Vanessa WoodI’ve been asked, “How can I read your genealogy article?” I’m pleased to announce that my first compilation of genealogical articles will soon be available on Amazon!
The Kinship Papers: Genealogical Articles by Vanessa Wood, Volume 1 brings together eight research articles that tackle annoying problems every encountered by everyone who has researched their family tree: court errors, individuals with identical names living in the same place and time, families without wills, contradictory records, and people who simply vanish from the historical record.
These aren’t quick tips or beginner tutorials. Each article is a deep dive into a specific research problem, demonstrating the methodology I used to untangle complex family situations when the easy answers weren’t available. You’ll see how I work with negative evidence, compare multiple record types, track land transactions across changing county boundaries, and build circumstantial cases when direct proof doesn’t exist.
What’s inside:
A court clerk’s error that “killed” W.C. Gregory in 1860—he actually lived until 1870, and the record was for someone else entirely.
Two men named John Pryor living in White County, Tennessee in 1817—how to tell them apart when one disappears from the records.
The seven children of John and Massey Pryor, identified without a will using the FAN Principle (Family, Associates, and Neighbors).
The Williams family’s journey from Illinois into unorganized territory—explaining their absence from the 1850 census.
How a Nashville Penitentiary register unlocked Jonathan Pryor’s family connections.
John Pryor’s rare “first will” from Richmond, Virginia, executed before his marriage ended in divorce.
Captain Thomas Cunningham’s settlement on the dangerous Kentucky frontier in the 1780s.
Determining which of four James Cunninghams (who also had sons named James!) witnessed a 1799 will in Bullitt County, Kentucky.
These articles span research in Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Louisiana from the 1780s through the 1860s. Whether you’re working in these locations or just want to strengthen your research skills, you’ll find practical examples of solving real genealogical problems.
Publication date and ordering information coming soon!
