Libsyn Directory

AF-1120: Ashes, Bones, and Grease: The Rag-and-Bone Collector | Ancestral Findings Podcast

Release Date: 07/09/2025

AF-1137: The Aftermath You Didn’t Expect: PTSD and Its Early Signs

Ancestral Findings - Genealogy Podcast

For generations, families quietly wondered why a veteran ancestor drank too much, kept to themselves, startled at loud noises, or refused to talk about the war. Some were labeled “nervous,” “moody,” or “difficult.” Others disappeared from family life altogether — emotionally, or sometimes physically. But we now understand what they couldn’t name: post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Though the term didn’t exist until decades later, the effects were already showing. And for family historians, this hidden aftermath of war can explain behaviors, disappearances, and...

AF-1136: A Life Rewritten: When WWII Veterans Changed Everything

Ancestral Findings - Genealogy Podcast

When the Second World War ended in 1945, it didn’t just bring a global conflict to a close — it launched millions of lives into motion. Soldiers, sailors, nurses, airmen, and civilians who had served in some capacity returned to a nation that was about to shift in almost every possible way. For many of our family members, the post-WWII years weren’t about returning to normal — they were about starting something entirely new. They rewrote their lives from scratch. And the paper trail they left behind is worth following... Podcast Notes: Ancestral Findings Podcast: This Week's...

AF-1135: From Soldier to Civilian: Rebuilding Life After the Revolution

Ancestral Findings - Genealogy Podcast

When we think about , we usually picture them in uniform—standing guard at a winter camp, marching along a dusty road, or writing letters home with inky quills and weary hands. We honor their service. We may even know where they fought and under which command. But what happened after they stacked their muskets and went home? That’s a story worth telling. Because that’s where the rest of their life began... Podcast Notes: Ancestral Findings Podcast: This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: Genealogy Giveaway: Genealogy eBooks: Follow Along: Support Ancestral Findings: ...

AF-1134: Discharged and Displaced: Civil War Veterans Who Moved West

Ancestral Findings - Genealogy Podcast

When the Civil War ended in 1865, the United States was scarred but standing. The fields were silent, the guns were still, and the soldiers — Union and Confederate alike — began the long journey home. But what if “home” no longer existed? For thousands of veterans, returning wasn’t an option. They had to start over somewhere else. Many of them packed up and headed west. That decision shaped the lives of entire generations. Why Go West? Podcast Notes: Ancestral Findings Podcast: This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: Genealogy Giveaway: Genealogy eBooks: Follow Along: Support...

AF-1133: Pension Paper Trails: Post-War Struggles and Paperwork

Ancestral Findings - Genealogy Podcast

When the gunpowder settled and the flags were folded, Revolutionary War soldiers had to return to lives that often looked nothing like the ones they’d left behind. For many veterans, survival during the war had been only half the battle. The other half was trying to get what was promised to them once peace had been declared. That’s where the pension system came in — slowly, imperfectly, and full of red tape. But for family historians like us, those old paper trails can be a gift. Podcast Notes: Ancestral Findings Podcast: This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: Genealogy Giveaway: ...

AF-1132: Murder, Mayhem, and Infamy in the Family Tree

Ancestral Findings - Genealogy Podcast

Every family has secrets. But some secrets are darker than others—and some leave behind headlines, scars, and a trail of records in their wake. Murder cases, unsolved crimes, public hangings, or even whispered suspicions didn’t just mark the individual involved. They reshaped entire branches of the family tree. If you’ve ever come across an ancestor who vanished, changed their name, or whose family stopped mentioning them entirely, there’s a chance something more serious was involved. And even if the person wasn’t guilty, their name may have been dragged into scandal or tragedy,...

AF-1131: Petty Crimes, Big Consequences: Minor Offenses That Shaped Family Histories

Ancestral Findings - Genealogy Podcast

Not every crime makes headlines. In fact, many of the offenses found in old court records are small—petty theft, vagrancy, disturbing the peace, trespassing, or breaking local ordinances. These weren’t the stuff of true crime novels, but they still mattered. They could lead to fines, jail time, social ruin, or even exile from a town or community. And sometimes, these seemingly minor offenses had ripple effects that changed the course of a family’s story. If your ancestor disappeared from records, left town abruptly, or was labeled a “black sheep,” there’s a good chance a petty...

AF-1130: Women on Trial: Forgotten Cases and Family Scandals

Ancestral Findings - Genealogy Podcast

In most family trees, the women are harder to trace. They often changed names, had fewer legal rights, and were less likely to appear in records that followed property or voting. But court records—especially when women found themselves in trouble—can be some of the most detailed and revealing documents we have. Whether they were plaintiffs or defendants, women in court often left behind rare windows into their daily lives, hardships, and resilience. Some were victims of false accusations. Others were bold rulebreakers. And a few were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. If your...

AF-1129: Prohibition, Moonshine, and the Law: Tracing Bootleggers in the Family Tree

Ancestral Findings - Genealogy Podcast

During the 1920s and early 1930s, a jug of illegal whiskey could change a family’s fortune—or tear it apart. Whether your ancestors ran stills deep in the woods or simply served homemade brew at a quiet kitchen table, Prohibition touched nearly every community in America. The records left behind by this period—if you know where to look—reveal a time of defiance, desperation, and secret enterprise. And if you’ve got Southern, Appalachian, Midwestern, or even urban roots, there’s a good chance someone in your family tree ran afoul of the law during this dry era. Let’s take a closer...

AF-1128: Courthouse Clues: Civil Cases That Tell Family Stories | Ancestral Findings Podcast

Ancestral Findings - Genealogy Podcast

When most people think about court records in genealogy, they imagine criminal charges, jail time, or dramatic trials. But there’s a quieter, more common type of legal record that can be just as revealing: civil cases. These aren’t about crimes—they’re about everyday disputes, debts, business problems, and personal grievances. And they can open a window into your ancestors’ lives in a way no census or marriage certificate ever could. From unpaid bills to broken promises, civil cases leave behind a paper trail of who our ancestors trusted, owed, sued, or were sued by. If...

More Episodes

Long before cities had garbage trucks and recycling centers, there were the rag-and-bone collectors—wandering figures with pushcarts, sacks, and sharp eyes trained on the gutters and alleys of the industrial world. These scavengers were among the earliest forms of organized waste management, turning trash into treasure in a time when nearly everything had some kind of second life.

Though rarely respected in their time, these individuals were vital to the ecosystem of 18th- and 19th-century cities. Their work supplied raw materials to soap makers, glue manufacturers, paper mills, and even farmers. They lived on the fringes of society, but their role supported entire industries. In many families, rag-picking or bone collecting wasn’t just a temporary job—it was a generational trade...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/rag-and-bone-collector-family-history/

Ancestral Findings Podcast:

https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast

This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups:

https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups

Genealogy Giveaway:

https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway

Genealogy eBooks:

https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks

Follow Along:

https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings

https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings