DNA will not solve all your genealogical research problems and your DNA test results will not spit out every precise relationship you have with other testers. It can confirm close relationships relatively easily–parent/child or sibling, etc. Certain types of DNA testing can confirm more distant connections along certain biological lines (mitochondrial for direct maternal and […]

Witnesses to a document can confuse some genealogists. Witnesses are simply saying that they saw the individual who was actually signing (and executing) the document sign the document and that the person signing the document was the person they were purporting to be and that they were able to execute such a document. Witnesses usually […]

This will be the first in a series of relatively short posts on pitfalls and things to watch for in specific types of records. Remember that any record can contain an error anywhere due to oversight, human error, or individuals who give “creative answers.”  These comments are suggestive–not exhaustive. Ancestral wills, while a valuable source, […]