Rachael E. Mellen

Rachael E. Mellen is a graduate of the University of London, U.K. (1974) with a BA (Honours) in education and history. She earned a postgraduate degree in Humanities from California State University Dominguez Hills in 2008. Rachael has published three books on English genealogy as well as numerous articles. She has given presentations on genealogical and historical topics since 1984 to many organizations including the National Archives (Chicago Branch) and the Newberry Library. For many years, Rachael accompanied her late husband Robert to Civil War reenactments with Battery G, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery. She is currently president of the LaSalle County Genealogy Guild and researching the life of William Byrne. Rachael lives with her daughter Alice in Peru, Illinois, within a mile of the home of Alice’s Civil War relative, William J. Kennedy.