Category Archives: Archives

Fiorenza’s story

Posted on December 29, 2025 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

On 29 October 1912, my great-grandmother Giovanna Amerio sailed from the Italian port city of Genoa on the SS Duca di Genova, bound for New York. Crossing the chilly North Atlantic in late autumn would take a full two weeks, … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, Italy, San Marzano Oliveto, Ships, United States, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

My mysterious Terzano cousins

Posted on October 12, 2025 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Today’s blog post is about resourcefulness and, above all, perseverance. For years, I have been obsessed with a particular line of my family tree (I know none of you has ever experienced this!). It all started a couple of years … Continue reading →

Posted in Antenati, Archives, Emigration, Family Search, Genealogy, Italy, San Marzano Oliveto | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

From Fred to Ed: Ellen Tomkins’ elusive husband

Posted on January 26, 2025 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

My great-great-grandfather’s second cousin Ellen Tomkins was born on 2 May 1864 in Colwall, her family’s ancestral birthplace in Herefordshire. As one of no fewer than thirteen children, Ellen belonged to a tight-knit family whose branches stretched across the county … Continue reading →

Posted in 1871 Census, 1881 Census, 1891 Census, 1901 Census, 1911 Census, Archives, Birmingham, Colwall, Death, England, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Women | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The mystery of Samuel Morris’s origins

Posted on November 4, 2023 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Morris was my great-grandmother’s maiden name, so when I was growing up, I was well aware of its existence in my recent family history. However, when I later became interested in genealogy, I soon discovered how difficult it was going … Continue reading →

Posted in 1841 Census, 1851 Census, 1861 Census, Archives, Birth, Death, England, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Kington | Leave a comment

Mary Crowther (1707-1779?)

Posted on July 2, 2023 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

This is the story of my seven times great-grandmother, Mary Crowther. Very little is known about her – and yet, through a handful of records, it is still possible to reconstruct what must have been some of the most important … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, Genealogy, Marriage, Shropshire, Women | Leave a comment

See you at the Salon de la Généalogie Paris 15!

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

I am extremely pleased to announce that I have been invited to talk at the next edition of the Salon de la Généalogie Paris 15. The event, the largest of its kind in the French-speaking world this side of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, France, Genealogy, Spain | 1 Comment

Quest to solve two Spanish mysteries with DNA continues…

Posted on May 11, 2018 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

NOTE: The genealogical chart at the end of this article may help to understand the relationships and hypothetical family links mentioned in the text. When I first took a DNA test (with AncestryDNA) in 2016 I half suspected most of … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancestry.com, Archives, Birth, DNA, Galicia, Genealogy, Genetic Genealogy, Illegitimacy, Women | Leave a comment

The confusing story of Henry Hodges and Catherine Morris

Posted on March 11, 2018 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

I remember years ago when I first researched my great-great-grandfather’s eldest sister Catherine Morris that I did not find her story particularly interesting: she married, had children, and died. It was all rather dull and straightforward – or so it … Continue reading →

Posted in 1841 Census, 1851 Census, 1861 Census, 1871 Census, 1881 Census, 1891 Census, 1901 Census, 1911 Census, Archives, Bigamy, Birth, Death, Dymock, England, Genealogy, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Marriage | 8 Comments

Review: Explore The Past (a brand new guide to family history)

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Lately, Worcestershire seems to be cropping up in my “genealogical life” more than usual. Not only have I just become a member of the Malvern Family History Society (thanks to whom I think I may have cracked an old brick-wall … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, Genealogy, Worcestershire | Leave a comment