Arklow is a seaport, market town and parish, in the county of Wicklow, 46 miles [south] from Dublin, 11 [southeast] from Rathdrum, and 10 [north] from Gorey; situated on the…
Find Your Family!
In Search of Margaret Martin
On a certain Sunday, I formed one of the congregation assembled in the chapel of a large metropolitan Workhouse. With the exception of the clergyman and clerk, and a very…
Dandelions in the Wind: Jane Brack and John Colclough in Australia
They cut desire into short lengths And fed it to the hungry fire of courage, Long after—when the flames died— Molten gold gleamed in the ashes. They gathered it into…
Ireland and the Great Famine of Records: How to Find Your Irish Ancestors
I recently taught a class on how to manage family history work in Ireland. Researching family in Ireland is quite a challenge but it can be done, and it can…
A Study: Anthony Brack and His House at Puck’s Castle
Long ago the echo of their footfalls faded. Time continues to erode the imprint of their passage. Perhaps they could not read nor write, and left no personal records or…
Beware the DNA, My Son!
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. “Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws…
My DNA Test Is Back—Now What?
The test kit comes in the mail! So exciting! You spit and spit and send it off, and wait seemingly forever for the test results. Finally the day comes! The…
Which DNA Kit is Best?
So you want to give Great Aunt Sophia a DNA test for her birthday! That’s a GREAT idea! (Although Aunt Sophia may actually prefer chocolate.) Now the questions begin—What kind…
Read All about It: William Martin Goes Yukon!
What do you do when you can’t find records from the usual sources: birth, marriage, death, and census? Of course there are plenty of other places to look, including land…
Find Your Family: Around Cape Horn and Back Again!
Ebenezer Darling was born in Thompson, Connecticut in 1818. He grew up around textile mills, began working in them as a boy, and by 1847 co-owned the Drake and Darling…