I hold an Advanced Degree in Genealogy, Heraldry and Nobility Studies from the Marqués de Avilés school in Madrid. A longtime resident of Spain, I am fluent in the Spanish and Catalan languages and hold certificates to this effect.
More than specialised studies, though, it is fifteen years of on-the-job experience that has given me extensive knowledge of Spanish archives, records and published sources, and sharpened my investigative skills; the latter may be the most important asset I can offer you. All too often in compiling a family tree, a particular set of records leaves something to be desired. Pages may be missing; mistakes may have been made when the entry was written into the register; two or more people in a town may have similar names, and even parents with similar names – how to tell them apart? When problems like these arise, you want a researcher who’s dealt with this kind of complication before, and is familiar with records of Spaniards of every class and geographical origin, not just the meticulously tended family trees of the gentry.
Thanks to these skills and experience I was able to develop the Spanish ancestry of Martin Sheen for Who Do You Think You Are?, contribute to Eva Longoria’s family journey as shown on Faces of America, and research Linda Chávez’ and Sandra Cisneros’ origins in Seville for Finding Your Roots.
Sandra Cisneros was kind enough to send me a dedicated book.
With Linda Chavez during filming in Seville