In this episode, Nicole and Diana discuss the crucial “Research Planning” stage of the Research Like a Pro process in the fourth part of their series on the father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Nicole begins by emphasizing the importance of creating a thoughtful research plan rather than haphazardly searching records. Diana then walks through the specific steps she takes for this case study. She states her objective, which is to discover a candidate for Cynthia...
Immigrant stories are fascinating, and in the novel TransAtlantic by Irish author Colum McCann, we follow an Irish immigrant and three subsequent generations. As family historians, we benefit from reading historical accounts based on the author’s research. We can gain important contextual information and insight into the plight of our ancestors. In TransAtlantic, we view the immigration story from the Irish perspective, with young Lily Duggan braving the Atlantic Ocean to start a new life in...
The episode centers on the process of locality research for Cass County, Georgia, as Diana continues her project to find the father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Diana explains her research objective is to discover a candidate for Cynthia’s father residing in the county during the 1830s. Nicole discusses the importance of narrowing the time frame for a locality guide, focusing on the county’s earliest years from 1832 to 1860. They then compare their process for...
Success in our research depends on understanding the locality’s records, history, and required methodology. Whether we’re experienced in the research locality or a newbie, there is always more to learn. In this blog series on the FamilySearch Research Wiki, guest blogger Virginia Pratt will help us understand what the wiki contains and how best to use it. Virginia worked on the FamilySearch Wiki team for five years, writing and organizing Wiki pages. We’re excited to...
This episode focuses on the second step of the Research Like a Pro process: creating a timeline and analyzing the sources in the ongoing quest to find the father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Diana begins by detailing the research objective for this phase: to discover a candidate for Cynthia’s father residing in Cass County, Georgia, during the 1830s. Diana discusses compiling a timeline for Cynthia, analyzing her census records, and explaining why she estimates Cynthia’s...
A good case study can give us excellent ideas for tackling our challenging research. Enjoy this blog post by one of our Family Locket team members, Jill, who shares her success using AI as an assistant. by Jill Leonard Nock, AG® Historical deed research can be simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting. The thrill of discovery often comes after hours of deciphering 18th- or 19th-century handwriting, tracking chains of title, and piecing together family relationships. But what if...
Nicole and Diana discuss FamilySearch.org with their guest, Dana Palmer. Dana, a Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Lecturer, specializes in Midwestern research, lineage society applications, and publishing family books. She is also part of the Mayflower Silver Books team and lectures at national conferences. The discussion focuses on her new book, Ultimate Guide to Mastering FamilySearch. Dana shares her early love for family history, which began as a child influenced by her grandparents, and the...
Success in our research depends on understanding the locality’s records, history, and required methodology. Whether we’re experienced in the research locality or a newbie, there is always more to learn. In this blog series on the FamilySearch Research Wiki, guest blogger Virginia Pratt will help us understand what the wiki contains and how best to use it. Virginia worked on the FamilySearch Wiki team for five years, writing and organizing Wiki pages. We’re excited to...
Nicole and Diana give an overview of Diana’s multi-phase research to discover the father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Diana first reviews four past phases of her research. She discusses Phase 1, which initially focused on George W. Dillard as a strong candidate, and Phase 2, which identified and eliminated ten other Dillard candidates in the area. Both of these documentary-based hypotheses are eventually disproven. She then outlines Phase 3, where she successfully tests and disproves...
Our family history research depends heavily on finding dates for our ancestors’ births, marriages, deaths, residences, and more. Tracking down those dates can be challenging when the original records with primary information simply do not exist. Before a jurisdiction mandated birth certificates, family Bible records, church records, a newspaper notice, a letter, or other non-governmental source may have recorded the birth of a child. However, through time, those sources may not have survived, even if...
