but what about when show Who Do You Think You Are? that gives people like JK Rowling very detailed genealogy trees? (and yes I know they messed up with JK Rowling's ancestor who was supposedly a War hero--- but everyone else stuck true)
Oh, no no no, this was very very tongue-in-cheek. You can absolutely find real information. It's just not an instantaneous process, and you come to a lot of dead ends. But totally worth it.
As for WDYTYA, it's not at all bogus, but it can make the process seem a lot more simple than it really is. You have to remember that famous people have had their ancestry researched beforehand by professionals who were being paid to research JK Rowling's ancestors. Which is the other thing - an archivist is going to be a lot more willing to sit down and answer JK Rowling's questions than if you walk in out of the blue and start asking questions. A lot of archivists actually aren't thrilled with genealogists, as I understand it.
But don't let this deter you from research. :) Just don't expect to find out you're related to Henry VIII five minutes into ancestry.com.
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timeasmymeasure
????? wait then what?
Date: 2014-02-23 03:42 pm (UTC)but what about when show Who Do You Think You Are? that gives people like JK Rowling very detailed genealogy trees? (and yes I know they messed up with JK Rowling's ancestor who was supposedly a War hero--- but everyone else stuck true)
do they just feed them bogus research finds?
???
Re: ????? wait then what?
Date: 2014-02-23 05:02 pm (UTC)As for WDYTYA, it's not at all bogus, but it can make the process seem a lot more simple than it really is. You have to remember that famous people have had their ancestry researched beforehand by professionals who were being paid to research JK Rowling's ancestors. Which is the other thing - an archivist is going to be a lot more willing to sit down and answer JK Rowling's questions than if you walk in out of the blue and start asking questions. A lot of archivists actually aren't thrilled with genealogists, as I understand it.
But don't let this deter you from research. :) Just don't expect to find out you're related to Henry VIII five minutes into ancestry.com.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-23 09:11 pm (UTC)I have found myself finding a lot of information in my own genealogy curiosities, and yes it isn't instantaneous.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-23 10:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-26 12:38 am (UTC)