Services

The first thing you need to know is that when you hire me, you are getting help not only in my own areas of expertise, but that of other professionals as well.  I belong to small but very professional group of researchers called Researchgen in which we share case files starting from the first correspondence from the client. This is only done with client permission, and your name is not divulged--only the nature of the case. While the purpose of our group is to learn from one another (and these cases often take on a life of their own), you receive the benefit of a professionals with very different areas of research, skill sets, approaches to problem-solving, and who work at repositories like the Family History Center in Salt Lake City, at no charge to you!

Having said that, my practice breaks down into four main categories:

1.  Genealogy and Client-Specific Projects

Usually, the client has hit the end of the road with what they can do on their own. They have exhausted all the on-line resources and published materials available to them. They have usually done quite a bit of work and now need to get down to the brass tacks. Sometimes, they are working on a much larger project and need a Virginia-based researcher to handle that part of the project. The reasons why people hire me for genealogy are very diverse. As I mentioned on my "about" page, every project has its own personality.

2.  Historical Research Projects

These are large-scale assignments of many stripes, and are usually conducted in phases and in partnership with others. For example, the Lancaster County, Virginia Estates Project 1835-1865 was a three-year project funded in part by a matching grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanties for the Mary Ball Washington Museum & Library in Lancaster, Virginia. This culminated in an on-line searchable database which you may view at mbwm.org.

Another example is the Morattico Land Titles Project which is an on-going project working with historic architects, local historians and the Morattico Waterfront Museum.  The ultimate goal is an (1) a photographic exhibit for the Morattico Waterfront Museum in Lancaster County and (2) a detailed paper trail for all of the parcels within this historic district.

3.  Special Projects

Just as the term implies, these are indeed "special." They can take the form of researching the history of a house, editing and compiling a database for the Virginia Society of the War of 1812 for a publication-in-progress, planning and organizing a special forum on historic preservation, or cataloging a special collection. It's a rather broad category but still part of the services offered.

4.  Compiling, Writing, Editing & Publishing

At the end of the day, it all boils down to "what do I do with all this stuff?" This, unfortunately, is where most people throw up their hands in dismay, stuff it in all in a box, and put it in the attic (or basement, or garage, or storage unit.) All too often, it is found under a pile of broken toys and worn out furniture many years later by unappreciative descendants. Guess what? It goes into the trash.

You don't want to be one these people!

In other cases, someone has turned a more astute eye to the value of their many years of research. But what to do with it?

I can help you with these decisions and possible venues for publications. Or at least give you some good ideas.

Then comes that pesky task of formatting and footnotes (or do we want end notes?). Just what did I say and where, and what was my source? These are the basic problematic gnats that bug the best of writers. No good writer publishes anything without a different set of eyes to look it over and give sound advice.