Now available to guide you in family discovery using genealogy methods is an experienced family historian, recently retired from a career in law. My background in client counseling and confidentiality is valuable in handling your family matters with consideration and privacy. I know of no other approach that can yield better results over a long term, to track down elusive family members. I will do research myself if you absolutely need it, but my unique service is to direct your effort, so that you can have the thrill of discovery. After providing you with a plan for your research, I stay available for consultation as needed. The goal is to enable better, more efficient research at the lowest possible cost.
References are available upon request. For a quick indication of the extent of my genealogy activity and help to other family historians, enter the phrase "Sharon Carberry" +genealogy into the Google search engine. You may also see my postings on the IRL-Clare mailing list maintained by Rootsweb and on the soc.genealogy.ireland UseNet group.
Brief synopsis of my genealogy background:
1. Online since 1994. List creator/administrator of the Carberry YahooGroups mailing list since 1998, assisting reunions of cousins in no less than 5 instances. List creator/administrator of the Irish Research YahooGroup, with active assistance permitting a member to go back in time to the 1500s for her family line.
2. Instructor of "Genealogy 101" course for the adult education programs of Cheshire and Hamden (New Haven County), Connecticut in 1998 and 1999.
3. For personal research: (a) Located Irish townland of origin. (b) Located Belgian town of origin. (c) Located cousin with knowledge of Luxembourg city of origin. (d) Located living Irish and Polish cousins.
4. Transcribed records for the Clare, Ireland County Library, now online.
Major record repositories consulted to date: Canada Regional Archives at Montreal Montreal City Library RC churches in and around Montreal
Ireland Dublin-- National Library National Archives Registry of Deeds Genealogical Office, Office of the Chief Herald General Register Office
Ennis, Co. Clare-- County Clare Library
Maynooth, Co. Kildare-- John Paul II Library, National University of Ireland
USA: Connecticut-- Connecticut State Library - Hartford Godfrey Memorial Library - Middletown
Massachusetts-- Boston Public Library Massachusetts Historical Society New England Historic Genealogical Society American Antiquarian Society
New York -- State library, Albany State Health Department, Albany Albany County Archives Buff School District Buffalo Coroner's Office NYC Public Library
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Historical Society Philadelphia City Archives Philadelphia County courthouse RC archdiocesan archives
National Archives (NARA) at Washington, D.C. NARA branches at Seattle WA, Pittsfield MA, Waltham MA, Atlanta GA LDS Library at Salt Lake City UT
Others: LDS Family History Centers at Yakima WA, Woodbridge CT, Worcester MA Local libraries at Seattle WA, New Haven CT, Waterbury CT, Worcester MA, Providence RI, Cobb County GA, Buffalo NY, Poughkeepsie NY, Kingston NY, Johnston PA Local historical/genealogical societies at Mifflintown PA, Lewiston PA, Yakima WA Religious organizations: Little Sisters of the Poor - Brooklyn NY, Ursuline Convent - Cleveland OH, Dominican Order - Dublin, Ire. County and city clerk's offices - Kingston NY, Rosendale NY, Philadelphia PA Cemeteries and cemetery assns - Brooklyn NY, Buffalo NY, Philadelphia PA, Kingston NY, Worcester MA Churches - Buffalo NY, Brooklyn NY, Kingston NY, Philadelphia PA
RESEARCH TIPS
Unproductive ways to approach family history research:
1. Contacting a professional genealogist without having found your target individuals in a census and/or without having documentation of their birthdates and birthplaces.
Point: You must have confirmation of details provided by family members,(death certificates are notorious for having incorrect information, due to the informant's being one generation removed from the info reported or being under distress of the death).
2. Contacting a professional genealogist while relying on a handwritten document for a family member not personally known to the current generation, including you.
Point: Any genealogist can only look up the surname which you provide, but old or distorted handwriting can cause errors in your reading of the surname, particularly the initial letter which in old script can look like one letter and actually be another.
3. Trying to make connections between generations in census records by relying on ages shown.
Point: Ages can be off by as much as five to ten years, depending on the motivation of the involved individuals (women subtracted two to three years and unmarried females often shaved off far more, to appear less like an old spinster).
4. Eliminating an individual in one census as being the same one in another census based solely on different forenames.
Point: Men and women, above and beyond censustaker error, chose what name to be known by, in those years before Social Security records. In the days of adhering to a naming pattern, a parent and child of the same name could choose other names for daily use, which would distinguish between themselves.
5. Going to Ireland without knowing your ancestors' county of origin and expecting that anyone, whether a genealogist or librarian, will be able to make any progress on providing details for your family history.
Point: Irish records are accessed by county, church parish, and townland.
6. Not collecting information based solely on whether a person used O' or Mc before the surname.
Point: individuals chose whether to be known as, for example, Connell or O'Connell.
