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Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Genealogy Education Bytes - Week of 8 to 14 May 2025

 Welcome to Genealogy Education Bytes, posted on Wednesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight some of the most important genealogy and family history education items that came across my desktop since the last issue.


1) Upcoming Conferences and  Institutes 

* Conference Keeper Calendar - has many links to register for  and/or view conferences and institutes.

*  NGS 2025 Family History Conference "Tales & Trails" ($$) - 23 to 25 May 2025 - In-Person (Louisville, Ky.)

*  2025 International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP) Conference ($$) - 12 to 15 June 2025 - In-Person and Virtual (Columbus, Ohio)

*  2025 Midwest African-American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) ($$) -- 8 to 10 July 2025 -- Virtual.


*  2025 Kentucky History and Genealogy Conference (KYGS) ($$) -- 8-9 August 2025 -- In-Person (Kenton County, Kentucky)

2 ) Upcoming Seminars, Webinars and Online Classes (times are US Pacific):

* Conference Keeper Calendar - has many links to register for and/or view seminars, webinars and classes.

*  FamilySearch Library Classes and Webinars (Free)

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Wednesday, 14 May, 11 a.m.:  See How it Works: Shared DNA Matches Find Ancestors by Diahan Southard.

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Wednesday, 14 May, 5 p.m.:  21 Million Reasons to Research at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania by Katy Bodenhorn Barnes.

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Friday, 16 May, 11 a.m.:  Finding your Sephardic Jewish ancestors in Mexico by Nefi Arenas Salazar.

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Tuesday, 20 May, 11 a.m.:  From Despair to Cargoes of Hope: WWII’s Displaced Persons by Ann Staley.

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Wednesday, 21 May, 11 a.m.:  Secrets for Success: How to Harness the Power of FamilySearch’s Full-Text Search by Julia A. Anderson.

3) Recent Podcasts:





*  Research Like a Pro:  RLP 357: AI and Full Text Search

4) Recent YouTube Videos

*  Aimee Cross - Genealogy Hints:   Funny Family Stories - Connie Knox of Genealogy TV









*  DearMYRTLE's Archive:  Mondays with Myrt - 12 May 2025

*  Ellen Thompson-Jennings - Family History Hound:  50% Can’t Name Their Grandparents? Crista Cowan on Memory, DNA & Family Stories
*  Ellen Thompson-Jennings - Family History Hound: From Roots to ProTools: Crista Cowan Shares Her Passion for Genealogy and Family
*  Ellen Thompson-Jennings - Family History Hound: Genealogy in Ten Minutes - Transcribing a Document Made Easy





*  Genealogy TV:  Family Lore (Podcast)

*  Genealogy With Amy Johnson Crow:  This EASY Step Can Break Your Genealogy Brick Walls

*  Kentucky Tennessee Research Associates:  Neglecting Geographic Research - Mistake #mistake3


*  Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems:  How I Use Gemini Gems for Genealogy


*  Professional Genealogist Reacts:  Talking Genealogy, DNA Tests, and History

*  Society of Genealogists:  Researching in Leicestershire and Rutland



*  Write Your Family History With Devon Noel Lee:  Everyone Wants to Write a Good Family History. But that’s a MISTAKE! 😟
*  Write Your Family History With Devon Noel Lee:  The Truth About 'Life Story' Writing (And a Better Way to Do It)

5) Did you miss the last post in this series - Genealogy Education Bytes -  Week of 1 to 7 May 2025?   Read past Genealogy Education Bytes here.

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NOTE:  If  I missed something important in this time period, please let me know in a comment or an email. 

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share your comment on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at   randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. 

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ABC Biography of #17 Lucretia Townsend (Smith) Seaver (1828-1884) of Massachusetts

The Claude (usually 3.7 Sonnet) artificial intelligence tool can be used to write family-friendly biographies of my ancestors that might be suitable for my relatives and descendants to help them learn about and understand their ancestry.  Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, here is one ancestor biography.

1)  I have written genealogical sketches for almost every known ancestor back 9 generations in blog posts based on 35 years of genealogical research in my 52 Ancestors/Relatives Biographies series. The genealogical sketch for my 2nd great-grandmother,  Lucretia Townsend (Smith) Seaver (1828-1884)  (#17 on my Ahnentafel List), including record abstracts and sources, is 52 Ancestors - Week 10: #17 - Lucretia Townsend (Smith) Seaver (1828-1884).

2)  For the Claude AI biography, I attach the PDF of the genealogical sketch for the specific ancestor using the plus (+) sign, and then prompt the AI tool with:  "You are an expert genealogist. Please create a draft biography from the attached file, including parents, siblings, spouses and children (with birth and death dates and places), summarize life events, and add historical facts as appropriate, but do not add or embellish any extra genealogical details. Use section headings. Expand the information in each section to add more details. The tone should be casual and suitable for family members."

3)  The expanded biography of Lucretia Townsend (Smith) Seaver (1828-1884)  created by the AI tool Claude 3.7 Sonnet, lightly edited, is:

Biography of Lucretia Townsend Smith Seaver (1828-1884)

Early Life and Family

Lucretia Townsend Smith was born on September 6, 1828, in Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, a small farming community about 17 miles southwest of Boston. She was the daughter of Alpheus B. Smith (1802-1840) and Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869). 

Lucretia had one sibling, James Alpheus Smith (1833-1902), who married Annie Eliza Stewart in 1864 and they resided in New Jersey and Michigan after their marriage.

Her first and middle names weren't family names but rather commemorated one of her mother's teaching colleagues in Dedham, a woman named Lucretia Townsend, who was probably a close friend. The name "Lucretia" was somewhat popular in the early 19th century, derived from ancient Roman origins and associated with virtue and strength.  

Lucretia was born during the presidency of John Quincy Adams, in an era when Massachusetts was becoming increasingly industrialized. She lost her father relatively early in life when she was about 12 years old, which would have significantly impacted the family's financial situation and daily life. Her mother Elizabeth, who was 37 when Lucretia was born, was left to raise her daughter as a widow. Elizabeth was born in Eastham, Massachusetts (on Cape Cod), while her husband Alpheus was a native of Medfield, so the family had deep roots in Massachusetts. After her father's death, Lucretia continued living with her mother Elizabeth in Medfield. The 1850 census shows 22-year-old Lucretia living with her 52-year-old mother in Medfield, where they likely maintained a modest household. Given the era, Lucretia probably received some basic education and would have been trained in household management and domestic skills essential for young women of that time.

Marriage and Children

On September 4, 1851, at the age of 23, Lucretia married Isaac Seaver in Walpole, Massachusetts, with Reverend George R. Newhall officiating the ceremony. Isaac, born in Westminster, Massachusetts, was 27 years old at the time, worked as a blacksmith, and was the son of Benjamin and Abigail Seaver. This was Lucretia's first marriage but Isaac's second—his first wife, Juliett (1826-1847), had passed away at the young age of 21, leaving him a widower with a young daughter. Their marriage certificate noted that Isaac was a resident of Medfield at the time of their wedding, suggesting they may have met in the small community where Lucretia lived with her mother.

Lucretia and Isaac established a blended family from the start, with Lucretia becoming stepmother to Isaac's young daughter Juliette G. Seaver, who was only about 4 years old when the couple married. Together, Lucretia and Isaac had four children of their own:

  • Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922), born in Medfield, Massachusetts; married Hattie Sophia Hildreth (1857-1920) in 1874 in Keene, New Hampshire, resided and died in Leominster, Massachusetts.
  • Benjamin Seaver (1854-1894), born in Medfield; married Ellen Eliza Spring (1857-1933) in 1885 in Orange County, Florida; he died in Worcester, Massachusetts.
  • Elizabeth Lucinda Seaver (1859-1914), born in Westminster, Massachusetts; she married Frederick George Blanchard (1847-1926) in 1878 in Leominster, Massachusetts; shortly after their marriage, they moved to National City, California, and died there.
  • Ellen Maria "Nellie" Seaver (1861-1933), born in Westminster, Massachusetts. She never married, was a schoolteacher, and died in Leominster.

Lucretia experienced what was a typical family size for the mid-19th century, though child mortality rates were high during this era, she was fortunate that all her children survived to adulthood. The gap between her second and third children (about five years) may suggest other pregnancies that weren't carried to term, though no records confirm this.

Life in Massachusetts

After their marriage, Lucretia and Isaac initially established their household in Medfield, Norfolk County, where their first two sons were born. The Massachusetts State Census of 1855 provides a snapshot of their early family life, showing the young family living in Medfield with Isaac working as a machinist. At this time, their household included 31-year-old Isaac, 28-year-old Lucretia, 8-year-old stepdaughter Juliette, 3-year-old Frank, and 1-year-old Benjamin. Like many families of the era, they may have lived in a small home, perhaps with a garden plot for growing vegetables and keeping a few animals to supplement their diet.

By 1860, the family had moved approximately 50 miles northwest to Westminster in Worcester County, Massachusetts, where Isaac returned to his original trade as a blacksmith. The move may have been motivated by better economic opportunities or the chance to be closer to Isaac's family roots, as he had been born in Westminster. The 1860 census presents a picture of increasing prosperity, with Isaac owning $1,800 in real property and $600 in personal property—significant assets for a working-class family of that era. This suggests that Isaac's blacksmithing business was doing well, providing horseshoes, tools, and metal implements for the surrounding agricultural community. During their time in Westminster, the family expanded with the births of their two daughters, Elizabeth and Ellen. The 1865 Massachusetts State Census confirms their continued residence in Westminster, with Isaac, now 41, still working as a blacksmith and Lucretia, 37, listed as a "housekeeper." All the children were in the household, with Juliette now 17 and described as a "domestic," likely helping with household duties.

On August 10, 1864, with the Civil War entering its final year but the outcome still uncertain, Isaac enlisted as a Private in Company H of the 4th Regiment of Massachusetts Heavy Artillery at age 40, a time when many men his age remained at home.  He served until the end of the war and was honorably discharged on June 17, 1865, at Fort Richardson, Virginia, and returned home to his family.  This is the only photograph we have of Isaac and Lucretia (Smith) Seaver, probably taken in 1864 before Isaac left to serve his country:

                          (Ambrotype photographs of Isaac and Lucretia in an 1860s Union Case)  

During the 1860's, the family relocated again, this time to Leominster, also in Worcester County but about 10 miles east of Westminster, residing at 7 Cedar Street in Leominster.  Lucretia's mother, Elizabeth (Horton) (Dill) Smith (1791-1869) might have moved to help L ucretia during I saac's war service, and lived with Isaac and Lucretia in her later years.  She died on 28 November 1869 of apoplexy in Leominster, and was buried in Vine Lake Cemetery in Medfield, Masssachusetts with her husband. 

The 1870 census reveals an even more comfortable financial situation, with Isaac now working in a fork shop—suggesting he had moved from independent blacksmithing to industrial employment—and owning real property valued at $2,000 and personal property of $1,500. These amounts (equivalent to roughly $43,000 and $32,000 in 2025 dollars) indicate the family was financially secure, if not wealthy. All four children were attending school at this time, with Frank at 18 and Benjamin at 16 approaching the end of their formal education, while Elizabeth at 11 and Ellen at 8 were still in their early school years. Their access to education reflected the strong public school system in Massachusetts, which had pioneered compulsory education in America.

The family remained in Leominster for the rest of Lucretia's life, establishing long-term roots in this community known for its comb manufacturing and later plastic industries. The 1880 census provides the last glimpse of Lucretia's life, showing her now 52, and Isaac now 56, living with their youngest daughter Nellie, who was 18 years old and still attending school. By this time, their other children had moved out to establish their own households or careers. Frank would have been age 28 married in Leominster, Benjamin age 26 married in Florida, and Elizabeth age 21 married in California. Their home was a comfortable two story dwelling, located in what was becoming an increasingly industrial town with a growing population.  She certainly knew Frank's first child, Frederick Walton Seaver, born in 1876, since the Frank Seaver family resided nearby on Lancaster Street.

Final Years

Lucretia's life came to an end on March 24, 1884, at the age of 55 years, 6 months, and 18 days. Her death certificate listed the cause as an abscess, which in the pre-antibiotic era could have been a serious, potentially fatal condition regardless of where it occurred in the body. Given the medical limitations of the time, treatment options would have been limited, possibly consisting of poultices, lancing, and rudimentary pain management. She may have suffered considerably in her final days. Her death came at what we would now consider a relatively young age but was not unusual for women of her era, who typically had a life expectancy in the mid-50s.

Following local customs and her family's traditions, Lucretia was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Leominster, Massachusetts. Her final resting place is marked by a family gravestone she shares with her husband Isaac, his first wife Juliett, their son Benjamin (who would follow her in death ten years later), and daughter Nellie. This shared monument reflects the blended nature of their family and the closeness they maintained even in death.

(Gravestone of Isaac, Juliette, Lucretia, Benjamin and Nellie Seaver in
Evergreen Cemetery, Leominster, Mass.)

After Lucretia's passing, her husband Isaac was named administrator of her estate, as she died intestate (without a will). He filed a bond of $1,000 on April 22, 1884, suggesting there were some assets to be distributed. The probate petition filed that same day listed her surviving children as Frank W. Seaver of Leominster; Benjamin Seaver, who had moved to Maitland, Florida (perhaps for health reasons or economic opportunities in the growing citrus industry); Elizabeth L. Blanchard of Harvard, Massachusetts; and Ellen M. Seaver of Leominster, who remained in her hometown. The probate process would have involved an inventory of Lucretia's personal possessions and any real estate she may have owned separately from her husband, though in this era most married women's property was legally controlled by their husbands.

Isaac Seaver lived until 1901, surviving Lucretia by 17 years.  Isaac married Alvina Matilda (Bradley) Lewis (1848-1923) in 1888 in St. Regis Falls, New York as his third wife.  They resided in Isaac's home in Leominster and he maintained connections with his children and his Massachusetts grandchildren (children of his son Frank), and continued his work until old age made it difficult. When he finally joined Lucretia in death, he was buried alongside her in Evergreen Cemetery, completing the family circle.

Historical Context

Lucretia's life spanned a transformative period in American history. Born during the early republic in 1828, she lived through the antebellum period, the Civil War, and the early years of Reconstruction. As a Massachusetts resident, she would have lived in a state that was firmly on the Union side during the Civil War, with strong abolitionist sentiments. She would have experienced the anxiety and patriotic fervor of the war years (1861-1865), possibly contributing to the war effort through women's aid societies or other civilian support activities. Her young sons fortunately were too young to serve in the conflict, but her husband enlisted, served and returned to the family.  She undoubtedly would have known neighbors and community members who sent sons, husbands, and brothers to fight.

The economic landscape of Massachusetts evolved dramatically during Lucretia's lifetime. Born in an era when agriculture and small-scale manufacturing dominated, she witnessed the rise of large factories, steam power, and mass production. The moves the family made from Medfield to Westminster and finally to Leominster likely reflected these changing economic opportunities. Isaac's occupational shift from independent blacksmith to fork factory worker mirrored broader trends as skilled craftsmen increasingly found employment in industrial settings. Leominster, where the family ultimately settled, was particularly known for its comb-making industry in the 19th century and was developing into a manufacturing center during Lucretia's lifetime. By the time of her death, the town was earning its nickname as the "Comb City" and was beginning to transition toward the plastics industry that would later dominate its economy.

Lucretia's daily life would have been transformed by technological advancements of the 19th century. In her childhood, cooking was done over open hearths, but by the time she was managing her own household, cast iron stoves were becoming common. Illumination evolved from candles and oil lamps to kerosene and possibly even early gas lighting. Transportation underwent revolutionary changes as well—born in an era of horse-drawn vehicles and walking, she lived to see extensive railroad networks connect Massachusetts towns. Communication similarly evolved from handwritten letters carried by postal riders to telegraph messages that could cross the country instantly. These innovations would have altered her housekeeping routines, shopping habits, and social connections in ways both subtle and profound.

The expansion of public education during Lucretia's lifetime benefited all her children, who were consistently recorded as attending school in census records. Massachusetts had pioneered compulsory education in America, passing the first mandatory school attendance law in 1852, when Lucretia's oldest son was just an infant. Her children grew up with educational opportunities that were more structured and accessible than what previous generations had experienced. The emphasis on literacy and basic education would have prepared them for the increasingly complex economic and social world of late 19th-century America.

Lucretia experienced the typical joys and sorrows of 19th-century American life—marriage, childbirth, raising a family, and dealing with the early death of her father and the later death of her mother. She navigating the challenges of being a stepmother and took on the role of mother to her husband's daughter from his first marriage, creating a blended family that was not uncommon in an era when early deaths of spouses were frequent. Managing a household of five children and a working husband would have involved considerable labor in an age before labor-saving appliances and convenience foods. Her responsibilities would have included cooking, baking, preserving food, sewing and mending clothing, cleaning, laundry, childcare, and possibly tending a kitchen garden or small livestock.

Throughout her life, Lucretia appears to have been primarily a homemaker, listed in censuses variously as "keeping house" or "housekeeper," which was the typical occupation for married women in that era. This designation, however, masks the economic value and complexity of her work. As a blacksmith's wife and later the wife of an industrial worker, she likely contributed to the family economy through careful management of household resources, possibly taking in sewing or laundry, producing food and household goods, and creating a stable home environment that allowed her husband to pursue his trade and her children to obtain education. Her domestic labor, though unpaid and often unrecognized in official records, was essential to her family's well-being and success in 19th-century America.

4)  A poem and song lyrics to commemorate the life of Lucretia Townsend (Smith) Seaver (1828-1884) can be found in  "Lucretia's Quiet Grace" -- An Ancestor's Genealogy Poem and Song Created by Artificial Intelligence. The song created from the song lyrics can be heard in that blog post and here.

5)  An audio overview (essentially a podcast created by the Google ContentLM AI tool) discussing the life of Lucretia Townsend (Smith) Seaver can be heard at   https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/9f3e0664-81af-408c-a418-e623e0a9247c/audio.

6)  One other blog post involving artificial intelligence and Lucretia (Smith) Seaver  are:

7)  I lightly edited the Claude biography text to add more family detail and correct minor errors.  Every large language model (LLM) AI tool writes descriptive text much better than I can write.  I was an aerospace engineer in my former life, and my research reports and genealogical sketches reflect "just the facts."  The AI tools are very perceptive, insightful and create readable text in seconds, including applicable local and national historical detail.   

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page.  Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver


Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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Padres Game in May 2009 -- (Not So) Wordless Wednesday #870

  I found another priceless (to me) photograph in my computer file folders:


When the grandchildren came to visit, we usually headed for Petco Park to watch the Padres game.  This photograph is from May 2009 when daughter Lori brought her two boys, Lucas age 5, Logan age 3, to visit us.  Because of Linda's walking problems, we always had handicap seats on the mezzanine of the Upper Deck at Petco.  Our season tickets (20 home games) in 2009 were in Section 310 Row 4, and that's where this photograph was taken.

The boys loved to eat the junk food - it was a parade of Linda, Lori or me taking one of them, or both, to go to the snack bar, and sometimes to the bathroom.  Fun times, good memories.  Maybe I can re-create this photo on Saturday when I take Lori and the boys to the Padres game.
  
This photograph, and these experiences, are a part of my family history.  

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Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.    I moderate all comments and they may not appear immediately - please write only one comment.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 7 to 13 May 2025

 Welcome to Genealogy News Bytes, posted on Tuesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history news  items that came across our desktop since the last issue.    


1)  Genealogy and Family History News Articles:










2)  DNA/IGG-Related News Articles




4)  Genealogy Software/Mobile Apps



5)  New or Updated Genealogy Digital Record Collections:







6)  Did you miss the last post in this series?  See Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 30 April to 6 May 2025.   Read all recent Genealogy News Bytes here.  

                          =========================================


Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com. 

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Ask AI: "Please Tell Me How To Solve a Genealogical Brick Wall Problem For My Hannah Smith"

The Artificial Intelligence tools (like ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, Gemini, Grok, Meta, Grok, and Perplexity) can provide much useful and nearly instant information about subjects in a concise format, especially when they have been pre-trained on a large volume of information about the subjects.

I wondered if the FREE AI tools could provide me with a process to solve a brick wall parentage problem for Hannah (Smith) Sawtell (1768-1827).

(image created on OpenAI ChatGPT4)

1)  I chose to use the responses from free ChatGPT4 (as of 12 May 2025) today.  

My first Prompt was general:  You are a professional genealogist.  Please tell me how to solve a genealogical brick wall problem."  In a followup prompt, I asked ChatGPT4 to expand the details for each point.

2)  The free ChatGPT4 (not Deep Research) response was:

Solving a genealogical brick wall requires a structured approach, fresh perspectives, and a willingness to reexamine everything. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you break through: 

🔍 1. Review What You Already Know

Start by pulling together every single record, document, and clue you've already collected about your target ancestor. This includes census records, birth, marriage, and death certificates, military service records, probate and wills, land transactions, church records, and newspaper clippings. Go beyond just the direct ancestor—gather information about their spouses, children, and extended family. Review these documents carefully for overlooked details: witnesses, neighbors, occupations, locations, or name spellings. Create a timeline of events for the person, which helps visualize gaps or contradictions. Also consider using genealogical software or spreadsheets to help organize and sort information in multiple ways. A methodical review can uncover patterns or connections you missed earlier.

🧩 2. Form a Focused Research Question

A vague question like "Who were John Smith’s parents?" can lead you in too many directions. Narrow it down with all the specifics you know. For example: “Who were the parents of John Smith, born about 1805 in Botetourt County, Virginia, who moved to Greene County, Ohio by 1830 and married Mary Jones in 1829?” This kind of targeted question helps you focus your search in time, place, and context. It also clarifies what evidence is missing and helps you set research goals. Consider writing down what you’ve already searched and what conclusions you’ve drawn so far—this documentation keeps your research grounded and focused.

🔄 3. Work Backwards and Sideways

Always work from the known to the unknown. Confirm each generation with solid, verifiable evidence—never assume relationships just because people shared the same last name or lived near each other. Once you’ve traced your direct ancestor as far as you can, switch to collateral research. Investigate siblings, cousins, in-laws, and other extended family. Sometimes the proof of an ancestor’s identity lies not in their own records, but in those of their relatives. This includes checking who lived nearby in the census or appears in land records or wills. This is part of the FAN Club approach—studying Friends, Associates, and Neighbors—who often migrated together, witnessed each other’s documents, or intermarried. These connections can break open tough brick walls.

🗺️ 4. Dive Into Local and Regional Records

If you're only using online databases, you're likely missing crucial documents. Local courthouses, historical societies, libraries, and state archives often hold unique collections that aren’t digitized—such as tax lists, court proceedings, guardianship files, estate inventories, old maps, and voter lists. Many genealogists break brick walls by visiting these places in person or contacting them by phone or email. Learn the history of the location—know when counties were formed, how boundaries changed, and if records were lost to fire or war. You may find church records, newspapers, or school records tucked away in a basement archive or local family collection that hasn’t been digitized or indexed.

🧬 5. Use DNA Testing (if applicable)

If documentary evidence runs out, genetic genealogy can provide new clues. Take an autosomal DNA test (like AncestryDNA or MyHeritage) and compare your matches. Look for clusters of matches who descend from the same unknown ancestor. Use tools like shared matches, segment triangulation (on GEDmatch or MyHeritage), and chromosome browsers to group matches together. If your brick wall is on a specific paternal or maternal line, consider Y-DNA (for male-line ancestry) or mtDNA (for female-line ancestry) through FamilyTreeDNA. Combine your DNA analysis with traditional research to formulate new hypotheses—sometimes even identifying a family that your ancestor likely descended from, even without a direct paper trail.

📚 6. Look for Published Histories & Trees (Critically!)

Books, county histories, family trees, and other secondary sources can contain useful leads—but approach them critically. Use tools like Google Books, FamilySearch Books, HathiTrust, and Internet Archive to search for digitized family histories, local histories, and genealogical journals. Even if you find a family tree online that includes your ancestor, don't accept it at face value—verify all claims with primary sources. That said, published materials can often point you to unfamiliar counties, sibling names, or family traditions that you can then research further. Historical journals (like the New England Historical and Genealogical Register or National Genealogical Society Quarterly) may have articles relevant to your area or surname of interest.

🧠 7. Create a Hypothesis & Test It

At a brick wall, you may not have full proof—but you can still build and test logical theories. For instance: “I believe William Johnson of Orange County, NC, is the same William Johnson who later appears in early Kentucky records.” You can then search for supporting evidence: do both men have the same age range? Are they associated with the same people or families? Did anyone from Orange County migrate to Kentucky around that time? You may not find a single document that proves the theory, but a combination of indirect evidence (a preponderance of clues) might support it. The Genealogical Proof Standard can help you evaluate whether your conclusion is reasonably supported.

⌛ 8. Be Patient and Persistent

Brick walls rarely crumble in one day. Some cases take months or years to solve, especially if records are missing or difficult to access. Be persistent—check back for new record sets, reexamine your assumptions, and collaborate with others. Join genealogical forums, surname groups, local Facebook groups, or message boards where others may be researching the same families or places. Even professional genealogists hit brick walls—but they know that progress often comes through thoroughness, creativity, and collaboration. Leave yourself time to return to a problem with fresh eyes, or let new records be digitized. Your next clue could be one click—or one courthouse trip—away.

Would you like help applying this process to one of your brick walls?

4)  Now that ChatGPT mentions it5, how about my Hannah Smith problem?  Here is my prompt:   "Yes, please!!!!  Hannah Smith (1768-1827) is my 4th great-grandmother.  She married Josiah Sawtell in 1789 in Amherst, Massachusetts, and resided in Brookline NH, Townsend MA, and Ashburnham MA.  They had nine children, named Hannah, Josiah, Mary, Chester, Esther, Horace, Neuma, Walter and Price.  Please suggest a process to solve this mystery."

5)  ChatGPT4 helpfully responded with:

🧭 Research Goal:

Identify the parents and birth origins of Hannah Smith (1768–1827), who married Josiah Sawtell in 1789 (likely in or near Amherst, MA), and resided in Brookline, NH; Townsend, MA; and Ashburnham, MA.

🔎 Step-by-Step Process:

1. Reexamine and Re-source the Marriage (1789)

  • Find the original 1789 marriage record (not just the index).
  • Where did it occur? Amherst, MA is likely—confirm this.
  • Does it list Hannah’s residence, parents, or whether she was "of" another town?
  • Who officiated? He may have recorded more detail in his church register than is on the town record.

Check neighboring town marriage records in case it was recorded in both the bride and groom’s towns (common in New England).

2. Map a Life Timeline and Residential Movement

Create a chronological timeline of Hannah and Josiah’s locations:

  • 1789 marriage — Amherst?
  • 1790s–1810s — where were their children born?
  • Later years — Brookline NH, Townsend MA, Ashburnham MA

Use:

  • Census records (1790–1820; Josiah will be head of household)
  • Tax lists, town histories
  • Children’s birth, marriage, and death records (towns often record parental information)

📍 Key insight: The earliest places they lived (where their first children were born) may point to where Hannah was from.

3. Analyze the Names of the Children

Their children were: Hannah, Josiah, Mary, Chester, Esther, Horace, Neuma, Walter, Price.  Consider:

  • First children often named for parents’ parents.
  • If they named their eldest son Josiah, the second son might reflect Hannah’s father’s name.
  • Names like Chester, Horace, Neuma, Price are relatively unusual. Could be from Hannah’s side.

🧠 Action: Check for Smith families in the area with those names in earlier generations. For example, if you find a Walter Smith or Price Smith in nearby towns, it may be significant.

4. Target Smith Families Living in the Right Time and Place

Research all Smith households in Amherst and surrounding towns (Brookline NH, Townsend MA, Ashburnham MA, Pelham, etc.) around 1760–1790. You're looking for:

  • Men with a daughter named Hannah born ~1768
  • Wills or guardianships naming a Hannah
  • Tax lists showing Smiths with adult daughters (age ~20) around 1789

📍 Tools:

  • Vital records of each town (births, marriages, deaths)
  • 1790 census
  • Church records (especially Congregational and Baptist churches)
  • Town histories (many include family sketches)

5. Explore Probate and Land Records

  • Look for probate records of any Smith men who died between 1775–1800 in Hampshire and Worcester Counties (MA) and Hillsborough County (NH): Search for any with a daughter Hannah, or bequests to “my daughter Hannah, wife of Josiah Sawtell”
  • Land deeds may also help:  Did Josiah and Hannah acquire land from a Smith family?
  • Did any Smith sell or gift land to Josiah?

📂 Resources:

  • FamilySearch catalog (look under county-level records)
  • American Ancestors (NEHGS)
  • County Registry of Deeds (some are online)

6. Study the FAN Club in Depth

Use the Friends, Associates, and Neighbors of Hannah and Josiah:

  • Who witnessed their marriage?
  • Who are neighbors in census records?
  • Who are godparents, witnesses, or co-signers in deeds or probate?

If you can find another Sawtell married to a Smith (or a Chester Smith near the Sawtells), it could signal a family connection.

🧠 Tip: Look at marriages of other Smiths in Amherst between 1775–1795—see if any patterns emerge.

7. Use DNA Evidence If Available

If you or a descendant has tested:

Look for matches that descend from Smith families in Hampshire/Worcester counties

Use the Shared Matches tool on Ancestry or WATO on DNA Painter to test possible parent candidates

Explore clusters with shared ancestry in the Amherst/Townsend area

You may find a Smith cousin match that descends from one of Hannah’s siblings.

8. Search for Published Histories, Genealogies & Manuscripts

  • These often name Smiths overlooked in vital records:
  • Amherst, Townsend, Ashburnham town histories
  • NEHGS articles and member trees
  • Genealogical journals or compiled family histories (e.g., Descendants of Thomas Smith of Amherst)
  • Local historical societies may have Smith family manuscripts

📘 Use:

  • Google Books
  • Internet Archive
  • HathiTrust
  • NEHGS Digital Collections

✅ Summary Table (Revised)

Step Goal                                             Tools

1 Analyze 1789 marriage                            Vital records, church register

2 Create timeline of residence            Censuses, town histories

3 Analyze children’s names                    Naming patterns, local name matches

4 Identify Smith families 1760–1790        Vital records, censuses

5 Search probate & land records           County deeds, wills

6 Study FAN network                           Marriage witnesses, neighbors

7 Use DNA analysis                                    Ancestry, WATO, GEDmatch

8 Consult published sources                   Google Books, NEHGS, archives

Would you like help researching Smith families living in Amherst around 1768? Or want to explore possible DNA match connections to this line?

 6)  I asked Perplexity and Grok 3 Deep Think about this brick wall problem also.  I will highlight their responses in a later blog post.

7)  The ChatGPT4 review and research process uncovered several approaches that I previously have not considered, especially the name issues.  There are many Smith families in the towns mentioned in this time frame, and more in adjacent towns.  I have investigated available birth and baptism records in the counties named, and have found some possible parent candidates.  There are no probate records for either Josiah or Hannah in the available Massachusetts and New Hampshire records.  I have collected some land records for Josiah Sawtell, but none mention Hannah, and none have a Smith witness or neighbor.

8)  This defined process provides an excellent outline of how to solve this type of brick wall problem.  What did it miss?  What did it get wrong?  

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See all of my Artificial Intelligence-related posts at https://www.geneamusings.com/p/artificial-intelligence-posts.html

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver


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