(07) 5480 4252
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CASE STUDIES
A growth spurt for Vincent's tree - a best case scenario
Service: Silver Family Tree Package
Vincent, a Sydney resident with a keen interest in tracing his ancestry, reached out to us for guidance on expanding his family tree on MyHeritage. Having only recently embarked on this journey, he found himself uncertain about the best strategies to uncover more information about his lineage. To maximize his chances of success, he opted for our Silver Family Tree Package—a comprehensive research service designed to extend family trees as far back as possible using a vast range of genealogical databases.
When Vincent first came to us, his family tree contained only a handful of ancestors, and he had reached a frustrating dead end just beyond his great-grandparents. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to locate any additional information. One major obstacle was the language barrier—Vincent speaks only English, yet his family roots trace back to Belgium and Germany, where the majority of historical records are written in French or German. This linguistic challenge had made independent research particularly difficult for him.
Our expert team conducted an extensive search across multiple genealogical databases, analyzing historical documents, civil records, and immigration data. It quickly became evident that one of the key reasons Vincent had been struggling to uncover more information was a surname variation—a common occurrence in historical records. Vincent had been researching the family name "Renard," but our deeper investigation revealed that the original surname had actually been "Regnard." This crucial discovery unlocked a wealth of new information, enabling us not only to identify his great-grandmother but also to trace several additional generations of ancestors. In total, we added several dozen direct ancestors to his tree, along with approximately 150 cousins.
The transformation in Vincent’s family tree was truly remarkable. With our expert assistance, what had once been a sparse and uncertain lineage blossomed into a rich and well-documented ancestral record. The before-and-after comparison of Vincent’s family tree, made possible through our Silver Family Tree Package, can be viewed below (opens in a pop-up). This success story showcases the power of professional genealogical research and highlights how even the most challenging roadblocks can be overcome with the right expertise and resources.
Elizabeth's legacy: safely preserved and digitalized
Service: Family Tree Starter Package
Elizabeth, a woman in her early 80s, resides in a peaceful retirement village on the northern Sunshine Coast. She spends her days reading, tending to her small garden, and reflecting on her family's past. Among her possessions is a collection of genealogical records—handwritten family charts, aging documents, and faded photographs—that were carefully compiled by her late husband. These materials provide valuable insights into her family's history, but many details remain incomplete, and the physical documents themselves are deteriorating with time. Concerned about preserving this information for future generations, Elizabeth sought a structured and reliable method to safeguard her family's legacy.
Understanding the importance of both archival preservation and digital continuity, Elizabeth reached out to us for assistance. We met with her in the communal lounge of her retirement village, where she carefully laid out the delicate pages of her family records. Over the course of several hours, we systematically assessed, sorted, and digitized the materials. Each document was scanned at high resolution, allowing for digital restoration of faded text, while fragile photographs were enhanced to retain their original detail. Gaps in the existing genealogical charts were analyzed, and additional historical records were researched to fill in missing connections.
Beyond simply preserving physical documents, Elizabeth wanted to ensure that her family's history would remain accessible to future generations. To accomplish this, we guided her in constructing a comprehensive digital family tree. Using a structured online platform, her family’s lineage was meticulously organized, integrating names, birth records, marriage details, and historical photographs. This digital record not only safeguarded the information but also allowed for easy expansion as new discoveries were made. Additionally, Elizabeth’s children and grandchildren were invited to contribute their own knowledge, stories, and images, ensuring that the family tree remained an evolving and collaborative effort.
To help Elizabeth navigate this transition to digital genealogy, we provided hands-on guidance in using MyHeritage’s research tools. She learned how to explore historical records, identify potential relatives, and verify connections through census data and birth certificates. The structured platform also enabled her to cross-reference details with other family members, ensuring accuracy and completeness. By the end of the session, Elizabeth had not only preserved decades of family history but had also established a lasting, accessible record that future generations could continue to build upon.
With her family tree now securely documented and accessible online,
Elizabeth was reassured that the legacy of her ancestors would not be lost to time. Instead of being confined to fragile papers and handwritten notes, her family's history was now preserved in a format that would endure, allowing future descendants to trace their lineage, explore their heritage, and contribute their own chapters to the ongoing story of their family.
Royal Blood: Tracing Kathy's DNA back to England
Service: Identification of a biological relative (DNA)
Kathy had previously undergone a genetic analysis using MyHeritage’s autosomal DNA testing but was perplexed by the unexpected results. Her genetic profile indicated a significant number of relatively close matches in England, an anomaly given her documented French lineage. Seeking to resolve these discrepancies and authenticate her ancestral tree, she engaged our expertise in advanced genetic genealogy. Through meticulous research, we uncovered an unexpected truth—her presumed great-grandfather was not her biological ancestor. Instead, a new ancestral lineage emerged, deeply rooted in English heritage, leading us to trace her genetic inheritance through some of Europe’s most historically significant noble and royal bloodlines.
To establish scientific validity, we employed a two-phase approach. Initially, we conducted a generational validation by cross-referencing DNA segments against verified ancestral lines, identifying inconsistencies within one specific branch. Subsequently, we performed a quantitative analysis of her genetic matches in Lancashire, England, employing chromosomal triangulation techniques to pinpoint the ancestral connection. This necessitated reconstructing the genealogical profiles of four high-confidence DNA relatives, tracing their pedigrees back to the 15th century. Through phylogenetic comparison, we identified a common progenitor—a pivotal ancestor whose lineage provided the missing link in Barb’s genetic puzzle.
Once this complex genealogical framework was meticulously aligned, a remarkable pattern emerged. Over 50 of Barb’s English DNA relatives converged within a single ancestral cluster, providing robust statistical confirmation of her true great-grandfather. The findings were corroborated using advanced computational tools, including segment-based DNA analysis and probabilistic ancestry modeling, to ensure the accuracy of the reconstructed lineage. Each identified sub-branch underwent further validation using chromosome mapping techniques to eliminate ambiguities.
Following this breakthrough, Kathy's verified ancestry was traced across multiple centuries, leading to a remarkable discovery—her newly confirmed ancestor was a direct descendant of Lady Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England. Due to the extensive historical documentation of European aristocratic lineages, her genealogy was subsequently expanded to include the Tudor and Plantagenet dynasties, as well as their illustrious forebears. The research further established her genetic ties to Saint Vladimir the Great, Grand Prince of Kiev, and King Charles I of France. Additionally, through another branch, Kathy was found to share a common ancestor with Anne Boleyn, the mother of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Astonishingly, despite his humble origins in Michigan, USA, Kathy's great-grandfather possessed a lineage interwoven with some of history’s most influential dynasties.
The search for Henry's father: Discovery in America
Service: Confirmation of an ancestral line (DNA)
Henry from Victoria, Australia, had never known his father’s identity. At 75, he decided to take a series of DNA tests and reached out to us to help uncover his ancestry. Through our research, we identified two distant cousins who had also taken DNA tests, leading to five more strong matches for Henry. But the biggest surprise? His father wasn’t Australian, as he had always believed. Instead, his journey of discovery took him from Melbourne all the way to Oregon and Virginia in the USA.
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