The Stories

Searching for ancestors with multiple names, or common first names, requires scribes do some sleuthing. Expert genealogist Janice Nickerson relates how the hunt for Scott Thompson's clan was complicated by an abundance of settlers named John Thompson - only by cross-referencing each candidate's employment data could they confirm an 1880's wheelwright as Scott's great great grandfather.

Top researcher Rebecca Snow defines similar obstacles in the happy history of Randy Bachman's 19th century German origins. At that time in Europe it was common for siblings in large families to share some of the same first names. Only by configuring the data to show birth, marriage and death dates could archivists authenticate Randy's correct ancestor.