Now on YouTube; An Update of the Now Seventeen Rules of Genealogy

https://youtu.be/mDIGO80_xCM?si=84NLGrTGlJNnKEQr

The recent BYU Library Family History Center webinar "An Update of the Now Seventeen Rules of Genealogy" is not available on YouTube. Here is a summary of the YouTube video. 

This presentation, delivered by James Tanner at the BYU Library Family History Center, provides a vital "reality check" for genealogists. Tanner, drawing on over 43 years of experience and a background in law, outlines 17 fundamental rules designed to act as "guardrails" against the common pitfalls of genealogical research [02:29].

Below is a summary of these rules, categorized by their underlying principles:

The Physical Reality of Life

These rules focus on the biological and logical constraints that must govern your research.

• Rule 1: The Mother was There: A mother cannot give birth in two places at once or after her death. If a record suggests otherwise, the record is wrong [04:13].

• Rule 2: Absence of Evidence is Not Evidence of Absence: The lack of a death record or obituary does not mean a person is still alive. Many deaths simply went unrecorded [05:57].

• Rule 3: Unique Identity: Every person has a unique birth order and biological parents. Differentiate between people with the same name by looking at their "FAN" club—family, associates, and neighbors [07:49].

• Rule 14: You're Not Responsible for Your Ancestors: You are a recorder of history. You will find ancestors who were criminals or slave owners; your job is to observe and record, not to hide the truth [53:25].

The Nature of Historical Records

Understanding how records were created and where they are kept is half the battle.

• Rule 4: There are Always More Records: Most researchers stop at birth, marriage, death, and census records. Tanner emphasizes that land, tax, court, and church records often hold the answers [10:06].

• Rule 6: Records Migrate: Records rarely stay where the event happened. They move to county seats, state archives, or digital servers. Boundary changes (like those in Pennsylvania) often mean your ancestor’s records "moved" even if they never did [14:26].

• Rule 17: Where Life Happened, Records Remained: If people lived in an area, they left a trail. To find it, you must identify who had the authority to record events at that specific time and place [18:24].

• Rule 16: Gravity Always Wins: Physical deterioration from fire, flood, mold, and pests is a reality. Some records are simply lost forever [54:05].

The Logic of Genealogical Information

• Rule 7: Information Flows Downhill (Entropy): It is significantly easier to trace descendants forward in time than to trace ancestors backward. Records become scarcer and more fragile the further back you go [20:50].

• Rule 8: Everything is Connected: Unexpected sources, like cattle brands or property marks, can provide proof of identity or inheritance because they were legal assets [25:44].

• Rule 9: Patterns Everywhere: Use naming patterns (e.g., naming the eldest son after the paternal grandfather) and migration patterns to predict where an ancestor might have gone [28:10].

• Rule 10: Read the Fine Print: Don't just look for names. Witnesses on deeds and marginal notes in church registers often hold the key to a "brick wall" [34:38].

Verification and Truth

• Rule 11: Match is Not Identity: Just because a name, date, and place match your expectation doesn't mean it's your ancestor. Coincidences are frequent in history [37:32].

• Rule 15: It's Not a Fact Without a Record: Do not trust unsourced online trees or compiled books. Without a contemporaneous record, a lineage is just a theory [41:17].

• Rule 12: The End is Always There: Every lineage eventually ends where records cease to exist. Tanner warns against fabricating lines back to Adam or ancient royalty [46:02].

• Rule 13: Don't Just Fill Blank Spaces: Genealogists are "collectors" by nature, but you should never add a name just to complete a fan chart or pedigree [49:29].

Conclusion:

Tanner concludes that while technology like DNA and AI has changed the field, these core principles remain the same [55:47]. He recommends resources like his blog, Genealogy Star, and The Family History Guide for further study.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/mDIGO80_xCM