My genealogical research has always followed where my own family originated; paternally, my ancestry hails from all over New York state. Maternally, my ancestry is from southwest Virginia, at the juncture of Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. As a result, my strongest specialties in genealogical research are:

  • Appalachia – specifically southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina, southern West Virginia, and eastern Tennessee
  • Colonial Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina, from the late 1600s through the mid-1800s
  • New York state research, both in colonial era (pre-1783) and also post-Revolutionary War

Additionally, due to my work with the DAR over the past decade, I have certainly focused my research on the era of 1765-1790 in the United States, around the time of the Revolutionary War. Some of my other specialties as a result include:

  • Burned county research (particularly in Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina)
  • Revolutionary War service research
  • Bounty land research

Additionally, my genealogical exploits have taken me across the pond as well! I do have experience in the following areas (with disclaimers):

  • Germany (mostly southern Germany, i.e. Baden, Hesse, Bavaria), pre-1870 years, and mostly through church/parish records and civil registrations (in the 19th century). I do have some experience with reading some 18th century-era German script.
  • Poland (in the former German partition of Poland, included in what was Prussia), pre-1900 years. Please note this if interested in Polish research as I do not have experience with the Russian partition of Poland (i.e. eastern Poland, where records are recorded in Russian). My research is also usually limited to church records and civil registrations.
  • 17th & 18th century Netherlands, mostly through church/parish records. I have some experience with Dutch script as well, though less successful than with Germans script.

When dealing with American research, I do frequent the Library of Virginia in Richmond, VA. I have also done research at several regional courthouses and can do courthouse research anywhere within 100 miles of the greater Washington, D.C. area.

HAVE A QUESTION? Ask! Contact me at bsburns1985@gmail.com.

***PLEASE NOTE: During the ongoing global pandemic situation, many genealogical repositories are closed to visitors and the public for research. Some repositories are closed but still taking requests for genealogical inquiries; other repositories are closed completely to the public and to all inquiries. Please note that genealogists are very much limited by these factors. When contacting a genealogist during this time, please be informed of this knowledge! We have certainly developed our way around certain situations, but in situations where there is nothing else to do but on-site research, please be aware that the project may be delayed until libraries, archives, and other repositories reopen to the public! Wear a mask and be safe…we all want life to be restored to normalcy!