What can a professional genealogist do for you?
Discover your family history with the help of a professional genealogist
Your Ancestors & Family History
Who were your ancestors? You might not know (yet), but assuredly there are interesting stories from their lives waiting to be discovered. A precise list of names and dates of life events is essential to make your ancestry clear, but we also think that telling the story of your ancestors’ lives is what makes studying family history so fascinating. We take pride in helping you understand your roots through an exploration of the people who came before you, and through helping you understand their times, places they lived, and life circumstances.
To see what this discovery might look like for you, check out the services we offer, or keep reading below to understand more about what our company can do for you, or as a gift for your loved ones.
Your Family Tree
Reconstructing your past is not limited to tracing your immediate ancestors. Understanding your roots is enriched by seeing the big picture: cousins, uncles and aunts, great-great-great-great-grandparents, siblings, second cousins, and spouses. The lives of each generation in your family were shaped by all the lives that came before as well as those that surrounded them in their lifetimes. Have you wondered who your great-grandfather’s cousin might have been? Or maybe how many siblings your great-great grandmother had? Have you been wondering how far back you can trace your ancestry? Or if there are history-making figures hidden in your roots? Or maybe you’ve heard a story passed down through the generations about a distant relative and you’d like to prove that you are related to this person. There are always surprising discoveries to be made when tracing your genealogy.
A family tree makes a great gift for loved ones, and it can help you discover particularly fascinating areas of your genealogy just waiting to be explored.
Understanding Your Ancestors’ Lives
Have you been wondering what the lives of your ancestors were like? Why and how did they immigrate from Europe? What were their occupations in the old and new countries? What languages did they speak at home? What did they possess, and how did their daily lives change throughout the course of historical events? Locating your ancestors lives in the context of historical processes and changes, and understanding their daily lives are some of the most important aspects of our work since, for us, the history of every family is a part of history as a whole.
Immigration from Europe
Tracing your ancestors back to Europe might be challenging. From where did they originally come? What were their names in the original spelling(s)? How and when did they come to the U.S.? Did they go through Ellis Island? Did they change their family name? To where did they move? How did they make their way in a new country? Discovering their precise original location(s) in Europe is one of our specialities.
Finding Missing Persons from the Past
Maybe you know some or most of your ancestors but have been wondering what happened to some person related to your family. Maybe someone is missing in your family tree, or maybe you don’t know much about a particular person. We can help you find missing persons from the past.
An Ancestor’s Biography
A person’s life—filled with events and places, people and obligations, caught up in the events of history—can be a fascinating and exciting story, whether they lived for many decades or just a short time. Would you like to learn more about a particular ancestor or deceased relative? Where did the person live? At which addresses did he or she work or go to school? What was his or her occupation and family situation? Maybe your ancestor served in the army, or maybe he or she participated in some famous event, or maybe he or she was involved in some completely forgotten yet still fascinating event. Our ancestors built lives and legacies which undergird us in the present day. We can research a particular ancestor’s life and describe it for you.
Identification of a Person
Meeting two persons bearing the same name is not uncommon, but separating data related to a dozen “John Smiths” might be challenging. We can find information for you about a particular person, give proof of their identity, and discern information related particularly to them.
House History
We have special houses we call home. It might be our current residence, the house we grew up in, or some other building significant for us. It’s fascinating to discover when and for whom it was built, or who lived there in the more- and less-distant past. We can research the history of a particular building for you.
Historical Context
Everyone lives in a particular context of political and social events. What was the impact of historical events on the lives of your ancestors? We can help you understand the historical forces which shaped their lives and locate them in the perspective of great historical events.
Deciphering Old Handwriting & Providing Translations
Do you have old documents, correspondence you inherited, or documents you found during your research and would like to read them but are having a tough time discerning the handwriting or old typography? We can decipher old handwriting and elaborate typefaces in multiple European languages. We can provide you with a precise transcript of the original and a translation into English of the whole document, or just an excerpt of the crucial information, according to your needs. We have experience with documents and languages in the following countries:
- Austria
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Czechia (Czech Republic)
- Denmark
- England
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Romania
- Russia
- Scotland
- Slovakia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- Wales
Our Support to Your Research
Did you come across a complex problem that might require professional help? Have you come face to face with a brick wall in your research? Do you need consultation on how to proceed? Or support in solving a problem with foreign repositories? We can help you overcome problems in your research, suggesting ways of solving problems, and even recommend further reading or resources.
New York Repositories
Do you need to research particular collections in repositories in New York City or nearby? We are located in Westchester county, just north of the City, and can provide assistance obtaining with materials you need.
Other Databases and Repositories
We know that finding relevant collections in on-site repositories might be complicated. We also know that navigating both U.S. and foreign databases might be challenging. We are experienced in research in different countries and various archives. Let us help you in your research.
