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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1996-10 > 0846354683


From: "Leonard M. Keane" <>
Subject: Re: Oldest male line?
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 18:31:23 GMT


In <54tcup$> (Mary Keck) writes:
>
>> (Tom Camfield) writes:
>. . . Just want to mention that I've always been a bit puzzled
>> by the obsession with the male-line descent so favored by early
>> genealogical authors. . .
>>
>> Tom Camfield -
>>
>>>>>
>Well said, Mr. Camfield. That is one of my major frustrations in
researching
>my lines (certainly not a unique frustration). I am sure I inherited
the
>same amount of DNA from my mother as from my father (and I most
assuredly got
>more of her characteristics)--but my own brother, believe it or not,
when I
>mentioned the problem of tracing our female lines, responded with "Why
would
>you want to do that?" I enjoy your curmudgeonly posts. Thanks for
>brightening the day just a little. MK
>

Mary:
It's all in traceability. If you *can* trace back many generations
it's simply because the family or families left records and that
occurred mainly through male line descent. It's just the way our
patriarchal society was set up.

It is a bit ridiculous today for your brother to question the value of
tracing female lines. We all hope to find traceable female lines as we
do our research, but usually if we find one it will be because her
father came from a similarly well-recorded male-line family with
continuity and social/geographical stability.

Len.

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