GENEALOGY (Let, and Gr. genealogic; from Gr. genos, race, and logos, discourse) is the name applied to the science of the origin, sequence, and affinities of families. Although in itself it is not of sufficient importance to rank as an independent science, yet in so far as it has to do with remarkable and influential families, it forms a very important part of. history. It naturally divides itse)f into two parts, theoretical and prac tical. The former embraces the principles on which the science of genealogy is based, while the latter is occupied with tracing the course of particular families themselves. To render perceptible to the senses the descent relationship of individuals, genea logical tables are made use of, whose arrangement depends on the special purpose for which they are constructed. • Usually, however, such tables begin with the earliest ancestor (Ger. stammvater) of a family, from whom all the known members of both sexes are traced in the order of descent. Time importance of this branch of human knowledge, however, is perhaps less obvious in a scientific than in a legal aspect, where it is concerned about the various claims or pretensions of persons based on real or alleged relationship, more especially in regard to rights of succession. The earliest traces of genealogy are to be found in the ancestral catalogues of the heroes of the old world. among the Hebrews, there were parties specially appointed.to draw up genea logical tables: The progress of civilization in states, and in particular the institution of corporations and guilds in the towns, afforded a wider scope for genealogy. But the absence of criticism, and the desire to flatter the great, were the causes of introduc ing—especially after the 14Ih most ridiculous fables into genealogy. Ancestors
were fabricated in the most impudently false manner, and families carried back in an unbroken line, not only to the age of Charlemagne, but even, in many cases, to the heroes of the Trojan war. The fact, however, is, that scarcely any family, however distinguished, can trace its ancestors even to the middle of the 11th century. Among, the earlier works on genealogy are Ruxner's Turnierbuelt (Simmern, 1527) and the gene alogical tables of Reusner and [Jennings, about the end of • the 16th c., but these are not conceived in a historical spirit. A more luminous treatment of the subject was initiated in France by Duchesne, St. iflarthe, Ilozier, Chiifiet, Lancelot le Blond, etc., and in England by Dugdale. Rittershusius of Altdorf (died 1670) and Spener of Wit tenberg (died 1730). were the first in Germany to base genealogy on documentary evi dence. The path entered on by thembas been prosecirted by Jiunig, Von Imhof, and especially by Hubner in his Genealogisehe Taberlen (4 vols. Leip. 17?5-33! new edit., 1787-66), to which Lenz added E rlauterungen (Elucidations, Leip. 1756), and Sophia, queen of Denmark, Supplement-tateln (Kopenh. 1822-24). Gatterer, in his Abrin der Genealogic (Gott. 1788), founded the scientific treatment of the subject, in which he was followed by Putter in his Tabula Genealogica, by Koch in his Tables Genealo,giques des Maisons Soaveraines d'Europe (Ger..Berlin, 1808), and by Voigtel in his Genealogiselus Tabellen (1810).
In Great Britain, the chief printed collections of genealogical information are the Peerages, Baronayes, Baronetages, and County Histories. The chief manuscript sources are the public records, heraldic registers, and the parish registers of births, marriages, and deaths.