My focus ancestor currently is Israel Brown (1754-1839). Israel, and his service during the Revolutionary War, has already been confirmed by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) as a Patriot, and I hope to join my distant cousins in a successful application to this organization - using his service. That may seem like a slam dunk (and perhaps it is), but no one has yet applied under my direct ancestor’s line - through Israel’s son, Thomas Tolman Brown. This is my challenge.
 
Let’s start with what I know. From the little research I’ve done so far on Israel - and using largely only online records to date - he was born in Stonington, New London County, Connecticut to Jesse Brown and Hannah Leeds.[1] In 1775, Israel is reported to have served in the Dutchess County, New York militia, 3rd regiment, under Colonel John Field, Colonel Andrew Morehouse, and Major Jonathan Paddock[2], as a private.
 
Israel married Mariam in New York on January 25, 1776[3] and I believe they up to ten children, including Thomas, Elisha (1794-1878)[4] and Phoebe (1790-1875).[5] Both Elisha and Phoebe have proven to be important in "connecting the dots" in this family for me.
 
The family largely resided in the Fort Ann, Washington County, New York area. Fort Ann was originally known as Westfield, and the name changed while Israel was in residence. He died there on November 16, 1839, and is buried in the Fort Ann Cemetery.[6]
 

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So what do I need to learn?
 
Well, that depends on what question I'm trying to answer. The immediate need, as far as I can see today, is to prove the lineage from Israel to me via accepted documentation in order to obtain membership in the DAR. To do this, I need evidence of each generation, one to another:
 
Israel > Thomas T. > Oscar F. > William W. > Michael T. > Me
 
At present, I have plenty of documentation from Oscar on down... It's the connection from Israel to Thomas and then Thomas to Oscar that I need. As a result, my question becomes this:
 
"What resources are available that will confirm or deny the father/son relationships between Israel and Thomas and Thomas and Oscar?"
 
My next objective will be to create a research plan in order to answer this question.



[1] Brown, Israel. “Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection).” Ancestry.com, 2006. Accessed 10 Jul 2016.
[2] Rumpf, Myrtle B. Supplemental Information, Daughters of the American Revolution Application. Ancestor #A015474, dated 30 Jan 1948. Accessed 01 Aug 2016. http://www.dar.org/
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Anonymous Author. Email and photos in possession of Baldwin, Jen. Fort Ann Cemetery, Fort Ann, Washington County, New York. Received July 2016.

In a recent webinar(1), Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL, reminded us all how important it is to document our stories. To preserve our research - in one form or another - and to share. Share with your family, your friends, your dog, your colleagues, or the general public. It struck a nerve. 

2016 has been an incredibly fulfilling year for me, professionally. But it's also been exhausting. I've focused almost entirely on my role with Findmypast, a year full of lectures and traveling, and my volunteer work with the War of 1812 Preserve the Pensions effort via FGS, the Larimer County Genealogical Society here in Fort Collins, and of course, #genchat. 

What I've given up is my own personal research. And blogging. And pretty much all forms of documenting my own family.

This certainly is not a unique experience. I know many - many - genealogists who work professionally, either as researchers or in other roles in the industry, who find themselves very rarely being able to work on their own families. Working on our own stories, however, is one of the best ways to learn and to continue to grow as researchers. 

I've certainly promised myself in the past that "this year... I will focus on my own education." "This year... I will finally write out my theories." "This year... I will lay out a plan for researching [insert any random ancestor here.]"

Well, this year has come. It's time. It's long overdue, actually. As I look forward to 2017 on the calendar I have three goals: 

1. Submit my application to join the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. 
2. Commit to at least three blog posts per month, focused on my own interests. 
3. Incorporate consistent education into my weekly schedule; through webinars, podcasts, online courses, institutes, or structured peer dialogue. 

Time to carve out some time for me, for my family, for my passions. This year... is going to be a good year. 


(1) Russell, Judy G., JD, CG, CGL. "When Worlds Collide: Resolving Conflicts in Genealogical Records." 7 Oct 2016, Legacy Family Tree Webinars BCG Series. http://familytreewebinars.com/download.php?webinar_id=502