Category: Guest Blogs

Right Person, Right Place, Right Time: Using Document Evidence to Resolve the Unknown in your DNA Results (Part 2)

In this two-part series, the expert researchers at Legacy Tree Genealogists share valuable tips for tackling “unknowns” that surface as a result of DNA testing. Maybe you came across an unexpected ethnicity; maybe you have some unknown parentage; maybe you just want to figure out how you’re connected to someone because you’ve looked at their tree…

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Right Person, Right Place, Right Time: Using Document Evidence to Resolve the Unknown in your DNA Results (Part 1)

In this two-part series, the experts at Legacy Tree Genealogists share some valuable tips on how to tackle the “unknowns” that can surface as a result of DNA testing. Their team has handled many tough investigations over the years, and they’ve learned some tricks they’re willing to share with RootsFinder users. Here’s Part 1 of…

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How I Solved It: Brick Wall Post #5–William Gillen 1782-1841

Guest blogger Diane Gould Hall’s 4x Great Grandfather William Gillen (Michigan Family Trails) was born in the last years of the Revolutionary War. As we transitioned from colonies to country, our record-keeping also shifted. Here’s what Diane has done so far in her ongoing quest to cross that generation and find William’s parents. Any other…

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How I Solved It: Who is Elizabeth Fordyce?

Guest blogger Morag Hughson (Wir Unst Family) is searching for the complete Unst Family Tree (Unst is the most northernmost island in Scotland). One day she came across a loose thread: Who was this Elizabeth Fordyce in the 1871 census of Scotland? Pulling the thread and analyzing the evidence, here’s how she solved it, adding a…

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BATCHELDER Family Do Over Part 1

Today’s guest blogger Heather Wilkinson Rojo (Nutfield Genealogy) uses her posts not only as a method of sharing her discoveries with family, but also as an opportunity to double check her work and look for new sources. “When you rely on other people’s research, you have to be careful that you are looking at the…

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Mystery Monday: Mary Alice

Last week, guest blogger Wendy Mathias (Jollett Etc.) told the story of how she stumbled across an intriguing newspaper article regarding the death of Eliza Jollett, nee Watson. Like reading the last page of a book first, Wendy went searching for more of the story. Here’s what she found: ____________________________ If you work on your…

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How I Solved It: Lessons Learned in My Virtual Research Trip

Faced with over 9,000 “shaky leaf” hints for one Ancestry.com tree, Marian Wood (Climbing My Family Tree, author of the best-selling genealogy book, “Planning a Future for Your Family’s Past“) has to prioritize to make the most of her research time. In today’s “How I Solved It” guest blog post, Marian shares a shortcut to…

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How I Solved It: Another Eliza Jollett (Mystery Monday Part 1)

Guest author Wendy Mathias (Jollett Etc.) was working on a book when she stumbled across an intriguing newspaper article. In part 1 of a two-part “Mystery Monday” series, Wendy lays the foundation and shares her thought process for analyzing the evidence presented. Here’s part 1 of her story: __________________________ It has been quiet around here…

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How I Solved It: Brick Walls Post #4 – Catherine Dorsey Thorp about 1842-1898

In today’s “How I Solved It” guest post, Diane Gould Hall (Michigan Family Trails) shares her methodology for tracking her great grandmother Catherine Dorsey Thorp from Ireland to New York to Michigan. Her search illustrates the importance of examining records for the whole family, working backwards, forwards, and sideways to identify family, friends, associates, and…

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How I Solved It: Award for Greatest Distance and Time-Lapse for a Birth Registration

Next time you’re hunting for a birth registration, consider the case of Eizik Fuchs. Lara Diamond (larasgenealogy.blogspot.com) shares this story for our “How I Solved It Series” giving Eizik a [posthumous] award for going through the most difficulty (and time…and distance…) to get his birth registered. ___________________________________________ And the award for going through the most…

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