Monday, December 14, 2009

The Guild Of One-Name Studies

One group that may be able to assist in your research may be those who are tracing their own ancestors with the same surname as yours. There are many people who are looking for all instances of a certain surname, especially if it is a somewhat rare or unique last name, or that occur in a geographical area. Myself, my interest is peaked if I find out that someone else is looking for my own last name, Bradshaw, in Scotland, specifically in Renfrewshire, as that is where my ancestors came from and the name is limited to pretty much my line in that area of Scotland. If you are tracing the Bradshaw surname in Renfrew, contact me - maybe we are related and can possibly compare research.

To assist family history buffs that have information to share with others or who who need some help with their genealogical research, should take a look at the Guild Of One-Name Studies. Personally, I am not a member and have no affiliation with the group, but they may be of some assistance if you find they have members tracing the same surname that you are pursuing.

The Guild states on it's website that they currently have over 2,300 members who are doing research on 7,850 different surnames. The last names that are currently being worked on are listed alphabetically, so if you discover that a member is looking into your surname, click on the name which will take you to the member's contact information. Likely there will be an email address so you can drop the member a line.

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