Someone recently asked me, “Who hires a professional genealogist?”
The easiest answer is someone like me: my journey to professional genealogy began when I hired someone to research a family story, and realized I wanted to learn to do the work myself. But genealogy is not always just for personal interest. Journalists sometimes hire professional genealogists to verify stories.[1] Attorneys, law enforcement, and the military rely on genealogists to trace next of kin for probate or property rights, unclaimed persons, or military repatriation. The Brownsville Project in Maryland relied on professional genealogists to trace descendants of African-Americans whose land was purchased by the state of Maryland for far less than true value.[2]
The professional genealogy community is diverse in many ways: we include people from across the world, a range of generations, and a wide variety of occupational backgrounds. I’ve met writers, architects, doctors, actors, accountants, librarians, and of course, other attorneys. That diversity in thought and experience strengthens the field. And rather than being adversaries, the genealogists I’ve met work with each other to build on and improve the research and techniques. The goal is the truth, no matter how hard that truth is.
Digging for the truth doesn’t always result in the answers we’d like to find. I definitely did not want to find that I am likely a direct descendant of Ambrose Gale, who along with his daughter Charity, made false accusations of witchcraft in Marblehead, Massachusetts.[3] But there is value in the truth, too. We can find inspiring stories and gain a deeper understanding of our families. And learning about our ancestors brings history to life.
So who hires a professional genealogist? Someone who wants to find their family history, and needs coaching to get started. Or a person who can write the stories, but wants someone to do the research. Sometimes, it’s a person who needs research in a geographic area they don’t know, or in a language they don’t understand. Other times, it’s people who have done a ton of research on their own, but hit a brick wall and need help breaking it down. The answers are as broad as—and maybe broader than—the reasons why people hire attorneys.
If you are curious about your family history, please contact me.
[1] Tara Bahrampour, “A Stunning Find In His Family Tree,” The Washington (DC) Post, 13 July 2024 (https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2024/07/13/slavery-history-george-bush-ancestry-charles-holman/ : viewed 15 October 2024).
[2] Andrew Creelman, “Sculpture commemorates lost Frostburg community,” The Cumberland (Maryland) Times-News (https://www.times-news.com/news/sculpture-commemorates-lost-frostburg-community/article_4c03158c-776a-11ef-96e9-4b555b75653a.html : viewed 15 October 2024). Frostburgfirst (https://www.downtownfrostburg.com/remembering-brownsville/ : viewed 17 October 2024), “Remembering Brownsville.”
[3] Salem Witch Museum (https://salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/ambrose-gale-house/ : viewed 17 October 2024), “Ambrose Gale House.”
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