There is always that one impossible ancestor. Well, at least one. Probably more like 10. For this week’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, I’m going to tell you about Luc de Bie. Luc de Bie flits across my pedigree, then he leaves as quickly as he came. He was my 5th great grandfather. He was…
SNGF: Thomas Jones Appears Most in the Census
This week’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge was enlightening. As with many of Randy’s challenges I found a gap in my research. When I found the record I was looking for, added new information to my tree. Thomas Augustine Jones, my 2nd great grandfather, appears in 5 census enumerations. He is in every census from…
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Collection
I’m participating in Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 Ancestors Challenge in 52 Weeks challenge. This is a collection of articles I’ve written for each week’s theme. I’ve divided them by locality. You can thumb through them and read whichever ones catch your interest. Of course, I’d have no problem if you read them all. Irish, Welsh,…
Grandma’s Mandolin: She Never Played For Us
Growing up, I was intrigued by the musical instrument that sat on a shelf in our hall closet. It had a short neck, a round body, and beautiful wood patterns. I was told it was a mandolin. But, where did it come from? I imagined it was one of those things my dad acquired. He…
My First Experience Researching the Irish Catholic Church Parish Registers
You may have heard. The National Library of Ireland website now has the Catholic Church Parish Register records online and available to research for free. The records are available to research for free. I’ve been waiting a long time to get my hands dirty with Irish research. To say I am eager to begin this…




