Surprising Things You Can Learn About Your Ancestors

When you’re thinking of hiring a genealogist, you may have certain expectations of what you might receive. Perhaps you want to determine if you’re eligible for dual citizenship, or you want more information about your family medical history. Whichever reason is guiding you, you’d be surprised at the information you can uncover. From the political events they were affiliated with to the institutions they were affiliated with, researching their histories gives you a stronger connection to the broader importance of family. While your ancestors are long gone, their legacies have a lot to teach us about history, family, and even ourselves. Let’s dive in to learn the three surprising things you can discover. 

Their involvement in politics or crime

It’s certainly possible to learn you have criminal ancestors. Perhaps your grandfather was arrested during prohibition for making moonshine in Missouri, or your great grandmother made counterfeit money in Indiana. These are all surprising stories you could potentially uncover when researching your family history. Here are a few examples we found;

The grandfather involved in corrupt politics

A client came to us to discover more information about the mysteries of their grandfather - their family was always hush-hush when his name arose. Through detailed research in newspapers and other records local to Chicago, Illinois, we uncovered the surprising information that their grandfather was part of the 1920s Chicago political machine - there was no lack of news articles on him! 

The mystery death of a great-grandfather 

Another client suspected that their great-grandfather, who died mysteriously in the 1930s of a gunshot wound delivered in a remote part of town, might have been involved with a gang that operated in Toledo, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan. After completing a deep dive into the gang's history, we learned they conducted their work in a specific neighborhood in Detroit. 

City directories, land records, and maps allowed Heritage Bridge to determine that the client’s great-grandfather likely interacted with the gang as they lived within a few blocks of each other and attended the same neighborhood school. 

How my ancestor fought for a new state

While completing my own genealogical research, I discovered my 4th great grandfather, William Padfield, signed a petition in 1786 to form a new state — the State of Franklin. In what is now Northeast Tennessee, my ancestor was a part of a settlers group, mainly of Scots-Irish descent, who created a self-governing settlement, the Watauga Association. After fighting in the Revolutionary War, they signed a petition to propose their own state. 

Even if you don’t know anyone in your family who committed a crime or was very involved in politics, researching your family history could provide fascinating stories and clues that leave you shocked! 

The stressful events they endured

Some of the stories you uncover might be distressing, but they also help us understand what life was like for our ancestors, including revealing the growth our society has made. 

The history of psychiatric facilities

Psychiatric state-run facilities, known as insane asylums in the late 1700s, hold a dark history. Unfortunately, the stigma back then was far worse than it is today. With limited access to proper treatment, facilities, and information, mental illness was considered shameful, morally and unethically troubling, and a form of punishment used to harm the affected and their families. 

Stigma also wrongfully accused several of our ancestors for speaking up against abuse. For example, women who were assertive and outspoken against their limited rights within their marriage were sent to asylums by their husbands. According to 19th-century psychiatry, any woman who defied their "domestic duties'' was considered “mentally insane”. 

This historical example represents the story of Elizabeth Packard, the pioneer and reformer who was sent to an asylum by her husband, claiming she was insane for displaying “un-ladylike behavior”. After her release, she advocated for the legal rights of married women and mental health patients between 1860-1870. 

A dead-end researching psychiatric files 

Because of poorly kept files or for confidentiality, you might never know the reasons an ancestor went to a facility. While completing a routine search of a Missouri paper from the 1880s, I discovered that my great-great-grandmother Julia was sent by the county court to a state mental institution (she returned home a year later). Even though I found the court records, no mention explained the reason for her admittance. While digitized newspapers can be helpful, there are dead ends even genealogists encounter (What questions are genealogists asked to solve?) 

A sad story at an orphanage 

A recent client contacted Heritage Bridge to do on-site research at the Ohio History Connection. She knew from the 1950 census that her father and his brothers were living in an orphanage in Sandusky County, Ohio after their parents’ marriage failed. Yet, records revealed an interesting story; the boys’ father paid small amounts of money for their care, the brothers frequently ran away from the facility, and the facility wrote a very stern letter to the mother chastising her for not participating in her son’s lives. 

These are a few examples of the unfortunate events our ancestors endured. Thankfully, our knowledge of mental health has expanded, and the stigma on mental health is lifting - ever so slowly. 

Their military history

On Memorial Day, many Americans flock to the graves of fallen soldiers and pay respect for their service. While it is highly likely that we all have an ancestor who fought in a war, how much information do you know about their military history? Another way to honor your ancestors is to discover their military affiliation. 

A story of a family who fought to save a soldier 

Before discovering more about my ancestral history, I knew that my Civil War ancestor from Hancock County, Ohio was taken ill at Shiloh in Western Tennessee. I also knew he had been put on a hospital steamboat up the Mississippi River to Benton Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri. 

But after looking at Civil War pension files (Knowing what resources to look for is what every genealogist should know), I discovered an affidavit from Adam’s brother Joseph. Joseph was sent to Shiloh by their father to help Adam when the family got word that Adam was ill. Joseph successfully negotiated with the officers at the battle site to get Adam onto the hospital boat.

Discovering more about my ancestral military history made me feel closer to my past. It gave me an in-depth understanding of the trials my Civil War ancestor overcame, including the closeness he shared with his family during a traumatic time in his life. Learning about these facts is one way you discover the connections you hold to your ancestors. 

Discover interesting facts about your ancestral history 

Like my Civil War ancestor or Elizabeth Packard, your ancestors may have made the front pages for serving their country, robbing a bank, or fighting for their rights. With an abundance of digitized newspapers, pension files, or countless other resources, there’s no shortage of  surprising information you could discover about your ancestral history. If you’re curious about your ancestors’ lives or need to find a genealogist to help with your family tree, please schedule a free consultation with Heritage Bridge. We would love to play a role in connecting your past to your present.