Family tree interpretations

[annemehr]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "Eustace_Scrubb" <dk59us at ...> wrote:
>
> I was hoping that finally having a version of the Black Family tree my
> eyes could actually read, all would become clear.
> (http://www.hp-lexicon.org/wizards/blackfamilytree.html)
> 
> Alas...I am guessing that whoever reported the dates on the center
> section may have misread a few of them.
> 
> To wit, Pollux Black (born 1912) is listed as having fathered Walburga
> (b. 1925) when he was 13.  Likewise, his son Cygnus (b. 1938)
> apparently fathered Bellatrix in 1951, when _he_ was 13.
> 
> I realize that we have evidence of early marriages and child-bearing
> in the WW, but I think this is pushing it!  Either JKR is even worse
> in maths than we already suspected or some of these birthdates have
> been misread from the original.  Of course, if you push back Pollux'
> birth year too much, then _his_ father starts to stray into the
> teen-dad area.
> 
> I guess I'd conclude that the dates on this adaptation of the family
> tree still need to be taken with large grains of salt and that it may
> not be safe to build extensive theory on them until further
> clarification (should we be lucky enough to get such).
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Eustace_Scrubb
>


Anne:
I'm landing solidly in the "I give up" camp.

As listed, Pollux's dad was only 23 when Pollux was born, so you're
right, there's not much room to make him older.

I know Aberforth (the guy who took notes on the original) from another
forum, and, for what it's worth, he doesn't *think* he could possibly
have got that many dates wrong.  He was the first one to the event and
had ample time alone with the document in question for taking notes.

Anyway, if you scroll down from the tree in the Lexicon link, you'll
find the section of OoP where Sirius discusses the tapestry.  He
mentions Araminta Meliflua, a cousin of his mother's who tried to
force through a bill to make Muggle-hunting legal.  Well, where is she
supposed to fit on the tree?  As Sirius's parents were second cousins
to each other, a Black cousin of Walburga's ought to also be a cousin
of Orion's.  A cousin of Walburga's alone would have to be through her
mother Irma Crabbe's side in which case she ought not to appear on the
tree at all.

Since it turns out Daniel Radcliffe is the new owner of the family
tree, I suppose there's a decent chance he'll upload/email a scan of
it somewhere.

In any case, I think it may be safe to rely on this for names and
relationships, but not for dates.

Anne