Paul C. Reed, FASG

Paul C. Reed has been actively involved in genealogical research for 25 years, and has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of America’s foremost genealogists. He specializes in researching families of the Colonial southern states, and in establishing English origins of early settlers. A native of Utah, and whose ancestors helped begin the famed Family History Library, he was educated in communications at the University of Utah.

Paul’s entire professional career has focused on genealogical research, specifically in solving complex and difficult research problems. He has served as a contributing editor to the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and currently fills that role for The American Genealogist. He is the author of dozens of scholarly articles, each heavily referenced and footnoted with original sources. In addition to the above named journals, he has also published in The Virginia Genealogist, The Genealogist, and the New England Historic and Genealogical Register. In addition, Mr. Reed has written several lengthy monographs detailing English origins and medieval law. He has also made significant contributions to three of Dean Crawford Smith’s family history books, which won the Donald Lines Jacobus Award. Paul is also a popular speaker and lecturer, having taught many courses in Southern, Colonial and British Research and Immigrant Origins at such respected conferences as the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.

He received the prestigious honor of being named a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists (FASG) in 1999. This is a scholarly association limited to 50 living members, whose election is based solely on the quality of scholarly contributions to genealogy.

One of his great strengths is his great analytical ability as evidenced in pulling apart some of the complex frauds of Horatio Gates Somerby and Harriet Bainbridge De Salis which had remained unchallenged for over a century. It took a genealogical mind like Paul’s to conduct the depth of analysis necessary to prove deceptive statements were incorrect, and that cited documents did not exist. Paul is currently preparing a website that will work toward identifying the accuracy of many alleged and “proven” colonial British origins.

Particularly adept at solving the “unsolvable,” Paul enjoys a reputation among his clients as personable, knowledgeable, accurate, insightful, and tenacious. Those qualities continue to provide him the ability to resolve the most difficult of ancestral challenges.

If you have a difficult family lineage you need solved, please ask us for a free estimate!