When we apply the laws in effect at the time historical records were created, we often gain new insight into earlier research—our own or that of others. I have researched David Bandy periodically over the past several years. As with …
This project began with a client’s question: Was Abner Bishop really the father of Allen Bishop of Decatur County, Georgia? The very first step was to review all the evidence already gathered on both Allen and Abner—census entries, tax digests, …
If you are a true researcher, then you have used FamilySearch.org (FS) but have you used ALL of the features there? Have you seen some of the new services they offer? Let’s take a look at these. Have you ever …
I had the honor Saturday to present this very topic in Albany, Georgia for the Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society and thought it a great topic for a blog for a few weeks. Many of these may seem extreme and totally …
I touched on this a bit last week when I mentioned the multiple Banner Thomases in Pierce, later Appling, County. There are many reasons we run into conflicting evidence and all too often people overlook or ignore them and simply …
We now come to the last standard although we have touched on it several times, we must take our research and make it available to others. Whether we publish it in a book or journal of some kind; simply put …
It can be easy to take other people’s research as correct because it makes sense and aligns with what we hope but have you thoroughly researched their findings with the thought that you want to disprove it. Sounds counterproductive I …
Many people will ask, “Do I really have to write a fully sourced citation to the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) or other such standards?” Not to sound like Certified Genealogist and Lecturer Judy G. Russell but the answer to …
What exactly does this mean? You cannot always take things at face value and must thoroughly look at all aspects of what you have found. Also, you must not stop just because you think you have found your answer. I …
As some of you know, I am working on getting certified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG). To that end, one of the pieces required is a Kinship Determination Project (KDP) consisting of an indepth look at three …
One of the techniques I have learned over the years in trying to solve a brick wall is to set it aside for anywhere from 2 months to 2 years. While this may sound like a crazy idea, let me …
I am sitting here drinking my coffee on this sunny 4th of July morning and one of the items someone posted on Facebook talked about our founding fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence. When they signed their name to …