Some of you have already made a dent in your Christmas shopping list while others might shudder at the thought of another holiday season fast approaching. Whether you don’t know where to begin or you’re just stuck on that hard-to-shop-for person, I’m here to tell you that Ancestry & Genealogy Services has you covered. Genealogy research services make a great gift for anyone. We all have an inherent curiosity about our past. Nothing fuels that curiosity like the thrill of finding remarkable people in our family trees.
Most people would love to know more about their lineage but they don’t know where to start. That’s where a professional genealogist comes in. Right now is the perfect time to help someone take the next step because Ancestry & Genealogy Services is offering new clients 2 FREE HOURS of research! All research contracts begin with a retainer that includes the first 5 hours of research. For a limited time, that retainer will include an additional 2 hours of research at no extra cost.
Giving the gift of genealogy research can work in a couple different ways. First, you can commission the research by providing what you already know about the recipient’s family and set a line of inquiry for the research. You will receive the finished work that you can present to the recipient. Of course, this option requires more time to complete and is best suited for someone in your immediate family about whom you already have starting information. The second option is to give a gift certificate for research services. With this option you can decide how much you want to spend and you will receive a custom gift certificate to present as your gift. The recipient with then make contact, schedule their free consultation and get started on their research journey.
Either of these options will qualify for the 2 free hours promotion as long as the research contract or gift certificate is signed by December 1, 2023. It is important to note that all research projects are different and the total amount of time needed to answer a specific genealogical question cannot be determined in advance. Anyone undertaking a research project should have a total budget in mind and be prepared for the possibility that their questions may not be able to be answered fully in the time budgeted. There are many factors to consider, such as the types of records that are available for a specific time, place, or demographic as well as the locations and accessibility of those records.
If you know someone who would appreciate the gift of family, CLICK HERE to reach out and see how we can help!
The holidays are a nostalgic time of year. This is the time when we surround ourselves with family and friends, immerse ourselves in family traditions and cultural celebrations, and give gifts to show our love and appreciation. So, what better time could there be to share the gift of family, family history that is? Maybe you were decorating your Christmas tree and found some old handmade ornaments. Or perhaps you dug out your grandma’s recipe book to make a special treat for a holiday gathering. Whatever the reason, we all feel a little more connected to our families this time of year.
Image by: Anastasiia Nurullina
It is a wonderful thing to research your family history and learn about your ancestors. However, what do you do with that information once you have it? Sometimes the results of all the hard work that goes into researching your ancestry can be lost on your relatives. As technology replaces more and more of our personal connections, oral histories and family stories are becoming a thing of the past. There are many great ways to make those discoveries more tangible and turn them into a gift that can be passed down for generations to come. At Ancestry & Genealogy Services, LLC. we would be honored to help you preserve your family history this holiday season.
Pedigree charts can be designed with as many generations as you would like to include. Lineage posters can be a fantastic way to illustrate a specific line of the family, perhaps going back to a famous ancestor. Old family photos, newspaper clippings, and records can be digitized and turned into custom books. Another great option is to have all your family history data compiled into a digital family tree, including images of photos and records. This becomes a digital file in a special format (GEDCOM) that can be uploaded into your family tree software or online database.
Image by: DKrue
You may be thinking, “What if I haven’t done any genealogy research?”. Don’t worry. We can definitely help with that, too. It is what wedo. There is not a lot of time to get much research completed between now and Christmas but don’t be discouraged. It is never too late to start your family history journey, and it is never too early to get started on next year’s gift list! Contact us to schedule a free consultation today if you want to learn more about our research services. If you are interested in a printed chart or digital family tree, simply email us at andrea@ancestrygs.com or use the contact form on our website to see what we can create for you.
Wishing you and yours the very best holiday season and a happy new year!
Millions of people from all over the world visit St. Augustine each year for its unique combination of beautiful beaches, history and culture. Founded by the Spanish in 1565 (that’s over 40 years before the settlement at Jamestown and over 50 years before the Mayflower landed near Plymouth Rock), it boasts the title of the Nation’s Oldest City. St. Augustine’s history goes back even further than that, but that’s a story for another time.
The old-world Spanish influence can be seen on just about every street in the historic downtown district. From the Castillo de San Marcos, a stone fort that was built beginning in 1672, to the many homes lining the streets that now house most of the city’s restaurants, shops, and museums, you get the feeling of being transported to another time and place. It’s no wonder that so many tourists are drawn to this place, but some of us are lucky enough to live here!
Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine, FL / Photo by: Andrea LaVallee-Maggs
Being a genealogist in a place like St. Augustine is special. I got into the field of genealogy because I have always had a fascination with history and an appreciation for antiques and artifacts from all eras. The older something is, the more intriguing to me. When I talk about history, I don’t mean the textbook history we are taught in school where we’re forced to memorize dates of wars and treaties, and the names of the rich and powerful. I am talking about the history of people and the way they lived their daily lives. What were their jobs? Who were they within their communities? What struggles and triumphs did they experience? What families and legacies did they leave behind? With over 450 years of history, there are so many people to discover in St. Augustine.
City Gates, St. Augustine, FL / Photo by: Andrea LaVallee-Maggs
Tourists aren’t the only ones drawn to St. Augustine, it is also a mecca for historians. One such historian is the reason I am writing this article. Dr. J. Michael Francis, PhD, is a Professor of History and the Hough Family Chair of Florida Studies at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, Florida. The list of Dr. Francis’ academic background, writing credits, awards and achievements is long enough to merit a blog post of its own. In 2016 he began work on a project that will serve as an invaluable resource for students, historians, researchers, and genealogists. Dr. Francis assembled a dedicated and highly skilled team and set out on his mission to create a comprehensive digital archive and interactive platform focused on colonial Florida. The result… La Florida: The Interactive Digital Archive of the Americas.
I was fortunate to have been able to attend a lecture, just before the launch of the website, where Dr. Francis unveiled a part of the project called Lost Voices from America’s Oldest Parish Archive 1594-1821. I was amazed to hear him explain how his team had digitized the entire Diocesan Archives of St. Augustine, over 8,200 images! But digitization was only the first step. From there, the team compiled all the data from centuries-old parish registers of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths to create a fully indexed and searchable database of every person identified in those records. This database of over 75,000 individuals is a treasure trove of data for genealogists and I am so thankful to Dr. Francis and his team for creating it. Their passion is evident in the work they put into this project.
“It has been a pleasure and an honor to work so closely with this collection over the last three and a half years. Even after so much time reading through these records, word-for-word, I still learn something new every day.”
– Rachel L. Sanderson, MA. Associate Director of La Florida
Parish documents: a few examples of the worm-eaten pages from the early colonial material. / Courtesy of Rachel L. Sanderson
Lost Voices is just one part of the La Florida project, the scope of which is incredible. The site also includes interactive maps, stories about some of the fascinating people in Florida’s history, and even a “Be the Scribe” page containing custom fonts created from the 16th, 17th, and 18th century handwriting found in the original documents. The About page of the website reads, in part:
“Founded in 2016, the project began with three fundamental questions: What can we do to encourage the meaningful study of Florida history in K-12 education? How can we engage a national and global audience in a history that is marginalized even in the United States? How can we promote student curiosity and enthusiasm for historical research? La Florida is an interactive platform designed for students, scholars, and the general public. The primary goal is to create a site that conveys the extraordinary richness of Florida’s colonial past, presented in creative new ways. The site is built to be scalable, adaptable, and sustainable, with new features added regularly.”
– laflorida.org
Ximenez-Fatio House Museum, St. Augustine, FL / Photo by: Andrea LaVAllee-Maggs
I encourage anyone with an interest in the history of Florida and its people to explore everything the site has to offer. I am positive that once you do, you will share in my gratitude to the team who worked so hard to build it and my excitement for what their work will help us to discover next.
Genealogy is a universal subject. No matter their cultural, political, economic, or religious backgrounds, people from all over tend to have an innate curiosity about their ancestors. Whether it is a desire to learn more about one particular ancestor with a fascinating story, or a deep sense of connection to their family’s unique past, people want to know where they come from. Some people embark on their own family history research and begin putting together the pieces of their family tree. Some people, on the other hand, cannot find the time or feel overwhelmed at the thought of taking on such a labor-intensive project. A professional genealogist can help in either situation.
For those who have already started their research, they often find themselves stuck on a particular person or event. We call this “hitting a wall”. There are countless resources and records online and available to the family historian. However, there is so much more to completing a thorough and exhaustive research of the records that exist, both online and in physical repositories. A professional genealogist will review the information you have already collected and analyze it for accuracy and reliable sources. Then they will look at your “wall” and use their expertise to look in places you may not have known to look for answers.
For the latter group of people who are looking for someone to take on their family history project, a professional genealogist is the logical place to start. By hiring a professional, you can be confident that they will use their skills and resources to fully research your project. Genealogy research projects can cover a wide range of products and a varied scope of research. The genealogist will discuss with you what you already know about your family and what you are looking to learn. You may be looking to trace a particular line of your ancestry to a specific place or period in time, or you may want to create a family tree that covers all of your ancestors within a certain number of generations. Perhaps you grew up hearing your family tell stories of a famous ancestor or someone who did something extraordinary and you want to know more about them.
No matter your reasons for seeking help, contacting a professional genealogist will set you on the path to discovering your family’s past and the stories of your ancestors. Visit our website to learn about the services we offer and schedule a free consultation today!
