In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Nicole and Diana interview Jessica Morgan, an Accredited Genealogist specializing in U.K. research. They discuss strategies for researching English ancestry when traditional parish records of baptisms, marriages, and burials are unavailable. Jessica highlights the value of parish chest records, which contain documents like settlement papers, bastardy bonds, and apprenticeship indentures. These records can reveal an ancestor’s origins, family relationships, and even their occupation. The hosts and guest...
Contact info: Nicole@FamilyLocket.com About Me Hello, I’m Nicole Elder Dyer, a professional genealogist and genetic genealogist (learn more about me and my research team). I married into the Dyer family and have recently become a co-administrator of the Dyer Y-DNA surname project at Family Tree DNA. I am researching the family lines of Dyers in the United States, particularly those in the southeastern states. My husband, Lance Dyer, is a descendant of John Robert Dyer,...
In this episode of Research Like a Pro, we discuss strategies for researching ancestors who emigrated to the United States after 1820, emphasizing the wealth of ship manifests and other records available for identifying individuals among those with the same name. We explore immigration trends from the 19th to the early 20th century, the impact of U.S. immigration laws on the process, and the roles of key immigration stations like Castle Garden and Ellis Island....
Diana and Nicole discuss tracing ancestors back to the Colonial Era in the United States, emphasizing the scarcity of immigration records before the establishment of the U.S. Federal Government in 1789. They highlight strategies such as cluster research and the use of DNA testing to overcome the challenge of limited documentation, particularly for those who emigrated from England, Scotland, France, Germany, and other regions. They explain the significance of creating a locality guide based on...
Welcome to the final post of our six-part series, “Key Records and Repositories,” where we’ve journeyed through the multifaceted world of genealogical research in the Southwestern United States. This concluding article highlights an often-overlooked treasure trove for genealogists: University and Private Collections. Venturing beyond the usual archives and public records, we uncover the hidden gems and specialized resources nestled within academic institutions, private holdings, and dedicated organizations. This guide aims to arm you with knowledge...
This episode of Research Like a Pro focuses on the intricacies of tracing immigration records in genealogical research. Diana and Nicole discuss the common challenges faced when trying to locate an ancestor’s passenger list and the various entry points into the U.S., such as New York, New Orleans, Boston, San Francisco, Canada, and Mexico. They emphasize the importance of combing through U.S. records for clues about an ancestor’s home country, ship’s name, date of immigration,...
Diahan Southard had the fun idea to celebrate the 25th anniversary of genetic genealogy by creating a free eBook with reflections from DNA leaders and luminaries. I feel honored to be included in this group. Diahan asked us to write about our experiences getting started with DNA and/or the impact it has had on our work. I wrote my story, but it was far too long! After condensing it for the book, I decided to...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about civil marriage records and where to find them. We discuss examples from the U.S. and England and give a tutorial for how to make citations for marriage records from a bound volume at the county courthouse viewed as images online. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a Pro episode 281 Civil Marriage Records Welcome to research Like a Pro a genealogy podcast about taking your...
If your ancestor emigrated to the United States after 1820, there is a good chance there may be a record detailing the ship, date of arrival, port of departure, fellow passengers, and more. The challenge comes in uniquely identifying our ancestors among those of the same name. Record availability in the 19th and 20th centuries is fairly good, so we can research the ancestors thoroughly, looking for important clues. In part 1 of this series,...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about chapter 4 of Research Like a Pro with DNA – “Create a Research Objective.” We discuss how to find research questions in your tree, the limitations of different types of DNA for helping answer those questions, and how to form a written objective with unique identifiers. We also discuss phases of a project. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like A Pro. Episode 241 RLP with...
