The popular genealogy television series “Who Do You Think You Are?” returns this Wednesday on TLC at 9 p.m. The six episodes of this fifth season will include the following celebrities: Valerie Bertinelli, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kelsey Grammer, Rachel McAdams and Cynthia Nixon investigating their families with the help of TLC and Ancestry.com.
As in previous seasons, the experts from Ancestry.com will take the celebrities to various research institutions in different parts of the U.S. and overseas, following genealogical methodology by interviewing relatives, visiting family homesteads and, if the research points to overseas sources, venturing there. For more information, check your local listings.
For a companion volume to help start researching see “Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History” by Megan Smolenyak, a professional genealogist. Published by the series in 2010, it is available via Amazon.com. You could also contact one of our local genealogical societies for assistance in beginning your family tree. See the Georgia Genealogical Society at www.gagensociety.org. TLC appears at different television station numbers depending on your cable provider.
DAR/SAR RECORDS WORTH CHECKING
If someone has joined the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) on your ancestor, it’s worth checking the organization’s website, www.dar.org, to see an outline of the research used and, if necessary, order a copy. On the site, go to the “genealogy” section and then to “ancestor search.” If someone has joined the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) on an ancestor, many of their records are on Ancestry.com, but you can go to www.sar.org and to “membership” and then to “patriot search.” There you can search for a man of the Revolutionary War era to see if someone has joined on him, if his grave site has been recorded, or both.
SEARCH ALL POSSIBLE SPELLINGS
Many researchers often think their surname was only spelled one way. Recently I have been researching in Virginia and Georgia records my Wynn ancestors and others with the same name. One man is in the 1805 Land Lottery spelled “Wen,” yet when he got his land, it was spelled “Wynn.” Others in Hancock County spelled it “Winne” but were also “Wynn” later on. In DAR/SAR searches and others, be sure to search all spellings.
About the Author
