52 Weeks of Genealogy Sources: Was Your Ancestor a Weaver?

Was your ancestor a weaver?  No, not did they have the surname Weaver but did they weave?  Sometimes knowing an ancestor's occupation can help you find more information about them.

A good case in point is the book American Coverlets and their Weavers by Clarita S Anderson. This work  is a fabulous non-genealogy, genealogy book. If you have a weaver in your family tree, check this one out. There is a biographical dictionary at the end of the book with names and bios of over 700 weavers. These historical bios include information about where the weaver lived, name of spouse and where the authors found the person in the U.S. Federal Census, as well as when they weren't found in the census. Here's an example of what you can find:

Adolf (Adolph),  Henry

Born: ca. 1815 in Alsace, France

Died: 1907

Spouse: Elizabeth

Location: Montgomery Co., Ohio: Wayne Co., Ind.; Noblesville, Hamilton Co., Ind.;  Mahaska Co., Iowa; North Twp., Dade Co., Mo.; Clinton Twp., Douglas Co., Kansas; Walnut Grove, St. Louis Co., Mo.

Extant Coverlets: 1840-1881

History: Henry Adolf immigrated to Montgomery Co., Ohio, in 1835...

That is just part of an example. What great information that can be had out of this book!

This is another great example of thinking outside of the genealogy box as you approach researching your ancestor.