With the advent of the Internet, interest in genealogy has virtually exploded.
As we enter the 21st century, more and more individuals have developed a keen
interest in finding their family roots. There has never been a better time than
now to research your family tree!
Many people think that in the age of the Internet, all family trees can now be
found in cyberspace. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Yes, it is true that
there are now more tools than ever to be found on the Internet.
One of the greatest benefits the computer age has provided is the opportunity
to share information with people you have never met.
But no, you can’t find your entire family history simply by surfing the Net.
At least not yet! Still, you can certainly start your search on the Internet, and later on
in this webpage, I will show you how you can begin.
Most family history enthusiasts like to do a lot of their own research by
themselves. No doubt you are one of them! But there will be times when
the information and documents you are looking for are located in archives
nowhere near where you live. And the information may be written in a
language you don't know. 
So there are always times when even the very
skilled hobbyist will need outside help. You will want to hire a
researcher who has direct access to the files they are looking for.
But you will also want someone who is skilled in the particular
type of research that pertains to your family. You will need
a professional who knows the challenges presented by certain types of records,
where they can be found, what languages they are written in, and what sort of
information and further leads they may reveal to you.
The New England Historic and Genealogical Society, Boston
The Federal Archives, New England Branch, Waltham (Boston)
The Massachusetts State Archives, Boston
The Vital Statistics Office of Massachusetts, Boston
Les Archives Nationales du Québec, all branches
The American-Canadian Genealogical Society, Manchester, NH
The American-French Genealogical Society, Woonsocket, RI
Courthouses throughout New England
Cemeteries throughout New England, Canada, upstate New York
Boston Public Library
What kinds of records do I research and translate? They include:
Civil records -- birth, marriage, death
Religious records -- baptisms, weddings, burials
Divorce petitions, probate records
U.S. and Canadian censuses
Land deeds, civil proceedings, some adoptions
Citizenship petitions in both the United States and Canada
Obituaries, newspaper articles
Ketubot - Jewish wedding documents
Headstones
French-Canadian notary records
Diaries and journals
Personal correspondences and biographies
Wills and military records
I also specialize in the following ethnic lines:
French-Canadian
Irish
Scandinavian (Swedish, Norwegian, Danish)
Jewish
German
English
Scottish
One of the greatest joys in tracing your own family tree, is to make that
first positive connection between a record of your immigrant ancestor here
in North America, with a record from his or her country of origin.
The problem often is that the record from the Old Country is in the Old
Language! It may be in French, German, Swedish, Hebrew, Yiddish, Aramaic,
Latin or any number of other languages. That’s where my skills as a translator
come in! My undergraduate degree is in German,
from Georgetown University,
School of Languages and Linguistics, now the Faculty of Languages
at the College of Arts and Sciences.
I also studied Latin, Hebrew, French and Norwegian while at Georgetown.
I have over 71 semester undergraduate credit hours in foreign languages, and over
30 graduate semester hours in Hebrew and Aramaic.
I transcribe and translate original handwritten
manuscripts and printed documents in the following languages:
German
French
Hebrew
Latin
Yiddish
Dutch
Swedish
Norwegian
Danish
A good translator must naturally be skilled in the source language he or she
translates from. But in the field of genealogy, he or she must also be skilled
in the terminology of public records, as well as be proficient in analyzing
centuries-old handwritten manuscripts. Sadly, the clerks, public officials,
clergy, census-takers and other bureaucrats from days gone by did not all
necessarily have the best penmanship! Essential data, such as personal
names, town origins, occupations and causes of death are often obscured
through poor penmanship. My job as translator is to analyze the handwriting
in order to decipher and then translate your ancestor’s biography.
Do I actually speak these languages?! Well yes, some of them even fluently.
But my usefulness to you is not how well I can order a meal in French or
hail a cab in German. Rather, you are interested in how I can help you analyse
written genealogical records and the unique vocabulary related to that end.
What sorts of documents do I translate? Most anything! They include:
Diaries and letters
Obituaries and newspaper articles
Court documents and notary records
Baptismal and birth certificates, marriage
licenses, death and burial records
Notary records, census records,
and more.
If you have never even thought of trying to find your ancestors, whether on the
Internet or elsewhere, I invite you to try now! One very good place to start is
the International Genealogical Index
in the database of the famous Mormon Archives. But beware! Because this
database is only as good as the accuracy of each individual contributor,
just because you find a name, doesn't necessarily mean the information
associated with it is correct! The place names, dates, and genealogies could
have errors. That is why you very often will need to find original records,
and that is where I can help you.
If you are interested in how I might be able to assist you in your
search for your family roots, whether as genealogist, translator, or both,
please e-mail me and I will
send you a package of information explaining my services, including my
professional background, credentials, rates and other information. Let me know if
you are interested in a particular type of family research (Irish, Jewish, Swedish, etc.)
and I will send you one of my many FAQ’s on your particular area of interest.
Simply give me a short summary of your needs,
and I will be better able to help you. Be sure to visit my professional profile at
the
Association of Professional Genealogists
for more information!
I can also be reached by telephone at 617-520-8002.