Posts tagged "family history"

Find Your Family Tree – Discover Yourself

“Are you going to find your family tree” was a question I’ve been asked more often than once. Social History has ever been a hobby of mine and it seemed a logical way to explore it, though it was something I had intended to do one day in the far off future when I retire. I also knew that once I started it might become an all consuming hobby because that’s the way that I am. Things altered somewhat in the family and we decided it was time to make a start while we could still access the memories of aged parents and relations. There had been a family puzzle that lots of family were interested in resolving and the simple way to do that was to research the family tree. It is an simple process to start, there are loads of online resources to help you find your family tree. In my case there was an extra bonus that was completely unexpected “finding myself.

The more people I chat to about family history, the more That I find this is correct. One thing you may be totally certain about is that you will find puzzles and with luck even solve a couple of them. You’ll find Black Sheep, Saints, Sinners and Heroes scattered around the branches of your family tree and every one of them will have their own unique charm. You may also find plenty of surprises, in my case a brother and sister that I didn’t know I had, which shook my perceptions of my family to the core and made me re-appraise most of what I was thinking about them and about myself. Viewing yourself as the ‘eldest ‘ is very different to viewing yourself as ‘the youngest but one ‘!

There are things a lot less concrete than those which can be explained simply by genetics, for instance I have always been a Needlewoman. I have a strong creative drive which shows itself by needlework, embroidery, lacemaking and so on, but I did not know where it came from. My Mother might just about know one end of a needle from the other, but I would not bet on it so I was always at a loss to understand why thread and fabric were so important to me. Knowing few of my paternal family I was shocked to find out that my family tree on that side was populated by generations of women who were Seamstresses and Tailoresses. It gave me a sense of belonging I had never experienced before, and had not dreamed of.

Both of those things were extraordinarily moving to me, and when you find your family tree, no doubt you will find things that affect you in the same way and it has a huge impact on how you view the events of history. War is a frightful thing and I have been grateful that it has never touched me personally but that all changed of late. The loss of life of the first World War has always caused me sadness but it was very impersonal, simply a moral duty. Two months ago I discovered that 2 remote cousins, brothers from a small hamlet in the countryside of Suffolk died in the mud of Flanders, and another cousin died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. – he was only 19. It quickly became really personal for me, even writing this I have tears in my eyes for the loss their family, my family, suffered. It has suddenly become very personal.

These are just a few examples illustrating how the journey to find your family tree can change you and help you find things about yourself you never knew. For me it’s been a positive experience as it has for the majority of the people I know. Have I solved the mystery that set us off on this journey – not yet , but I’m still working on it!

Tricia Smith is an expereinced family history researcher providing information showing how to find your family tree, providing help and guidance on family tree research and problem fixing.

Discovering Your Family Tree

Researching your family’s genealogical history can be a great way of learning more about your ancestors. Although most families know some information about their “family tree,” most still have entire branches that have yet to be explored. Discovering more about your family’s history can be a wonderful and interesting activity that can bring your family together. You can research your past way easier than before with the help of the Internet. When you are researching your family’s history, many sources are useful for getting information, such as boxes of old family photos, written public records, and even stories passed on by older relatives. You can introduce your children and grandchildren to some of the wonderful relatives that they will never get to meet by doing your research now and recording the important facts. When you document your family’s history, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you are gathering informaiton that will be handed down to your relatives for generations to come.

The Best Place to Start

A good place to start is with yourself, then work your way back into your family’s history. Document all the details and family history that you already know and you will have a better idea of what you still need to do more research on. Always keep careful records, and cite the source of the information in your records. Although you might get a lot of “word of mouth” information from relatives, you should always substantiate this information by researching original documents, such as birth, death and marriage certificates. Even so, you can get many important clues through verbal information that can help you in your fact gathering. Keeping records can be much easier if you use forms and log sheets designed specifically for genealogical research. You can make your own templates to suit your needs, or you can find many free templates online. You can stay organized by keeping these pages in a three ring binder, and keep any associated documents or photographs with them in page protectors.

Sources of Information

Immigration papers, military records, family Bibles, baptismal records, marriage and divorce certificates, verbal histories, birth and death certificates, journals, and diarys are all great places that you can gather information. Old photograph albums ca also be helpful. As you are doing your research, you might be fortunate enough to discover some old photographs that you didn’t even know existed. You can use a scanner and a printer to make some copies of your favorite old photos. These vintage photographs can then be displayed in 4×6 picture frames and you will have no need to worry about damaging them as you would the fragile originals. Some of the online sources that you can make use of are search engines, web sites, and online databases with family record search tools.

How To Use What You Find

Once you begin to research your family’s history, you might find your relatives will be interested in what you are doing. Most people are interested in the history of their family, but many simply do not take the time to do the research. You should allow your relatives to benefit from all of your information gathering efforts by sharing with them. There are even decorative charts you can purchase for the purpose of documenting one’s family tree, which can make a nice gift for relatives, especially when placed in family picture frames.