Forensic Genealogy Research & Irish Ancestry

UNDERSTANDING AND USING CORRECT GENEALOGICAL METHODOLOGY, REGARDLESS THE TYPE OR SCOPE OF A RESEARCH PROJECT, IS ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESSfUL AND ACCURATE CONCLUSIONS.

REMEMBER: ANALYZE – CORRELATE – PROVE

Forensic Research
What is Forensic Genealogy and what is a Forensic Genealogist?
Forensic Genealogy is the part of genealogy that employs in-depth research and analysis techniques in legal cases such as needed by attorneys and others in cases with legal implications. The research is done by a highly confidential, qualified, unbiased genealogist with no stake in the results of the search.

A Forensic Genealogist is someone that is qualified to do the research based upon, first their extensive training as a genealogist and then training specifically in forensic genealogical work that involves attending courses in forensic genealogy. Forensic genealogists are retained by law offices, attorneys, courts, governmental agencies, corporate entities, estates, and any others that require genealogical searches involving legal issues. The forensic genealogist works as an independent party to search out records, analyze them, report the results of their research to the entity that employs them, and when needed to be a witness.

Some examples include estates, trusts, oil and gas royalties, land titles, citizenship issues, insurance cases, and other litigations that require the services of a qualified genealogist.

Irish Research
Before making a trip to find your ancestors in Ireland, the search must start in the U.S.A. All records generated here, such as birth, marriage, and death certificates, immigration and naturalization papers, passenger lists, census, land and tax records, military, church, and any other records that can be found might be needed to find where ancestors lived. Research in Ireland will not be successful if all the information available is a county name and in some cases, it might be the wrong county name. There are elements to the search in Ireland than are much different than in America: registrar districts, electoral divisions, baronies, parishes, poor law unions, and townlands to name some of them. In addition, it is important to know the dates when civil records were generated and where they can be found. Religious records in Ireland are very important as well.

I have researched and lectured for a number of years about how to search for and use American records to find the data necessary to be successful in Ireland. When needed, I will travel to Ireland for clients. These trips are not made on a regular schedule. However, if the search has urgency, such as for a legal case, I have expert Irish researchers that will work with me to secure the records needed and assist documenting the results. I am happy to take inquiries about these searches.

Benedict Research Services offers genealogical, historical, and forensic genealogy research and with years of archival experience understands the confidentiality issues involved in all such work. We welcome your inquiry.

I have quite a bit of microfilm that will go to the landfill at some point. I am attempting to find out which ones have been digitized, especially the census films. I do have some of older Santa Barbara County records I will keep for now but also some that may have information on the Irish CW soldiers buried in California database I am putting together. In the meantime, I am happy to check anything I have. I am more than happy to look through them. Once they are all reviewed, they, along with my microfilm reader, will become old history. I also have a fiche reader and some fiche. I will hang on to those for awhile longer.

If you have questions, email to benedictresearchservices@gmail.com