The following article discusses a radio show broadcast in England:

Dr Michala Hulme (Image: Supplied)

DR Michala Hulme, known for her genealogy work on popular TV shows, is set to feature on The DeeBrief.

The historian, genealogist, and author will join Penny Dee on Cheshire Mix 56 for an episode focused on ancestry and family secrets.

Listeners can expect discussions on DNA surprises, the growing interest in family tree research, and historical mysteries.

Dr Hulme is noted for her ability to bring history to life, making her a fascinating guest for the show.

The episode promises to be a captivating listen for anyone interested in exploring their roots or who enjoys a historical mystery.

The DeeBrief, hosted by Penny Dee, will air the special episode this Friday at midday on Mix56.

The programme can be accessed live via mix56.co.uk or caught up with later.

Dr Hulme is widely recognised for her work on Who Do You Think You Are? and DNA Journey.

Caldwell County’s Memorial Day observance began early Monday morning with a historic walking tour of Cedar Hill Cemetery, offering a tribute to veterans of past wars and a glimpse into the area’s rich military heritage.

Carolyn Traum, the new incoming Regent for the General John Caldwell Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, narrated the cemetery walk held at 8:00 a.m. Monday. She told WPKY’s News Edge that the tradition at Cedar Hill Cemetery dates back to the early 1890s.

Traum noted that this year’s cemetery walk, which visited the grave sites of 16 soldiers, served as a fundraising event.

Traum shared that about a dozen people attended the walk, which was sponsored by the Caldwell County Genealogy Society and the Captain William Prince Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

With its rare books and research, genealogy and cartography, wide-ranging classes and deep outreach, it is no wonder that the Newberry Library would also present the very best of storytelling. Renowned Harvard professor and host of PBS’s Finding Your Roots, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. had guests spellbound when he shared personal stories around libraries and genetic genealogy in conversation with the Newberry’s President and Librarian Astrida Orle Tantillo at the recent annual award celebration. He received the Library’s Annual award recognizing leaders in the Humanities in the filled Drake Hotel ballroom with its magnificent lake views.

Gates is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. In addition, he is an Emmy, DuPont, and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, literary scholar, cultural critic, and institution builder. He has published numerous books and produced and hosted an array of documentary films, including The Black Church (PBS), Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches (HBO), Gospel (PBS), and Great Migrations(PBS). Finding Your Roots, Gates’s groundbreaking genealogy and genetics series, now in its eleventh season on PBS, was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2024.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. joined Newberry President and Librarian Astrida Orle Tantillo in conversation

“Among the Newberry’s greatest strengths are its collections related to genealogy and local history,” Tantillo told the audience. “Henry Louis Gates keenly understands the importance of such collections to researchers doing the deeply personal work of tracing their family’s history. It was an honor to celebrate his achievements in this area, as well as his acumen as a historian, and to reflect on the importance of institutions such as the Newberry as well as the often-transformative exploration of finding one’s roots.” 

The Newberry is home to a vast collection that intersects with Gates’ works on several fronts. From a rare set of lantern slides from the Great Migration and valuable resources for those researching African American ancestry to primary sources dating back to the early history of the United States of America, the Newberry continues to care for and grow a collection that surfaces countless important stories, both personal and historic.  

Several hundred guests gathered to celebrate Gates, who was presented the Newberry Library Award by event chair and Newberry Trustee Gregory L. Barton. In their discussion, Gates and Tantillo focused on the importance of libraries such as the Newberry to those seeking to understand history. Gates told of his early dream of being a librarian so that he could surround himself with books and spoke of libraries having a long view of history, collecting both that which is used in the current moment and that which remains shelved with the understanding that those categories will shift over time. The conversation ended with Gates discussing Finding Your Roots and recounting the powerful, personal, and sometimes emotional stories of discovery that come through genealogical research, showing clips of family mysteries solved for celebrity and other guests. 

The Newberry’s genealogy collection is an invaluable resource for anyone researching their family history, especially those whose roots trace back to Chicago or the broader Midwest. Family and local histories, city directories, biographical tools, census data, land ownership maps, and immigration information—all of this resides at the Newberry and informs from where we’ve come. 

The Newberry Library Award is presented annually to recognize achievement in the humanities in the tradition of the Newberry, which has fostered a deeper understanding of our world by inspiring research and learning in the humanities since its founding in 1887. Past recipients include Drew Gilpin Faust, Arthur Kingsley Porter University Research Professor at Harvard University; documentarian Ken Burns; Ira Glass and This American Life; and Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.  

All proceeds from the Award Celebration support the Newberry’s collection and programs. 

For more information about the Newberry Library, visit:  newberry.org.

JD Vance takes pride in declaring himself to be a “Scots-Irish hillbilly at heart” but a trawl of genealogy records has found no evidence linking the US vice-president to Ireland.

In an attempt to link Vance to Ulster, a DUP minister commissioned researchers to dig into the ancestral past of the controversial Republican Party politician.

A glossy 24-page dossier titled “The Family Footsteps of JD Vance” was produced, but researchers admitted they had “not established a conclusive family link” to Northern Ireland.

Gordon Lyons, the Northern Ireland minister for communities, had been ­hoping to present a copy of the report personally to Vance over the St Patrick’s Day period in Washington DC.

President Trump’s right-hand man has long claimed to have Celtic links, writingin his bestselling 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy: “To understand me, you must understand that I am a Scots-Irish ­hillbilly at heart.”

As Scots-Irish, or Ulster-Scots, his ­family history would be tied directly to plantation-era Scots settlers whose descendants, generations after arrival in Ireland, set out for America.

One historian in Northern Ireland had noted at the time that one of Vance’s ancestors might have been killed during the 1689 Siege of Derry, a powerful event in the unionist story during which Protestants held out in the walled city against Catholic forces for 105 days.

That point was raised within the Department for Communities, as research for the dossier was commissioned via the Public Records Office for Northern Ireland in November.

Emails obtained via a freedom of information request show that in February Lyons’s office was advised that “it has not been possible to establish conclusive proof of a direct Vance link back to Ulster at this stage”.

He noted that inquiries were continuing in the US but that the researcher had “run into the proverbial brick wall” and amid continuing work there was “no guarantee” of success.

An official at Lyons’s office said: “There is maybe a bit more to do locally to better trace [the vice-president’s] roots, but at this stage I think we have to go with what we have.”

He said that work should begin “to get a draft done in a day or so but this is a top priority”.

There was not enough time for a hardback edition, which the minister had requested, but a “coated paper” production of 25 copies was sanctioned, which Lyons would sign. 

The family were at the time rooted in Appalachia, a narrative that Vance, 40, championed in his memoir.

Yet from there the trail runs cold, with no solid evidence linking to an Andrew Williamson Vance, born in Ireland circa 1666 and who emigrated circa 1733 to America.

He is a descendant of Lancelot Vance, who died in the Siege of Derry and who was the son of Reverend John Vance, who left Scotland for Ireland in 1611.

John Hagan, a Co Tyrone historian, said he had traced Vance’s ancestors to the village of Coagh, insisting ties existed to Reverend Vance.

However, the Vance Family Association, which traces their ancestry to settlers in Ulster in the 17th century, does not support claims that Vance is linked to Reverend John Vance.

Its president, Dave Vance, said it had been running a genealogical research project using DNA for a decade and was certain the vice-president had no direct connection to “the John Vance who is popularly assumed by many genealogists to be the sole progenitor of all Irish Vances”.

In his memoir Vance said that, rather than identifying with “white Anglo-Saxon Protestant” pioneers, he felt instead part of “the millions of working-class white Americans of Scots-Irish descent who have no college degree”.

Liam Kennedy, professor of American studies and director of the Clinton ­Institute at University College Dublin, said while the claim to “white working class Scots-Irish identity” had become vital to Vance’s projected image, it ­“merits more attention”.

He added: “It is an effort to claim a ‘real’ white working-class association — in the sense that it is based on pioneer not immigrant origins.”

A Department for Communities spokesman said: “The research results traced a potential link to an Andrew ­Williamson Vance who was born in ­Ireland circa 1666 and emigrated circa 1733 to America. 

“The research has been passed to US government officials and is hoped to be formally presented at a future date.”

Coinciding with this year's Local History Month, Historic England has launched a new Local Heritage Hub. With nearly 400 locations, every county, city, district, major town, and national park in England now has a dedicated digital page that uncovers its rich and layered history.

Offering a wide range of content, from fascinating aerial photographs showing towns and villages through time, to curated selections of listed buildings, videos, blogs, and podcasts, the Local Heritage Hub invites members of the public to discover their local area through a new lens.

Understanding and connecting with local heritage is an important part of building strong communities. With this new service, we hope people across England will be able to explore hidden histories, reconnect with their surroundings, and feel a sense of pride in their local area. I’d encourage everyone to explore the new Local Heritage Hub and see what they might discover about a place that means something to them.

Duncan Wilson, Chief ExecutiveHistoric England 

With 71%¹ of people wanting to see more recognition of heritage in their area and 58%² agreeing that local heritage enhances their daily lives, this new platform reflects what people are looking for in their local areas. It’s designed not only to inform, but also to also encourage people to see familiar places in unfamiliar ways.

The new service - which will continue to expand with new places, information, and sections added over time - will make local heritage and histories more relevant, relatable, and engaging to more people's everyday lives, inspiring conversations, unlocking memories, and sparking new interests.

Local history is full of surprises, from unexpected stories to long-forgotten views of familiar streets. With the Local Heritage Hub, we’re excited to bring those moments of discovery to more people throughout the country.

It’s a chance to see our everyday surroundings in a new light and to connect with the past in ways that feel relevant today. We are looking forward to exploring new ways to engage with our heritage and seeing how Local Heritage Hub grows over time.

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) presented awards to those whose work highlights excellence in genealogy scholarship and service at a plenary session on Saturday morning, 24 May, during its Family History Conference, Tales & Trails, at the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. Felicia Jamison, PhD, assistant professor of history at the University of Louisville, gave the keynote address, “Recovering Louisville’s African American History Using Genealogical Research.” Awards Committee Chair Judy Nimer Muhn presented the Awards of Merit, Awards of Excellence, and Certificates of Appreciation. The Award of Merit is presented to an individual or non-profit genealogical or historical organization to recognize exceptional contributions to the field of genealogy over a period of five or more years. Their work must have significantly aided research or increased interest in genealogy. This year the NGS board of directors presented the award to the following distinguished leaders in our sector. The British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) is recognized for its outstanding work to connect, educate, share, and inspire people in the pursuit of genealogy. It supports researchers in Canada and beyond with effective research methods and practices focused on the British Isles. Its broad scope of programming includes in-person meetings, online education, publications, indexes to special populations of those of British Isles descent, and access to presentations of international speakers. The BIFHSGO continues to provide its members valuable content, a vibrant community of fellow researchers, and access to high-quality resources. Valerie-Anne Lutz, MSLIS, is president of the board of directors of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania (GSP) and a longtime member of NGS. Since at least 2008, Lutz has been an enthusiastic and indefatigable volunteer for the GSP. She is a past chair of its Membership Committee and currently chairs its Technology and Website Committee and the Library and Collections Committee. She has served on the GSP Board of Directors since 2011, was secretary in 2014, and is its current president. Annie S. Mabry has dedicated more than thirty years to the field of genealogy. Her contributions have significantly aided research and increased public interest in family history. Perhaps Mabry’s greatest impact has been through her education initiatives. She has trained 3,250+ individuals in beginner, intermediate, and advanced genealogical methods. Through partnerships with the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, she has made genealogy more accessible to diverse communities, equipping participants with tools to uncover and preserve their family stories. Elizabeth Swanay O’Neal, CG, has been active in the genealogy community for the past decade. Since 2019, she has served in a volunteer capacity as the director of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) Study Groups, which meet monthly to discuss the publication’s case studies. O’Neal is a leader in the Association of Professional Genealogists and has served as president of the South California Chapter since 2021. She is a past president of the Second Life Chapter and served as vice president and president of the Second Life Virtual Genealogical Society. She is currently the education and programs director for Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society. She was the Genealogical Speakers Guild secretary and a ProGen Study Group Coordinator. For the Daughters of the American Revolution, she has acted as genealogy consultant, national chair of Congress Online, and national chair of Volunteer Information Specialists. Ilmo. Sr. D. Pablo Antonio Pérez was born in Argentina and began researching his family history at the age of 14. He is dedicated to preserving the genealogy records, heraldry, history and ethnography from the island of Chiloé (Chile) as well as from Spain and other regions under historical German influence. He holds a Diploma in Genealogy, Heraldry and Nobility from the Instituto Español de Estudios Nobiliarios as well as Master in Nobility and Awards Law, Heraldry and Genealogy from the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Spain. Pérez is a prolific researcher and writer. He researched and published the first genealogies of Indigenous families from Chiloé, and has published three books and numerous scholarly articles in academies, universities, institutes, and research centers. His research has been published in ten languages and fourteen countries. Donna Potter Phillips has been a strong supporter and volunteer of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society since 1975. She has held multiple leadership roles on the Board and initiated the Annual Board Retreat. She launched online classes and multi-class workshops and spearheaded an Obituary Project. which added over 100,000 records to the society’s online research index. She led the Walking with Ancestors event for several years and taught many beginning genealogy classes. Phillips has been a guest speaker at local sister societies and is a published author of her former newspaper column, Heritage Hunting, which ran for ten years. Allen Thomas, a former Clerk of Court in Laurens County, Georgia, undertook and completed a herculean, fifteen-year project to preserve the records found three cardboard boxes in an old vault at the courthouse, which held 31,895 original documents from the nineteenth century. Original documents such as these have great historical value. The majority of the documents are estate records. Numerous other types of documents included guardian bonds, sheriff bonds, jury commissioner oaths, oaths of numerous elected officials, etc. These documents were bundled in separate categories. Thomas rearranged the documents into 3,800 files based on given and family names. He then spent years keying an abstract of each document into the computer. The documents are now housed at Laurens County, Georgia Public Library, where they are available for historical and genealogical research six days a week. Barbara West, is a ninety-three-year-old volunteer who has been actively involved in the Roscommon County Genealogical Society of Michigan for over twenty years. A trustee on the Executive Board, she administers the society’s research center on Mondays and Wednesdays, offering her years of expertise and knowledge to patrons needing assistance. West recently retired as editor of the society’s quarterly newsletter. Over the years, she has collected and maintained a regional surname file sorted alphabetically and recorded on a database. When a historian in France contacted the center, West helped her trace the family a soldier who had landed the beaches of Normandy in WWII. The historian had found the soldier’s duffle bag and wanted to return it to his family. Thanks to West, the society was able to contact the man's family and put them in touch with the historian. Awards for Excellence Awards for Excellence are presented for a specific, significant single contribution in the form of a family genealogy or family history book, a publication discussing genealogical methods and sources, or an exemplary article published in the NGS Quarterly. The winners demonstrate scholarship and excellence in genealogy. Genealogy and Family History Book First place: Jenifer Kahn Bakkala and Eileen Curley Pironti (co-authors), Ancestral Lines of Iain W.F. Shepherd and Helen Waugh (Gray) Shepherd. Boston: Newbury Street Press, an imprint of American Ancestors, 2023. Methods and Sources Book First place: Jane E. Wilcox. New York State Archives Guide for Family Historians, Biographers, and Historical Researchers. New York: New York Genealogical & Biographical Society, 2024. Second place: Mary Blauss Edwards. Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Freeperson Families in 1790. Boston: Newbury Street Press, an imprint of American Ancestors, 2024. National Genealogical Society Quarterly Article The article recognized for this award is selected from all of the articles submitted in the previous year and is chosen by the NGSQ staff team. The 2025 winners are Patricia Lee Hobbs, CG and Barbara J. Garrison, PhD, for the March 2024 article, “DNA Merges Families of Stephen Stilwell of Dutchess County, New York; Cornwall, Upper Canada; and Coshocton County, Ohio.” Certificates of Appreciation The conference team from the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) were awarded Certificates of Appreciation for their volunteer work in preparing for the conference. The conference would not have been possible without their efforts and commitment. The honorees included Publicity Chair Drew Hight, Local Events Chair William Burchfield, and Local Host Society Chair Rae Ann Sauer. Volunteer Chair Melissa Thatcher, with FamilySearch, was also honored with a Certificate of Appreciation. #   #   #

Ever wonder how government documents, once locked away on tiny sheets of microfiche, become searchable and accessible online? Now you can see it happen in real time.

Today, the Internet Archive has launched a livestream from our microfiche scanning center(https://www.youtube.com/live/aPg2V5RVh7U), offering a behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous work powering Democracy’s Library—a global initiative to make government publications freely available to the public.

“This livestream shines a light on the unsung work of preserving the public record, and the critical infrastructure that makes democracy searchable,” said Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive. “Transparency can’t be passive—it must be built, maintained, and seen. That’s what this livestream is all about.”

Watch the livestream now:

What You’ll See

The livestream features five active microfiche digitization stations, with a close-up view of one in action. Operators feed microfiche cards beneath a high-resolution camera, which captures multiple detailed images of each sheet. Software stitches these images together, after which other team members use automated tools to identify and crop up to 100 individual pages per card.

Each page is then processed, made fully text-searchable, and added to the Internet Archive’s public collections—completed with metadata—so that researchers, journalists, and the general public can explore and download them freely through Democracy’s Library.

 Live activity occurs Monday–Friday, 7:30am-3:30pm U.S. Pacific Time (GMT+8)—except U.S. holidays—with a second shift coming soon.

What Is Microfiche?

Microfiche is a flat sheet of film that holds dozens—sometimes hundreds—of miniaturized document images. It’s been a common format for archiving newspapers, court documents, government records, and more since the 20th century.

Why Is Microfiche Digitization Important?

“Materials on microfiche are an important part of our country’s history, but right now they are often only available online from expensive databases. We are excited that this project will digitize court documents from our collection and make them freely available to everyone,” said Leslie Street, Director of the Wolf Law Library of William and Mary College.

“Thousands of documents and reports from across the federal government were distributed in microfiche to Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) libraries around the country from 1970 – 2022. While important for space-saving and preservation, microfiche has long been problematic for public access. So this digitization work of Democracy’s Library is incredibly important and will unlock free access to this essential historic public domain corpus to readers and researchers around the world!” noted James R. Jacobs, US government information librarian and co-author of the recently published book, Preserving Government Information: Past, Present, and Future.

About Democracy’s Library

Democracy’s Library is the Internet Archive’s ambitious project to collect, digitize, and provide free public access to the world’s government publications. From environmental impact reports to court decisions, these materials are essential for accountability, scholarship, and civic engagement.

The microfiche collections that will be digitized in this process include US GPO documents, Canadian government documents, US court documents, and UN publications. We are always looking for more collections to be donated.

Meet the People Behind the Work

From left: Internet Archive’s digital librarian, Brewster Kahle, with microfiche scanning operators Dylan, Louis, Elijah, Avery, and Fernando.

This digitization livestream was brought to life by Sophia Tung, appmaker & designer behind the viral robotaxi depot livestream on YouTube.

The digitization is overseen by scanning operators who are trained to handle physical library materials and digitization equipment.

Thanks also to Internet Archive staff who assisted this project, including CR Saikley, Merlijn Wajer, Brewster Kahle, Derek Fukumori, Jude Coelho, Anastasiya Smith, Jonathan Bloom, Andrea Mills, Richard Greydanus, Louis Brizuela, Carla Igot Bordador, and Ria Gargoles.

Thanks to Our Partners

Thank you to Wolf Law Library at the William & Mary Law School, University of Alberta, and Free Law Project for donating microfiche and helping advise this project.

If your library has microfiche or other materials to donate to the Internet Archive, please learn more about donating materials for preservation and digitization.

Support the Work

Preserving and digitizing these fragile, analog records is resource-intensive—and deeply worthwhile. Donate today to support the Internet Archive and Democracy’s Library.

The decision is final: in a sweeping move to reduce the volume of dual citizenship applications, the Italian Parliament has enacted a law that effectively shuts the door on millions of Italian Americans and Italian descendants around the world.

Moving forward, only the children or grandchildren of Italian citizens will be eligible to apply for dual citizenship. Great-grandchildren, and all who come after them, no longer qualify.

On March 28, 2025, the Italian government issued an emergency decree known as the “Citizenship Package.” Championed by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the measure took immediate effect. Parliament confirmed the law on May 20, making the restrictions permanent.

The new law does not affect those who have already acquired dual citizenship or who submitted their applications on or before the March 27 cutoff. Many who have spent years collecting, translating and notarizing documents now find themselves at a dead end.

According to Italy’s Interior Ministry, over 80 million people worldwide are of Italian descent, and more than 60,000 legal cases remain pending related to citizenship applications.

Government officials claim the move is necessary to restore order to an overwhelmed system, citing concerns about fraud and improperly submitted documentation, though such issues have been reported in countries like Argentina and Brazil — not the United States.

Those who are now ineligible can only obtain Italian citizenship by moving to Italy and applying through residency, a multi-year process that has become even more difficult due to stricter visa requirements for non-European Union citizens.

“For Italian Americans, the path to dual citizenship is an almost sacred journey,” said ISDA National President Basil Russo. “It’s a painstaking, yearslong and expensive process — a way to reconnect with our roots, with the people and places who built our culture at home and abroad. Closing the door on this process is a regrettable and mistargeted solution to a problem we didn’t create.”

U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Peter Welch (D-VT) on Thursday introduced the Carla Walker Act, which would dedicate existing federal grant funds to support forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) DNA analysis and help solve previously unsolvable cold cases. The bill is named for Carla Walker, a Fort Worth native whose murderer was finally identified 46 years after her death with the help of this advanced technology.

“Fort Worth native Carla Walker was abducted in a bowling alley and tragically murdered in 1974, but it took more than four decades and the advent of forensic genetic genealogy DNA analysis for her killer to be identified and brought to justice,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I am proud to have authored this legislation, which would make this cutting-edge DNA testing technology more widely available to law enforcement so they can better identify and prosecute offenders, solve cold cases, and bring closure to victims’ families.”

“Advancements in forensic DNA technology have revolutionized our ability to combat crime. In Vermont, detectives were able to use forensic genetic genealogy analysis to help provide answers to a family who thought they might never come. We’ve also seen how this technology can be a powerful tool in giving those wrongly accused a chance to clear their names,” said Sen. Welch. “Our bipartisan bill will help investigators across the country harness the incredible power of FGG technology to crack cold cases and deliver justice to countless victims and families, and I’m thankful for Senator Cornyn’s leadership on it.”

U.S. Congressman Wesley Hunt (TX-38) is leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Background:

Typically, when a suspect’s identity is unknown, a crime laboratory uploads the genetic material recovered from a crime scene into the FBI’s national database to search for DNA matches between the forensic sample and any known offenders. While this traditional form of forensic DNA profiling only examines 13-20 Short tandem repeat (STR) DNA markers, forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) technology examines over half a million Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) that span the entirety of the human genome. It does so by cross-referencing shared blocks of SNP markers to identify relatives of the genetic profile by uncovering shared blocks of DNA. This enables criminal investigators to build family trees that ultimately help determine the sample’s identity and solve cases.

Carla Walker was abducted from a bowling alley parking lot in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 17, 1974. Her body was found three days later in a drainage ditch 30 minutes south of Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Police Department was able to collect a few forensic samples and clothing items from the crime scene, but law enforcement could not solve the murder due to limited forensic technology at the time. Carla’s brother, Jim Walker, never stopped searching for answers and nearly 50 years later, FGG DNA analysis was conducted on the last remaining DNA on a piece of Walker’s clothing, which led to a successful DNA match with the McCurley family and ultimately identified Glen McCurley, Jr. as the killer, who confessed in 2021 and died in prison on July 14, 2023.

Sen. Cornyn’s Carla Walker Act would create a pilot program to make this cutting-edge FGG DNA analysis more widely available to investigative agencies to:

• Aid in resolving previously unsolvable cold cases;
• Assist in the identification of criminals;
• Seek justice for previously unidentified victims;
• Help exonerate wrongly accused suspects;
• And bring closure for the victims’ loved ones.

Various bones that washed up on New Jersey beaches starting 30 years ago were finally determined to belong to the captain of a 19th-century shipwreck, officials revealed Wednesday.

The remains found on several South Jersey shorelines between 1995 and 2013 were connected to Henry Goodsell, the 29-year-old captain of the doomed schooner Oriental, according to the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center.

The incredible breakthrough was made thanks to a group of Ramapo College students who worked the cold case for nearly two years by tapping into DNA testing and combing through records that were hundreds of years old.

“The ability to bring answers to families — even generations later — shows how far science and dedication can take us,” New Jersey State Police Superintendent Patrick Callahan said in a statement.

Five crew members, including Goodsell, were sailing from Connecticut to Philadelphia to deliver marble to a yet-to-be-opened college preparatory boarding school in 1844 when the ship likely sprang a leak and submerged less than a mile from the coast of Brigantine Shoal, killing everyone aboard.  

A skull, which was initially deemed a John Doe, first washed ashore in Longport in 1995 before more bones were discovered in Margate four years later — both towns in Atlantic County.

More bones were unearthed in 2013 in Ocean City, in neighboring Cape May County, but despite the growing evidence, the typical methods of investigation couldn’t lead to an identification.

A decade later, state police tapped the Ramapo College IGG Center for help.

A newspaper article regarding the incident was published in the Boston Daily Bee on Christmas Eve in 1844. Ramapo College of New Jersey Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center (IGG).

A genetic sample was sent in November 2023 to Intermountain Forensics, which then uploaded the DNA to different ancestry databases a few months later, Ramapo College said.

Ramapo undergrads and students part of the IGG Center certificate program then scoured through records, finding ancestry from the 1600s with genetic relatives who lived in a pair of Connecticut counties.

Students also looked into shipwrecks and found clips from two newspapers dated Dec. 20 and Dec. 24, 1844, that described the sinking.

Only one body was recovered at the time of the ship’s demise, according to one of the old articles.

It was also reported that Goodsell was the captain and left behind a wife and three young children.

The York Democratic Press reported the captain’s death on December 20, 1844. Ramapo College of New Jersey Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center (IGG).

State police were finally handed the case back and collected a family reference sample from a great-great-grandchild of Goodsell in March. The following month, the identification was confirmed.

“Using modern genealogy testing to identify bone fragments from the 19th century is a powerful reminder of our unwavering commitment to resolving cases no matter how old,” Callahan said.

This is one of the oldest cold-case identifications made with the help of investigative genetic genealogy, the college said.

“Identifying human remains is one of the most solemn and challenging responsibilities law enforcement is charged with,” said Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Patrick Snyder.

“Law enforcement works hard knowing that behind every case is a promise: that no one will be forgotten, and that we will pursue the truth until families have the answers they deserve.”