TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS · FAMILY CHRONICLES

Your family’s story didn’t end at Ellis Island

I uncover the forgotten story of your ancestors in the original archives of Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Belarus — and preserve it in a narrated family chronicle made to be passed down for generations.

Find Where Your Family Came From See How It Works

Does this sound like you?

1

Your DNA test told you you’re “38% Eastern European” – but it can’t give you their names, their village, or their story.

2

Your family tree runs cold the moment your ancestors stepped off the boat.

3

The family name was changed at the border, and no one quite remembers how it was spelled before.

4

All you have is a town name nobody can find on a map – or just the word “Poland.”

5

Your grandmother told stories about the old country, and now those stories are all that’s left.


If any of this sounds familiar, you’re exactly who I work with – this is where your search ends and the real story begins.

Meet Alan

The genealogist who’ll personally do your research

I’m Alan Jakman, and for more than a decade I’ve made my living doing one thing: uncovering the histories of families like yours.

I’m a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, I teach genealogy at the postgraduate level at a Polish university, and I founded More Maiorum — Poland’s only genealogy magazine. But the work I’m proudest of started closer to home. I traced my own family back to the late 1500s — nearly 3,000 relatives in all — so I know exactly what it feels like to want these answers, and what it takes to find them.

I treat every family’s history as its own story: one that takes patience, precision, and a deep reach into original records most people never see. And often, what the documents reveal turns out to be very different from the version that’s been handed down for generations.

Read more about me 

How it works

What does genealogical research involve?

Finding your family’s history doesn’t happen overnight. Every project follows a clear, proven process that begins with certainty, continues with in-depth archival research, and ends with something your family can keep forever.

Origin research

Using American records together with European archives, I identify your ancestors’ place of origin and determine how far their story can realistically be traced before any larger research begins.

Deep research

I examine original church books, civil records, census documents, military files, and countless other historical sources to reconstruct your family’s history generation by generation.

Family Chronicle

Your discoveries can be transformed into a beautifully written Family Chronicle — combining your ancestors’ stories, original documents, translations, and a professionally designed family tree into a handcrafted book your family will treasure for generations.

Origin research

Using American records together with European archives, I identify your ancestors’ place of origin and determine how far their story can be traced before any larger research begins.

Deep research

I examine original church books, civil records, census documents, military files, and countless other historical sources to reconstruct your family’s history generation by generation.

Family Chronicle

Your research can be transformed into a beautifully crafted Family Chronicle, combining your family’s story, original documents, and a professionally designed family tree.

WHAT’s INCLUDED

What you receive

Every stage of research produces something tangible — not just answers, but carefully documented evidence of your family’s history.

Family Tree

A professionally prepared family tree showing every documented connection between generations, supported by original archival sources.

Archival Documents

High-quality scans of the original birth, marriage, death, census, military, and other historical records uncovered during the research.

Narrative Family History

Instead of simply listing names and dates, I reconstruct your ancestors’ lives as a story — placing every discovery into its historical and social context.

Complete Research Analysis

A detailed explanation of what was found, how the conclusions were reached, and where future discoveries may still be possible.

Over 10 years
of professional experience
Completed genealogical
research
Discovered
ancestors

Testimonials

What do people who have already started their search say?

  • The report’s highly clear and narrative style deserves special mention. The combination of hard demographic data with a broad historical context – everyday life, social status, the realities of Galicia, oppression and migration – means that the report is not merely a list of dates, but a fully-fledged account of the family’s history.

    A major advantage was the consistent inclusion of house numbers and social status, as well as the incorporation of maps and illustrations, which makes it much easier to visualise the surroundings in which our ancestors lived. The translations and explanations of the Latin entries are clear and easy to understand, even for those who are not professional genealogists.

    The greatest satisfaction came from discovering the continuity of my family’s settlement and property in a single village over many generations. This completely changed my perception of my family’s history — from an anonymous village to a family with deep-rooted ties to the land. It was also deeply moving to trace ancestors involved in the events of the Galician Massacre and to document the fate of my great-grandfather in General Haller’s Army.

    I was afraid that the research would amount to nothing more than a few records without any broader context. However, the report showed that, with the right methodology, it is possible to broaden the perspective significantly, even in the face of gaps in the sources.
    Marcin Ryndak
    Chicago, USA
  • Alan Jakman of More Maiorum played a key role in locating and evaluating genealogical documents for my research project. He worked with records in German and Polish and gained access to important documents, such as birth and marriage certificates from the early 20th century and the late 19th century, from what were formerly German territories and are now part of Poland. Without the help of a Polish-speaking researcher, I would not have been able to locate and analyse these documents. Alan Jakman was able to sketch out family trees and identify missing family members based on relatively scant information. His detective work was indispensable for gaining a better understanding of my family’s origins, identity and position in society. Furthermore, Alan Jakman worked under difficult conditions, with limited access to archival materials during the pandemic and under considerable time pressure. I am immensely grateful for his services.
    Dr Petra Rau
    Norwich, UK
  • I’m absolutely delighted! Excellent work! I believe that knowing one’s roots and family history is an important legacy that shapes one’s identity and brings the family together. What’s more, it’s important academic research.
    Adam Wudarczyk
    Warsaw, PL

The Family Chronicle

Not a chart of names – a book your grandchildren will keep

A Family Chronicle – known in Poland as a Księga Rodu — brings together everything uncovered during the research into a beautifully written narrative. Original archival documents, translated records, historical context, and your family’s story are carefully designed into a premium volume created to be read, shared, and passed down for generations.

What’s inside?

  • Your ancestors’ lives told as a compelling story – not just names and dates.
  • Original archival documents with complete English translations.
  • A professionally designed family tree connecting every generation.
  • A premium, hand-finished book created to become part of your family’s legacy.
See the books

CONTACT

Let’s find where your family came from

Every family begins with a single clue. Whether you have a surname, an old photograph, a forgotten village name, or simply know your ancestors came from “somewhere in Poland,” that’s enough to start the conversation.

Tell me what you know, and I’ll personally explain where we can begin, what records are likely to exist, and what your research journey could look like.

No obligation. Just an honest assessment of what’s possible.

Consent to be contacted*

For you / Not for you

This is for you if…

  • You want to know who your ancestors really were – their names, their village, their lives – not just a percentage on a DNA chart. 
  • You want a lasting record of your family’s history to keep and pass down. 
  • Your roots trace back to Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, or Belarus – anywhere in the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. 
  • You’d rather have an expert do the work properly than spend years stuck in archives you can’t read. 
  • You see this as something worth investing in – a legacy, not a quick lookup.

This isn’t the right fit if…

  • You need genealogical proof for Polish or EU citizenship. That’s a separate legal process – I research family history for its own sake, not for passports or claims. 
  • You’re looking to settle an inheritance or estate matter. 
  • You want a guided heritage tour or help planning a trip to your ancestral town.
  • You need a single document pulled or one record translated as a standalone service.
  • You want to find and contact living relatives abroad — for that, DNA platforms like Ancestry or MyHeritage are the right tool.

Not sure which side you’re on? Start with origin research – we’ll find out exactly where your family came from, and what’s possible from there.