Cost-Free Service

Hiring a professional genealogist is expensive. So too is subscribing to sites such as Ancestry. Even those services that cost nothing, such as FamilySearch and AncestryLibrary, require research skills to find and make sense of the records available there.

This means that a lot of people are denied access to their own family history simply because they don’t have the means to pay for it. That’s not right.

Family history helps us make sense of where we came from and where we are now. Not only is this important for adults; it matters for children, too. According to academic studies, “The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem and the more successfully they believed their families functioned.”

For all these reasons, Black Sheep Genealogy offers a cost-free service for those who would not otherwise have access to this kind of work. Every two months we choose one applicant to receive 20 hours of research and writing, a value of $1,000.

See below for how to apply.

How to Apply

It’s simple. Click on this online form or send an email to bsheepgen@gmail.com answering the following questions:

  • What do you already know about your family?
    This might include the names of grandparents or great-grandparents, or places the family has lived. Perhaps there are stories that have been passed down through the generations.

  • What do you want to know?
    Do you have any specific questions you hope to have answered? Are you interested in a particular relative’s life and times, or maybe a kinship mystery, such as the identity of an ancestor?

  • Are you interested in DNA testing?

  • Why is it important to you to learn more about your family’s history?

If you have any questions for us, put those in your email as well.

What You’ll Receive

Using your application as a guide, I will conduct my research using the various genealogical tools and resources at my disposal. As with any genealogical work, research is limited by the availability of records, and I cannot always predict what and how much will be found. Rest assured that your family history will receive the same attention and curiosity as all of our other clients.

Once the research is completed, I will present what I find in a report that includes relationships, sources, and historical context. Where possible, I include relevant images and family trees. It will be authoritative, well written, and available digitally. We can also meet in person or by video call to discuss what I found and how I found it.

If you choose to test your DNA, two to three of your twenty research hours will be transferred to the cost of the kit and the time spent analyzing the results. If you have already done the test but would like help interpreting the results, we’re happy to help.

You may also exchange some of your hours for basic instruction on how to use free genealogical resources. That way you can continue your investigation when Black Sheep’s work is done.

For work samples, see the bottom of this page or check out our services page.

Deadlines

Applications are due on the tenth day of every even-numbered month:

  • February 10

  • April 10

  • June 10

  • August 10

  • October 10

  • December 10

You will hear back within seven days of the deadline. If you apply using the online form, remember to include contact information.

If you are not chosen, your application will be saved and considered in the future, so there is not need to apply more than once.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be considered based on

  • The thoughtfulness of your responses to the application questions;

  • The availability of records; and

  • My own familiarity with the research area.

In other words, I will seek applications with a good likelihood of successful research. But don’t ever assume you don’t fall into that category, and I love a good genealogical challenge.

‘I heard my granddad was born with a different name.’

That’s what one client told me. Family lore claimed that this son of formerly enslaved parents had been born with a different name, somewhere in the Deep South, and had started a new life for himself in New York. After some research, I discovered that this was true. My report follows his trail from the rice paddies of South Carolina to the nightclubs of New Rochelle.

The Report