Currently accepting clients for...

• Family History Research
• Speaking / Presenting

I've been digging around and rooting out ancestors practically my whole life--having learned genealogy on my DAR-researcher grandmother's lap 50+ years ago. I'm fascinated by who our forebears were--their lives, society, politics, education, religion. I want to find out what influences operated in their lives. My degrees in history, journalism, and education provide an academic foundation for my work in genealogy, with my specialties being researching people and their times and writing their stories. As I research a family, it seems to me that the ancestors want their stories to be told.

My specialty is researching in original records and piecing together families using a variety of sources, many of which are often overlooked by researchers. I don't leave any stone unturned in my search. Clients also hire me as a consultant to guide their own genealogy work in New York. My research specialties include colonial and early statehood New York and the Puritans/Congregationalists in the New England colonies.

I am a member of the NY State Archives Advisory Committee and of the Family History Advisory Committee for the NY Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B). I am the author of New York State Archives Guide: For Family Historians, Biographers, and Historic Researchers, published by the NYG&B, and was an editorial board member of The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record.

 

Geographic Specialities
Albany County, Columbia County, Dutchess County, Ontario County, Orange County, Putnam County, Rensselaer County, Saratoga County, Schenectady County, Ulster County, Warren County, Washington County, Westchester County

Testimonials
"Working with Jane Wilcox continues to be real joy for me. She is very flexible and that has allowed me to participate with her in the research when possible. It makes me feel like part of the treasure hunt in a manner of speaking. The other thing that stands out is Jane's out-of-the-box thinking. She is always coming up with more non-traditional methods and sources when the road seems blocked. This has allowed her to identify some people who were associates of my colonial-era paternal ancestor, who has been my brick wall. I have worked with a number of genealogists over the past 13 years on this ancestor and am very pleased with the progress we have made. I would highly recommend Jane to anyone who has a difficult genealogy task facing them." ~ Dick Wicks, North Carolina

"Deciding it was time to explore the Holmes/Howell branch of my family in Newburgh, NY, I needed an expert in the Hudson Valley area. Jane E. Wilcox provided me with that expertise and guidance. What a wonderful learning experience to put together information on the Holmes family members, who they were, how they lived and their impact on the community. Together we organized data, analyzed problems and compiled a picture of the lives of the Holmes/Howell family in Orange County during the late 1700's into the mid 1800's. Tracing my ancestors is an ongoing project and I know Jane will always be there for me to tackle a problem and give professional guidance. I highly recommend Jane for anyone needing research assistance!" ~ Megan M. Greitzer, Pennsylvania

"Jane is not only an excellent historian, thorough researcher and knowledgeable professional, but she is also blessed with the ability to see beyond dates and places in a way that makes the past relatable and immediate. "The ancestors want their stories to be told, " she said early in our journey, and I came to realize how right she was. It was a pleasure to have her as expert and guide to link the past with the present and the present to the past. I highly recommend her." ~ David Rambo, Supervising Producer/Writer "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

See website for others: http://www.4getmenotancestry.com/testimonials/

Publications/Media
New York State Archives Guide: For Family Historians, Biographers, and Historical Researchers, New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 2024.
"Derbyshire Crossroads: A Wilcockson DNA Case Study," NGS (National Genealogical Society) Magazine, co-authored with Lisa Wilcox, January-March 2014
"Exploring Research Resources for Hudson Valley Tenant Farmers, " The New York Researcher, Summer 2014, New York Genealogical and Biographical Society,

Lectures
Selected:
Looking for Your New York Tenant Farmers: Little-Used Resources
New York City and State Governmental Vital Records and Alternates
The New York Gateway: Immigration, Emigration and Migration
Finding American Women's Voices through the Centuries: Letters, Journals, Newspapers and Court Records
Up the North River: An Overview of Pre-1800 Hudson Valley Ethnic Groups and Religions
Early Probate in New York: From Colonial Dutch and English to Statehood
See website for others: http://www.4getmenotancestry.com/talks/

Repositories
New York State Library and Archives in Albany
New York Public Library, NYC
New-York Historical Society, NYC
Local and regional libraries and societies in New York
College and university libraries and manuscript collections in New York
Repositories outside New York that hold New York records (such as the Firestone Library Special Collections, Princeton University, New Jersey and the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia)
Connecticut State Library, Hartford

Research Time Periods

• 19th Century
• 18th Century
• 17th Century

Honorifics/Credentials
FGBS; Fellow, New York Genealogical and Biographical Society 

Affiliations
National Genealogical Society
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
New England Historic Genealogical Society
Suffolk County Historical Society (Long Island, New York)
Racine Heritage Museum (Wisconsin)

Degrees
Masters (Journalism), Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Bachelors (History and honors English), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Teacher's Certification (Elementary), University of Wisconsin-Parkside