To be rooted
is perhaps the most important
and least recognized need
of the human soul.
Simone Weil
Why hire a professional genealogist?
Richard chats about working with me to uncover his Italian Ancestors
I was astonished at the detail she provided
such a wonderful experience
Curious?
Contact me for a free consultation.
Certified | Knowledgeable | Experienced
Certified Genealogist®
Certified Genealogist® Margaret R. Fortier focuses on immigration to New England and dual citizenship with Italy.
Those who hold this credential have demonstrated their competence in research, analysis, kinship determination, and reporting skills. To ensure that all Board-certified genealogists continue to produce quality work they are required to submit renewal applications every five years.
Certification offers reassurance and protection for the consumer, through an arbitration service should difficulties arise.
The words Certified Genealogist and letters CG is a registered certification mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, used under license by board-certified associates after periodic competency evaluations, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. Certificate No. 1099, expires August 2023.
Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University
Institutes
- Genealogical Institute in Federal Records—Gen-Fed
- Advanced Techniques for Mastering Online Searches—SLIG
- Settlers in the New World & Immigrants to a New Nation—Colonial Times to 1900—SLIG*
- Immigration in the U. S. after 1890—SLIG
- Dual Citizenship: Italian-American and Irish-American—Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research
- Finding Immigrant Origins—SLIG
- Researching in Italian Records—GRIP
- Advanced Italian Records—GRIP
- In-depth Resources for Portuguese Research: Azores, Portugal, Brazil—SLIG
- Civilly Uncommon: Advanced Legal Analysis—Boston University
- Advanced Methodology—SLIG
- Practical Genetic Genealogy—GRIP
- Early US Church Records—SLIG
- Irish Genealogical Research—GRIP
*SLIG—Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
#GRIP—Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh
Selected Projects
- Researched the naturalization status and town of origin for an Italian immigrant
- Identified two French-Canadian surnames for an ancestor who changed his name
- Researched the Portuguese ancestry of a family in SE Massachusetts
- Traced the ownership of a Boston-area home from 1832
- Documented a lineage for a scholarship applicant
- Compiled a narrative genealogy for multiple generations, tracing French-Canadian, Canadian, Irish, and English ancestry
- Conducted research for academic clients
Check out my appearance on Genealogy TV with host Connie Knox chatting about Immigration and Naturalization Records. Here’s a short clip (2:30) where I dissect a passenger list. See the whole episode here.