Proving Statements in Obituaries

Question from Marguerite :

Would you by any chance know any information about the great grandfather of General Lew Wallace?

I have transcripts of obits for my 3 great grandfather, James Madison Wallace (b. 1810 Huntington Co, Pennsylvania, d. 1889, Loudoun Co, Virginia), son of William Wallace m. Bethia Steel. They both state that James Madison Wallace is a first cousin of General Lew Wallace. The one in VA states "their fathers were brothers" but this phrase is omitted in the PA obit.

Can you fill in any information? I suspect that the father of "my" James is the brother of the grandfather of Lew. Is there any way this can be proven?

OLIVE TREE ANSWER: Hi Marguerite - to prove (or DISprove) that these men were brothers, you will need to find reference to each of them with parents. So you will need birth or baptism records, or marriage records or census records when they are still at home with their parents. Census is not going to work for you given the years of birth. So that leaves marriages and births or baptisms.

You may want to have a look at Ancestor Birth Record Finder and Ancestor Marriage Record Finder for ideas on where to look for hard-to-find birth or marriage records.

You could also hunt for obituaries for both men - General Lew Wallace and the father of your James (William) but don't forget that an obituary was not written by the individual him/herself. Therefore it is only as reliable as the person who submitted it - and they may or may not know the facts.

Last but certainly not least, hunt for a biography of Lew Wallace and obtain more information on his parents and siblings. I had a quick search online and found dozens of bios. One states that

General Lewis Wallace, known for most of his life as “Lew,” was born in Brookville,Indiana, on April 10, 1827. He was the second of four sons born to David and Esther Test Wallace. http://www.ben-hur.com/WallaceBiography.pdf

It goes on to say that one son, John, died at a young age. So that leaves 2 brothers for Lew and you will want to find out if one was named William. If the answer is "yes" is it YOUR William? Should be a fun time for you!

Genealogy Research Needs Sources, not Guesses

Jane's Question:

I am trying to trace the birth place of John Chesterman approx 1793? I believe he was born in Reading, Berkshire but for some reason he went to live in the Isle of Man. While in IOM he married Sophia Christian and had many children, of whom I am descendant. I know when he died and that he was in Castle Rushen jail for debt when he died. His birth details are still a mystery and no one seems to be able to help in my search.

I have tried many many sites for geneology and different forums but still we cannot find his birth.Someone told me that they thought he changed his name from Thomas to John, but still no trace of a Thomas either. Any idea's would be greatly appreciated.

OLIVE TREE ANSWER: Dear Jane, It seems from reading your query that you have relied heavily on hearsay and vague information from others, without sources. You also say that you have tried to find John's birthplace but you haven't told me where you looked.

Often we will find ourselves with no one to ask about an ancestor. Finding details on an individual requires the usual research - birth, marriage and death certificates, census records, newspapers for obituaries or notices, land records, court records and so on.

Since your John Chesterman was born circa 1793 you will need church records for his birth or baptism. Have you been to the Reading Berkshire website to see what is available for the 1790s? I believe that manyt Berkshire Parish Registers have had their baptisms and marriages extracted into the International Genealogical Index (IGI) which can be found at the Family History Library site. Be creative in your spelling of his surname!

Because there is very likely more than one man named John Chesterman, you will have to use other clues (such as the naming pattern of his children) to theorize which might be the correct man. Look at the parents' names - see if they are repeated in John's children's names. It isn't proof positive but it gives you an educated theory to go on.

Be very careful looking for a Thomas when you have found him in records as John. You may indeed find a man named Thomas Chesterman but unless you have more proof that he is one and the same as your John, you are just making wild guesses. It is fine to theorize that ancestor A is the son or daughter of Individual B. But you must look for sources to either prove or disprove that theory! Otherwise you are just guessing.

Take a peek at this article, you may find it helpful "Genealogy Without Sources is Mythology!"

If all else fails, you might want to trace each of John's children, not just your own line. Perhaps you will find mention of grandparents (John's parents) or another clue in records for the children.

The best advice I can give you is to leave no stone unturned! Be diligent, go slow, and search all family members and all resources available to find John's parentage.