Genealogical brick walls are what genealogist call dead ends in family history research, often due to a lack of identifiable records.

List of brick walls = If you would like help with your own genealogical brick walls, please add them to the list below. Be sure to include a link to the profile and change the privacy setting of their immediate family to public.

Canada

• Jonas Friar (b. 1807, Ontario, Canada), Hope, Ontario, Canada. — Kris Stewart
• John Demeau (b. 1835, Quebec, Canada). — Kris Stewart
• John Martin (b. 1862, Prince Edward Island, Canada). — Kris Stewart

England

• Mary (née Little) Heaven (b. 1804, Kingswood, Gloucestershire, England), Littledean, Gloucestershire, England. — Jason Scott Wills
• Alfred Farman (b. 20 August 1881 at Gressenhall Workhouse, Norfolk; no father named on birth certificate; DNA matches suggest father to be a descendent of William Buxton: the two families had a small Norfolk village, Sparham, in common at the relevant time) — Private
• [George Tolson] George Tolson(1560-1613), married Elizabeth Gledhill(1562-1637).They had one son,Jonathan George Tolson(1587-1649. I believe they are from the Yorkshire area. Can only find less than a handful records. Possible the beginning of the Tolleson line. Name changed when the son moved to the US. "[George Tolson]"

United States

• William Cornett (b. 1817, South Carolina), Hempstead, Texas. Lots of Kentucky and Virginia Cornetts are documented, but haven't been able to establish any link to this gg paternal grandfather. — Dan C.
• Frank Ray (b. 1881), Blytheville, Arkansas. We have an approximate dob and where he once lived. There a three stories circulating amoung family members regarding his death, but no indication that he was ever buried anywhere. I recently traveled to the area of his last known residence. I scoured the cemetery where other ancesters of this line were interred and found nothing. He lived in Mississippi county, Arkansas. Married to Ada Lamb 1906. Had 7 children, all of which are deceased. Think that his mother's given name was Liza, no Idea of maiden name and that she resided in Arkansas. — Denise Frazer
• Rev. George W. Fisher (b. 1808, Kentucky), Shelbyville, Illinois. Parents unknown. — Christine Thiessen
• Prudence "Freelove" Treat (b. 1727, Connecticut). — Enrique Treat Gleason-Aguiluz, Esq.
• James L. Little (b. abt 1785 in VA, d after 1850 census). — Ilene Little P. P. Prewett married Elizabeth Lee Bedegrew on January 5, 1876 in Vernon County, MO but they lived just across the state line in Fort Scott, Kansas until 1880 when he disappears. They had one daughter, Ada Violet Prewett born Nov. 15, 1877 in Fort Scott, Kansas. By 1880 Elizabeth and her daughter Ada are living with Elizabeth (Lizzie's) parents, Jonathan A and Sarah Bedegrew in Greenwood County, Kansas and no mention of P. P. Prewett. In the 1900 census for his daughter Ada and Nick Jensen in Colorado, it states P. P. Prewett's birthplace is Kentucky. Lizzie was born in 1860 but I have no other information on him other than his initials and birthplace!
• [William Mitchell, Jr.] William Mitchell was listed in obituaries for both Lillian Deckers and Claude Hamilton Stills. He's not blood related and am struggling to place where he's from or where he's meant to be from.

Sweden

• Parents of Daniel Svensson Hellström b 1761 Stockholm, Sverige (Sweden) d December 02, 1802 Göteborgs garnisonsförs — Anders Hellstrom
• Parents of Amalia Wilhelmina Lundberg (Rosenberg) b October 31, 1820 Tallinn, Estonia d December 14, 1902 Landskrona, Sweden — Anders Hellstrom
• Benjamin Andreasson (December 28, 1829-March 17, 1908). Lived in Gothenburg, Sweden. Parents and birthplace unknown. — Anders Hellstrom
• Etelia Emelia Matilda Hellström (Jacobsson) b. March 03 d. 1843 August 16, 1909 Göteborg, Vasa, Västergötland, Sweden (probably adopted so she needs 2 pairs of parents). — Anders Hellstrom
• Johan August Sahlin Gustavsson b. March 31, 1869 Väne Ryr, Recognitionsskogen, Väne-Ryr, Västra Götalands län, Sverige (Sweden) Father unknown. — "Anders Hellstrom

Australia

• Pierre La France later Pierre Wilson La France as family tended to borrow names for middle names from "in laws". Pierre claimed to be from Mauritius, a French Basque born in Paris. He was dark and employed as a camel driver, pipe layer in outback South Australia. He married several years after the birth of his first daughter in 1907. DNA tests of his great grand children point to him being of middle Eastern and possibly African decent, yet southern Mediterranean is shown as well. He was mostly an absent father, spending a lot of time in Port Augusta, he protested his ethnicity in a court case, also declared he was Roman Catholic. The Cameleers were not allowed to stay, or marry in the country, their movements were logged and permission was to be sought for any employment or travel. His wife was half channel islander with French names, he had an accent and there was a race horse called La France at the time of his marriage. A Cameleer had a French wife in Farina whos family bears resemblance to our own and her son was in to race horses. — Shaz Duthy

External links

• About.com - Brick Wall Strategies for Dead-End Family Trees
• The New York Public Library - Genealogy Research Tips: Breaking Through Brick Walls and Getting Past Dead Ends
• ProGenealogists Genealogy Brickwalls
• Cyndi's List - Hit a Brick Wall?
• Generous Genealogists brickwall forum and help