Before They Were Ancestors, LLC (BTWA) is a family tree research company. Our ideal clients are African-American families looking to find more information about their ancestors who lived from 1870 until now. We’ve chosen the year 1870 because that is the year in which formerly enslaved Black people were first listed by name in the United States Census. In gathering documents and records of ancestors, if we can find clues that take us further than 1870, we will continue to research and gather as much information as possible even past the point of 1870.

Not only do we provide our clients with records and documentation of their ancestors. We also put their ancestors in historical context and write a personal narrative (stories) for significant members of their family tree.  These stories make it easy to pass along information to younger generations of the family.

OUR THREE PHASES OF SERVICE

(FULL Packages include all three phases. HALF Packages include Phase 1 only.)

Phase 1: Gathering Documents & Records

  1. Six Month Research Process Begins
  2. Compile Six-Generation Family Tree Chart
  3. Share GEDCOM File With Client


Phase 2: Adding Historical Context

  1. Research Towns & Cities Where Ancestors Lived
  2. Explore Connections To Significant Historical Events
  3. Highlight Any Relevant History


Phase 3: Writing A Personal Narrative

  1. Use Documents And Historical Context To Write Stories
  2. Write Personal Narratives For Selected Members of Family Tree
  3. Provide Digital Files & Hard Copies Of Personal Narrative (Stories) To Client

 

We base our service packages upon how many grandparents you’re requesting that we research. 

PACKAGE FULL HALF
BRANCH (1 Grandparent) $1,000 $500
TRUNK (2 Grandparents) $2,000 $1,000
HEARTWOOD (4 Grandparents) $4,000 $2,000
FULL Packages include all three phases. HALF Packages include Phase 1 only.

 

Payments can be made as full payments, half payments, or quarter payments.

A 25% Deposit is required to begin service.

Step one is completing the Initial Interest Form.

 

START HERE!

We offer a Free 1-Hour Consultation for all potential clients. Fill out the INITIAL INTEREST FORM and we will schedule a phone or video call within the next 2 to 3 weeks. We look forward to helping you reclaim your own story.




LEARN MORE ABOUT US.


Questions or concerns? Email us directly at: beforetheywereancestors@gmail.com

 

Our founder, Christopher K.P. Brown, is an African-American genealogist raised within a close-knit family from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. In 2007, he graduated from Mercer University with a degree in African-American Studies. During his senior year, he began conducting research on his family tree, eventually tracing his roots back to South Carolina in the late 1700s. After college, K.P. moved to Philadelphia where he became fascinated with Philadelphia’s own William Still – a Black abolitionist and conductor on the Underground Railroad. It’s in the spirit of William Still that our founder offers Before They Were Ancestors to Black families here in the United States of America.