1. When did you first
start researching your family history? Was there a moment when you knew you
were “hooked?”
I started researching
family history (if you can call it that) when I was about age 13-14 by writing
a letter to my paternal grandmother asking her about family information. My
father had told me that she was interested in family history and, while he
“knew nothing about it,” she would be delighted to share with me. Well, he was
right. She responded to my letter with hand-copied notes from her personal family
history note-book detailing dates and names from the Marblehead (Mass) town
records. She had personally read through these books to find family members
with whom she was familiar. Of course, having only met her once for a day or
two on a trip when I was nine, I didn't know her or any of the family that she
knew so all these names and dates were completely unfamiliar to me. But... when
I received that letter, I was hooked – line and sinker!
2. Do you have a pet
ancestor? Can you tell us a little bit about what makes this person so special
to you as a researcher?
My father told me a very
exciting story of a fisherman lost at sea, with his mother ship gone from sight
over the horizon, and he was miles and miles from shore with his dead (frozen)
fishing mate in the dory with him. In the story, this man rowed himself 60
miles to Newfoundland with his hands frozen to the oars to be saved from sure
death by a member of our family. Though the fisherman was not an ancestor of
mine, he became a pet. This fisherman, because of his heroic efforts to save
his own life, brought two halves of our family together after being lost from
each other for 50 years. The rescue happened in 1883. In 1985 I wrote to “any
Lushman/Lishman family in Grey River,” Newfoundland, as a result of this story
heard from my father 30 years before. Sure enough, I got a letter back and from
that single contact and others which have come from it, I've been able to find
and connect over 1500 members of my lost Canadian family, all descended from
the father of that single rescuer of the fisherman. I have only touched the tip
of the family iceberg here – there is much, much more.
3. What record set to
you believe is the most under-utilized? What advice would you give students in
using this record set?
There are many
under-utilized record groups including court records. With the advent of the
internet and the use of computers, we face the danger of over-simplifying the
character of research into the expectation that complete family structures are
to be found online for the asking. It will take a lot of education and
experience for those who are entering this field now to realize the shallowness
and non-documentation danger of the view we get through records which are
currently available online. Once we get weaned from sitting in front of our
computers, then we'll begin to realize the depth of information which is
available to us. Court records are under-utilized because they are
hand-written, not indexed, and rarely microfilmed/digitized completely. We see
only the calendars and dockets but the rest of the testimony, with the personal
details, are hidden away in vaults and archives to be visited only by those who
know what is there for them. The language of these records is technical,
abbreviated, and cryptic. In addition, our court system in this country is so
complex and multi-leveled, that what is not found in one court could easy be
found in another nearby. Frustration points are common and sprinkled liberally
throughout the process of attempting to use these records. There are hundreds
of pages of court documents hidden away in archives which have rarely seen the
light of day.
4. What books and
periodicals would you recommend for intermediate to advanced researchers? Are
there any lesser-known texts you advise?
The best periodicals
available to intermediate researchers and above are those journals which
publish peer-reviewed original research. These journals, when read
cover-to-cover will educate the reader better than most layman-level survey
articles or books. It requires work to go through this research material enough
to cover much of the field but it is worth the reader's while. Research
techniques, analytical thinking, and creative uses for evidential documents are
all outlined in a way that the author intends to be instructive in these
articles. The reviewers are there to protect the unwary reader by improving the
presentation and eliminating error before publication. The beginner will only
be confused by many of these articles and until they have risen to a certain
level of understanding and sophistication they will not realize their full
potential.
To get to that level,
perhaps some books might be helpful such as Val Greenwood's book The
Researcher's Guide, or Kory Meyerink's Printed Sources, or Laura
Pfeiffer's Hidden Sources, and finally The Source. The Source
is interesting because it has gone through three editions, each of which
retains something of the earlier but adds a bit new. Reading all three editions
can provide a good review (there is more than can be assimilated in one go) as
well as an advance in new directions. Of course, reading is not enough, it is
far better to read and then go and do; delve into the records, feel them, see
what they contain find out how hard they are to use, discover the gems within –
all as a part of real research.
5. What is the most
rewarding thing about being a genealogical educator? What advice would you give
for those who would follow in your footsteps?
I have been very
fortunate in my role as an educator in genealogy. There are few genealogical
lecturers and educators who reside where I do and few who visit my city even as
large as it is. Over the past 25 years or so, I have been able to provide
beginning and advanced seminars, classes, and lectures which have drawn serious
students of this field to my side. By that means, I have been able to follow
their progress in learning and have marveled at their creativity, cleverness,
and use of good research techniques which we have unearthed and discussed
together through these seminars. Then, the reward comes when the student picks
up what they have learned and runs faster and farther than ever I could,
eventually to turn and look back to give a hand to those who are following them
The most important part of education in this field is the sense of sharing and
giving which permeates those who are involved. What a blessing it is to be
among such generous people!
6. Why would you
recommend a student attend SLIG in general?
The level of excellence
prevalent amongst the staff of this institute is such that every student,
regardless of how experienced, will come away with new insight into this
intriguing world of learning. Our field is so broad and so finely divided that
no single person, as expert as they may be, knows everything there is to know
about all aspects of the work in this field. There is always room for learning.
How exciting that is.
7. Will you tell us a
little bit about what makes your SLIG course unique among genealogical
education offerings?
One of the most
difficult things to teach in any field of creative work is the ability to think
analytically. Analysis is specific to the problem. To think creatively at the
same time you are tied to the evidence is not a rote process. There is no
defined series of steps which will bring you to a successful solution (proof)
for every problem you tackle. For this reason, there is no algorithm which will
work every time. No computer can replace the human brain with its ability to
think analytically and creatively. Each student brings with him or her their
own equipment for solving problems, once the evidence has been exposed; then
analysis can direct the next steps by realizing the connections, patterns, and
new pathways which will bring to light either new evidence or new places to
find it – or – new ways to combine the evidence already in hand. To teach this
creative thinking is always a challenge. It requires mentoring, open thinking,
and a willingness to accept a challenge, even to the point of making mistakes,
to learn how to think creatively. Always connected with this learning process
is the doing. The practicum course is one way to tackle this challenge.
8. Do you have a website
where students can learn more about you?
I have a website on
which is posted a number of research papers and projects on which I have
worked. The site doesn't explain much about me but does present the papers. http://www.unm.edu/~litchman/wmlpubs.htm
9. Will you share
something with us that students may not know about you? Perhaps a
non-genealogical hobby?
My interests are broad
so I have developed professional capability in several fields. I play music
professionally enough to play for dances (English country dance, contra
dancing, square dancing, and other community dances). I also have a PhD in the
field of physical chemistry and have taught chemistry at the university level
(including graduate courses and research) for over 30 years. I am a professional
square dance caller with over 55 years of experience, having traveled in most
of Europe, England, Canada, and America. My areas of leadership cover squares,
contras, English country dancing, ballroom, international folk, quadrilles,
historical dance, and other forms of community dancing. I have been a
professional-level archivist in the field of music and dance for the past 40
years.
10. Any parting thoughts
or advice?
Your mind is the most wonderful tool you have.
Keep it clean, exercise it, don't ever put it on a leash. Develop it.
