ABSTRACT
For many members of the Ke Lineage, inclusion in the lineage genealogy constitutes the ultimate goal in reclaiming one’s cultural roots. It is generally agreed that the composition of Chinese genealogies began in the early Zhou period. The existing genealogical records are usually composed of various sections that provide a wide range of information. The types of information found in a genealogy provide clues to the social history of a specific family or lineage. One important source of information in the genealogical registers is the detailed records of births and death of all male members and their wives. After the Communist victory in 1949, any kind of major lineage activity, including the compiling of genealogies, came to a complete halt. The genealogy serves to inform Singapore and Anxi lineage members of their common social history and to record the existence of the immediate family and its membership in the Singapore branch of a wider lineage structure.
