London or Manchester!! But it would be worthwhile doing for anywhere which is reasonably small. Gives you a lot of social background as well.

Veron

[Kimi]

I have gone sideways on all my lines.  I just can't ignore them if they relate to my lot  .  I also find that it can confirm that some of the information that I already have is correct.  Sideways gives me somewhere to go when I can't go back!

Kim