It seems like an impossible dream that AI could help with actual genealogical research but the amazing fact is that FamilySearch.org's full-text search plus the personal Language Model of Google's NotebookLM aided by Google Gemini have accomplished the seemingly impossible.
It seems like an impossible dream that AI could help with actual genealogical research, but the amazing fact is that FamilySearch.org's full-text search, plus the personal Language Model of Google's NotebookLM aided by Google Gemini, have accomplished the seemingly impossible.
Over the past few days, I have been using FamilySearch full-text search to find dozens of records from North and South Kingstown, Rhode Island, about my direct-line ancestor, William Tanner (LTRX-BJF). Because of his immense number of descendants and two century-old books that contain only a shred of accurate record sources, the family tree has been subject to a constant stream of changes. These changes caused me to abandon the original entry, which presently bears no resemblance to the historical record. I finally ended up with about eighty source documents. I entered PDF copies of all those documents into the NotebookLM language model and began asking questions about William Tanner. The responses were clear and concise. Here is the latest prompt and response:
Continuing to act as a professional genealogist and historical forensic expert, and using all the previously uploaded documents with the newly uploaded ones update your previous analysis and conclusions. If any documents are exact duplicates, you can disregard the duplicates. Also suggest any documents that may be needed to adequately identify William Tanner as set forth above.
As a professional genealogist and historical forensic expert, I have integrated the new probate, land, and court records with previous documentation to provide an updated analysis of the William Tanner (LTRX-BJF) family. The evidence reveals a lineage defined by repeated naming patterns and geographic clusters that led to significant confusion in earlier, unreliable genealogies.
1. Identity of the Patriarch: William Tanner (LTRX-BJF)
The primary identity of William Tanner (LTRX-BJF) is that of the patriarch who established the family in the Kingstown area by the late 17th century.
• The 1754 Guardianship Link: A crucial new forensic link appears in a 1754 court record where Benjamin Tanner (son of a deceased Benjamin) requested that his grandfather, William Tanner, be appointed his guardian. This confirms that a William Tanner of the immigrant generation was still living and legally active as late as 1754.
• Estate Disposal: In 1730, this William Tanner of South Kingstown transferred his "Goods and Chattles" to his son Nathan. In 1733, his son Benjamin sold land to his brother Nathan, explicitly stating it was land given to him by his father.
• The Marital Conflict: While traditional books name Elizabeth Cottrill as a third wife in 1723, forensic analysis proves she could not be the mother of the elder children. Francis (b. 1708) and Nathan (b. 1709/10) were born over a decade before that marriage, and their mother is identified in South Kingstown vital records simply as Elizabeth.
2. Forensic Resolution: The 1757 Probate Duality
The documents present a significant conflict regarding the William Tanner who died in 1757.
• Generation Mixing: Analysis of the 1757 North Kingstown probate (naming wife Elizabeth and children William, Palmer, Francis, etc.) suggests this testator is likely a different individual than the father of the 1708/1710 brothers.
• Age Discrepancies: The 1757 will names a son, Francis, who research notes indicate was likely born around 1736. This is nearly 30 years after the birth of the Francis Tanner who settled in Hopkinton.
• The "Twelve Williams" Theory: Investigators have now documented at least 12 men named William Tanner in the region, including a Blacksmith in North Kingstown (1745) and a resident of Exeter (1764).
3. The Second Generation: Verified Sons
Based on land evidence and probate, the primary family group for LTRX-BJF consists of:
• Benjamin Tanner (b. 1692): Identified through the 1733 deed to his brother and the 1754 guardianship of his son.
• Francis Tanner (1708–1777): He settled in HopkintonHis. A 1776 will names children Josias, Isaac, William, Joshua, Mary, Dorcas, and Susannah and mentions his brother Nathan.
• Nathan Tanner (1709/10–1752): He received goods from his father in 1730 and land from his brother in 1733. His 1752 probate in Westerly identifies his wife Mary (Cottrell) and children David, Nathan, and Abel.
4. Geographic and Legal Movement
• Social and Legal Status: The family were Sabbatarians (Seventh Day Baptists). Their involvement in multiple court cases for debt recovery (1745–1765) and the possession of a sawmill and enslaved persons (Cloe and Quem) indicates they were part of the established land-owning class.
• Migration: By 1790, descendants like Isaac Tanner moved to Herkimer County, NY, acquiring 1,200 acres at "Tanner Hill," while later branches established themselves in Navajo County, Arizona.
Suggested Documents for Adequate Identification
To definitively separate the "Twelve Williams" and confirm the parentage of LTRX-BJF, the following are required:
1. North Kingstown Land Evidence (Pre-1722): Specifically any deeds involving William Tanner and wife Elizabeth that pre-date the 1723 Colgrove marriage.
2. Sabbatarian Church Records (1690–1740): Membership lists for the Newport or Westerly Sabbatarian churches may list wives and children in baptismal or disciplinary records.
3. Tibbitts Family Probate: Detailed analysis of the will of Henry Tibbitts (William's supposed father-in-law) to verify if he names a daughter married to William Tanner and identifies her children.
4. Tax Records (1700–1750): Comparative tax lists for North and South Kingstown to track how many men named William Tanner paid taxes simultaneously in different districts\.
The Tanner family tree is currently like a puzzle where several pieces have been forced into the wrong slots by 20th-century authors; only by removing the "traditional" pieces and relying on the hard edges of contemporary deeds and probate can the true picture of LTRX-BJF be reconstructed.
This is the first real discovery in the past 40+ years. It still seems that I will have some substantial research to do, but this is the first time that I have hope for a possible solution. Stay tuned, and we may see some final results.
Stay tuned and we may see some final results.
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