Frequently Asked Questions
Why Black Sheep Genealogy and not some other service?
The services provided by other qualified professional genealogists are great, too. We all possess an understanding of modern genealogical tools and archival research and how to bring that to bear on the questions of your family relationships. I have a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. Here’s what I add to that:
Fifteen years of study in American and Irish history— historical context that will bring life and meaning to your family’s stories;
A writer’s eye—I have an MFA in creative writing and have been widely published, so you can trust me to make your story compelling and accessible; and
Experience designing books and websites, so that when I’m finished you will have something that is not only accurate but beautiful, too.
Why does historical context matter?
To understand the lives of your ancestors, you need to understand the time and place in which they lived. Researching my own family in Ireland, for instance, I happened upon a newspaper report of early morning shots being fired into a relative’s window. This was in 1934. I could not make heads or tails of it until I began to better understand the political landscape of the time, which included a fascist organization called the Blueshirts, and social tension that was forever on the verge of open violence. Only then could this story begin to make sense.
Do you have a specialty?
In just the last year I have researched families in California, Montana, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. I’ve followed family trees to England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, and Poland. However, most of my experience is in researching families in the British Isles and Ireland. My background is in Irish and American history, and I am especially familiar with Virginia history, having edited an encyclopedia of Virginia history for more than a decade.
What is ethical research?
The Association of Professional Genealogists has its own Code of Ethics and Professional Practices to which all members commit. They ensure that the research I present to you will be organized, clear, and transparent. You will know what parts of my findings are speculation and best-guesses and what parts are fact—and, importantly, where those facts came from. The research of others will always be credited.
What about confidentiality?
That’s covered in the Code of Ethics too, and the gist is that all of my communications with you and my research for you are confidential unless that confidentiality is waived by you in writing.
What if you find something … bad?
My job is to find information about your family, regardless of what it is. Everything will go into my confidential (see above) report. What happens beyond that—in terms of narratives, publications, websites, &c.—is up to you. All families have saints and sinners, and because we’re all human, you’ll find a little of both in pretty much everyone. Personally, I find family villains to be the most interesting subjects for research, although I acknowledge there’s a tension between separating yourself from them, in particular, while still embracing your family as a whole. I will follow your lead—again, with an emphasis on confidentiality.