The "Friends, Associates, and Neighbors" (F.A.N.) Club concept in genealogy represents a research strategy that focuses on the broader social network of an ancestor, not just their direct lineage. This approach is based on the understanding that people lived and interacted within several overlapping communities or "circles." Interactions between community members can provide valuable clues about an ancestor's life, especially when there is a lack of direct records. This research approach is particularly useful for identifying individuals with similar names, ages, and residences.
- Friends: Church members, fraternal society members, witnesses on legal documents and sacramental records, people mentioned in letters and diaries.
- Associates: Business partners, coworkers, those who lived nearby based on census records, those who served together in the military.
- Neighbors: People who lived nearby and land owners on property maps.
F.A.N. Club research is often called cluster research since most of the records point to a common geographical location.[1] An example of F.A.N. Club records for a town would include census records, city and business directories, historical newspapers, property tax listings, and more.
Many genealogy researchers use the F.A.N. Club approach to tackle "brick walls" when all other methodologies fail to locate information.
Ancestral networks
When a person or a family arrived in a new country, city or town it was likely that they already knew someone there. This may have been a relative or a friend of a relative. They may have been connected to the same hometown or same ethnic group back home. In most cases, individuals didn’t just pick up and leave on a whim to settle down in a place that was unfamiliar.
When arriving in a strange place it was comforting to have some connection, something that was familiar be it language, religious belief or occupation. This made the transition easier and helped the individual build a network upon which they could rely when needed. And a network to which they would contribute to help build up the community.
If someone strange did arrive in a small town or even a city neighborhood, it was likely neighbors wanted to know the following:
- Who were they?
- Where did they come from?
- Why were they here?
- What did they intend to do here?
- What were they bringing with them?
- What were they leaving behind?
In many places, in order for a town to survive, it was vital to find out this information and determine if this new person or family was a good fit.
The concept of a network for our ancestors had many variations depending upon the time period, the location and the ethnic background. Many networks had these components all with their respective sets of records that were generated:
- Occupational
- Religious
- Education
- Business
- Fraternal and Civic Groups
- Women’s Groups
F.A.N. Club records
There is a variety of records to consider when researching an ancestor's community circles:
- Census records: When using census records for an ancestor, scan the entire page to determine the neighbors and nearby households. It is likely individuals listed could be part of an ancestor’s F.A.N. Club. Look for commonalities, especially native languages and occupations.
- Church records: Attendees of the same church or religious group often formed close-knit communities. Check church records including baptism, marriage, and burial records for potential F.A.N. Club members.
- City and business directories: Explore directories from the time and place an ancestor lived. Look for names of neighbors, business associates, and friends. These directories often include addresses and occupations. Most directories are listed by last name in alphabetical order; search by address within the directory to determine an ancestor's neighbors.
- Land and property records: Investigate land deeds, property tax records, and land transactions involving an ancestor. Check for neighbors and witnesses mentioned in these documents.
- Local histories and historical newspapers: Research local histories and newspapers. Articles, obituaries, and social event announcements can reveal relationships and connections to an ancestor.
- Probate records: When an ancestor’s will or estate was settled, neighbors and friends might have been involved as witnesses, executors, or beneficiaries.
F.A.N. Club research strategy
While it may be fairly easy to locate records used when employing the F.A.N. Club research strategy, success in finding information related to an ancestor comes down to HOW these records are used.
When analyzing connections between an ancestor and community members look for:
- Patterns: Did an ancestor and their associates work together? Did they belong to the same churches or organizations?
- Clues: Did an associate sponsor an ancestor in a land purchase or serve as a witness for a wedding or was an informant for a death record? This information could suggest a closer relationship.
- Confirmation: Check to see if the F.A.N. Club records support or contradict the information previously located about an ancestor.
Here are the aspects of a solid F.A.N. Club research strategy:
- Research beyond direct ancestors: Focus on individuals who were friends, associates, and neighbors of an ancestor. This can include godparents, witnesses to events, business partners, and others mentioned in documents alongside the ancestor.
- Build a community context: Gain an understanding of the community in which an ancestor lived. Mapping out the social and community networks that would have influenced an ancestor's life.
- Analyze collateral lines: To learn more about an ancestor, research their siblings, cousins, and in-laws. This can uncover information about migrations, inheritances, and other family events that were not directly recorded for an ancestor. In addition, don't assume a person is not related to an ancestor. Example: in some US census records, those listed as boarders or lodgers were actual relatives. The census enumerator may have instructions to only use a specific set of terminology when describing relationships, meaning they couldn't use "cousin-in-law" or other terms.
- Fill in the gaps: Even if an ancestor is not mentioned in a record, an associate might be. Use this information to create timelines listing locations, and life events for an ancestor.
- Utilize non-traditional records and sources: Go beyond the typical records used for genealogy research. Piece together relationships between an ancestor and others using church records, city and business directories, land and property records, local histories and historical newspapers; probate records and more.
Explore more about F.A.N. Club
- Historic Pathways (https://historicpathways.com/articles.html) Articles by Elizabeth Shown Mills dealing with collateral and cluster searching with great case study examples of the methodology employed and detailed results.
- Identity Problems and the FAN Club Principle (https://www.evidenceexplained.com/index.php/taxonomy/term/696)
References
- ↑ What Is a Genealogy FAN Club? The Occasional Genealogist