With all the passionate enthusiasm of a newly minted college professor, Jean Wilcox Hibben taught us about folkways, family, and traditions and how they relate to our genealogical history. Jean defined folkways as comprising everything to do with family traditions, culture, values, beliefs, religion, music, and stories that have been passed down through generations. They are what make each family unique. The key is how we research, record, and incorporate them into our family history.
Every family has some type of folklore or tale that has become part of accepted family history. To prevent perpetuating family mythology, it is important to focus on the origin of the information and then proceed to verify the data. Be aware that some traditions/beliefs are so ingrained that care must be taken to be sensitive to family members’ memories.
There are some simple steps that we can use when approaching family folklore. As with all genealogical research, we start with a general premise and then gather information to support or dispute the data. The next step might involve speaking with family members to discern the origin of the folklore and follow-up with more in-depth questions about where, when, and who first heard of the information.
The final step in the process will involve analyzing the information and documenting the details with physical evidence to support or refute the tradition. Before sharing your findings with family members, we need to consider how – or if – we will share the information. We may have to consider the sensitivity of the recipients to our findings and how they may be affected. It is important to remember that finding out inconvenient truths is not meant to appear to be family betrayal.
In February 2018, I was determined to confirm or deny my family connection to William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody. This relationship to my father’s maternal side had been a persistent belief in our family for generations. Fred, my first cousin once removed, asked me to find out if the claim was true or merely myth. Through diligent detective work, I discovered a distant connection to a different branch in the family. The connection to my side of the family was shown to be false. However, during my research, I did confirm our connection to James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok. Cousin Fred was pleased.
Is your family folklore fact or fiction?