Genealogy as Pastime and Profession, Second Edition [Paperback]

Donald Lines Jacobus (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0806301880 | ISBN-13: 978-0806301884 | Publication Date: 1999 | Edition: 2nd

Clearly written, this describes the principles of genealogical research, the evaluation of evidence, and the relationship of genealogy to chronology, eugenics, and the law. It covers early nomenclature, Royal ancestry, the use of source material, and the methods of compiling and publishing a family history, and it also deals with characteristic blunders and misconceptions. It is the very foundation of scientific American genealogy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Under the leadership of Donald Lines Jacobus (1887-1970), serious genealogical research in the United States may be said to have come of age. Genealogy As Pastime And Profession is written in a clear and graceful style, a classic work describing the principles of genealogical research, the evaluation of evidence, and the relationship of genealogy to chronology, eugenics, and the law. Genealogy As Pastime And Profession discusses early nomenclature, royal ancestry, the sue of source material, and the methods of compiling a family history. Genealogy As Pastime And Profession is the very foundation of scientific American genealogy -- a manifesto of methods, aims and principles. Genealogy As Pastime And Profession is essential reading for any novice genealogist. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: Genealogical Publishing Company; 2nd edition (1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806301880
• ISBN-13: 978-0806301884
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #417,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jacobus' wit remains fun to read., December 15, 2009

By 

Dr. Sharon G. Whitney (San Luis Obispo, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Genealogy as Pastime and Profession, Second Edition (Paperback)

Published first in 1930 and revised in 1968, the average genealogist might think this book had nothing to offer, or might be too difficult to understand. After all, Jacobus is often noted for being the grand-father of doing research according to professional genealogical standards. To the contrary, I found the book to be a fun and quick read, at once quite entertaining and informative, particularly for anyone curious about the colonial New England Puritans. He is anxious to dispel myths about our prudish ancestors' behavior, and to put their prejudices into contemporary context. For example, right away he dispels us of the myth that the American Puritans burned witches. And, as for belief in witchcraft, he reminds us that every age has absurdities, asking how much more enlightened is the "organized wholesale murder called war?" (page 13) Also, illegitimacy was not uncommon because there was little else for courting teenagers to do and they lacked birth control technology. One chapter, called "Puritan Nomenclature," had me laughing out loud. It describes how Puritans named their children. Jacobus says, "[a]t times these Puritan parents exhibited a woeful lack of humor or else humor of a tasteless variety," and then mentions names like "Preserved Fish, Green Plumb, Ivory Keys, Active Foote, Rhoda Bull, Rhoda Way," and "Silence Noyes" (p. 31). Several chapters are in the category of "how to" advice to genealogists, although I would not rely as much on him for that as I would more-up-to-date guides, e.g., Professional Genealogy (2000, edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills). Also, I could not swear as to the accuracy of his forays into the fields of bio-statistics--genetics and eugenics. However, his chapter on dates and the calendar I found to be enlightening, explaining how the calendar change in 1752, by statute, affected the birth-dates of our forefathers, e.g., George Washington (see page 111). The book is only 119 pages long, and one I would recommend to anyone interested in New England colonial genealogy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic *by* a classic . . ., June 25, 2007

By 

Michael K. Smith (South Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Genealogy as Pastime and Profession, Second Edition (Paperback)

Jacobus is often regarded as the father of modern, "scientific" genealogy and this relatively slender volume (the first edition of which was published in 1930) is still one of the very best explanations of research principles and guides to types of resource materials published in English. Other major figures among his contemporaries, like Milton Rubincam, regarded it as THE classic, largely because the author was an undisputed master of every aspect of his subject. His many published articles and books were and still are models of critical research and analysis, and The American Genealogist, which he founded in 1922 (as The New Haven Genealogical Magazine) is still one of the best periodicals in the field. The chapters in this volume range far afield, from a discussion of the nature of family pride to the sometimes touchy relationship between genealogy and academic history, from naming patterns in colonial New England to the impulse to prove royal ancestry. He considers genealogy as a profession (conditions in which, he says, are "unsatisfactory) and how (and whether) to become a professional. Other chapters focus on "The Client" and commercial firms generally (quoting Benjamin Franklin that "Half the Truth is often a great Lie"), and on the practical aspects of putting together a publishable family history, as well as such utilitarian subjects as dating systems and analysis of original sources. This is one of those books that every serious genealogist should reread every few years, just to stay centered.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Genealogy as Pastime and Profession, January 20, 2011

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Ruth A. Randall "booklady" (Spring Mills, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Genealogy as Pastime and Profession, Second Edition (Paperback)

The author writes from a time past-- before Internet, email, and texting-- about the things that matter in genealogical research. Because he's writing in the early 20th century, he has a tone of authority and scholarship, yet he tempers it with occasional hints of compassion (who would name their daughter Abstinence?) and even amusement (don't know what to name the baby? just open the Bible to any page and point a finger--wherever you land, that's the name, even if the word is Hell).
As happens in many areas of our modern lives, we lose sight of the foundations of the thing itself: that in genealogy we are researching real people who lived in a particular social context, who acted by particular codes of behavior and expectation far different from ours, and that we cannot understand or interpret findings without knowing and considering that historical context. It's a book rich with detail about, for example, names--that "Mary" became Polly, Molly, etc.; that illegitimate males' first names were often those of the true father; and much more. If you love genealogy, you'll enjoy this book.Genealogy as Pastime and Profession, Second Edition