With difficult ancestors, the ones who put up those brick walls that sometimes not even DNA can help you decipher, I love a timeline. It’s not as sexy as a narrative, but it’s one of those invaluable genealogical tools that I think shouldn’t be skipped. Building up a chronology that includes places and key details of life events gives me clarity on who this person was, were they were, who they associated with and maybe even if they liked coffee or knew how to read (I love a good inventory of an estate!).
For me, it all starts with what I have, which isn’t always the beginning —sometimes it’s the middle, a single deed, or a vital record — and it isn’t always a lot. Did they own other land? Were they surety on a daughter’s marriage bond? Did they pay personal property taxes? All the details are so much more than data-points, they’re context and, hopefully, clues. As I gather all I can find, I add my citations, so when I’m ready to tell someone’s life story, the daunting (for me) task of citing my sources is largely done.
This is a timeline for Isaac Brizendine who appears to have been born, or at least lived as a young man, in Essex County, Virginia. He died intestate in Charlotte County, Virginia, but fortunately (for us), after the death of his wife, his children initiated a suit against their brother, William Brizendine, the Executor of Isaac’s estate. Lots happened in between that help give framework to Isaac’s life —his friends, his moves and his property — all give more depth to his story. The timeline gives it clarity. It gives the opportunity to see where something doesn’t quite fit. It gives you pause to ask “Is this the right Isaac?” It also raises more questions and presents opportunities for more research, but it serves as a solid beginning for a well-organized and well-researched place to start his life story.
Meet Isaac Brizendine, who is both my 7th and 8th great-grandfather, but that’s a story for another post.
A Snapshot of the Area Isaac and His Family Lived In, Lunenburg County, Virginia
Hotchkiss, Jed, Preliminary Map of Lunenburg County, Virginia (Washington, D.C., 1871); digital image, Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3883l.la001296/?r=0.305,0.441,0.298,0.155,0 : accessed 7 February 2021).
Sinners + Saints Genealogy 