Genealogy teaches us that all sources of information have potential to teach us about our past . After reading  about vampires in New England, I realized that even folklore must be considered a valid genealogical tool.

We, with ties to New England, have already dealt with witches in the family. But how about vampires? I have to admit, it never crossed my mind. Then read, “The Great New England Vampire Panic” at Smithsonian.com, and I began to wonder whether any of my ancestors might have been so accused.  And, more to the point, how would I ever find out?

In the 19th Century, the tuberculosis epidemic was a terrible reality of every day life. Millions died from consumption and its reality impacted every aspect of life. Communities and families, struck by its unrelenting horror,  struggled to find answers to its seeming randomness.

In some families and communities, even into the 1890’s, the connection between consumption and the vampire  became very real. It was thought that the undead would feast on those still living. The cure was to exhume bodies, often of the recent dead and often from the same family, searching for a likely suspect. When identified the remains were dealt with in a variety of ways from burning to removing hearts to rearranging body parts.

Often this was done in secret. So how does a genealogist uncover this type of fact? Special care must be taken to identify letters and diaries of all family members, neighbors and even those from nearby communities. Besides filling in valuable background, there can be references to specific individuals in these narratives.

I never thought to use folklore as a source of family information. Making connections with local folklore societies would add another dimension of understanding to ancestral lives. Perhaps, provide clues to otherwise unknown family history.In the Upper Midwest, the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures has published a survey of various archives throughout the area, The Guide to Surveyed Folklore Collections.

After rooting around in Google, not  unlike rummaging through an old chest, I discovered blogs posted by folklorists, who are not obviously associated with academics. Their blogs yield a more local color.

• New England Folklore @ http://newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/
• Damned Connecticut  @ http://www.damnedct.com/
• The MoonLit Road  @ http://themoonlitroad.com/the-goat-man/

From Damned Connecticut I learned about the Old Leather Man, a wandering traveler, who is well-known in those parts. The MoonLit Road introduces the Goat Man, another wandering traveler. He was an Iowan who wandered through the South with his goats. How many other wandering traveler tales are floating around? Are there any from your region, any associated with your family?

Keeping these types of questions in mind, as we research and write our family histories will certainly increase potential sources. It might even lead to discovering new family lines, unknown ancestors and adding depth to our family lore.

Do you know of any witches int the family? Better yet, how about vampires?