Hi there! I'm Lisa Lisson, and I'm passionate about helping people like you discover their ancestors and expand their family tree without feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about the next steps.
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π€― What if you accidentally discovered a notorious ancestor?
Published 2 days agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share practical family history advice - whether you're solving genealogy mysteries or capturing the stories that make your family unique. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue.
Hi Reader,
Have you ever been doing routine family research when something made you stop and think 'Wait, that can't be right'?
That's exactly what happened when I was researching my mother-in-law's Salem, Massachusetts family and accidentally discovered a connection to Charles 'The King' Solomon - one of Boston's most notorious prohibition-era gangsters.
This discovery taught me something crucial about genealogy research: the real treasures aren't always what you're looking for. Sometimes the most valuable finds happen when you're simply trying to understand how your ancestors lived their daily lives.
π¬ NEW BLOG POST & VIDEO
ACCIDENTAL INFAMOUS ANCESTOR!
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This isn't a story about finding criminals in your family tree - it's about the research methodology that made this discovery possible and why newspaper research should be part of every genealogist's toolkit.
I'll show you the exact search strategy that led from routine research to this very surprising family connection, and how you can apply the same approach to uncover the social context your ancestors' lives.
Family History Month is coming up fast, and this year I'm doing something different. Instead of the usual "organize everything perfectly" advice, we're focusing on discovery - finding the gems hiding in plain sight in your existing research, photos, and family stories.
Starting October 1st, I'll be sending you guided exploration emails twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays) to help you uncover what you already have before searching for new records. I'll share the specific tools and strategies I use daily - from photo analysis techniques to research breakthrough methods to preservation solutions that actually work.
Because honestly? Most of us have more family information than we realize.
Your regular Tuesday newsletters will continue as usual - this is just bonus content for Family History Month. More details coming next week!
π‘ QUICK WIN OF THE WEEK
The 5-Minute Newspaper Name Search
Before you dismiss newspaper research as "too overwhelming," try these quick strategies:
Search business names - If you know your ancestor owned a shop or worked somewhere, search the business name + their location
Check obituaries of siblings - Family members' death notices often mention relatives by their commonly-used names
Use quotes for exact phrases - "brother of" or "son of" can reveal family connections you missed
Sometimes the breakthrough hiding in newspapers takes just one strategic search. The key is knowing which terms actually produce results.
πΈ FEATURED RESOURCES / WHAT I'M LOVING THIS WEEK
FAMILY TREE PLUS MEMBERSHIP
Family Tree Magazine's (UK) Back to School sale is running now! Perfect timing for their premium research guides and expert methodology tutorials that help you tackle complex discoveries like this week's gangster connection.
This week's discovery wouldn't have been possible without Newspapers.com's searchable archives. 1+ billion pages of social context you can't find anywhere else.
When Charles Solomon first appeared in articles about the Solomon men, that told me something important about family connections.
Don't ignore names that show up repeatedly in your ancestor's records - even if you don't recognize them. These 'unknown' people often reveal:
Business partnerships
Extended family relationships
Social connections that explain your ancestor's choices
Geographic movements you didn't know about
π IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
From the Archives: Use Social History in Genealogy Research
This week's gangster discovery demonstrates why social history research is crucial for understanding your ancestors as real people, not just names and dates.
Social history goes beyond vital records to explore how your ancestors lived, worked, and connected with their communities. It's the difference between knowing someone existed and understanding their actual life story.
βThis blog post shows you how to research your ancestors' social context using newspapers, city directories, maps, and community records - the same approach that led to unexpected family revelations.
Discovered something intriguing in your research but can't piece together the full story? My βVIP Research Dayβ intensive is perfect for complex family mysteries that need expert-level detective work.
Whether it's tracking unusual family connections, navigating specialized records, or building evidence for difficult relationships, we'll spend a focused day using advanced research strategies and professional database access to solve what's been stumping you.
Actionable genealogy advice that you'll want to save in a special Gmail folder to grow your healthy family tree, sent weekly to 10,000+ readers.
Hi there! I'm Lisa Lisson, and I'm passionate about helping people like you discover their ancestors and expand their family tree without feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about the next steps.
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Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share practical family history advice - whether you're solving genealogy mysteries or capturing the stories that make your family unique. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue. Hi Reader, A number of years ago when cleaning out my grandmother's house, we found ourselves in the hallway staring up at the attic. It was one of those pull-down attic stairways and had been duct taped closed. Not really sure...
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