Guides
Family history, explained plainly.
Short guides from the research team — for starting your own search, and for knowing what good research looks like when you see it.
How to begin genealogy research
The step-by-step path from what your family remembers to what the records can prove — interviews first, then home sources, then the free archives, one generation at a time.
How to hire a professional genealogist
What the work actually involves, what it costs, the questions that separate careful researchers from confident guessers — and the red flags to walk away from.
What is a family lineage?
Lineage, family tree, pedigree — what the words mean, how many ancestors you really have, and what it takes to document a line properly.
How to find the ship your ancestor arrived on
Naturalization papers, passenger manifests, and departure lists — the step-by-step path to your family’s crossing.
How to find lost or missing relatives
Censuses, directories, obituaries, and vital records — how a lost branch of the family gets found.
DNA tests and family trees
What the tests actually reveal, what they can’t, and the working rule: DNA suggests, documents prove.
How to read a family relationship chart
Second cousins, “once removed,” and the two questions that make every cousin label simple.
How to find someone’s date of birth
Vital records, church registers, censuses, and draft cards — and how to keep uncertain dates honest.
What is a pedigree chart?
How to read genealogy’s oldest tool, and why its blank spaces matter as much as the filled ones.
What is a biographical sketch?
Turning records into a life story — what belongs in one, and a worked example.
Frequently asked questions
How the research works, how far back it can go, what you receive, and how we handle your family's information.
Specialty research
Where we go deep.
How we research specific heritages — the records that survive, the challenges, and how far back each can reach.
Free consultation
Start with a few details, not a commitment.
Give us names, dates, and places — we’ll begin with a free assessment, no obligation, to see how far back your family can be traced.
Get startedOr reach us directly — (917) 522-1457 · cisco@sapling.family