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As genealogists we seek information about our ancestors from as far back in time as possible. That being said, not all researchers may be familiar with the term, but some of the most important records we find were created during the time of the Little Ice Age (1300 to 1850 AD).
Because the 14th to 19th centuries cover the time frame that most coincides with genealogical research, it is important to understand the physical conditions under which people lived in order to assemble the most complete histories of families.
The Little Ice Age was a cool climatic period, a time in history when, from a physical or environmental standpoint, in comparison to the warm periods that preceded and followed:
• temperatures around the globe were substantially cooler
• weather was mostly unstable
• food production was especially challenging
• living conditions overall were difficult and harsh
All these factors had enormous impact on the lives and livelihoods of people and contributed to famine, spread of disease, injury to being and habitat, untimely deaths, social unrest and, in many cases, migration.
Financial resources became more necessary for expanded social programs – parish relief efforts and workhouses – involving the care of their citizens more of whom fell into dire straits as the Little Ice Age progressed.
Vital records appear to have been kept consistently in most regions of Europe, with few local exceptions, only from the early 16th century – during the height (or depth) of the Little Ice Age. Apart from purely religious reasons or to establish hereditary claims, the summarizing of this vital data may have been instituted in response to the need for more accurate rolls for churches and governments in identifying individuals from whom they could raise funds and to whom they needed to offer support.
The presentation offers information and perspective important in studies related to the living conditions families faced during the inhospitable era of the Little Ice Age. Examples of the effects of natural phenomena on people and communities, drawn from resources normally consulted by genealogists, will be shown.
Wayne Shepheard has pursued genealogical research for several decades, exploring families in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom. He is active in expanding interest in, and writing and speaking about natural phenomena and their impacts on people and communities. In addition to several dozen articles he has written for family history journals and magazines, Wayne has also published two books. Surviving Mother Nature’s Tests relates many of the situations observed in nature to the lives of families who experienced or endured them. Genealogy and the Little Ice Age deals with the physical parameters of the Little Ice Age (1300-1850), the effects climatic conditions of that period had on people and how the environmental situations influenced the broader society. He is a co-author of The Wreck of the Bay of Panama: 10 March 1891. Wayne writes regularly on his blog, Discover Genealogy. Wayne lives in Langford, British Columbia, Canada.
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