Forgotten New England

Ryan W. Owen, Writer and Photographer

Embrace your black sheep ancestors!

January 4, 2012.Reading time 9 minutes.

Black sheep ancestors – we’ve all got them. If you don’t, it probably means that you haven’t discovered them yet. I find them fascinating. I mean, I enjoy the church-going, god-fearing, alms-giving ancestors as much as the next genealogist, but there’s a certain spark of interest that surges when you come across ancestors who were […]

A Window into the Past: Ancestors’ Letters as Genealogical Records

December 15, 2011.Reading time 9 minutes.

So, say you’ve inherited a large stack of family photographs showing ancestors who are far up your family tree – such as great-grandparents, or their siblings, cousins, or close family friends. As you stare into the moment in time captured in that cabinet card or tin type photograph, do you ever wonder what their voices […]