George Joynson

George Joynson, MBA, is the author of Murders in Monmouth: Capital Crimes from the Jersey Shore's Past, published by The History Press of Charleston, South Carolina. He is the Historian for Holmdel Township, President of Holmdel Historical Society and a long-time member of Monmouth County Historical Association. Joynson has been doing genealogy research for clients since before the Internet. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and son and can be reached at [email protected].

Articles by this author

• You Found Them Where? Getting Around Misspelled Names.

For several years during the 1970s, television announcer Jim McKay would introduce ABC's Wide World of Sports with "the thrill of victory—the agony of defeat." McKay's words convey my feelings when doing genealogy research. You definitely feel the "thrill of victory" when you discover a new ancestor, and researching new ancestors brings the opportunity to enjoy more thrilling victories.

My specific genealogical interest is researching ancestors in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Monmouth was established in the 1600s and many people can trace their roots to an ancestor that came or lived here. I've been researching this area for a long time and am familiar with many usual genealogical sources but have also used some unusual record sources such as court records, photographer collections, dog tax records, general store ledgers, etc.

Being the fifth George Joynson in five consecutive generations made me curious about where the name came from. Once I started collecting ancestral information I got hooked and never stopped.

Over the years there have been several surprising finds for clients, but the one I remember most was discovering the name of the small village where my great grandfather was born in England. It appeared in an answer to a question on a 1921 employment application for police officer in Paterson, New Jersey. After years of unsuccessfully looking for the exact location, there it was. The police department had saved my grandfather's employment application and finding it helped me cross the pond.

I am fascinated by a few people that have made a historical impact on our lives and would be interested in knowing more about the specific lives of people like Bob Dylan or Geronimo — famous people who walked to the beat of a different drummer.