The Commandments of Genealogy

[andrewalston]

Thou shalt marry a minimum of twice, including to the sister of your dead second wife, who will forget that she is still married to husband number two, though that particular marriage is the only one accessible online.

In censuses, though shalt use not any recognisable place name for thy place of birth, but the names of farms around where thou wast brought up, even though that was 40 miles from where thou wast born.

(Yes, these were the same family)

[Flemming]

Thou shalt be born at sea and leave no record of it.

Thy siblings shalt be born at sea and leave no record of it.

Thou shalt emigrate to America with an assumed name, age, occupation and hair colour, alter thy religion, place of birth and parents’ place of birth on censuses, and die one year before thy state of residency introduces formal registration.

Thou shalt bequeath all your worldly goods to a local holy man and make no reference to any family members in thy Will.

Thou shalt record thy occupation as ‘pot dealer’ and, insodoing, provide thy frustrated descendants with at least one good laugh.

[coombs]

Thou shalt report in the 1841 census that you were born in 'Kent' but then disappear with no trace before the 1851 census.

Rishile

Thou shalt say "Not born in county of residence" in 1841 and die before the 1851 census, so I have no record of their birthplace. I have 3 ancestors who did that. One of them was a Smith.

[brigidmac]

Thou shalt live in an asylum for 15 years whilst thy wife remarries so your death record will totally confuse any researcher .....yes this is a real one

[DonM]

Thou shall not ignore Forfarian's wisdom. 

Except on Sunday's on a Sunday its ok.

Don

[Erato]

And one other thing, if you are forced to flee the law, go to Canada.  It's the best English speaking country to hide out in.  Your descendants will never find you.

[coombs]

Thou shalt emigrate to America with an assumed name, age, occupation and hair colour, alter thy religion, place of birth and parents’ place of birth on censuses, and die one year before thy state of residency introduces formal registration.

My 3xgreat grandfather went to America in 1886, and he is on the 1900 US census aged 72 in Pennsylvania. I am sure he died before 1 Jan 1906 when civil reg was bought in for PA. So he did follow that Thou Shalt emigrate to the US, and die before before thy state of residency introduces formal registration.

[Flemming]

Thou shalt emigrate to America with an assumed name, age, occupation and hair colour, alter thy religion, place of birth and parents’ place of birth on censuses, and die one year before thy state of residency introduces formal registration.

My 3xgreat grandfather went to America in 1886, and he is on the 1900 US census aged 72 in Pennsylvania. I am sure he died before 1 Jan 1906 when civil reg was bought in for PA. So he did follow that Thou Shalt emigrate to the US, and die before before thy state of residency introduces formal registration.

And those who were registered never seemed to tell their next of kin who their parents were.