If you’re really stuck, try finding someone who is familiar with research in the area and ask them to take a second look at your brick wall. They may know about local naming traditions, obscure sources or notice unusual patterns.
Just this week I was able to solve a client’s brick wall using the knowledge of a local expert. I traced the New Netherland ancestor back to his home town, and then consulted a local expert. Within hours, he found a record that placed the New Netherland immigrant in his parental household. He was able to find that record so fast because of transcriptions he had made but had not published yet.
Because I have a network of researchers in different areas in the Netherlands, I can quickly access their knowledge and call in their help if I need it. This is especially useful when researching immigrant families, since I’ll often not know what part of the Netherlands they’re from when I take on a project. Although many traditions, terms and sources are the same all over the country, I love collaborating with other genealogists to learn more about the specifics for each area and solving brick walls together.
About Yvette Hoitink
