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From: "Brenda Dougall Merriman, CGRS, CGL" <>
Subject: [APG] Re: Chains & Clusters
Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2002 22:36:36 -0500

My comments have two parts:
First, the term "chain migration" has been used for some time in studies
of British migration to Canada. In the Petworth Project study of
southeast English to Upper Canada 1832-1837, this was very evident, as
we had letters from the original emigrants sent to their relatives and
neighbours back home, encouraging them to join them. Then we have
documentary evidence that relatives (elderly parents, younger or older
siblings) and friends from their home community did emigrate to join
them within one-ten years. Our study did not go beyond one generation of
the original emigrants. There are a number of historical/genealogical
studies that use this term.

My second comment is about "clusters". I use this term to describe a
research technique that searches for occurrences of a surname, when the
ancestor's place of birth is unknown. It's a last resort for attempting
to locate the birth family of an ancestor -- if all we know is that he
was born in "Canada" at an approximate date (and somewhere other than
where we first found him). "Clusters" of the surname gleaned from
indexed material can lead to in-depth investigation of original sources,
and perhaps to identification of the ancestor's parents. Obviously this
is most applicable when the surname is not too common! Maybe some people
call this "shotgun" searching. What do other genealogists call this?

Brenda

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• [APG] Re: Chains & Clusters by "Brenda Dougall Merriman, CGRS, CGL" <>