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...
Diana and Nicole begin the episode by chatting about what they have been working on in their research. Diana then introduces the main topic, the fascinating case of John Royston, an ancestor who ran away as a 19-year-old apprentice in Virginia in 1770. They discuss the detailed advertisement placed in The Virginia Gazette by his master, Samuel Daniel, which provides a physical description, a list of his clothes, and mentions his skills as a chair...
One of the most exciting recent additions to Ancestry’s Pro Tools is the custom clustering feature. Unlike the original clustering tool that gave you predetermined centimorgan ranges without much flexibility, custom clusters allow you to strategically target specific ancestral lines by choosing your own matches and parameters. In this excerpt from our Research Like a Pro Office Hours, Diana Elder, AG, walks through how to create and use custom clusters effectively, demonstrating with a real...
Diana and Nicole open the episode by sharing a listener spotlight that details a compelling 1867 divorce case and its complications regarding a wife’s dower rights. Diana then introduces Marylynn Salmon’s book, Women and the Law of Property in Early America, which serves as an excellent guide for genealogists researching female ancestors in the colonial and early national eras. They discuss how understanding the law behind our ancestors’ actions in deeds, probate, and court records...
