#Next of kin professional

Conversely, the genealogist who wishes to research next-of-kin rarely needs to know a person’s ancestry any earlier than the 1850s.

#Next of kin professional

This creates a research barrier where the genealogy hobbyist often begins turning to professional genealogists for help. Many traditional genealogists work almost entirely on problems from about 1850 and earlier in time-due to the 1850 census in the United States being the first that lists entire families. That often takes them back a few generations, so their work will begin perhaps in the early 1900s or before.

A traditional genealogist works from the present to the past, with much of their actual research starting from as distant as living memory will allow. The main differences deal with the period of focus and the direction of research. For such an understanding, Greenwood’s The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 4th ed. This article will assume a solid understanding of the basics of genealogical research in the United States. This step will be briefly covered toward the end of part two and in part three.Īt the most basic level, the first step in identifying next-of-kin is the same as any genealogy research. The second step, is to actually locate current contact information for the individual, and if desired, to make contact. This often includes current and former occupations, residences, and relationships. Other useful information could include anything that is traceable or helps to trace an individual. The first step is the genealogy research-to identify information about the next-of-kin: What are their names? What was their last known location? On what date can you pinpoint them at that location? When doing the necessary research to answer these questions, the researcher should also become aware of other basic facts about the person, such as their birth date. There are two main steps in this process. An example of a social purpose would be to organize a family reunion. An example of giving back to the community would be returning family heirlooms like a Purple Heart medal or family Bible. An example of traditional genealogy usage would be to identify living cousins who may have family photos or documents, which if shared could help extend your pedigree. An example of forensic genealogy is settling estate cases, for which the next-of-kin must be found before distribution of assets is possible. Purposes for such research include forensic genealogy, traditional genealogy, giving back to the community, and planning social events.

There are many reasons why someone would want to find an individual’s living cousins or next-of-kin.