By
By
Webinar Library
BCG Methodology and Skills Board for Certification of Genealogists, Friends, Associates, Neighbors (FANs) Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series

Investigate the Neighborhood to Advance Your Research (a 2021 Reisinger Lecture)

Melinda Henningfield, CG, CGL
Oct 8, 2021
1.4K views
CC
Want to watch the full webinar?
Join now to access all 2,310 webinars and unlock all features.
Join now
Syllabus
Chat Log
Join now

Content

Play. Playing.
Welcome
1m 19s
Play. Playing.
Introduction
8m 58s
Play. Playing.
Why
50s
Play. Playing.
What is a neighbor
1m 24s
Play. Playing.
What is a neighborhood
4m 52s
Play. Playing.
Strategies
37m 12s
Play. Playing.
Questions / answers
6m 55s

About this webinar

This lecture reveals the most powerful methodology available to genealogists. Family historians often begin their genealogical quest by researching only their direct ancestors. For many reasons the direct ancestor they search for may have left few records. The records that survive may not shed light on where the ancestor came from or who his parents were—or any other question about an ancestor. The records that answer questions about an ancestor are sometimes only found by researching his relatives, friends, neighbors, associates, or enemies.

About the speaker

About the speaker

Melinda Henningfield, CG, CGL
Melinda Daffin Henningfield, CG, CGL, is a professional genealogist, lecturer, and author. She has served as a trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists. She has written articles published in the National Genealogical Society Qua
Learn more...

Comments (94)

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

1000 characters remaining
Cancel Submit

Sort by Newest
Sort by Close.
  • Newest
  • Oldest
  • Likes
  1. LJ
    Laurel Jeneal Brown
    3 years ago

    Wonderful case study showing the value of persistence. You never know when or where you may find that missing link.

    Reply
  2. JH
    Jacqueline Henderson
    3 years ago

    Thank you Melinda for including your chart, “Neighborhood Research Strategies” with your syllabus. I plan on using this to work on a brick wall I have had for years. My brick wall is regarding an ancestor that supposedly was born in Crawford County, AR. Wish me luck.

    Reply
  3. DC
    Debbie Cravens
    3 years ago

    Three for three today! This Webinar was very helpful. Melinda made me realize what exhaustive research was all about. I am constantly amazed at how tenacious these researchers are and hope that by listening to webinars like this one and being inspired to ACTION I will not give up looking for that elusive ancestor and now I have more tools!

    Reply
  4. RC
    Rebecca Corson
    3 years ago

    Amazing webinar that I will be listening to again and again. I have a few ancestors that refuse to be found and I think with this strategy I might just be able to find them. The steps are clearly listed and the maps are amazing. I realize that I need better maps to help determine cluster and their movements. The timeline graphs of comparing census records with additional research was extremely helpful in discovering new tools to use in the search. Thank you for an excellent webinar.

    Reply
  5. NT
    Norm Talbot
    3 years ago

    Excellent presentation and use of examples researching neighborhoods.

    Reply
  6. FU
    Fran Ussery
    3 years ago

    Wonderful, gives such detail,

    Reply
  7. ML
    Marg Layton
    3 years ago

    You opened my eyes about how to research surrounding areas when trying to find an ancestor. Very interesting.

    Reply
  8. TS
    Traci S. Kape Thysell-McPherson
    3 years ago

    Thank you Melinda for your very thorough presentation in today’s webinar Investigate The Neighborhood to Advance Your Research. The walk through of information and resources was interesting and very thought provoking on how to take the search to another level. I have several of these ancestors. I believe it will be a pleasure to some or all of these methods to go further in my search to become a wall breaker.

    Reply
Show all comments

Related Webinars

59:34
BCGMethodology and SkillsDNA Testing
How to Write a Case Study that Meets the New Standards for DNA: As Codified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists
Melinda Henningfield, CG, CGL
6.2K views
CC
How to Write a Case Study that Meets the New Standards for DNA: As Codified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists
Mary Jones was female, landless, illiterate, and poor in Arkansas in the mid-nineteenth century. Her husband left her for another woman, her parents and many of her siblings left her for California, and the local courthouse burned to the ground destroying most of the evidence of her life. Mitochondrial and…
BCGMethodology and SkillsDNA Testing
How to Write a Case Study that Meets the New Standards for DNA: As Codified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists
CC
Melinda Henningfield, CG, CGL
6.2K views
Mary Jones was female, landless, illiterate, and poor in Arkansas in the mid-nineteenth century. Her husband left her for another woman, her parents and many of her siblings left her for California, and the local courthouse burned to the ground destroying most of the evidence of her life. Mitochondrial and…
Fri, September 6 2019: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:11:59
BCGMethodology and SkillsWriting and Publishing
Dear Me: Writing Research Reports to Yourself
Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG, QG
1.2K views
CC
Free
Dear Me: Writing Research Reports to Yourself
Research reports are not just for professionals, but are a great tool for anyone who wants to answer their research questions. Write a research report to yourself to organize your thoughts, analyze the evidence, document your findings, and solve your puzzles. Using an example from the Netherlands, this presentation demonstrates how you can organize a research report to spot more clues in records, discover and resolve discrepancies, and build reliable conclusions.
BCGMethodology and SkillsWriting and Publishing
Dear Me: Writing Research Reports to Yourself
CC
Free
Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG, QG
1.2K views
Research reports are not just for professionals, but are a great tool for anyone who wants to answer their research questions. Write a research report to yourself to organize your thoughts, analyze the evidence, document your findings, and solve your puzzles. Using an example from the Netherlands, this presentation demonstrates how you can organize a research report to spot more clues in records, discover and resolve discrepancies, and build reliable conclusions.
Tue, November 19 2024: 19:00 UTC
Register for free
1:13:06
BCGMethodology and Skills
Sense and Sensibility: The Power of Logic, Intuition, and Critical Thinking
Robbie Johnson, CG
1.0K views
CC
Sense and Sensibility: The Power of Logic, Intuition, and Critical Thinking
Is it logical that a woman born in 1752 gave birth to a son in 1848? Do I have enough evidence to conclude that Johan Kannon of Trondheim, Norway, was the same person as John Connell from Cut-and-Shoot, Texas? Why do I share 300 cM of DNA with three people I’ve never heard of? Genealogists make hundreds of decisions everyday based on thousands of pieces of information harvested from various sources. We automatically, and often unconsciously, use common sense, logic, and even intuition, to identify relevant evidence, problem-solve, and answer complex questions. Learning to harness the power of logic, syllogism, and our own “Spidey-senses,” can help scale brick-walls, solve DNA mysteries, and organize mountains of information. This talk focuses on how to incorporate logic, common sense, and critical thinking in a more deliberate way to create hypotheses, test theories, and support conclusions. Johnson will share exercises that can bulk up logic and critical thought muscles, as well as practical tips on how to apply common sense and sensibility to your family history research and writing.
BCGMethodology and Skills
Sense and Sensibility: The Power of Logic, Intuition, and Critical Thinking
CC
Robbie Johnson, CG
1.0K views
Is it logical that a woman born in 1752 gave birth to a son in 1848? Do I have enough evidence to conclude that Johan Kannon of Trondheim, Norway, was the same person as John Connell from Cut-and-Shoot, Texas? Why do I share 300 cM of DNA with three people I’ve never heard of? Genealogists make hundreds of decisions everyday based on thousands of pieces of information harvested from various sources. We automatically, and often unconsciously, use common sense, logic, and even intuition, to identify relevant evidence, problem-solve, and answer complex questions. Learning to harness the power of logic, syllogism, and our own “Spidey-senses,” can help scale brick-walls, solve DNA mysteries, and organize mountains of information. This talk focuses on how to incorporate logic, common sense, and critical thinking in a more deliberate way to create hypotheses, test theories, and support conclusions. Johnson will share exercises that can bulk up logic and critical thought muscles, as well as practical tips on how to apply common sense and sensibility to your family history research and writing.
Wed, October 16 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:11:40
Places and EthnicitiesBCGMethodology and Skills
A Myriad of Slave Databases
LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG...
921 views
CC
A Myriad of Slave Databases
In the summer of 2023 American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society announced the collaborative 10 Million Names project, an undertaking to recover the names of people of African descent who were enslaved in the area of the United States. This monumental task of centralizing datasets about African Americans is likely to take years to accomplish; in the interim, this webinar provides a useful survey of the many existing databases that serve a similar purpose though limited in scope.
Places and EthnicitiesBCGMethodology and Skills
A Myriad of Slave Databases
CC
LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG
921 views
In the summer of 2023 American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society announced the collaborative 10 Million Names project, an undertaking to recover the names of people of African descent who were enslaved in the area of the United States. This monumental task of centralizing datasets about African Americans is likely to take years to accomplish; in the interim, this webinar provides a useful survey of the many existing databases that serve a similar purpose though limited in scope.
Wed, September 18 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
57:10
Methodology and SkillsWebtember
The Neighbors Knew: Strategies for Finding YOUR Ancestral Details in THEIR Records
Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA
1.2K views
CC
The Neighbors Knew: Strategies for Finding YOUR Ancestral Details in THEIR Records
A christening attended, best friend’s wedding, or the same church. Examples from the written words of other people provide details on YOUR family. Marriages, births, deaths, similar jobs, military service, memberships, education, employees, and more on YOUR family. Includes ways to find these other words along with many examples filled with names of other people.
Methodology and SkillsWebtember
The Neighbors Knew: Strategies for Finding YOUR Ancestral Details in THEIR Records
CC
Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA
1.2K views
A christening attended, best friend’s wedding, or the same church. Examples from the written words of other people provide details on YOUR family. Marriages, births, deaths, similar jobs, military service, memberships, education, employees, and more on YOUR family. Includes ways to find these other words along with many examples filled with names of other people.
Fri, September 13 2024: 15:30 UTC
Register for free
1:16:31
BCGMethodology and Skills
He Had a Brother Who Disappeared: Finding John H. Hickey, Formerly of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois
Debra S. Mieszala, CG
972 views
CC
He Had a Brother Who Disappeared: Finding John H. Hickey, Formerly of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois
Family tradition holds that John H. Hickey of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois, disappeared. This case study proves John "disappeared" and establishes the missing man's fate. A patchwork of records allowed a glimpse into the life of a person thought dead.
BCGMethodology and Skills
He Had a Brother Who Disappeared: Finding John H. Hickey, Formerly of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois
CC
Debra S. Mieszala, CG
972 views
Family tradition holds that John H. Hickey of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois, disappeared. This case study proves John "disappeared" and establishes the missing man's fate. A patchwork of records allowed a glimpse into the life of a person thought dead.
Wed, August 21 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:06:01
BCGMethodology and Skills
Oral Genealogy in Asia-Pacific: The Essence of Personal Identity and Tribal Connections
David S. Ouimette, CG, CGL
145 views
CC
Oral Genealogy in Asia-Pacific: The Essence of Personal Identity and Tribal Connections
Oral genealogies celebrate ancestral connections in indigenous cultures across Asia-Pacific. As one paramount chief in Samoa declared, “The most important thing for children to understand is their family connections. The knowledge of history is their treasure—not gold and silver, but genealogy.” Learn about the significance and richness of oral genealogies and current efforts to preserve them in Asia and the Pacific.
BCGMethodology and Skills
Oral Genealogy in Asia-Pacific: The Essence of Personal Identity and Tribal Connections
CC
David S. Ouimette, CG, CGL
145 views
Oral genealogies celebrate ancestral connections in indigenous cultures across Asia-Pacific. As one paramount chief in Samoa declared, “The most important thing for children to understand is their family connections. The knowledge of history is their treasure—not gold and silver, but genealogy.” Learn about the significance and richness of oral genealogies and current efforts to preserve them in Asia and the Pacific.
Wed, July 17 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:24:18
BCGMethodology and SkillsWriting and Publishing
Editing Your Own Work – Part 2
Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGG
1.3K views
CC
Editing Your Own Work – Part 2
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will address the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
BCGMethodology and SkillsWriting and Publishing
Editing Your Own Work – Part 2
CC
Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGG
1.3K views
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will address the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
Wed, June 19 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:27:11
BCGMethodology and SkillsWriting and Publishing
Editing Your Own Work – Part 1
Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGG
2.0K views
CC
Editing Your Own Work – Part 1
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will addresses the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
BCGMethodology and SkillsWriting and Publishing
Editing Your Own Work – Part 1
CC
Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGG
2.0K views
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will addresses the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
Wed, May 22 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free