A couple of days ago I mentioned the New England Historic Genealogical Society had recently released a number of additional laminated guides, part of The Portable Genealogists Series. Here is the second review of the three, on The Portable Genealogist: Problem Solving in Irish Research.
Like all the Portable guides so far, this one is a two-color, four-page, three-hole-punched laminated guide, folded to 8.5″ x 11″. In addition to the core contents described below, there are added tips and a list of recommended resources.
Here’s what you will find in this new guide:
Page 1 introduces the topic along with describing ‘common brick walls’ the research may face. Strategies are suggested to help avoid pitfalls
Page 2 helps the reader look beyond their own direct ancestor, or rather to find their ancestor, by looking for relatives. A chart lists records sources/types along with ideas of what to look for
Page 3 suggests the researcher gives greater consideration to the context of a search. For example, the chart on this page suggest looking at U.S. and state census records for clusters of Irish name, as well as other such details.
Page 4 reminds the reader to not makes assumptions. In this case, in relation to Irish research, the reader should not assume their ancestors were poor, that their ancestors came alone and had no siblings, nor assume that oral history cannot be wrong.
For those researching their Irish ancestry, this guide makes a lot of sense. It is easy to carry and review, and is full of information on just a few well organized pages.
Order The Portable Genealogist: Problem Solving in Irish Research and many other popular laminated guides from Family Roots Publishing; Price: $6.81