I attended RootsTech 2026 online this year. While I enjoyed the experience overall, I was a little disappointed by the lack of major announcements. One of the biggest genealogical events of the year—the release of the 1926 Census of Ireland coming this April—was mentioned only briefly. Still, the sessions on AI were genuinely interesting, especially since I use AI tools regularly in my research.
Exploring My Brick‑Wall Campbell Line with AI
One of the highlights of the conference for me was experimenting with the Copilot AI chatbot on my long‑standing brick wall: my Sarah “Sally” Campbell line. I’ve suspected for a while that she was an aunt or cousin of George Lafayette Campbell. The only evidence so far is DNA—my autosomal matches consistently point toward a Campbell connection, and since I haven’t found a link through any other line, Campbell remains the strongest possibility.
Copilot suggested that Sarah might be the daughter of John Campbell and Elizabeth Dobkins. After digging into that possibility, it didn’t seem to fit. But the AI did surface several promising leads that I hadn’t considered.
One of the most intriguing was the observation that George Lafayette Campbell’s ancestors originally settled in Bedford County, Virginia before migrating to Tennessee. When I checked the 1850 census, I found George living with an older Campbell male born in Virginia. My 3rd great-grandmother Sarah Campbell married Anderson Wray, who was born in Franklin County, Virginia—formerly part of Bedford County. The Wray family in that region also had Campbell connections. All of these overlapping details make the Virginia‑to‑Tennessee-to-Indiana migration path feel increasingly plausible for both families.
Trying Out the New Ancestor Connector Feature
I also explored a new RootsTech feature called Ancestor Connector. It uses your FamilySearch tree to identify connections to individuals mentioned in the Wilford Woodruff Papers. At the top of the page, it claimed I was an 11th cousin three times removed of Wilford Woodruff, though I’m not entirely sure what that’s based on.
The tool scans every name in Woodruff’s writings. As an early Latter‑day Saint leader, he documented many people he encountered—mostly church members, but not exclusively. It appears that some distant cousins of mine may have been mentioned in his papers, though no direct ancestors. Since the feature relies on the shared FamilySearch tree, which contains its fair share of errors, these distant relatives are unlikely to be useful to me at this time.
Since my FamilySearch tree is so bad the Ancestor Connector pointed to Pocahontas and James IV of Scotland as being my ancestors. There is no proof for that at all.
Some of my favorite RootsTech 2026 Online Sessions
- From Chaos to Clarity: Deciding What to Research When Everything Feels Important D. Joshua Taylor
- DNA Misconceptions Kelli Bergheimer
- AI & Family History: Foundations & First Steps: Mastering AI Basics for Genealogy Steve Little
- DNA Evidence Analysis with AI Nicole Dyer
- DNA Swim School – Part 1: Floating with One DNA Match Diahan Southard
- DNA Swim School – Part 2: Treading Water with Your Matches Diahan Southard
- DNA Swim School – Part 3: Swimming Toward Your Ancestors Diahan Southard
- How Full-Text Search Can Uncover Latin American Genealogy Edward A. Rueda
- New Ancestor Connector: Part 1 - The Tool Kristy Wheelwright Taylor
As the conference wrapped up, I found myself thinking about how genealogy keeps evolving. Even in a year without big announcements, there are always new tools, new angles, and new ways of seeing old problems. AI isn’t replacing the careful work we do as researchers, but it is becoming a surprisingly helpful companion—one that can surface patterns, point out overlooked connections, and nudge me toward places I might not have thought to look.
My Campbell line has been a brick wall for so long that any hint of movement feels exciting. Whether these Virginia leads pan out or not, they’ve given me a clearer direction and renewed energy to keep digging. And maybe that’s the real value of RootsTech this year: not the splashy announcements, but the reminder that progress often comes from small insights, quiet tools, and the willingness to look again with fresh eyes.
I’m curious to see where these new clues lead next, especially as more records—like the 1926 Ireland census—become available.
I know where I will be on April 18, 2026! Stay tuned!
No comments:
Post a Comment