Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Suzanne Campbell Lowe. In 2005, Suzanne learned from a white cousin about her Campbell family’s connection — through slavery — to a black man named James Meredith. Over the course of the next several years, Suzanne’s white and black families have built their relationships and explored their descendancy from their common ancestor: a prominent white leader of the Confederacy named J.A.P. Campbell. Join us as we discuss Suzanne’s journey getting to know her black cousins and learning about African American research. Transcript Links Coming to the Table Website...
Have you ever used the MyHeritage chromosome browser to view triangulated segments? It’s a wonderful tool. A member of the Research Like a Pro with DNA study group asked a great question about his experience using it. He said, I’ve compared the DNA of 3 people with my mom: Bob, my mom’s 1st cousin on her dad’s side two DNA cousins I’m researching, Jane and Jill (names changed) Bob triangulates with Jane on chromosome 15. Jane triangulates with Jill on the same segment on chromosome 15. Bob does NOT triangulate with Jill on chromosome 15. Shouldn’t Jill and Bob...
When working with your DNA, how often do you create a working plan to guide the research? We may recognize the need for choosing record collections to search, but how about choosing a DNA tool? With so many available, do we need to try them all or can we focus on just one or two that will work with our objective? I’ll share the research plan for my current research project in this blog post. I’m working to prove a longstanding parent-child link on my Shults ancestral line using DNA evidence based on Ancestry DNA ThruLines and documentary research. In...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Lisa Stokes, Accredited Genealogist Professional. Lisa shares how she was frustrated the first time she created genealogy source citations and how she overcame the frustration. We discuss tips for creating clear source citations and talk about Lisa’s new citations course. Links Genealogy Source Citations Simplified by Lisa Stokes, AG at Family Locket – https://lisastokesheritageresearch.com/blog/ Genealogy Source Citations Simplified – course description – https://lisastokesheritageresearch.com/source-citation-course-information-page/ Lisa’s blog – https://lisastokesheritageresearch.com/blog/ Research Like a Pro Resources Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com –...
Segments of DNA that reportedly match can sometimes be pseudosegments, or false segments. These pseudosegments were not inherited from a common ancestor. In this Research Like a Pro with DNA Q&A video, I discuss pseudosegments and share an example of finding a probable pseudosegment with a match at MyHeritage. When creating triangulated groups with MyHeritage matches following Jim Bartlett’s methodology, you can sort overlapping segments into two groups, one for maternal and one for paternal. If a small segment doesn’t triangulate with either group, it could be a pseudosegment. It’s important to note that you can’t always be certain whether...
Do source citations continue to be a challenge for you? My colleague, Lisa Stokes AG, has developed a simplified method and course to help any level of genealogist. She shares her journey of discovering how to construct clear and consistent citations in this article. To learn more, see Lisa’s course description at Genealogy Source Citations Simplified, and follow her blog. Enjoy this fresh, new look at source citations! Diana By Lisa Stokes, AG Does crafting solid genealogy reference note citations overwhelm you? Do you ever wonder why you really need to write proper source citations? Are you ever tempted to...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Rick Wilson. Rick joined us in Research Like a Pro Study Group 7 and is a skilled researcher and writer. In episode 198, he shared how Y-DNA and autosomal DNA pointed to John Wilson’s origins being in County Fermanagh, Ireland. In this episode he shares how historical context and additional documentary evidence aided his research. Links https://myfamilypattern.wordpress.com/ – Rick’s website Identifying John Wilson’s Irish Origins, Part 1: Y-DNA Analysis – by Rick Wilson on Family Locket – https://familylocket.com/identifying-john-wilsons-irish-origins-part-1-y-dna-analysis/ Identifying John Wilson’s Irish Origins, Part 2: Autosomal DNA Analysis –...
Are you interested in learning more about genealogy best practices and working toward becoming an Accredited Genealogist Professional or AG? There are resources available to help you prepare. I’m working toward becoming an Accredited Genealogist Professional (AG) through the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen) in the Southwest United States region. Several months ago, I learned that I passed the accreditation Level 1 by researching and writing a 4-Generation Project. The starting individual for the research and the parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and 2nd great-grandparents researched need to have at least one major life event that occurred in the...
DNA Day is celebrated annually on April 25th to commemorate the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 and the discovery of DNA’s double helix in 1953 by James Watson and Francis Crick. To celebrate, I am sharing ten posts / series at Family Locket that feature the use of DNA evidence to help solve genealogical research objectives. Enjoy these research projects! 1 – Colonial Pennsylvania 5th-Great-Grandparent In part nine of our Pennsylvania Germans series, Heidi Mathis shared how autosomal DNA (atDNA), genetic networks, and AncestryDNA Thrulines helped her identify her 5th-great-grandfather in colonial Pennsylvania. 2 – Immigrant Ancestor’s...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Rick Wilson. Rick joined us in Research Like a Pro Study Group 7 and is a skilled researcher and writer. He shares his research to identify the origins of his 6th great grandfather, John Wilson. The Big Y-700 test was helpful in pointing to a specific county within Ireland. Then, Rick used autosomal DNA of a cousin two generations closer to John Wilson to further pinpoint townlands within that county. Transcript Links https://myfamilypattern.wordpress.com/ – Rick’s website Identifying John Wilson’s Irish Origins, Part 1: Y-DNA Analysis – by Rick...
