Reclaim the Records: Going Nuts in the Nutmeg State – Reclaim the Records has done it again – this time with Connecticut! I’m already filling in gaps in my family tree! Thanks, RtR!

‘The odds are insane’: Adopted siblings find out they are related – Another DNA stunner – a happy one!
h/t Dick Eastman

Just read a letter from a WWII widow saying she’d rather not receive the 3 photos her husband was carrying since they were apparently damaged by a bullet, and I …

A stroll down memory lane for me. The research accumulates, eh?

Millions of old printed photos are sitting in storage. Digitizing them can unlock countless memories – Since I’m in the same boat in terms of having a *lot* of images/videos of all types to preserve, I really enjoyed reading about the experiences of Ed Asner’s son, a diplomat, and a war correspondent. Nice to see @ScanMyPhotos recognized, too!

New mural of Joe Biden appears near his ancestral home after landmark visit to Ireland – I get a kick out of seeing the unexpected outcomes that trace in some way to my research, and this is the latest. Nice touch including a shoemaker!

Police Are Getting DNA Data From People Who Think They Opted Out – This article has been making the rounds and for good reason. I hope those involved in genetic genealogy will take the time to read it all. Aside from the database backdoor mentioned in the title, it covers several other issues that have left me hesitant and wary.

Maybe it’s due to my personal experience. Back when I launched Unclaimed Persons, I was forced to put a fair bit of effort into damage control in the first year or so because zealous researchers sometimes overstepped boundaries. I knew that if I didn’t rein things in swiftly, the whole initiative could blow up and even backfire on the genealogy community as a whole.

Sometimes the noble-cause aspect is so strong that it’s tempting to downplay legitimate concerns, but I’m glad they’re being discussed a little more widely. There’s enormous potential here, so it would be tragic if the brakes were slammed on because we were reluctant to consider a bit more in the way of guardrails.

Family takes 96-year-old grandfather to visit his hometown in Ireland – This is delightful!

Lancashire and South Carolina pen pals of 70 years meet for first time – As someone who loved having pen pals as a youngster, and is still friends with one decades later, I love this kind of tale.

A Grandma’s Quirky Collection | Margie Soudek’s Salt and Pepper Shakers – One of the more unusual family history videos I’ve seen. Not sure which set is my favorite.

Sean Kirst: For childhood witness to Pearl Harbor, a Hollywood life comes to an end – Another great article by Sean Kirst that, among other things, reminds us why it’s important to reach out today! It would have been so unfortunate if this story had slipped through the cracks. Can’t promise you won’t hit a paywall, but please give it a go.

‘I booked a last-minute flight and bought a castle’ – My fantasy! (h/t Jonny Perl)

Top Photo Credit: Antonio Marín Segovia under Creative Commons license

The post Genealogy Roundup, August 30 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Buried Secrets – Just read the sample chapter of “Buried Secrets: Looking for Frank and Ida,” and can’t wait to get to the rest! If you’re in the mood for a genealogical mystery, I think I might have found your next engrossing read!

In 2008, I researched then-VP Biden’s roots. It was March 2013 before I met him in person. Amazing to watch his return to Ireland as President recently. He and his Blewitt cousins have become quite close, and I hope they had the happiest of family reunions in Ballina!

Goldsmith’s Boat Shop makes history as oldest continuously run marina in the country – Love this kind of story about businesses still run by the same family a century later.

Photo Credit: A.Davey under Creative Commons license

The post Genealogy Roundup, April 19 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Downton Shabby: One American’s Ultimate DIY Adventure Restoring His Family’s English Castle – If you’re like me and on the lookout for pleasant diversions in your reading, you might enjoy this one. A genealogical fantasy for most of us, but true for this fellow! That said, what a learning curve and commitment!

President Biden invited to visit Galway after discovery of family links – Did this at 1:20 a.m. my time, so fingers crossed I sound semi-coherent. President Biden is visiting Ireland this week, so there’s apt to be some chit-chat about his roots and Irish cousins.

How 27,000 bricks from Biden’s great-great-great grandfather helped build the cathedral where he’ll speak in Ireland next week: Deal made family $25K – before they sailed to the US to start new life – Hey, y’all, it’s that season again. Joe Biden is visiting Ireland this week so there’s going to be a lot out there about his Irish roots and cousins. Some of it has already mentioned my work, but I also expect a few discoveries I had nothing to do with. And this is one of them. Pretty cool.

Joe Biden invited to Galway after genealogist uncovers family ties to the county – This title is a little misleading in that I confirmed what then-potential family members suspected, but yes, he has Galway roots as well.

Cut from the Same Cloth: Joe Biden and Stephen Colbert Share More than Their Irish Heritage – My latest on Medium. Some parallels I’ve been struck by over the years.

Photo Credit: via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons license

The post Genealogy Roundup, April 12 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

A Proclamation on Irish-American Heritage Month, 2023 – Delighted to have unearthed a number of those Blewitts and Finnegans!

Korean War Memorial Photo Credit: Stanley Zimny under Creative Commons license

The post Genealogy Roundup, March 8 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Shared this on Twitter and thought I’d share it here as well. Here’s the video Tapper linked to with a lovely interview about Andrew Edward “Ed” Tuck.

The post Genealogy Roundup, June 1 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

The first census records of three American presidents … almost – Fun article on presidents in the 1950 census with a little shout-out for yours truly!

As we count down the hours until the release of the 1950 census, I thought I’d share some memorabilia from the release of the 1930 and 1940 census collections!

My mother Seton’s census debut!

First Mom, and here’s Dad.

And there he is, baby Bruce, in the 1950 Census.

Oh, how I wish she were still with us to see this. 25 year-old “television actress” Betty M. White with her parents, Horace and Tess, in the 1950 Census.

Anyone who knows me knew I was going to look this up. President Joe Biden with his family – including his grandfather Ambrose Finnegan whose tales he likes to share & his aunt Gertie who made the best rice pudding – in Scranton, PA in the 1950 Census.

The Green and White House: Ireland and the U.S. Presidents – I’m admittedly biased because I’m in here, but am reading “The Green and White House” by Lynne Kelleher and finding it really interesting. Have read about Kennedy, Nixon, and Reagan so far and looking forward to the rest. If you’re Irish or have Irish heritage, I suspect it might grab your attention as well.

NBC Summer Lineup Includes ‘Who Do You Think You Are?,’ 10 Years After Last Network Airing – Hey, y’all, Who Do You Think You Are? finally returning to NBC this July.

Due to questions in Facebook post comments about my 1950 census finds, I’m posting this here so it’s not buried in the comments:

• If you know at least the city where they lived, you can try searching by place and name here: https://1950census.archives.gov
• This first round transcription has been done by AI, so it’s hit or miss.
• If that doesn’t work, find their address circa 1950 and then use https://stevemorse.org/census/unified.html OR use Ancestry’s address search feature for the 1950 census (they just got it so are in the process of uploading it, but you can at least search for the enumeration district).
• Once you’ve identified the Enumeration District, search here by place/ED and page through: https://1950census.archives.gov.

Top Photo Credit: Kent Kanouse under Creative Commons license

The post Genealogy Roundup, April 6 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Help us identify members of Congress who enslaved people – For genealogists looking for a worthy project to contribute their time and talent to

My worlds are colliding today. Here are some of POTUS Joe Biden’s English cousins in the 1921 Census. And here’s roughly where their house once stood: 81 Stansted Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth (about where the arrow is). Incidentally, much of his family emigrated over time to the US and Canada, but there are some still living in the UK. I found a few, but they prefer to remain beneath the radar. But for those wondering, yes, he has English cousins through his Biden line.

Man Horrified After Genealogy Test Confirms He Has No Past – Clearly, he’s a Rusyn since we’re the people from nowhere.

Meet the Woman Preserving 125 Years of Black History in Baltimore – Hope she gets it digitized ASAP!

Top Photo Credit: Beverly & Pack under Creative Commons license

The post Genealogy Roundup, January 12 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Joe Biden: Unearthing the president’s unsung English roots – This “no one wants to be British” framing is odd. The reality is that many Americans now have a very mixed heritage, and if they’re part English, that bit is often minor and/or distant. That said, plenty of Americans are proud of their British roots!

‘A beacon for all to see’: Naturalized citizen transforms damaged tree into Statue of Liberty – Here’s an idea if your trees get bashed by a bad storm

Playing with the ‘Voilà AI Artist’ app

The post Genealogy Roundup, June 16 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Biden’s understated UK visit will be in stark contrast to Trump’s triumphalism – Not everyone is looking for their 15 minutes – including Biden’s English cousin.

A Tribute to Anthony Bourdain and His Wild, Vagabond Roots – Thinking of Anthony Bourdain on the 3rd anniversary of his loss. Hope he’s swapping tales with his Bourdain grandfather who stowed away to America at the ripe old age of 13.

Finding Adelia, Val Demings’s Great-Great-Grandmother – Adelia’s great-great-granddaughter is running for Senate.

The post Genealogy Roundup, June 9 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

8 Things You Didn’t Know about Jon Stewart’s Roots – I love seeing how much we resemble our ancestors. Jon Stewart is no exception.

As seen over on Twitter! – And no worries, he filmed the same page without his head in the next shot.

Proud to have co-authored the first book on genetic genealogy. Published in 2004, it’s still in print today! – Thanks to all who have consulted it over the years. P.S. Ann Turner was too modest to say it anywhere in the book, but she’s an M.D. out of Stanford. Brilliant!

DNA Links President Biden to Galway

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