Recently, Randy Seaver posted about his experience using Grok 3 DeepSearch, an AI tool about which I had not heard.

Now, I’m not a super big AI fan, but it does have some excellent uses for genealogical research, including guidance regarding brick wall research.

I was very impressed with Randy’s results on his Hannah Smith brick wall and decided to try the same search for my Loyalist Robert Carlisle, one of my most enduring brick walls, and about whom I know nothing in terms of origins, parents, siblings or much else before he married Catherine (MNU), whose maiden name is another really annoying brick wall.

I’m not sure that documents exist that will smash my Carlisle brick wall, but I was still more than pleased with Grok 3’s response to my query: “Please Tell Me How To Solve a Genealogical Brick Wall Problem For My Loyalist Robert Carlisle.”

Here is the detailed plan that Grok 3 (DeepSearch) provided:

Solving a genealogical brick wall for your Loyalist ancestor Robert Carlisle requires a structured, persistent approach, especially given the limited information available about his origins and life. Below is a tailored step-by-step guide to help you break through this brick wall, drawing on general genealogical strategies and specific details about Robert Carlisle from available sources.

Step-by-Step Guide to Solve the Robert Carlisle Brick Wall

1. Summarize and Organize Known Information
   • What You Know: Robert Carlisle was born circa 1751–1759 (estimated from his service as a lance-corporal in 1775, suggesting he was likely in his late teens to mid-20s). He served in the Royal Fencible Americans, primarily in Nova Scotia, during the American Revolution. He appears as a single man on a 1784 list of the regiment in Passamaquoddy, New Brunswick, and as a barber in St. John, New Brunswick, in 1785. He married Catherine (maiden name unknown) around 1784–1785, with their first child, Robert Jr., born circa 1784–1786. Robert died in 1834 in Charlotte, Washington, Maine, per Catherine’s pension request. Proven children include Robert, John, James, Daniel, Abigail, Catherine, and Mary; possible children include Tyson, Hannah, George, William, Ann, and Benjamin. He sold land in Parrtown (St. John) in 1784 and 1785, and later settled in Sussex, Kings County, New Brunswick. Some family members moved to Maine and Upper Canada (Ontario).

• Action: Create a detailed family group sheet and timeline of Robert’s life, including all known events (military service, land transactions, marriage, children’s births, death). Note locations (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, Upper Canada) and associates (e.g., Christian Steeves, Daniel Carlisle, George Pitfield). Use a spreadsheet or genealogy software to track these details and identify gaps, such as his birthplace, parents, or Catherine’s maiden name.

Explore the FAN Club (Friends, Associates, Neighbors)

• Why: Loyalists often traveled, served, or settled with family or community members, and records of associates may reveal clues about Robert’s origins or family.

Action:

• Military Associates: Examine muster rolls, pay lists, or pension records of the Royal Fencible Americans (organized in Halifax and Boston, Nova Scotia, 1775) for other soldiers who served alongside Robert. Check for names that reappear in land grants or settlements in New Brunswick. Library and Archives Canada or FamilySearch may have digitized Loyalist records.
• Land Deed Witnesses: Investigate witnesses on Robert’s 1784 and 1785 Parrtown deeds (e.g., David Blair, Isaac Heddon). Though they were government officials, check if they had connections to other Loyalists or Carlisle family members.

Neighbors: Research other Loyalists in Parrtown, Sussex, or Charlotte, Maine, especially those with land bordering Robert’s (e.g., Christian Steeves, George Pitfield). Use the FamilySearch Catalog for New Brunswick land records (noting some are locked and require a Family History Center visit).

Possible Relatives: Investigate William Carlisle and Benjamin Carlisle, mentioned in early Nova Scotia records. William appears in pre-1783 Nova Scotia, and Benjamin married Rebecca Moren in Halifax in 1793. Check if they share a common origin or military service with Robert.

Pursue Loyalist-Specific Records

• Why: As a Loyalist, Robert may have left records related to his service, land grants, or compensation claims, which could mention his origins or family.
• Action:
  • Loyalist Claims: Search the British Loyalist Claims (American Loyalist Claims Commission) for Robert Carlisle or related names. These records, available through The National Archives (UK) or Ancestry, often include biographical details like birthplace or pre-war residence. Even if Robert didn’t file a claim (since he may not have lived in the 13 colonies), check for associates from the Royal Fencible Americans.
  • Land Grants and Petitions: Access New Brunswick land petitions and grants via the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick or FamilySearch (at a Family History Center). Look for Robert’s initial grant for lot 809 in Parrtown and any petitions mentioning his origins, family, or service. Cross-reference with grants to William or Benjamin Carlisle.
  • Military Records: Check for additional muster rolls, discharge papers, or pension records for the Royal Fencible Americans. Catherine’s pension request (noting Robert’s death in 1834) may contain clues about his service or birthplace. Search Library and Archives Canada or Fold3 for these documents.

Investigate Catherine’s Maiden Name

• Why: Identifying Catherine’s family could provide clues to Robert’s origins, as Loyalist marriages often occurred within tight-knit communities.
• Action:
  • Church Records: Search for Robert and Catherine’s marriage record (circa 1784–1785) in Anglican or other church registers in St. John, Halifax, or Passamaquoddy. Check St. John’s Anglican Church (Gagetown, NB) or St. George’s Anglican Church (Hempstead, NY, for context from other Loyalists).
  • Children’s Records: Look for baptismal or marriage records of Robert’s children (e.g., Robert Jr., John, Abigail) in New Brunswick or Maine. These may list Catherine’s maiden name or her relatives as sponsors. Use FamilySearch or the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick.
  • Widow’s Pension: Obtain Catherine’s pension application (post-1834, Charlotte, Maine). It may include her maiden name, marriage details, or references to her family. Check U.S. Revolutionary War pension records on Ancestry or Fold3.

Use DNA Testing

• Why: DNA can connect you to unknown relatives who share Robert Carlisle’s lineage, potentially revealing his origins or family connections.

• Action:
  • Test Yourself or a Descendant: Take an autosomal DNA test (e.g., AncestryDNA, 23andMe, FamilyTreeDNA) if you’re a direct descendant. Encourage other Carlisle descendants (especially from Robert’s children or possible relatives like Benjamin) to test.
  • Analyze Matches: Look for matches with surnames like Carlisle, Wickwire (linked to William Carlisle), or others from Nova Scotia/New Brunswick Loyalist communities. Join DNA projects for Loyalists or New Brunswick genealogy on FamilyTreeDNA.
  • Cluster Research: Use tools like Ancestry’s ThruLines or MyHeritage’s Theory of Family Relativity to identify shared ancestors among matches. Focus on matches with trees mentioning Nova Scotia, Maine, or Loyalist origins.

Search Offline and Local Records

• Why: Many Loyalist records, especially pre-1800, are not digitized and require in-person or archival research.

Action:

• Nova Scotia Archives: Visit or contact the Nova Scotia Archives for pre-1783 records mentioning Robert or William Carlisle, such as tax lists, court records, or early settler lists.

New Brunswick Archives: Access the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick for local histories, court records, or probate files for Robert, Catherine, or their children. Check Sussex and St. John records specifically. Maine Records: Search Charlotte, Washington County, Maine, for probate, cemetery, or town records post-1815, when some Carlisles moved there.Family History Center: Visit a FamilySearch Family History Center to access locked Nova Scotia land records and other microfilmed collections.Reevaluate and Expand Name Variations

• Why: Carlisle may have been misspelled (e.g., Carlile, Carlyle) or recorded phonetically in records.
• Action: Search databases (FamilySearch, Ancestry, Findmypast) using wildcards (e.g., Carl*, Kar*) and Soundex options. Check for Robert under nicknames (Bob, Rob) or initials. Include Catherine and children’s names with variant spellings in searches.

Engage with Local and Online Communities

• Why: Other researchers or local experts may have encountered Carlisles or related families.

Action:

• Genealogy Groups: Join Facebook groups or forums for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or Loyalist genealogy. Post queries about Robert Carlisle and his FAN club.
• Local Societies: Contact the New Brunswick Genealogical Society or Washington County (Maine) Historical Society for assistance or unpublished records.
• Professional Help: If progress stalls, hire a professional genealogist specializing in Loyalist or Atlantic Canada research, such as those at Legacy Tree Genealogists.

Revisit and Persist

• Why: New records are digitized regularly, and fresh perspectives can uncover missed clues.

Action: Periodically revisit online databases (Ancestry, FamilySearch, MyHeritage) for newly added collections, especially Canadian or Loyalist records. Review your research log for untested hypotheses (e.g., was Robert born in Nova Scotia, Britain, or the colonies?). Consider alternative theories, such as Robert being an immigrant or having a prior residence in New York or New Jersey, as suggested for other Loyalists.

Specific Challenges and Tips for Robert Carlisle

• Unknown Origins: Since there’s no evidence Robert lived in the 13 colonies before 1775, explore the possibility he was born in Nova Scotia, Britain, or another British colony. Check Halifax records pre-1775 for Carlisles, as the Royal Fencible Americans were organized there.

Catherine’s Maiden Name: Focus on her pension application and children’s records, as these are the most likely sources for her identity. If no marriage record exists, look for naming patterns in children (e.g., was Abigail or Catherine named after her mother or sister?). Scarcity of Carlisle Surname: The rarity of Carlisle among Loyalists is an advantage. Use this to assume connections (e.g., William, Benjamin) but verify with records to avoid false links.Geographic Mobility: Track the family’s movements (Nova Scotia → New Brunswick → Maine → Upper Canada) to identify all relevant record sets. Cross-border research (Canada/U.S.) is critical.

Resources to Prioritize

• Library and Archives Canada: For Loyalist military records and land petitions.
• Provincial Archives of New Brunswick: For land, probate, and local records.
• FamilySearch: For church, land, and vital records (use a Family History Center for locked collections).
• Ancestry/Fold3: For U.S. and Canadian military and pension records.
• Nova Scotia Archives: For pre-1783 settler or military records.

Final Advice

Start with the FAN club and Loyalist records, as these are most likely to yield immediate clues about Robert’s associates or origins. DNA testing is a strong secondary step if documentary evidence remains elusive. Document every search in a research log, noting the objective (e.g., “Find Robert Carlisle’s birthplace”) and results to avoid duplicating efforts. Be prepared for a slow process—Loyalist research is challenging due to incomplete records and migration patterns, but persistence and creative strategies can chip away at the brick wall.

If you have specific records or DNA results already, share them, and I can refine these recommendations further. Good luck in your hunt for Robert Carlisle’s story!

25 web pages were listed at the end of this article, including my posts about Robert Carlisle.

I am quite impressed with this research plan. Unfortunately, I’ve done most of these things with no positive results. I even have the full passenger list with Robert Carlisle on it. It names every man, woman and child aboard and I’ve eliminated all the Catherines (there weren’t very many.)

It’s possible that Catherine was an early settler of Parrtown (today St. John) before the Loyalists arrived or that she was from a Loyalist family who arrived on a different vessel.

However, Grok 3 (DeepSearch) is free to use and I highly recommend trying it out.