A Lesson in Humility: Reflecting on Genealogical Research

Sometimes, in the journey of genealogical research, we must be willing to "eat a little humble pie." Recently, I’ve been served more than my fair share, and it’s led me to some valuable realizations. 

It began with a conversation with my mother last week, who informed me that my research didn’t tell the whole story, and that my memories were not as reliable as I had thought. Surprisingly, this revelation didn’t frustrate me—it brought joy. It showed me a way to include my mother in my work and gain new insights into this passion I love so much.

However, the next slice of humble pie was a bit harder to swallow. For those who have followed my Jenkins research, you know how many countless hours I've poured into trying to solve the mystery of Michael Oliver Jenkins’s parentage. Despite years of effort, I still haven't reached a definitive answer.

Recently, I stepped back from that line of research. It’s easy to get tunnel vision when you're so invested in something, and I needed to let the Jenkins case rest for a while. In the meantime, I began exploring WikiTree challenges and learning more about how to use this fantastic tool. WikiTree has opened my eyes to new ways of researching and writing about my ancestors, and I’m continually learning more.

But then, during one of these WikiTree sessions, I stumbled upon a research note regarding Joseph Jenkins, and here’s what I read:

Research Note added 18 July 2019 by Kathy Gunter Sullivan

• The following composition is not recommended to serious Jenkins researchers: Amy Woolsey Crooks, "Jenkins Genealogy", accessed June 2013. It is an extraordinarily flawed compilation by an enthusiastic but highly uninformed descendant of Michael Oliver Jenkins (10 April 1824-24 January 1905), a different family altogether than that of Hugh Jenkins. Its foundation is the incredibly inaccurate hypothesis that Joseph Jenkins (son of Hugh Jenkins Sr.) was the maternal grandfather of Michael Oliver Jenkins. For Michael Oliver Jenkins's descent, see Kathy Gunter Sullivan, Certified Genealogist®, "A Bastardy Case Study: Sifting Information for Kinship".

The note continued, criticizing my work and recommending an alternative source. It was a tough pill to swallow. I visited the link, "A Bastardy Case Study: Sifting Information for Kinship" by Kathy Gunter Sullivan, Certified Genealogist®, and I was immediately struck by the professionalism of her work. Reading through the case study, I realized how much I still have to learn about genealogical research.

In my enthusiasm, I had missed several important details, leading me down a dead-end rabbit hole. To avoid misleading others, I’ve deleted much of my Jenkins research from online platforms. My intention was always to share my progress and perhaps gain some feedback, not to send others in the wrong direction. 

In hindsight, I wish Ms. Sullivan had reached out to me directly. With some collaboration, perhaps we could have worked through the problems together, and I could have been put on the right path much earlier, not to mentioned learned a great deal from someone who could have served as a mentor, rather than a critic.

Now, I am returning to the drawing board—or rather, I’m starting over from scratch. One key lesson I’ve learned is to be cautious with family lore. Initially, I thought that older family members, with their direct experiences, would have more accurate information. However, this assumption has failed me more often than not. While family stories have been helpful on rare occasions, they’ve led me astray far more frequently.

One name Ms. Sullivan mentioned, Drury Jenkins, is one connection to a DNA match I’ve been researching as well, but I was unable to make a clear connection. Months ago, I checked our Y-DNA matches and found that Drury was in a different group than my tester, which led me to believe there was no close relation. However, I revisited the data yesterday, and now Drury’s results have shifted into the same group as my tester. This means I need to take a much closer look at him.

Moving forward, I’ll follow Ms. Sullivan's advice and approach this research with a better foundation. This experience, while humbling, has been an important step in my journey as a genealogist. Each mistake is a lesson, and with renewed focus, I look forward to unraveling the mystery of Michael Oliver Jenkins, this time armed with better tools and a more cautious approach.