Shows
Speak On It!The International African American Museum Experience with Brian Sheffey!Join Janice & Cherekana for a conversation with Brian Sheffey, Director of the Center for Family History at the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. He is also the founder of the popular African American Genealogy website Genealogy Adventures. He is the host of the popular African American genealogy, culture, and history television series Genealogy Adventures which he presents with Donya Williams on e360tv. His research areas have focused on the U.S. regions to the east of the Mississippi River, including the northern British American Colonies. He has a particular expertise in researching enslaved people and enslaved comm...
2023-11-1728 min
The Unanimous HourDESCENDER / Chris Richards and Jason Sheffey"I took one look at her tattered shoes/I offered her mine but she refused/She said - I want these cuts on my feet, man/gotta become sensitive as I can"Another episode in the can and another chapter in the eternal book. This one got quite personal for all involved (always a good thing, in my opinion, sharing what's under the skin). This show we talk about the track Descender with Jason Sheffey, who grew up in Baltimore and currently works with getting the homeless in Portland the help they need. Then we continue our conversation...
2022-08-031h 20
Genealogy AdventuresS04 E39: Book Club - Resistance On A Georgia Plantation 1838-9 (Fanny Kemble, 1863)In this episode, we talk about Fanny Kemble's book "Journal of a Residence on a Georgian plantation in 1838-1839" which was published after her death in 1863.Brian opened the show with some new research resources discoveries he's made for Alabama and Mississippi records on FamilySearch. And he also shared a tip for identifying enslavers in communities where slaveholders were largely absent (as in absentee enslavers) such as the Gullah corridor from South Carolina to Florida. You won't want to miss these tips!Originally published in 1863 – and out-of-print and unavailable for almost a century- Frances Anne Kemble’s Journal has long been...
2021-07-191h 03
Genealogy AdventuresCrockett Sheffey – Buffalo SoldierThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2010/12/29/crockett-sheffey-buffalo-soldier/
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2021-03-1904 minGenealogy AdventuresNewman Brockenbrough Roane: a historic & unconventional divorce in 19th Century VirginiaThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2011/04/18/newman-brockenbrough-roane-a-historic-unconventional-divorce-in-19th-century-virginia/
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2021-03-1905 minGenealogy AdventuresRecording names: Maiden namesThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2011/10/24/recording-names-maiden-names/
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2021-03-1905 minGenealogy AdventuresPassing for white: ancestors who jumped the colour lineThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2012/02/14/passing-for-white-ancestors-who-jumped-the-colour-line/
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2021-03-1904 minGenealogy AdventuresCrockett Sheffey – Buffalo Soldier Part IIThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2012/03/30/crockett-sheffey-buffalo-soldier-part-ii/
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2021-03-1902 minGenealogy AdventuresBeyond the pale: Interracial Relations in Colonial AmericaThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2012/12/31/beyond-the-pale-interracial-relations-in-colonial-america/
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2021-03-1909 minGenealogy AdventuresForgotten American Black Jockeys: Joseph SheffeyThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2013/01/05/forgotten-american-black-jockeys-joseph-sheffey/
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2021-03-1901 minGenealogy AdventuresLove and lynching in Wytheville: Raymond Arthur ByrdThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2013/06/26/love-and-lynching-in-wytheville-raymond-arthur-byrd/
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2021-03-1906 minGenealogy AdventuresWhen the genealogy mistakes of others leads you astray: Elizabeth BartellotThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2013/11/27/when-the-genealogy-mistakes-of-others-leads-you-astray-elizabeth-bartellot/
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2021-03-1908 minGenealogy AdventuresWhy anglicizing immigrant ancestors’ names isn’t such a good idea.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2014/01/26/why-anglicizing-immigrant-ancestors-names-isnt-such-a-good-idea/
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2021-03-1902 minGenealogy AdventuresThe concepts of Race vs Culture – an introductionThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2014/02/18/the-concepts-of-race-vs-culture-an-introduction/
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2021-03-1903 minGenealogy AdventuresThe Concepts of Race vs Culture Pt 1: RaceThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2014/02/20/the-concepts-of-race-vs-culture-pt-1-race/
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2021-03-1909 minGenealogy AdventuresThe Concepts of Race vs Culture Pt 2: CultureThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2014/02/25/the-concepts-of-race-vs-culture-pt-2-culture/
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2021-03-1908 minGenealogy AdventuresTobias Roane: The Dark Side of EmancipationThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2014/07/16/tobias-roane-the-dark-side-of-emancipation/
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2021-03-1913 minGenealogy AdventuresFinding Jefferson Crockett Sheffey – a surprising link to Hampton UniversityThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2014/07/23/finding-jefferson-crockett-sheffey-a-surprising-link-to-hampton-university-3/
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2021-03-1907 minGenealogy AdventuresThe online etiquette of meeting newly discovered relations from different ethnic groupsThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2014/09/04/the-online-etiquette-of-meeting-newly-discovered-relations-from-different-ethnic-groups/
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2021-03-1906 minGenealogy AdventuresCan you really pinpoint DNA Ancestry in Africa to one tribe?This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2014/09/21/can-you-really-pinpoint-dna-ancestry-in-africa-to-one-tribe/
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2021-03-1908 minGenealogy AdventuresWhen ancestral documentation trumps belief: The Harling-Harlan-Harland familyThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2015/01/15/when-ancestral-documentation-trumps-belief-the-harling-harlan-harland-family/
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2021-03-1908 minGenealogy AdventuresLegislating Slavery in Virginia: Understanding William Henry RoaneThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2015/02/13/legislating-slavery-in-virginia-understanding-william-henry-roane/
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2021-03-1910 minGenealogy AdventuresMartha Ann Fowler Hill: Smashing genealogy walls with the correct maiden nameThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2015/04/07/martha-fowler-hill-smashing-genealogy-walls-with-the-correct-maiden-name/
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2021-03-1908 minGenealogy AdventuresIsaiah Francis Grubb & Melinda Straw: a tale of love across 19th Century colour linesThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2015/05/01/isaiah-franics-grubb-melinda-straw-a-tale-of-love-across-19th-century-colour-lines/
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2021-03-1907 minGenealogy AdventuresMy working practice for my African American genealogy researchThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2015/08/11/my-working-practice-for-my-african-american-genealogy-research/
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2021-03-1911 min
Genealogy AdventuresBlack in the USSR: The life of Joseph Jepthro RoanePolitics aside, Joseph found himself part of a group of African American expatriates who were encouraged by the Stalinist government in the 1930s to work in the Soviet Union building a society free of class and racism. And he tells a telling story with regards to the latter. The only experience of racism he ever experienced in the USSR was at the hands of fellow Americans, who were white, in a Moscow barbershop. Their white compatriots demanded that he and another African American leave. When Joseph relayed the request of the two gentlemen to the Russian barbers, the barbers...
2021-03-1907 minGenealogy AdventuresThe Roanes of Virginia: 2 families with the same surname. Are they related or not?This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2015/09/20/the-roanes-of-virginia-2-families-with-the-same-surname-are-they-related-or-not/
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2021-03-1912 minGenealogy AdventuresThe 1926 Lynching of Raymond Byrd Part IIThe August 1926 lynching of my second cousin twice removed, Raymond Arthur Byrd, remains one of my most-read posts. Every week. Thanks to Google Analytics, I've been able to monitor the reach with posts relating to Raymond's story. It doesn't surprise me that Black History/Studies academics have read it. I can gauge this from all of the readers accessing the original post from university computers (e.g. IPs associated with accounts like .edu and .ac.uk). The NAACP has certainly read it. As have journalists from CNN, Al Jazeera, the BBC the UK's Channel 4, Italy's La Repubblica and the F...
2021-03-1907 minGenealogy AdventuresAn American Quaker in Afghanistan: Josiah Harlan, Prince of Ghor19th Century Pennsylvania-born Quaker Josiah Harlan, Prince of Ghor (Afghanistan). He’s my second cousin quite a few times removed on my mother’s side of the family. The more I read about him, the more I feel he’s a kindred spirit. Restless in the times he lived in, definitely a non-conformist – he was a man who was never going to be a 9-5 white-collar office kind of guy; although that was very much the world he was born into. A man who reputedly inspired the main character in Rudyard Kipling's story The Man Who Would Be King.
Thi...
2021-03-1908 minGenealogy AdventuresQuakers & Slavery: 50 shades of grey and then someResearching my earliest African-descended ancestors and family in America has taken a decidedly left-field turn. Once again a foray into genealogy research has made me revise my knowledge of another aspect of American history. The subject matter? Quakers and slavery in the Colonial period and pre-Civil war period.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/02/18/quakers-slavery-50-shades-of-grey-and-then-some/
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2021-03-1917 minGenealogy AdventuresWhy I struggle with 'West Africa' as a genetic classificationThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/03/04/why-i-struggle-with-west-africa-as-a-genetic-classification/
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2021-03-1605 minGenealogy AdventuresHow the term 'Bantu' tripped up my genetic genealogy journeyThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/03/05/how-the-term-bantu-tripped-up-my-genetic-genealogy-journey/
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2021-03-1610 minGenealogy AdventuresJemimah Sheffey – figuring out family relationships via census recordsThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/03/18/jemimah-sheffey-the-founding-mother-of-african-american-sheffey-lines/
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2021-03-1608 minGenealogy AdventuresCan we really make assumptions about African American DNA admixtures?This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/04/01/can-we-really-make-assumptions-about-african-american-dna-admixtures/
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2021-03-1617 minGenealogy AdventuresThe mystery of Henry West (1608-1647)This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/04/30/the-mystery-of-henry-west-1608-1647/
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2021-03-1605 minGenealogy AdventuresFinding lost branches through obituariesThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/05/13/finding-lost-branches-through-obituaries/
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2021-03-1606 minGenealogy AdventuresWhen family history turns into a ‘Game of Thrones’ episodeThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/06/06/when-family-history-turns-into-a-game-of-thrones-episode/
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2021-03-1605 minGenealogy AdventuresGenetic Genealogy & Endogamy: Identifying the father of Cornelius White using DNA TriangulationThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/06/10/genetic-genealogy-endogamy-identifying-the-father-of-cornelius-white-using-dna-triangulation/
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2021-03-1612 min
Genealogy AdventuresDiscovering Pocahontas: A family surpriseThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/07/14/discovering-pocahontas-a-family-surprise/
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2021-03-1607 min
Genealogy Adventures1667: The year America was divided by race
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/07/19/1667-the-year-america-was-divided-by-race/
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2021-03-1626 minGenealogy AdventuresAmy Roan of Halifax, North Carolina: a mystery with some answersThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/09/09/amy-roane-of-halifax-north-carolina-a-mystery-with-some-answers/
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2021-03-1605 minGenealogy AdventuresFinding Reuben Byrd: free person of color & an American Revolutionary War veteranThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/09/19/finding-reuben-byrd-free-person-of-color-an-american-revolutionary-war-veteran/
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2021-03-1612 minGenealogy AdventuresMoses Byrd: A Revolutionary War musicianThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2016/10/21/moses-byrd-a-revolutionary-war-musician/
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2021-03-1610 min
Genealogy AdventuresAnn St. Clair of Wytheville, VA: Finding my lost connection to the St. Clair / Sinclair familyActually, the title of this post should have been finding my father’s and my sister’s connection to the St. Clair / Sinclair / Sinkler family. Their DNA tests have proved a long-held suspicion of mine. It doesn’t look like I inherited enough St. Clair DNA from my DNA test to prove it. That’s the autosomal DNA inheritance roll of the dice for you. If you’re also using DNA tests to confirm and/or discovery family connections, this is another reason to have a number of people from your immediate family do the old spit or swab in tube th...
2021-03-1608 minGenealogy AdventuresObituaries matter when it comes to genealogy researchEnter obituaries. Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that reading through hundreds of obituaries is more than a little morbid. But hey, we’re researching people who are no longer among us. So it’s part and parcel of the research that genealogists do. Believe it or not, obituaries are also a goldmine of information.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2017/01/19/obituaries-matter-when-it-comes-to-genealogy-research/
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2021-03-1606 min
Genealogy AdventuresPleasant Roane (Rowan) and the road to manumission in LynchburgI’ve been meaning to write about Pleasant Roane for quite a while. I’ve always felt badly that other research and other stories commanded my attention more, and overshadowed his tale. Well, as much of his tale as I’m aware of. It's quite the interesting tale.
I’ve also been surprised that I see to be the only Roane family descendant researching Pleasant. Mine is the only family tree in which he appears. This, in part, probably has to do with the obscurity of his origins. Any Roane would be proud to claim him.
So what p...
2021-03-1621 min
Genealogy AdventuresLeila Sheffey-Taylor: A life lived in the turn of the 20th Century black pressWhen it comes to Leila A “Storm” Sheffey, a cousin who descends from a different Sheffey line than mine, African American newspapers have revealed a story worthy of a Jane Austen romance: a plucky, astute, and educated heroine; solid middle class values; a trip; an illness; a society courtship; and a marriage. OK, this being an Austen story comparison…a good marriage.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2017/02/06/leila-sheffey-taylor-a-life-lived-in-the-turn-of-the-20th-century-black-press/
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2021-03-1606 min
Genealogy AdventuresThe Hale family of Virginia : Using Eastern Cherokee Applications to build family tree branchesThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2017/02/18/the-hale-family-of-virginia-using-eastern-cherokee-applications-to-build-family-tree-branches/
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2021-03-1613 min
Genealogy AdventuresPerry Sheffey: snippets of a life played out in the early years of ReconstructionThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2017/03/06/perry-sheffey-snippets-of-a-life-played-out-in-the-early-years-of-reconstruction/
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2021-03-1613 min
Genealogy AdventuresWhy diversity matters for online genealogy service providersI diagrammed the movement of enslaved people from one Williams family member to another. Every deed, every Will, every estate inventory, and every tax record citing enslaved people received its own diagrammed work-up. I would make notes linking individual enslaved people from transaction to transaction. I had dozens of sheets of paper in no time at all. Which was fine for me. However, I needed to share this information with an entire research team. Creating a PDF document from dozens of scanned pages wasn’t going to cut it.
This episode is also available as a blog pos...
2021-03-1616 min
Genealogy AdventuresUsing church names and obits to find your ancestors in rural areasWhen it came to dealing with a family tree that is exploding in size due to the Moses Williams Project…I had to think of another way of finding the records I needed for specific individuals myself and the project team has been researching.
A different approach hit me out of the blue.
My Old Ninety-Six ancestors and family worshiped at specific churches. Churches like Springfield Baptist Church, Liberty Springs Baptist Church, and Shaws Creek Baptist Church were established and built by members of my family. Their descendants still worship at these churches to this day. T...
2021-03-1606 min
Genealogy AdventuresCritical Thinking: An important skill in genealogy researchCritical thinking is part of my basic toolkit in terms of life skills. It’s no wonder considering I minored in philosophy as part of my university degree. Critical thinking is one of the cornerstones of philosophy. It’s a skill that I apply to pretty much every aspect of my life. It is also the bedrock of my genealogical work.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2017/07/24/critical-thinking-an-important-skill-in-genealogy-research/
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2021-03-1609 min
Genealogy AdventuresVisiting MonticelloI had the opportunity to visit Monticello the other day. Considering my recent trip where I visited some of my Roane family relations on another plantation in Louisiana, I knew It was going to be a day of mixed emotions.
While I knew Monticello sat atop a mountain, it never occurred to me exactly what went into its actual construction. Enter our (amazing) tour guide, Mary. One of the first things she told our tour group was that it had taken hundreds of enslaved people to literally level the uppermost part of the mountain in order to...
2021-03-1606 min
Genealogy AdventuresUsing maps in your genealogy researchI thought I would share a quick article about maps…and how you can use them as part of your genealogical research practice.
I spent a hot minute or three chatting about how I use maps during my keynote talk at the Le Comité des Archives de la Louisiana- hosted genealogy conference in Lafayette, Louisiana.
My first stop during this part of my talk was introducing how I used maps to research my different enslaved Sheffey ancestral groups in southwest Virginia
This episode is also available as a blog post: htt...
2021-03-1606 min
Genealogy AdventuresWill the real parents of Reuben Holloway (1740-1806) please stand up?I have a gentleman in my family's ancestry who is causing myself, and the whole Genealogy Adventures team, one enormous headache. He is my 6x great grandfather, Reuben Holloway. He falls on my mother's maternal side of the family tree. His story is typical. While we know quite a bit about his life in Edgefield, we know little about his life before he arrived in that county. We know nothing about his childhood.
The problem with Reuben has everything to do with correctly identifying his parents.
This episode is also available as a blog post...
2021-03-1610 min
Genealogy AdventuresWhen black and white DNA cousins meet online: A tale of two very different experiencesI knew before I began this journey that I was going to have a multitude of white relations who would be utterly unknown to me. How? From my complexion, my freckles, my hair, and just about every other external aspect of my being…there was more than enough evidence of it. If I had any doubts, all I need do is to look at the wide circle of my immediate family. The evidence of numerous cross-ethnic unions down the generations abound.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2017/10/07/when-black-and-white-dna-cousins-meet-online-a-tale-of-two-very-different-experiences/
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2021-03-1609 min
Genealogy AdventuresWilliam Holloway, Martha Branson and Phebe Crispin: A genealogical game of hide and seekMy maternal Quaker Holloway family has begun to rival my maternal Quaker Harlan/Harling family, my paternal and maternal Quaker White family, and my paternal and maternal Ulster Scots and Scottish Stuart/Stewart family in terms of size and importance. These four families are enormous. Together, they connect me to a mind-blowing number of Americans from all walks of life. The sheer number of DNA cousins I have through these four families makes my head spin at times.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2017/10/13/william-holloway-martha-branson-phebe-crispin-a-genealogical-game-of-hide-and-seek/
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2021-03-1612 min
Genealogy AdventuresPlaying genealogical hide and go seek with Col. Thomas Pettus (abt. 1598-1663)Few of my ancestors' genealogies are as contentious as my 10x great-grandfather, Colonel Thomas Pettus, born abt 1598 in England (either London or the County of Norfolk). His lineage has sparked fierce debates among American genealogists for two centuries. One of the problems is the sheer volumes of Thomases in the Pettus family. It is incredibly easy to get them confused.
Then there is the debate about whether he married Ko Oke "Jane" Powhatan, a daughter of Matoake (better known as Pocahontas) and her first husband, Kocoum. While there is a European-descended researcher group who have challenged the...
2021-03-1609 min
Genealogy AdventuresEndogamy: Or how an entire county can be relatedEndogamy features heavily in my family tree. From my Quaker and Jewish ancestors, to the big enslavers who formed the American South's elite, to my ancestors of more modest means who lived in rural areas...cousins married cousins for centuries. My Pamunkey ancestors also weren't averse to marrying cousins to help support and maintain peace.
Continue this practice of cousin marriages for long enough, and if you remain in the same county as your ancestors, it doesn't take long - 2 to 3 generations - for most, if not all, of a county to be related. Let's take a...
2021-03-1603 min
Genealogy AdventuresEndogamy on the plantationToday I am going to spend a little time discussing endogamy -the practice of generations of cousin marriages - within a specific context. Enslaved African-descended people toiled across every pre-industrialized sphere. While I have uncovered small numbers of enslaved kin who laboured in mines, aboard paddle boats, were dock workers, or manufacturing; the vast majority were enslaved within an agricultural context. That is the sphere the majority of my research has focused upon. It's what I know. Hence the somewhat narrow scope of this article.
Before I delve into the topic of this article, I'd like to...
2021-03-1607 min
Genealogy AdventuresUsing military draft cards to find your kin during the post US Civil War migration periodsMilitary draft cards were essential to unlocking the mystery of which family lines moved elsewhere in the US - and when they moved there.
One clue to the extent of these migrations within my family is the sheer number of entire family groups who seemingly fell off the face of the earth after the 1870 Federal Census, and accompanying state census records for the same time period. They had to have gone somewhere. The question was: where? I bounced a few ideas around about how to find these missing families. Then it hit me: WWI and WWII draft...
2021-03-1607 min
Genealogy AdventuresNewspapers.com, Boolean search strings, and finding lost post Civil War ancestral linesI always enjoy genealogy research conference calls with my Edgefield-connected cousins Donya, Sheila, and Loretta. They are always illuminating. Nine times out of ten, we can solve whatever thorny genealogical conundrum we're faced with at the time. During a recent call with our cousin Donya, Loretta reminded me of a research strategy I had used to employ regularly...and had simply fallen out the habit of doing.
The research strategy Loretta reminded me of was doing very broad searches using Newspapers.com.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2018/01/14/newspapers-com-boolean-search-strings-and-finding-lost-post-civil-war-ancestral-lines/
2021-03-1607 min
Genealogy AdventuresGhosts in the DNA: The lost diversity of early colonial VirginiaNestled along the James River, Varina is a remote and quiet part of Virginia. Its vast tracts of rich farmland provide no indication that this region was once the epicenter of early colonial Virginia. Nor are there any hints that three cultures - British, Native American, and African - did more than play out parts of a deeply troubled history. They merged. That these cultures met and mixed is not in question. History books are filled with accounts of skirmishes between British immigrants and the Native American tribes who called this land home. History books also tell us of...
2021-03-1616 min
Genealogy AdventuresCuffy Pleasants: A journey from slavery to freedom in 1772An essential aspect of genealogy is the acceptance, more than understanding, that the ancestors will not let us be. It is as though the very act of researching the ancestors is akin to approaching a still lake with a serene and undisturbed surface which provides no inkling or clues to its depth.
Diving into that pool, and disrupting that flat surface, sends ripples and rings that flow outward in all directions. That act of disruption, and the tandem ripping rings, act as calling cards to the ancestors. Once you begin the research, and the names, histories, and...
2021-03-1607 min
Genealogy AdventuresPiecing together enslaved family relations at MonticelloIn order to understand the history of the EPs Thomas Jefferson sold to his brother-in-law, John Bolling, I needed to find out more about them while they were with Jefferson. I was able to achieve this via discovering a digitized copy of Jefferson's Farm Book: a ledger where he noted all manner of things about the EPs held by him. It is genuinely a genealogical goldmine in terms of Jefferson EP family research.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2018/09/24/piecing-together-enslaved-family-relations-at-monticello/
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2021-03-1610 min
Genealogy AdventuresThe 1898 Phoenix Riot: Essex Harrison, Eliza Goode, and South Carolina’s black voter suppressionThe current reports of black voter suppression in North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida have made me revisit two late 19th Century South Carolina voter suppression riots. These riots had tragic and devastating impacts on my Old Ninety Six District, South Carolina kinsmen and women: The Parksville Riot (1884) and The Phoenix Riot (1889), which would see scores of extended family lynched, indiscriminately murdered, or run out the state.
I have already written about the Parksville Riot, and how that black voter suppression-fuelled riot impacted on my Yeldell cousins. In this article, I will discuss how the Phoenix Riot led t...
2021-03-1624 min
Genealogy AdventuresResearch case study: My lost connection to Thomas “The Immigrant” Christian of Charles City County, VirginiaIf you have been a regular follower of my recent genealogy adventures, you will know the past few months have seen me eyeball deep researching my father's ancient maternal roots along the James River corridor in Virginia. I have previously written about this journey in the article Ghosts in the DNA: The lost diversity of early colonial Virginia (https://genealogyadventures.net/2018/07/23/ghosts-in-the-dna-the-lost-diversity-of-early-colonial-virginia).
Unravelling this tale has resulted in some side journeys as I research the enslavers, and their enslaved people, who lived along the James River. Both the enslaved, and their enslavers, are my ancestors. Researching either gr...
2021-03-1615 min
Genealogy AdventuresCase Study Part 2: Attempting to break through Thomas “The Immigrant” Christian’s brick wallThe Genealogy Adventures geneticists are currently grappling with the DNA segmentation and sequencing work necessary to confirm the identity of the white Christian family male who is my 4x great grandfather. Whoever he turns out to be, DNA is ultimately pointing towards Thomas "The Immigrant" Christian (born about 1630, United Kingdom, and died in Virginia) as his direct ancestor.
While they are busy beavering away at their monumental task, I'm picking up the gauntlet to determine the identity of Thomas Christian's parents. This is an equally monumental task. Thomas Christian has presented his American descendants with a centuries-old...
2021-03-1611 min
Genealogy AdventuresConfirming Jason Futrell of Rich Square, Northampton County, NC as my 4x great grandfatherThe new suite of genealogical and DNA analytical tools from MyHeritage has literally knocked my ancestry out of the park these past few days. The online service's The Theory of Family Relativity Tool and AutoClusters obliterated four of my most stubborn ancestral brick walls...and confirmed the identity of a man I have long suspected to be my 4x great grandfather.
This article is about that all-important ancestral confirmation.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2019/03/06/confirming-jason-futrell-of-rich-square-northampton-county-nc-as-my-4x-great-grandfather/
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2021-03-1605 min
Genealogy AdventuresHow well do DNA testing services’ analytical tools handle DNA matches for highly admixed people?It shouldn't come as a surprise that the new analytical and research tools have generated quite a bit of commentary online: ranging from euphoric to harsh. While the merits of ThruLines, AutoClusters, and ToFR are being discussed and debated, I am going to share my thoughts from a perspective that isn't being discussed within the wider genetic genealogical community.
How well do DNA testing services' analytical tools handle DNA matches for highly admixed people?
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2019/03/10/how-well-do-dna-testing-services-analytical-tools-handle-dna-matches-for-highly-admixed-people/
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2021-03-1606 min
Genealogy AdventuresRobert E Lee, Slavery, and 1859: The Spring of his DiscontentGen. Robert E. Lee and confederate statues are back in the news again. His statues have generated fierce commentary online. As I’ve watched the furious back and forth between those committed to pulling his statues down, and those equally committed to ensuring they remain where they are, one voice is lacking in the debate: a voice advocating for the nearly 200 enslaved souls on the properties he was tasked with administering as an executor for George Washington Parke Custis.
I will be the voice that advocates for them today.
This episode is also available as a...
2021-03-1645 min
Genealogy AdventuresCase study: Creating a research strategy to find my lost connection to Maj. Pierce Butler’s enslaved peopleThere are times when the work of other genealogy researchers inspires you to undertake some deep research of your own. I am in one of the research phases now. My distant Irish DNA cousin, Martine Brennan – we are still trying to determine the identity of our common Irish ancestors – reached out to me to discuss academic research she was undertaking about Irish enslavers in the American colonies and the early Republic. Her main focus is on the Butler family of Charleston, South Carolina, and the islands of Georgia. Specifically, her work focuses on Maj Pierce Butler, and his grandson, Pier...
2021-03-1511 min
Genealogy AdventuresAdapting the Beyond Kin approach + cluster genealogy to research poorly documented ancestorsFor clarity, records such as birth certificates or announcements; christening and baptism records; marriage contracts, marriage deeds or marriage certificates; bastardy bonds; death records; family bibles; property deeds; and the like are direct means of finding vital information about your ancestors which satisfy genealogical standards of proof.
Problems arise when the ancestors we are researching never possessed or left records that would satisfy the genealogical standards of proof.
When it comes to ancestors who were enslaved - or were pioneers / frontier people, traders - or simply illiterate - finding evidence of their existence is problematic. T...
2021-03-1512 min
Genealogy AdventuresCracking genetic genealogy cold cases with incorrect AncestryDNA ThruLinesNow that I have some spare time while the books are with the editors, I wanted to share an accidental discovery I made using AncestryDNA’s ThruLines. Or, in other words, this is how I made a genealogical discovery via inaccurate information provided from an erroneous ThruLine.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2020/01/08/cracking-genetic-genealogy-cold-cases-with-incorrect-ancestrydna-thrulines/
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2021-03-1507 min
Genealogy AdventuresWriting and Publishing Your Family History – Part 4 of 4: Choosing Your Publishing PlatformAt the time of writing this, genealogists are spoiled for choice when it comes to publishing their family histories. Your research can take the form of a book, an e-book (e.g., Kindle), a series of website articles, a movie, a family history newsletter, or a documentary, or an audio podcast. If you decide to write a book, you have the option of self-publishing.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2020/03/22/writing-and-publishing-your-family-history-part-3-of-4-choosing-your-publishing-platform/
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2021-03-1507 min
Genealogy AdventuresWriting and Publishing Your Family History – Part 3 of 4: Choose Hero / Protagonist Type & Supporting CastEvery story is led by either a hero, protagonist or anti-hero. What's the difference between these three? A hero, male or female, saves the day. A hero can be the main character - just like a protagonist. Heros combat adversity through feats of courage, strength, or ingenuity. Modern heroes, who perform great deeds or selfless acts for the common good, have moved on from the classical hero model whose focus was the goal of wealth, fame, or pride.
A protagonist is always the main character in a drama. However, unlike a hero, a protagonist does not always do...
2021-03-1503 min
Genealogy AdventuresWriting and Publishing Your Family History – Part 2 of 4: Choose Your PlotThe structure of a book depends on the organization of events in the plot of the story. So what, exactly, is a plot? A plot is a term that is used to describe the events that make up a story. In short, the plot is the main part of a story. These events relate to each other in a sequence or a pattern of events or experiences.
The plot is the foundation of a story. It's the focal point around which a writer builds his or her characters and story settings. Why is it a focal point...
2021-03-1511 min
Genealogy AdventuresWriting and Publishing Your Family History – Part 1 of 4: Understand Your StoryWriting your family's story might seem like a daunting task. However, just like genealogical research and creating a genealogy research strategy - writing success comes down to planning, strategy, research, understanding the process, and perseverance.
This series of articles will explore how to write a compelling narrative non-fiction family history book - as opposed to a lineage or pedigree style family history book.
So let's begin at the beginning and contemplate some fundamental aspects of writing a family history book.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2020/03/25/writing-and-publishing-your-family-history-part-1...
2021-03-1504 min
Genealogy AdventuresAncestry’s DNA Match Add ToolCredit for this discovery goes to my cousin and co-host, Donya Williams. This latest addition to Ancestry's DNA tools was so subtle that I missed it. At the time of writing this article, this little tool remains unnamed. In the interest of referring to it by a specific name, I refer to it as the Ancestry DNA Match Add Tool (DMA Tool, for short).
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2020/07/01/ancestrys-dna-match-add-tool/
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2021-03-1509 min
Genealogy AdventuresUsing Slave Lists in Your Enslaved Ancestors ResearchWhen it comes to researching enslaved people, finding the slavery-related documents they may appear in is a critical part of this type of research. That’s pretty self-evident. What may not be so readily apparent is deciphering the information that is contained in these documents. An enslaver’s probate records – his or her last will and testament, codicils, and estate inventories – are pretty straightforward documents. If the genealogy gods are with us, these documents can also spell out family relationships among the enslaved people who are cited in probate records.
Random lists of enslaved people are where things c...
2021-03-1512 min
Genealogy AdventuresCase Study: Researching Enslaved People Taken or Sold DownriverBrian Sheffey is working on a paid research case that has gripped his interest. One reason why this case intrigues him is it is very different from the research he has done for his own family. On both of his parents’ side of the family tree that involves enslaved people, his parents’ enslaved ancestors were kept mainly within their respective enslaving families. Their direct ancestors also rarely left the colony or state where they were enslaved.
The case he is working on couldn’t be more different. It involves the multiple movements of enslaved people across the nascen...
2021-03-1518 min
Genealogy AdventuresUsing the Beyond Kin Methodology for Poorly Documented FPOC & Homesteading AncestorsIn short, this method of adding enslaved populations of people to a family tree was a revolutionary development. You can see a real-world example of this methodology in practice on the Genealogy Adventures family tree on Ancestry.com.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://genealogyadventures.net/2020/11/09/using-the-beyond-kin-methodology-for-poorly-documented-fpoc-homesteading-ancestors/
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2021-03-1512 min
Genealogy AdventuresResearching Poorly Documented Ancestors: Harriet Roberts (Northampton County, NC)While we, as researchers, endeavour to provide a solid paper trail to document familial relationships - there are times these records simply don't exist. So we have to rely on whatever paper trail we can uncover, and then use deductive reasoning and critical thinking to fill in the gaps. It's not ideal, however, poorly documented ancestors didn't know they would have descendants looking for them over a century later. And then write our discoveries and research rationale and add this information as a report to the poorly documented ancestors in our tress to enable other researchers to follow our i...
2021-03-1513 min
Genealogy AdventuresGrappling with Old Fake News in Genealogy ResearchAnyone with a nodding familiarity of national elections from 2016 to today in western societies is familiar with the phrase fake news. Much has been written about fake news and how destructive these “news” pieces can be. It never occurred to me that fake news could throw a serious wrench in genealogical research. Or, at the very least, how fake news of yesteryear can lead a researcher down a deep – and ultimately fruitless – rabbit hole in the quest for historical evidence in the search for ancestors.
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2021-03-1514 min
Genealogy AdventuresS04 E06: The 2020 Election, Voting History, And GenealogyUnfortunately, our scheduled guest wasn't able to join us at the last minute. So this episode is an extemporaneous discussion about the outcome of the 2020 Election, the history of voting in the USA for African Americans and women, and how all of this relates to genealogy.As our regular viewers are aware, Donya and Brian are big believers in the connection between genealogy and history.There is one fact check - a result of not having show notes due to this being an extemporaneous show topic. Brian mentioned a landowning North Carolina ancestor who was a free person of color...
2020-11-101h 01
From Paper To PeopleInterview with Brian Sheffey about AncestryDNAThis episode is super-sized, because the topic is that important: racism in genealogy and the new AncestryDNA policy that will eliminate all matches below 8cM for all users. I mention the multiple hacks and security breaches on genealogy and DNA websites within the past week, too. But more than anything, this episode allows my cousin, Brian Sheffey, to discuss his experience with multi-ethnic DNA matches and finding evidence of the identities of white ancestors among free black and enslaved ancestors in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This is why I am upset about Ancestry's tone-deaf policy - it...
2020-07-251h 12
From Paper To PeopleInterview with Brian Sheffey about AncestryDNAThis episode is super-sized, because the topic is that important: racism in genealogy and the new AncestryDNA policy that will eliminate all matches below 8cM for all users. I mention the multiple hacks and security breaches on genealogy and DNA websites within the past week, too. But more than anything, this episode allows my cousin, Brian Sheffey, to discuss his experience with multi-ethnic DNA matches and finding evidence of the identities of white ancestors among free black and enslaved ancestors in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This is why I am upset about Ancestry's tone-deaf policy...
2020-07-251h 12
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe Moses Williams Project with Brian SheffeyJoin Brian Sheffey for a discussion of the research behind the Moses Williams Project where he will discuss the numerous repositories and databases accessed in the course of researching his life to-date. Brian Sheffey has expertise in Genetic Genealogy, mid-Atlantic & Southern genealogical research, with an emphasis on the intersection of white, black, and Native American genealogy. He has used his research knowledge to solve cases of unknown parentage from Colonial America to the present day utilizing DNA and paper trail evidence. He has deep ancestral roots in colonial Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, as well as the early Kentucky and Tenn...
2020-07-1642 min
The Genealogy Professional podcast with Host Marian Pierre-Louis – Interviews with Experienced GenealogistsTGP 58: Brian Sheffey - AuthorJoin me as we follow the journey of Brian Sheffey from advertising and marketing executive to catching the genealogy bug. Hear how he transformed his life to become a genealogy professional, published author and YouTube host. Direct link to the show notes: https://www.thegenealogyprofessional.com/brian-sheffey
2020-06-2246 min
Family Tree Magazine PodcastSimple Steps to Practical Genealogy – An Interview With Brian Sheffey: Episode 138Host Lisa Louise Cooke interviews Brian Sheffey, author of the book Practical Genealogy: 50 Simple Steps to Research Your Diverse Family History. Listen for practical tips you can apply to your work, plus much more.
2020-06-1742 min
Genealogy AdventuresS03 E27 GA Live: A Talk About Racism with Anti-Racist Activism & writer Tim WiseIn this episode, we chat with the anti-racist activist, essayist, and author - Tim Wise. He discusses the importance of understanding the historical context of racism in the USA, understanding the past, social justice, and the weight of the past that weighs heavily upon the present when it comes to race.Co-hosts Donya and Brian add a genealogical and historical perspective to the topics Tim covers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures.
2020-06-011h 02
Genealogy AdventuresS03 E25 Genealogy Adventures Live: A Talk about Racism with Special Guest, Jane ElliottJane Elliott is known worldwide for her "Blue Eyes Brown Eyes" racism exercise. She is an internationally known educator, feminist, and anti-racism activist.In response to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jane Elliott , a 3rd grade teacher at the time, created the "Blue Eyes Brown Eyes" exercise. It is a teaching exercise that has brought her international acclaim and notoriety. Her courageous stand in 1968 created an eye-color based exercise that made white children the victims of the racism that is so pervasive in American society.Jane discusses her groundbreaking Brown Eye – Blue Eye racism teaching exercise…and the rele...
2020-05-181h 08
Genealogy AdventuresS03 E20: Black American Heroines The African American Women Of US Journalism With Maya MillettBlack women journalists dared to wield their pens in the names of truth and justice. At a time when all women were discouraged from engaging in “unladylike” activities like politics, black women of the American press were boldly writing about racial justice, gender equality, and political reform.Join Brian Sheffey & Donya Williams as we chat with writer & editor Maya Millet about the black women who were pioneers in American journalism. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures.
2020-03-151h 01
Genealogy AdventuresS03 E19: Women of the American Revolution with DAR's Clare MarshallJoin Brian Sheffey & Donya Williams online this Sunday as we chat with the Elizabeth Lewis from the Daughters of the American Revolution about some of the women who were part of the American Revolution.We don’t want to give away any spoilers…but Clare has one heck of a story to tell about one woman in particular!! It’s simply jaw-dropping. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures.
2020-03-081h 08
Genealogy AdventuresS03 E13 Genealogy Adventures Live: Researching Slavery Disrupted Family TreesWe;re back after our winter break!In this episode, the author, genealogist and founder of the popular Roots Revealed website (https://rootsrevealed.com/author/melvinjcollier228596363) joins Donya and Brian to discuss researching slavery-disrupted family trees. We also chat about why black genealogical research is an important part of documenting American history through bringing our enslaved ancestors' stories to light.As always, we drop some knowledge about research strategies and sources of research information.Join us live every Sunday at 4pm EST via:1. https://listenvision.com/wlvs-radio OR2. https://www.facebook.com/genealogyadventuresusa See acast.com/privacy for...
2020-01-2758 min
Genealogy AdventuresS02 E10 GA Live African American Research Strategies with Special Guest Natonne KempJoin Brian and Donya as we talk with Genealogist and Author Natonne Kemp. We will discuss strategies on researching especially during the 1890s as well as her book "There is Something About Edgefield: Shining a Light on the Black Community through History, Genealogy & Genetic DNA" co-authored with the late E. Gail Bush.See you every Sunday at 4pm EST - live on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/genealogyadventuresusa See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures.
2019-12-021h 10
Genealogy AdventuresS01 E10 Genealogy Adventures Live Why Changing State County Boundary Lines MatterGA Live S01 E09: Why Changing State & County Boundary Lines MatterIn this episide, co-hosts Brian Sheffey and Donya Williams - and special guest Loretta Bellamy - chat about how shifting state and county lines can affect your genealogy research. Not knowing how the boundaries of colonial territories, states, and counties radically shifted over time can seriously trip you up when it comes to researching your ancestry. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking about one of my ancestors who seemed to bounce between two states and three counties. Not a bit of it. He occupied the same parcel of land for...
2018-07-161h 03
Genealogy AdventuresS01 E09 GenealogGeney Adventures Live Pushing Beyond The 1870 Census To Find Your Enslaved AncestorsYou've made it to the 1870 U.S. Federal Census...and now you have no idea of what to do or where to go to research your enslaved ancestors. "What do I do now?" is a question we continually see in countless Facebook African-American centric genealogy groups on Facebook, or letters to The Root.We're doing this broadcast with you in mind.Join host Brian Sheffey and Donya Williams - with our special guest, librarian Sharon Rowe - as we share the tips, tricks, and research resources we've used to smash through slavery era brick walls.Join Genealogy Adventures Live the 1...
2018-07-021h 32
Genealogy AdventuresS01 E04 Genealogy Adventures Live First Contact With DNA Cousins Of A Different Race or EthnicitySo you've taken a DNA test....and discovered you have cousins who don't look like you or pray like you. This shouldn't be seen as the end of the world. Nor should it feel like the worst thing to happen to you in the entirety of your life.It's an opportunity.When it comes to Americans, it's an opportunity to cross the rubicon and actually reach out to people you may not ordinarily speak to. As well as an opportunity to learn more about your family's journey and history.Here at Genealogy Adventures, we have tales about the good, the...
2018-04-241h 03
Genealogy AdventuresS01 E02 Working With Your DNA Test ResultsIn our second episode, co-hosts (and cousins!) Brian Sheffey and Donya Williams talk about:* The difference between mtDNA, YDNA, and autosomal DNA;* General ways you can work with the different types of DNA;* What they learned about themselves through DNA testing;* How DNA results and paper trail genealogy work together; and* Some easy ways to start working on your 3rd and 4th cousin matches to figure out who your common ancestors were. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/genealogy-adventures.
2018-02-191h 09