Black Friday DNA Sale only $29 through Friday.
Order now.

Black Friday DNA Sale only $29 through Friday.
Order now.

By
By
Webinar Library
Methodology and Skills Friends, Associates, Neighbors (FANs)

Why We Should Look at In-Laws When Doing Genealogical Research

J. Mark Lowe, FUGA
Jul 26, 2023
1.7K 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 15s
Play. Playing.
Speaker's Introduction
1m 30s
Play. Playing.
Introduction
9m 58s
Play. Playing.
Case Study
39m 51s
Play. Playing.
Questions to ponder
5m 15s
Play. Playing.
Announcements / prizes
4m 42s
Play. Playing.
Questions / answers
6m 40s

About this webinar

Often, when the records of family members can’t be easily found, a review of fictive kin and other connections might bring those missing individuals into view. Let’s look at some cases when broadening our focus might bring the target directly into our view.

About the speaker

About the speaker

J. Mark Lowe, FUGA
J. Mark Lowe is a professional genealogist, author, and lecturer who specializes in original records and manuscripts throughout the South. Mark lives in Robertson County, Tennessee that lies in northern Middle Tennessee along the Kentucky border.
Learn more...

Comments (100)

Your email address will not be published.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. SC
    Sherry Cook
    1 year ago

    Learned a lot in today’s webinar, including several new resources for me to explore!

    Reply
  2. JH
    Joyce Holder
    1 year ago

    Mark Lowe’s webinars always get a 5 from me. He talks about the areas where most of my families came from on their way to Arkansas and today was no different. I saw the name J. W. Dowland, J.P., Gibson Co. Tennessee on one of the documents he showed today, which is one of the families that I am still working on. From “The Dismal Swamp Lady”.

    Reply
  3. MM
    Minna Marinko
    1 year ago

    If Mark says to research the in-laws, to me that means I must research the in-laws 🙂

    Reply
  4. VW
    Virginia Watson
    1 year ago

    As always, Mark is an excellent speaker and offers to many different avenues for research that so many of us don’t think of traveling down.

    Reply
  5. CM
    Carol Mitchell
    1 year ago

    Mark gives me new momentum with each lecture. I need to go back and listen to his early lectures before I became a Legacy member.

    Reply
  6. SL
    Sandra L Warn
    1 year ago

    It made very clear to me that, yes, I must branch out my searches (even though I’ve tried to avoid it)! ;o)

    Reply
  7. SL
    Sharon Lambdin
    1 year ago

    Very interesting information. Mark always does a great job.

    Reply
  8. CL
    Clara Lawver
    1 year ago

    Thank you Mark! Now – I need to go back and look at Biographies, Religious Periodicals, and Confederate Veteran Widow Applications. I had not even thought of that one!

    Reply
Show all comments

Related Webinars

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
Advanced
1:16:38
Best of ESMMethodology and Skills
Okay, I ‘Got the Neighbors’—Now What Do I Do with Them?!
Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL
2.5K views
CC
Okay, I ‘Got the Neighbors’—Now What Do I Do with Them?!
We’ve all heard the mantra Get the Neighbors! But exactly how do we use “other people’s” information to solve problems of identity, kinship, and origin for our own ancestors? This session teaches critical skills for building networks around problem ancestors, methods for analyzing and prioritizing associations, and strategies for milking clues from the records those neighbors created. All can be developed into solutions for our toughest research problems.
Best of ESMMethodology and Skills
Okay, I ‘Got the Neighbors’—Now What Do I Do with Them?!
CC
Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL
2.5K views
We’ve all heard the mantra Get the Neighbors! But exactly how do we use “other people’s” information to solve problems of identity, kinship, and origin for our own ancestors? This session teaches critical skills for building networks around problem ancestors, methods for analyzing and prioritizing associations, and strategies for milking clues from the records those neighbors created. All can be developed into solutions for our toughest research problems.
Fri, April 28 2023: 18:00 UTC
Login to register (for webinar members)
Login to register (for webinar members)
48:40
Places and EthnicitiesAfrican DiasporaMethodology and Skills
The FAN Club Methodology, DNA, and Genealogy Lead Back to Lunatic’s Plantation
Melvin J. Collier
1.2K views
CC
The FAN Club Methodology, DNA, and Genealogy Lead Back to Lunatic’s Plantation
Utilizing the FAN Club method, DNA, and enslaved ancestral research, Collier finally found major clues to help solve a longtime mystery – who was the previous enslaver of his great-great grandmother, Polly Partee of Panola County, Mississippi, and where did she come from? Her last enslaver was Squire Boone Partee of Panola County, and Polly had been the head cook on his plantation during and after slavery, according to oral history. According to the censuses, she was born somewhere in North Carolina and sold to Squire by 1852, but her origins had been largely unknown. Collier will present a plethora of DNA evidence, in conjunction with genealogy research and the FAN Club methodology, to uncover Polly’s North Carolina origins. Collier will also argue how a court-investigated lunatic, Alfred Alston of Fayette County, Tennessee, was most likely her previous enslaver.
Places and EthnicitiesAfrican DiasporaMethodology and Skills
The FAN Club Methodology, DNA, and Genealogy Lead Back to Lunatic’s Plantation
CC
Melvin J. Collier
1.2K views
Utilizing the FAN Club method, DNA, and enslaved ancestral research, Collier finally found major clues to help solve a longtime mystery – who was the previous enslaver of his great-great grandmother, Polly Partee of Panola County, Mississippi, and where did she come from? Her last enslaver was Squire Boone Partee of Panola County, and Polly had been the head cook on his plantation during and after slavery, according to oral history. According to the censuses, she was born somewhere in North Carolina and sold to Squire by 1852, but her origins had been largely unknown. Collier will present a plethora of DNA evidence, in conjunction with genealogy research and the FAN Club methodology, to uncover Polly’s North Carolina origins. Collier will also argue how a court-investigated lunatic, Alfred Alston of Fayette County, Tennessee, was most likely her previous enslaver.
Fri, April 14 2023: 1:00 UTC
Register for free
1:24:42
BCGMethodology and Skills
Uncovering Immigrant Origins Through Cluster Research
Dana Palmer, CG, CGL
1.6K views
CC
Uncovering Immigrant Origins Through Cluster Research
Descendants of an early Ohio family had no idea of their origins. Following an associated family brought success, even after wading into foreign- language documents. This presentation shows what to do when traditional records fail to reveal an ancestor’s place of origin and how to use cluster research to break through the brick wall. Discussion will include how to determine the place of origin using records found in the United States and what to do when no records exist on your direct line.
BCGMethodology and Skills
Uncovering Immigrant Origins Through Cluster Research
CC
Dana Palmer, CG, CGL
1.6K views
Descendants of an early Ohio family had no idea of their origins. Following an associated family brought success, even after wading into foreign- language documents. This presentation shows what to do when traditional records fail to reveal an ancestor’s place of origin and how to use cluster research to break through the brick wall. Discussion will include how to determine the place of origin using records found in the United States and what to do when no records exist on your direct line.
Wed, March 22 2023: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
Advanced
1:21:34
Best of ESMMethodology and Skills
Trousers, Black Domestic, Tacks & Housekeeping Bills: Problem-Solving with “Trivial Details”
Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL
3.2K views
CC
Trousers, Black Domestic, Tacks & Housekeeping Bills: Problem-Solving with “Trivial Details”
The records we use are filled with “trivia,” bits and pieces of information that seem to have no “genealogical” value—at least not until we become more innovative in our research and analysis. Each piece of trivia in every document is an opportunity waiting to be connected to something else. Our ability to resolve problems depends upon our ability to make those connections. This class explores eighteen types of records and the kind of hidden clues each offers to help us resolve problems of identity, kinship, and origin. *** This class requires an active webinar membership to attend. ***
Best of ESMMethodology and Skills
Trousers, Black Domestic, Tacks & Housekeeping Bills: Problem-Solving with “Trivial Details”
CC
Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL
3.2K views
The records we use are filled with “trivia,” bits and pieces of information that seem to have no “genealogical” value—at least not until we become more innovative in our research and analysis. Each piece of trivia in every document is an opportunity waiting to be connected to something else. Our ability to resolve problems depends upon our ability to make those connections. This class explores eighteen types of records and the kind of hidden clues each offers to help us resolve problems of identity, kinship, and origin. *** This class requires an active webinar membership to attend. ***
Fri, January 27 2023: 19:00 UTC
Register for free
50:04
BCGMethodology and SkillsReisinger Memorial Lecture Series
Consult via…Explore with…Discover through…Literature Reviews (a 2022 Reisinger lecture)
Jan Joyce, CG, CGL
645 views
CC
Consult via…Explore with…Discover through…Literature Reviews (a 2022 Reisinger lecture)
What if you could consult with genealogical experts each time your work slows? Together you could explore options for new paths of discovery. The right approach to a literature review allows you to do that. Other experts have encountered the same challenges that you do, and they have written about them even if not overtly. These challenges could range from beginning work in a new geography to parrying with a difficult brick wall. Learn how to conduct a targeted literature review, cull the information you need, and advance your research. A case study on the use of the FAN Club will highlight the methodology.
BCGMethodology and SkillsReisinger Memorial Lecture Series
Consult via…Explore with…Discover through…Literature Reviews (a 2022 Reisinger lecture)
CC
Jan Joyce, CG, CGL
645 views
What if you could consult with genealogical experts each time your work slows? Together you could explore options for new paths of discovery. The right approach to a literature review allows you to do that. Other experts have encountered the same challenges that you do, and they have written about them even if not overtly. These challenges could range from beginning work in a new geography to parrying with a difficult brick wall. Learn how to conduct a targeted literature review, cull the information you need, and advance your research. A case study on the use of the FAN Club will highlight the methodology.
Fri, October 7 2022: 20:00 UTC
Register for free
1:03:56
Methodology and Skills
Indirect Evidence – A Case Study
Pauline C. Merrick
1.3K views
CC
Indirect Evidence – A Case Study
This Connecticut-based, indirect evidence case study will highlight techniques for researching a woman whose maiden name is known, but her parents are unknown due to deficiencies in the vital records. Techniques will be demonstrated that rely on forming hypotheses and gathering evidence to test those hypotheses. Thorough research of neighbors and associates (the FAN principle) will yield enough evidence to tie this woman back into her family. Records used include pre-1850 census records, deeds, probate, church, and court. Death records of family members provide the final clues that tie them all together.
Methodology and Skills
Indirect Evidence – A Case Study
CC
Pauline C. Merrick
1.3K views
This Connecticut-based, indirect evidence case study will highlight techniques for researching a woman whose maiden name is known, but her parents are unknown due to deficiencies in the vital records. Techniques will be demonstrated that rely on forming hypotheses and gathering evidence to test those hypotheses. Thorough research of neighbors and associates (the FAN principle) will yield enough evidence to tie this woman back into her family. Records used include pre-1850 census records, deeds, probate, church, and court. Death records of family members provide the final clues that tie them all together.
Wed, May 18 2022: 18:00 UTC
Register for free
1:01:33
BCGMethodology and SkillsReisinger Memorial Lecture Series
Investigate the Neighborhood to Advance Your Research (a 2021 Reisinger Lecture)
Melinda Henningfield, CG, CGL
1.4K views
CC
Investigate the Neighborhood to Advance Your Research (a 2021 Reisinger Lecture)
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…
BCGMethodology and SkillsReisinger Memorial Lecture Series
Investigate the Neighborhood to Advance Your Research (a 2021 Reisinger Lecture)
CC
Melinda Henningfield, CG, CGL
1.4K views
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…
Fri, October 8 2021: 17:30 UTC
Register for free
49:59
Methodology and SkillsWebtember
One Family, Many Connections: Using the FAN club in one Australian locality
Cathie Sherwood
424 views
CC
One Family, Many Connections: Using the FAN club in one Australian locality
Family historians know only too well the importance of researching the family/friends, neighbours and associates (the FAN club) of direct line ancestors. Any information we find does not become truly valuable until placed into a community or cluster or network context. Harvesting the clues in the FAN club gives us the potential to further advance our research as well as provide pointers to other records or fragments. So, what genealogical details would be found if the FAN principle was applied to one family in a locality? This presentation will show how one such network or cluster evolved in the Hunter Valley region; one which was to be hugely influential in the growth years of the New South Wales colony and in the development of Australia as a nation.
Methodology and SkillsWebtember
One Family, Many Connections: Using the FAN club in one Australian locality
CC
Cathie Sherwood
424 views
Family historians know only too well the importance of researching the family/friends, neighbours and associates (the FAN club) of direct line ancestors. Any information we find does not become truly valuable until placed into a community or cluster or network context. Harvesting the clues in the FAN club gives us the potential to further advance our research as well as provide pointers to other records or fragments. So, what genealogical details would be found if the FAN principle was applied to one family in a locality? This presentation will show how one such network or cluster evolved in the Hunter Valley region; one which was to be hugely influential in the growth years of the New South Wales colony and in the development of Australia as a nation.
Fri, September 24 2021: 0:00 UTC
Register for free