Where do we begin when researching Virginia’s antebellum free people of color? As with all genealogical research, it depends on multiple factors, two of which are legal and historical context. Equally important, what is the research objective?

Although it takes much effort, time, and cost, acquiring the skills to conduct genealogical research that meets today’s standards is well worth the investment and time. It does take years to learn, and the learning never stops. If you do not have the inclination or time to invest in education and are interested in learning of your ancestry, do yourself and future generations of your family a favor and hire a professional to conduct the research for your family tree. It will be well worth the investment.

Long before I knew there was an official term for it, I found it necessary and interesting to identify and document clusters of people that shared a common thread or threads. Once complete, this type of research “a ha” moment gets to me to this day. Genealogical research in the United States before 1850 often involves researching extended family members or collateral families, which can often be the difference in obtaining evidence to answer a research question.

The foundation of professional genealogy is based on best research practices that produce reliable findings. Just as a house should be built on a solid foundation, genealogy research should begin with a solid foundation. Otherwise, how reliable can our research findings be?

For the past couple of years, with my grandmother’s pearls situated behind my desk on a shelf, I felt compelled to research her side of the family. Our family always knew that my grandmother was somehow related to the Hatfields of Hatfield and McCoy fame, but didn’t know exactly how. With research, I discovered that she descends from a cousin of the infamous Devil Anse.

Online trees are notorious for providing little evidence, such as one or two census records, to state a conclusion of relationship. Or, some trees provide a list of documents without an explanation as to how each relates to the other. It’s not enough to provide a list of sources/documents that are used in reaching our conclusion. It is our responsibility as researchers to explain why and how each source is used in forming the conclusion we reached.

We often run into conflicting evidence while researching. Sometimes reconciliation of conflicting evidence items is simple. Often the puzzle can be a lot more complex. No matter how simple or complex a resolution may be, Genealogy Standards states that in order to reach a sound conclusion, we as researchers must resolve any and all conflicts between evidence items. Otherwise, we cannot form a sound conclusion.

Without documentation, how does a researcher know that assertions made within genealogies, reports, etc., are based on sound evidence? Without an easy-to-follow path leading to sources used to form a conclusion, how do readers or future researchers evaluate a researcher’s findings?

To err is human. A genealogist’s due diligence is to conduct reasonably exhaustive research as a preventative. To prevent a mistake from repeating itself, resulting in a repeated faulty conclusion.

Court documents are considered highly reliable sources for genealogy research, making it well worth the effort to locate any cases that our ancestors may have been involved, directly or indirectly. Also worth the effort, developing the skill to read old handwriting – which can be the difference between a solved genealogical puzzle and one that remains unsolved.

What happens if our ancestors lived before vital records were required? What happens if documents we need to research an ancestor were burned as a result of war or a courthouse fire? This is often the case with research in the southern United States.

A couple of years ago I found a beautifully written article published in Lapham’s Quarterly, “Love’s Labors Lost: The resolution of America’s best-known feud,” by Jayne Anne Phillips, professor of English and director of the MFA program at Rutgers University. The article is a poignant piece about the Hatfields and McCoys – the infamous feuding families. Not only does the article provide a sense of humanity for those Hatfield and McCoy family members that are often ridiculed in southern lore, critical to Hatfield research is the following reference –

It has been a busy late spring/early summer planning and making our move to Virginia. Cory and I are now settling into our new home in Roanoke – we made our move from Nashville earlier this month.

Whether gleaned evidence from a deed provides direct or indirect evidence for a particular research objective, deeds offer invaluable information and clues for genealogical research. Two recent finds regarding separate branches of my family tree provide good examples of the importance of deeds in tracing your lineage.