52 Ancestors Week 41: What the Timeline Shows

 From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 41:

The theme for Week 41 is “What the Timeline Shows.” Timelines are great for putting events in context and spotting gaps in your research. What is something you’ve discovered using a timeline? (Or, any clock- or watchmakers in the family?)

"Doctor Who" theme intensifies!

    I would be lying if I didn't try to put timelines together for my ancestors. I know Ancestry, Wikitree and other sites have an app or something where the tree owner is presented with a very rough idea of a person's life. Granted, a lot of those timelines are created when you input data into the profile or if you add a source. For example, say someone was born in 1925. They would normally appear in the 1930 US census with their parents. Once that source is added, the event is placed into their profile and their personal timeline. Pretty simple, right? Well, what if I told you I went one step beyond. Shocking, right? I like thinking outside of the box!

    While I was gathering various census data and adding them to the profiles, I got to thinking.  If I had a time machine, what would be the best time to visit? When would I have the best opportunity to see as many of my ancestors as possible regardless of the distance? After going through a ton of census data and looking at all the facts, I concluded that the best time to visit everyone would be in the year 1950.

    I came to that conclusion just after looking at the 1950 census and finding both of my parents living in Haverhill, Mass as small children. Come to think of it. My parents were miles away from each other at the time. Kind of cool.

    According to the timeline,  all four of my grandparents would all be in Haverhill at that time, too. Other ancestors would be in Newburyport or living in Italy. Sadly, the only great-grandparent I wouldn't be able to visit would be Maria Tedesco as she passed away in 1943.

    That puts me in quite a predicament. I wanted to see what the best time I could visit all of my ancestors would be and the first barrier is the untimely death of my great-grandmother Maria. What do I do? The year 1950 might not be the best time period to be in if she's not around.

    The next logical step would be to go back another ten years to 1940. In 1940, all four of my grandparents were around as well as all eight of my great-grandparents. They were all living in Haverhill or Newburyport. Would that be the best time period to visit? It just might be when you consider that all but five 2nd great-grand parents were around too, including the ones in San Pietro a Maida! I guess 1940 wouldn't be too bad even though Antione Legault and Lucie Cadran would both be long gone. Beggars can't be choosers!

Giuseppe and Clementina

    As you can tell, it's tough for to pin down an exact date I could take the time machine and visit ancestors and relatives. Everyone is either deceased or haven't been born yet. Ah....Don't you just love time travel?

    Okay. We've decided that the year 1940 is a good time period to visit as far as my family tree goes. Why? Like I said, it's because everyone is around and even though the Legaults aren't around I would make the best of it and visit Henrietta and her older sisters in nearby West Newbury like her sister Delphine.

    The timeline suggests that that's one of the best year to visit because of the sheer volume of ancestors and relatives living in the Merrimack valley. And we also have to take Italy into account, too. However, is it the best?

    At the time of the 1940 US census, my 2nd great-grandparents Marco Ferraiolo, Caterina Coppola, Antonio Tedesco and Maria Domenica Gullo were living in San Pietro a Maida wondering when their children  and relatives in America will be sending them letters. My second great-grandmother Maria Giovanna Capobianco was even still around as she lived in Gesualdo. Would I visit them? Sure! And yes, I know there's a language barrier. Don't worry. I'd bring a universal translator aka my phone with the Google Translate app.

Gertrude Stevens, front and Senter.

        Now that I think about it. Would 1940 be the best year to visit? Why not see what was going on ten years earlier in 1930? Everyone in the 1940 census would be around in 1930 and my Italian ancestors in San Pietro a Maida and Gesualdo would be there, too! And as an added bonus Lucie Cadran would be around and so would my grandparents. They'd be young, sure. However, they'd be around and so that would count!

    Okay. Does that settle my adventure through time and space? I sure hope so! Trying to decide on a time period where the maximum amount of people are around is pretty tricky. I honestly think 1930 would be the best time period for me to visit over all. The timeline again suggests everyone  was either living in the Merrimack valley at the time or in Italy.

    In order to cement this, let's list where my ancestors were in this time period. I don't want to have to pick another time period! Let's take a look.

   In 1930, here's where everyone in my first thirty ancestors was living:

* Vincenzo Ferraiolo, Maria Tedesco and Marco Ferraiolo: 35 Pilling Street, Haverhill, Mass.

* Giuseppe Carrabs, Clementina Forgione and Olympia Carrabs: 26 Bartlett Street, Haverhill, Mass.

* Alfred Hamel, Clara Laplante and Robert Hamel: 25 Franklin Street, Newburyport, Mass.

* Austin Felker, Henrietta Legault and Natalie Felker: 40 Margerie St, Haverhill, Mass.

* Marco Ferraiolo, Caterina Coppola, Antonio Tedesco and Maria Domenica Gullo: San Pietro a Maida

* Maria Giovanna Capobianco: Gesualdo

* Eugene Hamel and Celanise Lefebvre: 12 Whitner Ave, Amesbury, Mass.

* Joseph Laplante and Georgianna Ross: 12 Bromfield St, Newburyport, Mass.

* Wilfred Felker: 354 Water St, Haverhill, Mass.

* Gertrude Stevens: 3 Walker St, Lowell, Mass.

* Lucie Cadran: 120 How St, Haverhill, Mass.

    In 1930, there's also a chance I might be able to see some third great-grandparents in the flesh! I know Elizabeth Deborah Fellows was around. It would be cool to see if other ancestors were, too!

    That's quite a list of people to visit in 1930, isn't it? The list is even bigger when you consider all of my ancestors brothers and sisters and their families. I think it's safe to say that 1930 would be the best time period to see the family. Don't get me wrong, the economic times would be pretty rough since it'd be one year into the Great Depression and everything. I'm just saying from a genealogical standpoint it seems like 1930 would be the best year to visit all eight great-grandparents, their parents and all of their relatives. 

    The list of people I have in that census is actually a mile long and I have to believe that's the best time period to go visit.  I'd just have to make sure I bring a universal translator with me if I plan on going to Italy....which is what I would so do. Let's not kid ourselves here. You would go visit ancestors in another country if you could AND bring with you a way to break the language barrier.

    I just wish it was easier to pick a time period and stick with it!

    At least I arrived at a satisfying conclusion. The timeline says this is the best time to check out if I ever want to see as many ancestors as I can in one place. Yeah, I know a good chunk of the tree is in Italy at the time, too. I would still visit them! I guess it's true what they say. If you give a genealogist a time machine, they'd be running themselves through the gauntlet trying to decide which time period to visit first. However, there is one thing a time traveler must never do. Do not alter the past. There have been many movies and tv shows stating why that would be a BAD idea.

See ya next time!

P.S. I would so visit the family in Argentina during that time period, too! =D