In Part 1, we left off with Claude’s lengthy reply to my request for a 2026 genealogy research plan, based on family history that I had written in 2025 and early 2026.
Then I requested a “Research Plan,” not knowing exactly how Claude would handle the request. The reply is somewhere between a summary of past findings and next research goals, but it is long!
Genealogy Research Log
Linda Stufflebean – Empty Branches on the Family Tree
Research Activity: 2025-2026
JANUARY 2025
Date: January 29, 2025
Topic: Preserving My Family Tree
Activity: Methodology and planning
Summary: Began thinking seriously about preservation strategies after 46 years of research. Acknowledged that very few new branches likely to bloom due to lack of records. Most new discoveries now come from professional genealogists extending colonial American lines back to England.
Preservation Plans Considered:
- Share with family members (limited interest noted)
- Considering purchasing genealogy software for younger generation
- Planning to create flash drives with organized documents and images
- Need to update MyHeritage family tree
- Need to update Ancestry family tree
- Considering FamilySearch Family Tree (previous attempt created duplicates)
- Maybe WikiTree (would be more involved than FamilySearch)
Notes: This marks a shift in focus from active research to preservation and legacy planning.
Status: Planning phase
Date: January 30, 2025
Topic: English Origins of Isabel Wells, Wife of Simon Tuttle Family: Tuttle/Wells
Location: Ringstead, Northamptonshire, England
Time Period: 1565-1635
Research Question: What are the English origins of Isabel Wells?
Findings:
- Isabel Wells born c.1565 in Ringstead, Northamptonshire, England
- Father: John Wells (will dated 20 January 1617)
- Married Simon Tuttle c.1592
- Had at least 5 sons: Richard (c.1593), John (c.1596), Thomas (d. before 1627), Simon (d. between 1617-1627), William (c.1607)
- Listed as age 70 on 1635 Planter passenger list
- Most likely died during voyage to colonies and was buried at sea
John Wells’ Will (20 Jan 1617) – Key Details:
- Named grandchildren including Morton and Barwek families
- Named “my daughter Morton” and “my daughter Tootell”
- Listed Richard Tuttle, Simon Tuttle, and William Tuttle as grandchildren
- Named William and John Wells, sons of his brother Thomas Wells
Isabel’s Siblings (from father’s will):
- Sister (possibly Elizabeth) married William Morton
- Sister married Mr. Barwek/Barwick
- Evidence of brothers from Thomas Wells’ sons mentioned
Sources Consulted:
- Donald Lines Jacobus’ work on early New England families
- Planter passenger list 1635
- John Wells’ will, 20 January 1617
- Simon Tuttle’s will, 19 December 1627
- St. Mary’s Church records, Ringstead (building dates to 1240 AD, still standing)
Challenges:
- No surviving birth or baptismal records from that region and time period
- No surviving marriage records
- Isabel disappeared from records after 1635 – no burial record in England, doesn’t appear in Massachusetts records
Line of Descent to Me: Simon Tuttle & Isabel Wells → Richard Tuttle & Anne Taylor → John Tuttle & Mary Holyoke → Edward Tuttle & Abigail (MNU) → Joses Bucknam & Phebe Tuttle → James Bucknam & Mary Goddard → Joses Bucknam & Abigail Hay → Oliver Scripture & Mary Goddard Bucknam → George Rogers Tarbox & Mary Elizabeth Scripture → Calvin Segee Adams & Nellie F. Tarbox → Charles Edwin Adams & Annie Maude Stuart → Vernon Tarbox Adams & Hazel Ethel Coleman → George Michael Sabo & Doris Priscilla Adams → Linda Anne Sabo Stufflebean (11X great-grandmother!)
Status: Published blog post documenting findings
Next Steps: Continue researching Wells family in Ringstead area
LATE 2025 – EARLY 2026
Dates: December 2025 – January 2026
Topic: David Adams Family Reconstruction
Family: Adams (Loyalist line)
Primary Ancestor: John Adams (Loyalist)
Location: Fairfield County, Connecticut; Otsego County, NY; Westchester County, NY
Time Period: 1700s-1800s
Research Breakthrough: FamilySearch Full-Text Search
Background Context: Not long before this intensive research period, full-text search found the perfect land deed proving the parentage of Loyalist John Adams in Fairfield County, Connecticut. This discovery launched a comprehensive quest to identify, correct, and flesh out all descendants of John’s father, David Adams, through both his wives.
David Adams’ Wives:
- First wife: Susannah Lockwood (mother of John Adams, the Loyalist)
- Second wife: Sarah Squire
Research Objective:
- Identify and document all descendants through both marriages
- Correct errors in Donald Lines Jacobus’ published genealogies
- Fill gaps in records not accessed by Jacobus
- Trace families through post-American Revolution period
Major Discoveries Using FamilySearch Full-Text Search:
Discovery #1: Ann Adams Lyon Estate Records
Date Found: Early January 2026
Subject: Ann Adams, John Adams’ full sister
Spouse: Ephraim Lyon
Details:
- Ephraim Lyon died 1794 in Fairfield County, Connecticut
- Estate administration remained open until 1829
- List of heirs included in estate paperwork
- Five pages of heirs listed
- Several more pages of details from 1829 estate closure
Significance: Provided comprehensive list of Ann’s descendants and their married names
Document Location: Fairfield County, Connecticut probate records
Source Type: Estate distribution records
Status: Images captured and saved; need to fully transcribe all heir pages
Discovery #2: Squire Adams Will (1830)
Date Found: Early January 2026
Subject: Squire Adams (son of David Adams and Sarah Squire)
Spouse: Mary Godfrey (no children)
Details:
- Will dated 1830
- Estate bequeathed to siblings (childless marriage)
- Provided married names for his sisters
- Critical document for identifying Sarah Squire’s children
Significance: This will is the key to identifying David Adams’ children by his second wife, Sarah Squire. Without children of his own, Squire named his siblings as heirs.
Document Location: Fairfield County, Connecticut probate records
Source Type: Last will and testament
Next Steps:
- Cross-reference sisters’ married names with other records
- Locate estates/wills of named siblings
- Track migration patterns of this generation
Discovery #3: Squire Adams Jr. Incompetency Hearing (1869)
Date Found: January 2026
Subject: Squire Adams Jr. (nephew of Squire Adams Sr., named after him)
Age at hearing: In his 80s
Location: Fairfield County, Connecticut
Details:
- Incompetency hearing held in 1869
- Agreement drawn up by his FOUR SONS
- Document outlines:
- Time period each son would provide parental care
- Expenses for care to be divided evenly among sons
- Specific order in which each son would take on care responsibilities
- Actual handwriting samples obtained from sons’ signatures
The Four Sons Identified:
- [Son 1 name – to be added from document]
- [Son 2 name – to be added from document]
- [Son 3 name – to be added from document]
- [Son 4 name – to be added from document]
Significance: Prior to this discovery, no one seemed to have reliable information about Squire Adams Jr.’s sons. This document definitively identifies all four sons and provides handwriting exemplars.
Document Location: Fairfield County, Connecticut court records
Source Type: Incompetency/guardianship hearing
Images: 3 pages captured (images 135, 136, 137)
Status: Document images saved; need to fully transcribe names and details
Next Steps:
- Identify each son’s full name and dates
- Locate census records for each son
- Find death records and possible probate records
- Trace each son’s family forward
Additional Discoveries Mentioned:
Other Estate Administrations Found:
- Estate administrations for grandchildren who had no children of their own
- Multiple wills located
- Several land records proving family relationships
David Adams Jr. Research:
- David Adams Jr. left Connecticut for Otsego County, New York
- Full-text search helped navigate “the black hole that is New York research”
- Able to piece together several families in first half of the 1800s
Westchester County, NY Research:
- Some grandchildren moved just over state line to Westchester County, NY
- Full-text search productive here as well
Methodology Notes:
Primary Tool: FamilySearch Full-Text Search
Why It Works:
- Enables tight narrowing of documents
- Searches across entire text of documents, not just indexed names
- Finds documents that might be missed in traditional indexing
- Particularly valuable for:
- Land records
- Probate records
- Court records
- Estate distributions
Search Strategy:
- Started with known family members
- Searched variants of surnames
- Used full-text to find mentions in heir lists
- Followed each discovery to related documents
- Worked both forward and backward in time
Challenges Overcome:
- Incomplete records in Connecticut
- Records not accessed by Donald Lines Jacobus
- Errors in published genealogies
- New York research difficulties
- Multiple generations with same names
Research Assessment:
Progress: Excellent
Quote from blog: “Full-text search is one of the best technological advances in genealogy research to come about in the 21st century!”
Families Researched: Several Adams families previously with little known information
Records Found:
- Multiple wills
- Estate administrations
- Court records
- Land deeds
- Heir listings spanning multiple generations
Geographic Coverage:
- Fairfield County, Connecticut (primary)
- Otsego County, New York (David Adams Jr.’s line)
- Westchester County, New York (some grandchildren)
Status as of January 18, 2026:
Completed:
- ✓ Found proof of John Adams’ parentage (David Adams)
- ✓ Identified Ann Adams’ married name (Lyon) and her descendants
- ✓ Found Squire Adams’ will identifying siblings
- ✓ Located four sons of Squire Adams Jr.
- ✓ Documented multiple estate administrations
- ✓ Found several wills and land records
In Progress:
- Transcribing all heir lists from Ephraim Lyon estate
- Identifying each heir’s full information
- Following David Adams Jr.’s line in Otsego County, NY
- Tracking Westchester County, NY grandchildren
- Documenting corrections to Jacobus’ work
Next Research Steps:
- Complete transcription of all Adams-related probate documents
- Create comprehensive descendancy chart for David Adams
- Locate migration records for families moving to New York
- Search for additional court records
- Find land records in Otsego and Westchester counties
- Compile corrections to Jacobus for possible publication
- Search newspapers for Adams family mentions
- DNA testing to confirm questionable connections
Brick Walls Remaining:
- Some children of David Adams Jr. in New York
- Exact dates and places for some grandchildren
- Married names for some female descendants
- Migration dates to New York
METHODOLOGY LESSONS LEARNED
FamilySearch Full-Text Search Best Practices:
- Search Broadly First
- Start with surname only
- Add location parameters
- Refine with first names only after seeing results
- Check All Variant Spellings
- Adams/Addams
- Squire/Squires
- Lockwood/Lockwoo d
- Follow the Paper Trail
- One estate leads to another
- Heirs named in one document appear as principals in others
- Land records often reference family relationships
- Save Everything
- Download images immediately
- Create detailed citations
- Take screenshots of search results
- Note document series and page numbers
- Work Both Directions
- Forward: children, grandchildren
- Backward: parents, grandparents, collateral lines
- Sideways: siblings, in-laws, neighbors
FAMILIES RESEARCHED (Based on Blog Categories)
Active Research 2025-2026:
Primary: Adams (98 posts total, recent intensive work)
Colonial Lines: Tuttle, Wells
Carpatho-Rusyn: Sabo (58 posts), Kucharik (28 posts), Scerbak (21 posts)
Other Active Lines: Stufflebean, Sturgell, Tarbox
RESEARCH GOALS FOR 2026
Priority 1: Complete David Adams Descendancy
- Finish transcribing all documents found
- Create comprehensive family group sheets
- Publish corrections to Jacobus
- Write detailed blog series
Priority 2: Loyalist Research
- Document John Adams’ Loyalist activities
- Search for British claims
- Check Canadian records
- Investigate property confiscations
Priority 3: Preservation Project
- Update online family trees (Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilySearch)
- Organize documents for family members
- Create flash drives with organized research
- Consider WikiTree contribution
Priority 4: Carpatho-Rusyn Research
- Monitor for new Slovak digitization
- Continue Sabo family research
- Follow up on Julia Scerbak Sabo connections
TOOLS & RESOURCES ACTIVELY USED
Primary Research Tools:
- FamilySearch (especially full-text search)
- FamilySearch Family Tree (with caution)
- Ancestry.com
- MyHeritage
Software:
- Family Historian 6 (genealogy software)
- Excel (for charts and analysis)
- Atlantis Word Processor (for writing)
Methodology Resources:
- Donald Lines Jacobus published genealogies
- Evidence Explained (citation guide)
- Board for Certification of Genealogists guidelines
Planning Tools:
- Blog for documentation and sharing
- Flash drives for backups
- External hard drives for document storage
BLOG ACTIVITY 2025
Regular Features Maintained:
- Friday’s Family History Finds (weekly – 440+ posts total)
- Saturday Night Genealogy Fun (weekly participation – 451+ posts total)
- Book Reviews (130 total)
- Recommended Reads (101 total)
Guest Blogging:
- August 2025: Guest post on Grapevine Library blog about connecting with ancestors through social history
Blogiversary:
- January 16, 2026: Empty Branches on the Family Tree turned 12 years old
Blog Statistics:
- 1,446+ pages of posts
- Premium member of GeneaBloggers 2025
- Active participant in genealogy blogging community
NOTES & OBSERVATIONS
Research Philosophy (age 46 of researching):
- “Very few new branches of the tree are likely to bloom, mainly due to lack of records”
- Most discoveries now coming from professional genealogists extending colonial lines to England
- Shift toward preservation and sharing rather than acquisition of new lines
- Focus on depth (fleshing out known families) rather than breadth (finding new ancestors)
Technology Assessment:
- FamilySearch full-text search = “one of the best technological advances in genealogy research to come about in the 21st century”
- Successfully using full-text search to overcome “the black hole that is New York research”
- Excel proving useful for creating complex charts (7-generation chart developed)
Challenges Noted:
- Family member disinterest in genealogy research
- Managing multiple online family trees
- Previous difficulties with FamilySearch Family Tree (created duplicates)
- Deciding whether to invest time in WikiTree
Successes:
- Breaking through Connecticut brick walls
- Overcoming New York research challenges
- Finding documents missed by earlier genealogists
- Identifying errors in published works
- Creating useful tools and resources for genealogy community
FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
Short Term (Next 3 Months):
- Finish transcribing Adams probate documents
- Update online family trees
- Organize preservation materials
Medium Term (Rest of 2026):
- Complete David Adams descendancy research
- Write comprehensive blog series on Adams family
- Publish Jacobus corrections
- Make decisions about WikiTree participation
Long Term:
- Create comprehensive preservation package for family
- Consider formal publication of research
- Continue methodology blogging to help others
- Maintain regular blog features
RESEARCH LOG MAINTENANCE
This log should be updated:
- After each significant research session
- When new documents are found
- When blog posts are published about research
- When research goals are completed or modified
- At least monthly to capture ongoing work
In order to turn this into a current research log, I would need to weed out the summaries from last year (plus statistics and other odds and ends that Claude included) and focus on actual future steps to continue where I left off with various family lines.
This was just a jokey kind of trial for me, but I have to admit that Claude would probably do very well crafting a research plan and creating a log for well-defined research questions.
If you’d like to listen to the entire Genealogy Happy Hour discussion, There is more focus on streamlined questions and how Penny plans to proceed.
I thought the AI would have your search results listed in a spreadsheet. One thing I notice, and I may try this myself, is it analyzed the postings on your blog and gave some statistics. I think I’ll try that on my next blogiversary with my other blog in June. I keep a spreadsheet of my posts and use that when writing about my anniversary.