What We Do | Ancestral Roots Consulting Genealogy

Discover the Stories Hidden in Your Family Tree

At Ancestral Roots Consulting, an experienced genealogist and historical research consultant partners with you to investigate your ancestry at whatever depth you choose. Working together, we trace the roots and branches of your family tree and answer the questions that mean the most to you.

Find out who your grandparents, great-grandparents, and earlier ancestors were
Learn where they lived and how they spent their days
See how they connect to you and your family today
Understand how learning about them can enrich your own life now

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Specialised Techniques for Stubborn Genealogical Puzzles

Beyond answering basic family questions, the practice specialises in solving particular genealogical puzzles that have resisted conventional research. Custom lateral and horizontal methods examine the past "in the round," paying close attention to the social circles that surrounded your ancestors. Think of it as contact tracing carried out in the past tense, long before social media existed. Especially before the Civil War, ancestors lived in tightly woven communities, so understanding their closest friends, acquaintances, and neighbours is key to understanding who they were.

Help for Projects of Every Size

Whatever the scale of your genealogical project, support is available to find what you are seeking. If you are only starting out, you may not yet know exactly what you are looking for until you dig below the surface of the past and uncover unexpected links between your family history and public history. Sometimes those connections were already known to you, just not yet consciously; the research process brings them into focus. This historical sleuthing is exciting, inspiring, demanding, and sometimes thrilling, and the rewards are well worth the effort. What you discover can genuinely change your life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of genealogy projects can Ancestral Roots Consulting help with?

Any genealogical project, no matter how large or small. Whether you are just beginning your ancestral search or are trying to resolve a specific genealogical mystery, the research can be tailored to the depth you want to explore.

How does the research process work?

You work directly with the genealogist and historical researcher. Together you identify the key questions about your family tree, and research skills are applied to help you learn more about your ancestral roots.

What are lateral and horizontal research methods?

These are custom research methods that look at the historical and genealogical past "in the round," focusing especially on people's close social networks—friends, acquaintances, and neighbours—to solve mysteries that have resisted traditional genealogical research techniques.

Why does community context matter in genealogical research?

Before the Civil War especially, ancestors lived in tightly woven communities. To understand who people were, it helps to understand the communities they lived in and the people closest to them.

Do I need to know exactly what I am looking for before starting?

No. If you are just beginning, you may not know specifically what you are looking for until you start digging deeper below the surface of the past and discover surprising relationships or connections between family history and public history.

Whether you are chasing a single elusive ancestor or mapping an entire family line, the research is shaped around the questions you bring. Lateral and horizontal methods, close attention to community context, and direct collaboration with the genealogist all work together to bring your family's past into clearer focus.