Research Methods

Same Name, Different Men: How I Untangled Two James Carters in My Family Tree

Case Studies, Research Methods /

Have you ever noticed how many family trees on popular genealogy websites show the same obvious errors copied from tree to tree? I encountered this problem while researching Elenor “Elen” Carter’s parentage. According to numerous online trees, her father James Carter had married Nancy Jane Tucker in 1815 in Essex County, Virginia. The problem? The

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Researching Around Record Loss: Strategies When Courthouse Fires Strike

Case Studies, Research Methods /

“The courthouse burned.” These three dreaded words have stopped many genealogical research projects in their tracks. When I discovered that the Hickman County, Tennessee courthouse fire of 1865 had destroyed all early records that might have named Elenor Carter’s parents, and that Putnam County, Missouri lacked death records from before 1911, I could have given

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Finding Family in Pre-1850 Census Records: My Census Detective Work

Case Studies, Research Methods /

When I first encountered pre-1850 census records with their frustrating tick marks instead of names, I nearly gave up using them for serious genealogical research. But in my quest to identify Elenor “Elen” Carter’s parents, these seemingly vague records became crucial evidence. Today, I want to share how I turned those anonymous tick marks into

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Solving the Same-Name Puzzle: When Your Ancestor Has Multiple Identities

Case Studies, Research Methods /

Have you ever found your ancestor recorded under different names across various records? In my research on Elenor ‘Elen’ Carter’s family, her apparent mother appeared as Polly, Mary, Jane, or Nancy in four different documents. The answer: one woman, not four — a nickname, a common double name, and likely a clerical mix-up explain all

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Following the Land: How Deeds Led Me to My Ancestor’s Parents

Case Studies, Research Methods /

When I first set out to discover who the parents of my ancestor Elenor “Elen” Carter were, I had no idea that property records would ultimately provide the breakthrough I needed. Birth and death records didn’t exist for someone born in Ohio around 1823, and I kept hitting brick walls. Then I discovered the power

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Migration Patterns and DNA: How Geography Strengthened My Genetic Case

Case Studies, DNA Research, Research Methods /

When combining DNA evidence with traditional genealogical research, I’ve discovered that migration patterns provide powerful context that can strengthen a case dramatically. In my quest to prove Harrison Johnson’s parentage, understanding the geographical movements of the Johnson family added a crucial dimension to my DNA findings. The Migration Trail: North Carolina to Tennessee to Missouri

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DNA Clusters and Coverage: Advanced Techniques for Genealogical Proof

Case Studies, DNA Research, Research Methods /

When I first started using DNA for genealogy, I was overwhelmed by match lists and centimorgans. Fast forward a few years, and I’m now using advanced techniques like network clustering and DNA coverage estimates to solve centuries-old family mysteries. Today, I want to share how these powerful methods helped me prove that Harrison Johnson (born

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DNA and Comprehensive Research Plans: Modern Solutions for Historical Mysteries

Case Studies, DNA Research, Research Methods /

By the time I had worked through the documentary evidence in the Harrison Johnson case, I had built a compelling indirect evidence argument for his parentage — but no single record that explicitly named his parents. That is a familiar stopping point for genealogists working in early nineteenth-century records, and it is precisely where a

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The FAN Club Approach: How Tracking Family, Associates, and Neighbors Solved the Harrison Johnson Mystery

Research Methods /

When I hit a brick wall in my search for Harrison Johnson’s parents, I turned to what I consider the genealogist’s most underused tool: the FAN Club approach. Developed by Elizabeth Shown Mills, the FAN principle directs researchers to systematically study a subject’s Family, Associates, and Neighbors — not just the subject themselves. By applying

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Census Detective Work: Mining Early Census Records for Family Connections

Research Methods /

Pre-1850 census records present one of genealogy’s most familiar frustrations — pages of tick marks with only the head of household named, no relationships specified, no birthplaces recorded, and names spelled however the enumerator heard them. Yet these same records, approached with the right analytical tools, can reveal family composition, birth year ranges, migration patterns,

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