Genealogical complexity: writing it up

Yesterday, Scott wrote about genealogical complexity: addressing all the different ways we make modern families and write about them genealogically. As it turns out, many family historians ask questions about just such things:

• How do I talk about a child born out of wedlock?
• Do I list my sister’s stepchildren?

As Scott said, we think you should report it all – without judgment. Well, what does that look like? The first place a child appears in a Register­-style sketch is in a child list, and it’s the child-intro line where you give the salient information. Here are some examples:

Adopted children of John¹⁰ and Mary (Smith) Doe:

Child of Georgia Charles (Clark) Jones, adopted by John⁶ Jones:

Children of Mary (Smith) Doe, stepchild of John¹⁰ Doe:

Child of George and Ellen (Stein) Mather, adopted by Samuel and Ann⁷ (Stuart) Williams:

Child of Ann⁷ Stuart: [father unknown to you, the writer]

Children of John¹⁰ Doe and Mary Smith: [unmarried parents or parents not sharing surname]

Children of John¹⁰ Doe and Harry Smith:

Children of Mary¹⁰ and Jane Smith-Doe:

If a parent has another child outside a marriage, make two lists:

Children of John¹⁰ and Mary (Smith) Doe: <list children of marriage>

Child of John¹⁰ Doe: <list child of relationship, giving date of birth, which will speak for itself>

If your subject has children from several different relationships, whether married or not, simply make separate lists of children for each relationship. If you don’t know the father of any, just make one list. Back to Scott’s point: you’re reporting what you know, without judgment.

Now, what about long-term relationships? How do you talk about them in a genealogical sketch?

. . . He is in a relationship with Mary Smith [or his life partner is Mary Smith], who was born at Boston, Massachusetts, 23 May 1985, daughter of Harry and Jane (Doe) Smith.

If the partner has died:

. . . His long-term partner, Harry Smith, was born at Boston, Massachusetts, 23 May 1985, son of Henry and Jane (Doe) Smith. He died there 27 September 2013.

If your subject is transgender and has adopted a different name, handle it the same way you would handle any other name change. That is, give the birth name in the child list, and lead with the current name in the main sketch:

365         i.  Allan James¹² Smith, b. Boston 23 May 1985; m. there, 16 Feb. 2013, Jane Elizabeth Doe.

365. Ellen Jane¹² Smith was born as Allan James Smith at Boston, Massachusetts, 23 May 1985. She married at Boston, 16 February 2013, Jane Elizabeth Doe, daughter of John and Sarah (Roe) Doe.

Or, in another variation,

365         i.  Allan James¹² Smith, b. Boston 18 April 1975; m. there, 16 Feb. 2003, Jane Elizabeth Doe; div.

365. Ellen Jane¹² Smith was born as Allan James Smith at Boston, Massachusetts, 18 April 1975. As Allan, he married first at Boston, 16 February 2003, Jane Elizabeth Doe, daughter of John and Sarah (Roe) Doe; they divorced in 2010. As Ellen, he married second at Boston, 20 September 2012, Terry Davis . . .

If there were children from each marriage:

Children of Allan James¹² and Jane Elizabeth (Doe) Smith:

Children of Ellen Jane¹² Smith and Terry Davis:

Again, just report the facts: they speak for themselves.