What’s in Brian Nash’s Genealogy Toolbox? You Might Be Surprised!

A Nod to Heritage

First off, Brian emphasizes his Irish and Scottish roots. To honor his heritage, he keeps a few special items:

• Stress Potato: For those moments when brick walls appear, a stress potato is the perfect tool.
• Kilt: Representing his Scottish side, Brian has his family tartan kilt.

Staying Connected & Organized

• Fan: For when he needs to be recognized.
• Watch: Set half an hour early to be the first on the YouTube chat on Saturday mornings.
• Special Cup: A cup that says “do not disturb family history research being done refill cup regularly”.
• Whiskey: Scotch, Irish, and Canadian whiskey.
• Passport: For those unexpected genealogy trips.
• Stud Finder: To locate himself.
• Notebooks and Pens: Essential for jotting down all those important family history details. Brian even shares a tip for getting free pens from the bank!

Books & Photos

Brian is a big fan of books and has several related to his heritage:

• Our Island Story: A history of Prince Edward Island.
• The Highland Heart of Nova Scotia: Fiction based on Scottish settlers in Nova Scotia.
• A Dance Called America: About people from Scotland.
• The Flight of the Highlanders: About the Highland clearances.
• Manners, History and Customs of the Highland of Scotland.
• Scotch, the Whiskey of Scotland: A book by Sir Robert Bruce Lockard.

He also keeps:

• DNA Kits: For sharing with relatives.
• Family Photos: Some identified, some not, but all precious.
• Scanner: To digitize those old photos.
• Phone: For scanning pictures and documents.

Cutting off the bad branches

• Saws: To cut off the branches that get added wrongly.

The Most Important Tool

• WikiTree Website: According to Brian, this is the most important tool of all!

Final Thoughts

Brian’s toolbox is a mix of practical tools, sentimental items, and a good dose of humor. What does your genealogy toolbox look like?