Author Archives: Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Why don’t Spanish death certificates include a cause of death?

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

If you have ever had to order a death certificate from a Spanish registry office, you may have noticed that the cause of death is crossed out, or simply does not exist. To many of us, the absence of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Registration, Death, Spain | Leave a comment

My Living DNA experience

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Those of you who followed my blog in April will remember how I was singled out at Who Do You Think You Are? Live by Living DNA’s Marketing Director Hannah Morden– I suppose constant tweeting, not to mention purchasing 12 … Continue reading →

Posted in DNA, England, Galicia, Genealogy, Genetic Genealogy, Italy, LivingDNA, Who Do You Think You Are? | 2 Comments

Using DNA to find the common ancestor

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

If you have ever taken an autosomal DNA test with any company, be it Ancestry, 23andMe, FamilyTreeDNA, Living DNA, etc., you will have seen that your results will appear on the company’s database along with a (generally long) list of … Continue reading →

Posted in DNA, Galicia, Genealogy, Genetic Genealogy, Illegitimacy, Spain | 3 Comments

Cancer & My Family’s Genetic Inheritance

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Author’s Note: The below was written on 27 April 2017, and updated on 30 November 2018. We have all met someone who has had cancer. You might even be a cancer survivor yourself. Or you may well be battling cancer … Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy, Illness, Spain, Women | 1 Comment

Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2017

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Well, I’m back. Or should I say I survived? My calendar over the last four days has been filled with nothing but talks about genealogy, genomics, resources and (to quote someone I met at WDYTYA? Live 2017) “nerdgasms”. Yes, Who … Continue reading →

Posted in Birmingham, DNA, Galicia, Genealogy, Who Do You Think You Are? | 1 Comment

How to order a Spanish death certificate?

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

One of the most common questions I usually get when discussing genealogy is “how can I get my ancestor’s death certificate from Spain?”. The procedure is actually pretty straight-forward and it usually takes a few days – if you’re lucky!- … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Registration, Death, Galicia, Genealogy, Spain | 1 Comment

Understanding Spanish Surnames

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

In recent times family researchers in England, the USA and beyond  have asked me to clarify a matter which concerns their Spanish ancestry. It is, in fact, one of the most common questions I tend to get: how does the Spanish … Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy, Spain | 2 Comments

Blind Expectations

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Well, what a week this is proving to be what with one thing and another! It seems my Allen ancestors still have much to say about our family history, and now, thanks to the wills I had copied last week … Continue reading →

Posted in 1841 Census, 1851 Census, 1861 Census, 1871 Census, 1881 Census, 1891 Census, 1901 Census, Ancestry.com, Birth, Colwall, England, Family Search, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Marriage | Leave a comment

Where There’s a Will…

Posted on February 5, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Most of you by now are aware of my ongoing interest in my Allen ancestors, from the parish of Colwall, on the Herefordshire side of the Malvern Hills. The fact that I live nowhere near the area makes onsite research … Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy | 2 Comments

Researching Clara Allen

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Several years ago I learned, thanks to the English census, that my great-great-grandfather John Allen had a younger sister called Clara. For some inexplicable reason, I have always felt a keen interest in Clara’s story – perhaps because for many … Continue reading →

Posted in 1851 Census, 1861 Census, 1871 Census, 1881 Census, 1891 Census, 1901 Census, 1911 Census, Birth, Colwall, Death, England, Genealogy, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Illness, War, Women, Work, World War I, World War II | 1 Comment