H is for History

There is a difference between the terms genealogy and family history. Genealogy is defined as the study and tracing of lines of descent or development. Family History, as an extension of genealogy, is defined as the study of the life and times of the people concerned, whether that is a family, a community, or a society. It's been said that family history is about putting flesh on the bones of those ancestors we study. So, are you a genealogist, a family historian, or both?

I gave this some thought when I began my one-place study for Plate Cove East, Newfoundland in 2009 and later when I helped found the Society for One-Place Studies (SOPS) in 2013. What I continue to learn as I work on my Newfoundland families is that it is not enough to get the names, dates, and places for the people who lived in Plate Cove East*. That exercise would end up being static, dry, and not scratch the surface of the history of Plate Cove East. To do my one-place study justice, I need to learn its history. That starts with taking a big picture approach (Newfoundland) to get my bearings and it involves all types of history - cultural, economic, family, political, and social - before I focus on my community (Plate Cove East).

My lengthy list of history to study and process includes:

• a general history of Newfoundland
• political subdivisions of Newfoundland
• religions practiced and persecuted in Newfoundland
• earliest dates for all types of records and resources
• newspapers published in Newfoundland AND newspapers published elsewhere that shared news of Newfoundland
• the economic history of Newfoundland - and its connection to migration from specific parts of England and Ireland
• where, why, and how did the people who settled in Plate Cove East* arrive - migration from another country, migration from other parts of Newfoundland, and migration to other parts of Newfoundland
• the homes and businesses/trades built in Plate Cove East*
• the families in Plate Cove East*
• the religion(s) practiced in Plate Cove East*
• the records maintained - privately (by families, by the churches) and publicly (regional and provincial levels)
• the maritime industry - its ups and downs as it affected Plate Cove East*
• education, social activities, correspondence, diaries, music, and oral traditions of Plate Cove East*
• illness, disease, epidemics, causes of death, and tragedies in Plate Cove East*
• governmental record keeping (census, birth, marriage, death & burial, deeds, taxes, military service, voting lists, election results, etc.) in Plate Cove East*
• business records, directories, atlases, maps, drawings, photographs, recordings, and transcripts of interviews with community members

Gathering the documents, records, recordings, and transcripts requires visiting libraries, archives, courthouses, and businesses, walking the community and talking with residents (past and present), photographing and recording the sights of the community, as well as seeking this information from a variety of sources (different perspectives). And do keep in mind that what we attempt with a one-place study is to focus on history from the inside out, rather than the outside in - we are finding the stories of all of the people (both his story and her story), we are including the women, immigrants, ethnic groups, individuals and the families, labor and business, not just the community itself but also its interplay with the larger society.

I was able to do some of my preliminary work online through Newfoundland's Grand Banks website, the FamilySearch website, and through the Facebook group page for Plate Cove East. What was available ten years ago pales in comparison to what is available today. One example is the tremendous amount of digitization by the Maritime History Archive, the online facilities provided by Memorial University libraries, and the online facilities provided by the Family History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. I was especially lucky that I was able to visit Newfoundland and spend several weeks at the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Maritime History Archive, the Memorial University Libraries, the Folklore and Language Archive, the Bonavista Archives, the Basilica of St. John's Archives, the Registry of Deeds, and the informal archives of a certain resident of Plate Cove East, who invited me into her home and shared her knowledge of the community.

If you want to learn the history of your people, their community, their life and times - you can do no better than to immerse yourself in the various Archives associated with where they lived. Whether you research at a distance or in person, there is a treasure trove available - all the bits and pieces preserved - so that we can touch history. Perhaps you will be able to see your ancestors' signatures, read the contracts they entered into, learn more about their military service, understand how they built up their communities, learn about their experiences from their correspondence and diaries, view photographs to see their communities as they did. There are any number of ways to gather, analyze, and share their history. Whether you focus on a family (personal family history) or a community (location history) - why not get started putting your people in their places!

* I have always included Plate Cove's surrounding communities in my research because Plate Cove East residents' family, extended family, neighbors, business relations, church activity, education, friends, and marriage prospects are represented by these nearby small communities. To find my Newfoundland families through the years, I include residents from these communities as well.