Genealogy Research
Hourly research on the ancestor, family, or genealogical problem of your choosing.
Record Retrievals
Fast turnaround of documents from a range of New York City repositories.
Family History Books
A bespoke book of your ancestors’ life stories, printed as a hardcover coffee table book.
Expertise
Learn what We Go Way Back® does best:
As an attorney for 27 years who regularly conducts research and writes and gather's evidence for reports I would like to commend We Go Way Back for the amazing work done by its founder Meryl Schumacker; after a decades long search for my great grand father's final resting place the search is over.
Thank You.
- J David Nick in Palm Springs, CA
Genealogy Research
What is it?
Professional research into the ancestor, family, or genealogical problem of your choosing. Research is available in hourly installments, with most projects beginning at 15 hours. Final products take the form of a research report. Research typically runs about 3-6 months from start to finish.
Final product.
Research projects take the form of a research report, typically delivered electronically as a PDF. Research reports are comprehensive accounts of findings and analysis with complete source citations. They also include images of relevant documents, maps, or photographs.
Rates.
Projects begin with a deposit and are billed in installments at $120/hour.
Most research projects run between 15 and 40 hours.
To anyone needing historical or genealogical research conducted in the New York City area, I wholeheartedly recommend Meryl Schumacker!
I myself have 37 years of research experience; but even "experts" need assistance now and then. In my case, I needed someone in Manhattan to examine documents in person that were unavailable online. I searched for someone with both experience and credibility and selected Meryl from a long list of contenders. As expected, her assistance proved superior and she was able to provide me with exactly what I needed in a most professional and efficient manner.
Thank you, Meryl. Much appreciated!
- Michael Tormey
Family History Books
What is it?
Go beyond names and dates with a bespoke family history book, featuring biographies of your ancestors. Discover the social and historical context that shaped their lives, woven together with your family’s photographs, oral history, a family tree chart, and genealogical records.
This is a fully customized experience from start to finish. Every We Go Way Back book is as unique as its recipient.
Final product.
A hardcover coffee table book printed on high-quality paper with binding suitable for a family heirloom. Books are also delivered as a high-resolution digital PDF for your family’s archives. An unlimited number of additional hard copies may be ordered—the perfect gift for extended family members.
Rates.
Projects may run 18-24 months, depending on project scope.
Contact for a quote on your family history book project.
I have always wanted to know more about my family’s origins in Eastern Europe but was never able to figure out how to do it until my husband gave me the extraordinary present of a family history book by Meryl.
Throughout the process, Meryl has been a pleasure to work with - professional, responsive, thoughtful, and clear about options and prices. And I now have an incredible work of personal history that I can share with my children, parents, and brother.
I cannot recommend Meryl highly enough!
- Katherine G. in Brooklyn, NY
Record Retrievals
What are they?
***Please note: Record retrieval services have been modified due to COVID-19 repository closures. Please check whether the repository you are interested in is currently receiving researchers.***
Photography, copying, and retrieval services for records at repositories throughout the New York City metropolitan area. This service is ideal for distance researchers who know exactly what record they're looking for, such as vital record copies from the New York City Municipal Archives. Cemetery photography is also available upon request.
Apostille retrieval services are also available with one-day turnaround (rush fees apply). ***Apostille service has been suspended until further notice.***
If you need a more detailed search and retrieval—for example, a search for a marriage certificate with an unconfirmed date or place—check out Genealogy Research.
Final product.
Record copies are available in digital or print formats:
Digital delivery: PDF, JPG, TIFF, and PNG available, with complete source citations and fast turnaround.
Printed and mailed: The best choice for certified records and apostilles. Copies are insured and can be mailed overnight (additional postage and handling fees apply).
Repositories.
Below is a selected list of repositories. Additional repositories available upon request:
New York City Municipal Archives
National Archives at New York City
Courthouses and court archives in New York City's five boroughs, from Surrogate's Courts to the Bronx County Courthouse
City Register Offices for Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx
Richmond County Clerk's Office (Staten Island land records)
New-York Historical Society
New York Public Library (all divisions)
Center for Jewish History, including the YIVO Archives
Columbia Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Morgan Library & Museum
Center for Brooklyn History, the recently merged Brooklyn Public Library and Brooklyn Historical Society
Queens Public Library
Local cemeteries, such as Green-Wood Cemetery and the New York City Marble Cemetery
One-day turnaround of New York and New Jersey vital records and apostilles for dual citizenship applications (rush fees apply). ***Apostille services have been suspended until further notice***
Rates.
Both digital and mailed record retrievals are offered at a discounted hourly rate. Additional expenses apply, such as record fees, rush fees, transportation costs, postage, and the like.
I highly recommend Meryl for discovering whatever genealogy records you may need in New York City or even, in my case, New Jersey.
I had almost given up finding certain family records for a foreign citizenship application.
As with most families, despite best intentions, dates, names and places are often not recalled correctly leading to formidable obstacles when researching our past. That was certainly the case with me. Piecing together what I did know with an eye on what I really needed for my application, Meryl keenly steered a patient yet determined path through the government archives of New York City and New Jersey to retrieve all the required records. In one instance, she uncovered a distant marriage certificate that had eluded other relatives for years. Beyond its use by me, it was satisfying for my relatives to finally have it in hand.
Thanks again Meryl for the good work.
- Tom S. in DC
Expertise
New York Genealogy - Jewish Genealogy - Genetic Genealogy - Additional Specialties
New York Genealogy
My path to genealogy began with my New York ancestors. Living and working in the city, I have a deep familiarity with offline collections that help me break through clients’ brick walls.
Geographic specialties
New York City’s five boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island)
Westchester County, New York
Long Island (Nassau County and Suffolk County)
Hudson Valley, upstate New York, and New Jersey projects on a case-by-case basis
The majority of clients at We Go Way Back® have New York roots between the 17th century and the 20th century, and have a range of ethnic backgrounds.
Past projects
Identified the parents and siblings of a “brick wall” ancestor in early 19th century New York City
Traced a client’s New York City ancestry back to a Revolutionary War patriot on Long Island
Confirmed an Irish immigrant ancestor’s maiden name
Narrative genealogy (biographies) of three generations of New Yorkers, from the 18th century to the 20th century
Researched notable immigrant New Yorkers’ origins and ancestries for historians, journalists, and biographers.
Genetic Genealogy
I regularly incorporate DNA evidence into my genealogical research. In 2019, I published a case study in the peer-reviewed New York Genealogical and Biographical Record that used a combination of traditional records and DNA evidence to identify a set of fourth-great grandparents.
Research specialties
Unknown parentage, ranging from adoption and sperm donor cases to unexpected DNA results
18th- and 19th-century genealogical problems
Admixture results, also known as “ethnicity results” or “pie charts” showing geographic areas or populations of origin
Past projects
Identified living clients’ biological parents using a combination of DNA and traditional records
Connected a 1% South Asian admixture result to a female ancestor in 18th-century Bengal, India
Using a client’s DNA results, traced hidden Jewish ancestry to 19th-century Hungary
Jewish Genealogy
As a Jewish person myself, I grew up believing that there was nothing to find about my Jewish ancestors. (I even wrote a whole blog post about it.) Today, I help clients learn about their Jewish ancestry, both recent and distant.
Research specialties
Locating Jewish immigrant families’ towns of origin across Europe
Identifying Jewish families’ original surnames, Yiddish names, and Hebrew names prior to assimilation
Reconstructing the identities of Jewish ancestors who converted or otherwise hid their religious or family histories
German language
Past projects
Narrative genealogy (biographies) of a Jewish family, with the social and historical context surrounding their emigration from Europe and beginnings in America
Identified a client’s Jewish ancestor who had hidden his birth name, parents, and origins from his children
Traced ancestry to a family of 15th-century Sephardic rabbis
Additional Specialties
In addition to my primary areas of expertise, I regularly research and publish work on the following geographic areas and demographics:
European genealogy, particularly in the British Isles, Germany, and Eastern and Southern Europe.
African American genealogy in New York State and South Carolina
The genealogy and activities of criminals, particularly in Prohibition-era New York City
Personal financial histories of 18th-20th-century New Yorkers