Currently accepting clients for...

• Family History Research
• Speaking / Presenting
• Writing /Publishing

Melissa Knapp is a professional genealogist specializing in Southern U.S., Scotland, and Ireland genealogical research, with particular expertise in the Scottish and Irish diasporas and migration during the Early American Republic. She has a special interest in exiles and political rebels who left their homelands in the aftermath of war and displacement, particularly following the 1798 Irish Rebellion and the Scottish Highland Clearances. 

Melissa has extensive experience in genealogical research, methodology, and analysis. She loves diving deeply into historical records and archives to solve complex family mysteries and help people reconnect with their ancestors and heritage. A storyteller at heart, Melissa believes that every individual has a story worth preserving and strives to bring the past to life through thoughtful, contextualized genealogical research.

Genealogical Research Services

Melissa is currently accepting client research projects to reconstruct individual lives and families through rigorous, evidence-based research. Her work draws upon both archival and online sources, including civil and vital registration records, census returns, parish registers, newspapers, military, land, and probate records, as well as (but not limited to) lesser-used records such as court, early naturalization, and alien records.

Research packages include fully documented client reports that go beyond reporting names and dates to provide clear analysis and meaningful interpretation. Each report incorporates relevant local and social history to illuminate ancestors’ lives within the times and places in which they lived.

Inquires may be directed to kindredgrove@gmail.com. She offers a complimentary 30-minute consultation by phone or video to discuss individual cases.

Melissa is also available for speaking engagements and presentations.

Dissertation

Melissa master’s dissertation reconstructed the lives of Irish immigrants who naturalized as U.S. citizens in Charleston, South Carolina, during the Early Republic (1790–1830). Her research explored Irish immigrant identities, revealed the deeply personal motivations behind the immigrants’ pursuit of citizenship, highlighted the significant role of kinship networks within the host society, and demonstrated an exceptional degree of religious pluralism in Charleston. Her dissertation earned the 2025 Best Dissertation award for University of Strathclyde by the Register of Qualified Genealogists.

Experience

• Ten + years of experience assisting individuals and families with genealogical research through her local FamilySearch center, including five years serving as FamilySearch Center Coordinator.
• Instruction designer for FamilySearch since 2022.

 

Geographic Specialities

• Southern United States: Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, Louisiana, Texas
• Scotland
• Ireland

Additional specialities or search keywords
Paleography, British Isles, Civil War, Southern U.S., Immigration, U.S. Citizenship

Publications/Media

MSc Dissertation

Who Were the Irish Immigrants in Charleston, South Carolina, 1790-1830? A Genealogical Study of Identity, Citizenship, and Southern Settlement in the Early American Republic (MSc Dissertation,  University of Strathclyde, 2025).

Postgraduate Diploma Dissertation

Who Were the British Enemy Aliens Living In Charleston, South Carolina During the War of 1812? A Genealogical Study of Their Lives Focusing on Identity, Allegiance, and the Impact of War (Postgraduate Diploma Dissertation, University of Strathclyde, 2024).

Published Works

Veteran Biographies in A Tribute to Smith County, Mississippi Veterans, Volumes 1–4, Smith County Mississippi Genealogical Society in 2018. 

Lectures

• Let's Discover Together: Guided Learning at FamilySearch, RootsTech FamilySearch Demo Booth, March 2026
• FamilySearch Center Connect, January-May 2026
• Mastering the MSc, University of Strathclyde, Genealogical, Palaeographic, and Heraldic Studies, October 2025

Repositories

• FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, Utah
• U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
• South Carolina Historical Society, Charleston, South Carolina
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina
• Hibernian Society, Charleston, South Carolina
• State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina
• Mississippi Department of Archives & History, Jackson, Mississippi
• National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland
• National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland
• The National Archives, Dublin, Ireland
• Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Research Time Periods

• 20th Century
• 19th Century
• 18th Century
• 17th Century

Languages

• English - native
• Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) - records and historical document translation
• Latin - records and historical document translation
• French - records and historical document translation

Honorifics/Credentials

• Qualified Genealogist (QG), Register of Qualified Genealogists, United Kingdom & Ireland, 2025
• ​MSc, Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies, University of Strathclyde, 2025 (with Distinction)
• Best Dissertation Prize, MSc in Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies, University of Strathclyde, 2025
• Graduated summa cum laude, Brigham Young University–Idaho, 2023

Certificates

• Postgraduate Certificate in Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies at University of Strathclyde
• Family History Research at Brigham Young University-Idaho
• Advanced Family History Research at Brigham Young University-Idaho

Degrees

• MSc in Genealogical, Palaeographic, and Heraldic Studies, Graduated with Distinction at University of Strathclyde
• Postgraduate Diploma in Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies at University of Strathclyde
• BS in Professional Studies with Family History Research Emphasis at Brigham Young University-Idaho
• AS in Family History Research at Brigham Young University-Idaho