Looking For Ancestors
Hilma Klingaman
In many ways, existence is a complex, social process where being is rooted in identity, defined by the way we are perceived by the world and how we present ourselves. As an ongoing process, being changes with the knowledge and experiences we acquire throughout our lives. We are always shedding different versions of ourselves, inching closer to becoming the people we are meant to be. Each time we do, we are forced to face all the ways we contradict ourselves and the internal debates that leave us torn between two choices; to continue as we always have or to move on.
Diving deeper into the concept of queer community and into Hijra history, we can tap into the mentoring and care-taking practices of our Hijra ancestors. There is another tradition where elder Hijras act as gurus to younger Hijra entering their community. The gurus care for and mentor younger Hijras, unconditionally accepting younger queer folks and offering them the appropriate love, support, protection, and resources they need. Building and maintaining safe spaces for queer expression and celebration can be a way of recreating this practice. Helping queer youth find themselves within these spaces, as we once did, places us in the similar role of mentors and caregivers that Hijra elders held. Giving back to the communities that helped us survive and become who we are today means serving the fulfilling care cycle, ensuring the support we once had will still be in place for those who come after us, seeking the same answers. Active community work and caring for the most marginalized members of our society replicates the practices of our Hijra ancestors. This can bring us closer to our LGBTQ+ ancestors and help us find a fulfilling place to fit into South Asian culture.
Using the wealth of credible genealogical information available online, I have started filling in the blanks in the sketchy narrative offered by the names and dates on the backs of the photographs. What I am learning has been alternately heartening and heartbreaking.
She is not seated demurely in a chair with her hands in her lap, as was the custom of the day. Instead, she is leaning on her crossed forearms on the padded back of a low chair. Her body is turned toward the camera, and she gazes straight at the photographer with a clear-eyed, fearless expression, radiating an impatient intelligence. Her hair, parted in the middle, is pulled back from her forehead with a thin headband, but behind the headband is a wild mane of short, uncombed locks, as if she could not be bothered to tame her hair before posing for her portrait. She looks more than ready to take on the world. Knowing only the barest details of her adult life (she married at 18; she had a son), I can only hope she did.
She had grown up in prosperity thanks to her stepfather; a photograph taken shortly before her marriage shows a slim young woman with dark, elegantly coiffed hair and pendant earrings wearing a formal dress with lace at the neck. In a photograph taken 40 years later, her hair is pure white, and the many losses and disappointments she suffered are clearly visible on her countenance. The contrast between these two images is profound.
So allow me to raise a glass to my ancestors who had the foresight to have their pictures taken for posterity, and to those who labeled and saved these images and passed them along. I will do my best to learn from them and keep them safe and, when the time comes, impress upon the next generation the importance of doing so, too.
I am new to researching the archives and would like any suggestions on where to start. In particular I want to find out information about ancestors who fought in the American Revolution. Any suggestions?
It would be helpful if you have spoken with your American Teeter family if thats the last name or surname you are seeking. It would also be helpful if you knew where your ancestors may have settled in the US when they first came over from Europe?
Even though my contacts for a verbal family history were minimal, I have gathered information from family search. I know several pieces of information that will help narrow my research for more information. My response below to several questions similar to your suggestions hopefully will help with getting more tips on places to look.
Although painted after the invention of photography, I have found an intriguing portrait that is allegedly of my two times great grandfather, George Nock. He was a gardener by trade so it would seem unlikely that a man of his means would have had his portrait painted. However, George Nock worked all his life on the estate of Hagley Hall, Worcestershire, so it is possible that Lord Lyttelton, his employer, favoured him by having his portrait painted:
Even if they lived during a time when photography was popular, we are unlikely to have photographs of all of our recent ancestors. Fortunately, there are sources where you might find a physical description of an ancestor instead of a photograph. If you have an ancestor who served in the military or navy, for example, you may find just such a thing. The naval records of my grandfather are an illustration of the information recorded.
Ernest joined the Royal Navy just after he turned eighteen on February 21 1911. At this time, he is described as being 5.5 1/2 foot tall with a 37 inch chest, brown hair, brown eyes, a dark complexion and a scar over his right eye and one on his right leg. According to this record, after 12 years of service, his height increased to 5.8 feet and his chest to 37 1/2 inches. Was he standing straighter the second time or did naval rations give him a nutritional boost? In the intervening period he also gained a scar above his right arm, along with hernia scars on each side after an operation:
Although I do have a number of photographs of my grandfather that give me a good idea of what he looked like (and of course, memories too!), his service record provides some exact information on his vital statistics and indeed, his scars! Similarly, records that provide physical descriptions can be found for soldiers too. There is one good reason why this information is included in official records. Both soldiers and sailors could potentially go absent without leave or even desert, so in these circumstances, it would be useful to circulate a physical description of the person whom the authorities wished to apprehend. Likewise, similar information is contained in records that exist for prisoners, in the event of their escape from custody:
Here Jesse Bullock, a sawyer aged 20 and of Slimbridge is described as being 5 foot 5 1/2 tall, having brown hair, light grey eyes, round visage, fresh complexion, stiff right hand and a ring on his first and second fingers. Many of our ancestors did get in trouble with the law, often for offences that we might consider trifling today. Can you find a physical description of them?
If you are fortunate, you may even find a photograph of your criminal ancestor. From the 1850s, photographs were sometimes taken unofficially by prison officers and in 1871, The Prevention of Crime Act made it a legal requirement for all those arrested to have their photograph taken:
These mugshots of prisoners were taken so that they could be passed around local police forces, making it easier to identify habitual offenders. From the early 1900s, side shots were taken as well. I find these photographs rather haunting: some faces look defiant, others sad. Each prisoner is holding their hands up, as it was not uncommon for offenders to have fingers missing or injuries to their hands. Some would also habitually wear rings that could be of aid in distinguishing them from others.
Local newspapers are full of ordinary people who made the news in some way, accounts of couples celebrating their golden wedding anniversaries or children receiving awards. These accounts often feature photographs too and they have never been easier to find with more titles being added constantly to the British Newspaper Archive (also accessible through FindMyPast). Obituaries are a particularly rich source and may contain a physical description of the person or a photograph. When my great grandfather, George Alfred Batchelor died in 1928, his obituary was accompanied by a small photograph:
Of course, it is a good idea to get in touch with relatives and others with whom you share common descent, as they may have photographs in their possession that you have not seen before. By cross-referencing, and looking at a range of photographs, it may be possible to identify family members who have previously been nameless.
Photographs of ancestors can often be found in unexpected places, not always within a family. For example, they may be found in auctions, boot fairs, and in local history books. You may even come across an interesting photograph on a website for a particular place or perhaps an ancestor is featured on a postcard for a village or town. Recently, I acquired a postcard of the station at Wyre Forest, Rock in Worcestershire, where my two times great grandfather, James Bullock, was the station master from 1869. It is more usual for trains to feature on station postcards but in this instance, the photograph features a railwayman accompanied by two children, an older boy and a younger girl. Since it was a small station, and James Bullock was the only member of staff based there during his thirty years of service, there is a strong likelihood that it features him, with the possibility that the small boy is his son, my great grandfather. Due to the fact that I have researched the life and railway career of James Bullock, I am in a better position to identify him:
Other occupational records may contain a photograph or physical description. For example, if you have an ancestor who played for a football club, they may have team photographs in which he appears. The Post Office, a big employer, has a large archive of photographs, many featuring individual staff. Certificates of service and pension records for the City of London Police also contain a physical description of their employees. Biographical dictionaries of artists, or actors and actresses, may also include photographs.
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