Our Story

Ancestry Tour Agents started as the shared vision of two experienced New England tour guides, Roger Herson and Allan Dorrington.  They wanted a way to be able to share local history and folklore on their own terms and without feeling the need to make a huge profit.  Both hard working neuro-divergent fathers and trauma survivors, they forged a powerful friendship built on trust, loyalty,  and their mutual respect and adoration of our local history.    With a heavy emphasis on witch trial history, between the two of them there is little that we can't cover.    

Roger has worked in the Salem tourism industry since before he even graduated high school.  His first job was as a guide at Pioneer Village in 1994.  Since then he has worked virtually every aspect of a Salem tourism career, from being an energetic spook at haunted attractions, to opening and locking up the historic houses at the Peabody Essex Museum as a security guard, and including working, running, managing and owning his own tour company.    There is very little that he has not gained valuable experience in when it comes to Salem and tourism.  He brings with him a deep passion for history, and deep commitment to honesty, integrity, and compassion to the stories we tell.  

Roger is not just a tour guide though.  He is also a 12th generation resident to Beverly and Salem and can trace his roots as far back to the earliest English settlers.  Among the accused who were executed in 1692, Roger can place at least half of them in his family tree as descendants, relatives, or married to relatives, as well as multiple judges, the sheriff, and many of the accusers.  This makes him one of the most passionate guides Salem has ever had.  Bringing his talents to Beverly has been one of his biggest goals, and he is super driven to bring more Salem fans across the bridge to explore all the richness that Beverly has to offer.

Roger is also a powerful advocate for neuro-divergent and marginalized people, being part of the LGBTQ+ community and is known for his voice when it comes to defending the innocent.  A diagnosed C-PTSD survivor, he specializes in entertaining small groups, though he can entertain larger.  

Roger's passion and knowledge for the history he shares is clear, and though uncomfortable with being regarded as a "witch" he does proudly profess himself as a  modern day cunning person with a deep spiritual connection to his roots.  This makes every one of his tours not just educational but deeply inspirational and moving as well.  He is a deep believer in community and has deep ambitions to become a well known local philanthropist.