FAQs
What is QuinTrees?
QuinTrees is a Canadian Genealogical Business, created in 2021 out the suggestion by her late mother, Jill Cobb (1948-2018) that Suzanne peruse her dreams. So, with passion, serendipity and dedication, three years of education was pursued and a long-time idea brought to fruition.
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‘Quin’ comes from two ideas – one, that Suzanne has researched her own ‘5’ family trees: maternal, paternal, adoptive maternal, adoptive paternal and her husbands marital tree.
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Two, ‘Quin’ also comes from her area of residence in the Bay of Quinte, Ontario,
How can I start discovering my family history?
Write down your information first. Check your birth certificate and write down known information-
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Your full name, your birthdate, your birthplace, your parents full names
Then, go to your parents information and write down,
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Your fathers’ full name, birthdate, birthplace, their parents full names
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Your mothers’ full name, birthdate, birthplace, their parents full names
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Your parents marriage information, marriage date, marriage place
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Now you have 3 generations!
You can add your siblings, your parents siblings in the same manner.
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Make it a goal to visit an older member of the family and ask if they are willing to share what they know about the family ancestors. Ask questions such as where they lived, their occupations, their religion and did any relatives serve in the military. It would be a good idea to record (with permission) this conversation so you can come back to tasty little details as you see fit. In this way, you will also have a permanent record (artifact) of their voice for future generations.
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Ask the family if there are old documents, letters, diaries, photographs or heirlooms in their possession. You can arrange to make copies or take photographs of artifacts/documents for your collection.
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Visit your local library or genealogical society and see what resources they have about general genealogy such as how to books and general area resources. While there, talk with a society member – these people are passionate about research and can help you in many ways possible.
How can I start discovering my family history?
Of course, it is, and it is not. The internet has become a virtual repository full of MANY genealogy related websites. Each site has something to offer, and many are useful, but it is unlikely you will find your own family tree there unless some relative has uploaded it of their own volition.
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In addition, some paid sites, have great access to images of original documents which allow you to properly access information gathered. There are also pitfalls. Many family trees on Ancestry are put together without an analysis of whether the information is accurate or not. I would estimate that I have seen errors (including names, dates, spouses, places and kinship) in almost every other tree I have encountered.
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Genealogical standards call for the appraising of sources: deciding whether they are original records (including images), derivative records (transcriptions, notes) or authored works (family trees, family stories). As well, information can be primary, second-hand or undetermined. The preference is for original and primary information.
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Even though there is much information available across the web – it will never be all that exists. There are old boxes in the corner of some archive, church, courthouse or library, or even for sale on e-bay that may hold new information about your ancestor.
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Good research is found in using a balance of online and offline repositories and evaluating all sources and information so that a sound conclusion can be discovered
When should I hire a professional genealogist?
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If you would like to learn about your family history, but research or writing is not your strength
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If your time is restricted – life is busy
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If you have researched your family history but have hit a question you are unable to answer
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If you live to far from the area of research
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If records for your family tree are in illegible transcript or another language
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If you would like to understand the role of DNA in discovering your past but would like to learn more about the process and how the results are used.
What are your Qualifications?
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Over 25 years experience
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Professional Learning Certificate of Genealogical Studies (2022)
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40 course credits for a Canadian Certificate including: Canadian Census, Copyright, DNA Genetics and Medical Records, Dutch Research, French Canadians, Geography and Maps, Immigration and Migration Patterns, Irish Ancestors, Land Records, Local History Collections, Methodology, Military Records, Newspaper Research, One Name Studies, Ontario Ancestors, Paleography and Transcription, Photographic History, Religious Records, United Empire Loyalists, Vital Statistics and Wills and Probate.
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My own family trees have over 4,000 names in them including United Empire Loyalists, Huguenots, French Canadian, Dutch, British, Scottish, Irish and German Settlers.
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Adoptee who used forensic genealogy to discover their birth family and the birth family of her adoptive sister.
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Member of the Professional Association of Genealogists
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Bachelor of Arts (Music and Canadian History)
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Member and Volunteer for the Quinte West Genealogical Society
What Countries
have you encountered
in your research?
While my specialty is in Canadian Genealogy, researched ancestral paths have led back to England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the United States (including Early American Ancestors), the Netherlands, Germany, the Holy Roman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Ukraine, Bukovina, Russia, Italy and France.
Can you guarantee
that QuinTrees
will find my ancestors?
No.
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History is full of holes and many of our ancestral records fall into them. QuinTrees cannot guarantee specific results.
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For a record to be found it must have first been created, then preserved and then placed in a relevant repository which is open for access.
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Records were not always created – vital statistics and registration was not law in many places until the 19th century (1800s). Many records have been lost or destroyed and never make it to an archive. Also, many archives are restricted by the government due to privacy laws).
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While QuinTrees cannot guarantee the discovery of each or every member of your family, it will guarantee exhaustive searching and that all information discovered and provided will be accurate, provided with source citations, analysis and full explanations of information given as per the Genealogical Proof Standard.
What is Genealogical Proof Standard?
The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) is a guideline for establishing the reliability (proof) of a genealogical conclusion with reasonable certainty.
It is important within the genealogical community to clearly communicate the quality of research performed, such as by a professional genealogist.
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It has five elements:
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reasonably exhaustive research;
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complete and accurate source citations;
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analysis and correlation of the collected information;
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resolution of any conflicting evidence and
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a soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion
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Stahle, Tyler S. ‘Understanding the Genealogical Proof Standard’. FamilySearch. (https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/understanding-the-genealogical-proof-standard : accessed 09 March 2022)
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‘Board for Certification of Genealogists ® - The Genealogical Proof Standard.’ Board for Certification of Genealogists; citing Genealogical Standards (2021); Chapters 1-4.
Can you locate
living relatives?
Yes. Please read on . . .
There are privacy issues surrounding the research of individuals post 1930. Birth, marriage and death records are protected by Provincial and Federal Law which makes it difficult to discover living relations.
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In order to proceed, consider:
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Is your family surname common or uncommon?
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Did your family come from a specific location?
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Was there a family occupation that was consistent?
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In this way, QuinTrees may be able to point you in the direction of living relatives in your Family Tree.
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In the case of Adoption and/or Unknown Parentage, there are methods such as DNA family trees, Heir and Forensic Genealogical research which make it a possibility of finding birth-families or non-parental lineages.
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Considering the ethics and privacy issues involved, QuinTrees will counsel with the client in their whether or not to pursue any projects involving living persons.
What is Heir and
Forensic Genealogy?
In a crime, forensic tools help discover ‘who did it.’
In genealogy, forensic tools help discover ‘who is it.’
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Heir and forensics studies mean that the researcher uses unconventional methods and different skill sets to complete the project. It is most often used in the legal field for estate distribution and heir recognition, names changes, repatriation and adoptions.
It involves finding living persons.
In this manner, heir and forensic genealogy serves a great purpose in creating genealogies and establishing bloodlines through publicly available records. The research process must be clear, recorded accurately and re-written as new information
What are your fees
and how do you determine them?
My fees are based either on hourly rates or packaged Family Story products. All fees include my time spent discovering, analyzing, archival visits, chart preparation and the preparation of reports or the writing of the Family Tree Narrative.
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QuinTrees hourly rate is $40.00.
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Package Fees varies according to scope and content.
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A preliminary search is made for larger products at a fee of $75.00 Canadian. This allows for QuinTrees to investigate the availability of appropriate records and the number of generation I may be able to provide.
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When the decision of a Package Product is made, 50% of the Preliminary Search Fee ($37.50 CDN) is applied as a discount towards said package.
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50% of the payment for hourly research and packages is due upfront and the remainder is invoiced upon delivery.
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Package Products are agreed upon by contract.
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Discounts are offered at the discretion of QuinTrees.