Beginner

[ken barry]

I am just starting to look into my family has anyone got any tips for a novice

[Geoffers]

The hobby is fairly cheap and simple to begin with, at first you don't need much......

Buy an A4 exercise book from a stationer - if you can, find one with a margin.

Write down what you know of your family adding detail from documents you may have (e.g. birth, marriage, death certificates, wills, letters, etc). In the margin note where the documents are stored so that you can find them easily. At the end, sign and date the note so that you (and others) know who wrote it and when. Also in the margin, or at the end, you can write tasks you set yourself, things you want to find out, prove, or explore further.

Speak to other members of the family, and do the same for them, again noting who told you what and when.

On one page of the exercise book, draw a simple tree to help get things ordered in your own mind, again date this diagram.

If this is a hobby that you feel you'd really like to get into, work out a system for giving everyone an ID number at a fairly early stage. Sooner or later, you'll find a census or other document in which there are two or three people with the same name, born about the same time and place and living in the same area. It gets very confusing trying to separate them all and work out who is related to whom unless you have a way of identifying them. There are many different ways of doing this and everyone has their own which suits them - as an example, I simply take the initial of the first forename and the surname and reverse them (e.g. Ken Barry become BK) and then add a three figure number after it, starting with 001.

You can download free computer programmes to help you store information, or you can buy magazines which have free CD-roms containing complete programmes. Alternatively, you can store the data on index cards, or using a word processor/spreadsheet on computer. Whatever way, each individual needs to have alist attached of all the source documents you possess relating to them along with the code you use to identify them.

Try to keep your source documents in some sort of order that makes sense to you - you might keep certificates together, census returns in another group, letters in a thrid and so on. Try to lay them out flat, don't stick them to or in anything. You can buy foolscap cardboard document folders from stationers very cheapily and these will be sufficient to store documents to begin with. Don't stuff too many documents into one folder. You can write on the outside of the folder, what it contains. Keep the documents in a room where they will be out of direct sunlight and the temping organised from the beginning will help in the long run. The systems I use just suit me, others have equally good systems which suit them - use something with which you are comfortable and makes sense.

When you go to a record centre - prepare. Write a list of the things you want to look at and what you hope to find, simple notes will suffice such as "Check GRO index of births for Ken Barry" and then a date range that you expect to find the record.

Work methodically, it's easier to research back into time than to come forwards..

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[WParris]

Hi Ken,
I know your surname is Barry but are you researching the Barry family? I have researched the "ancient" Barry family in England and Ireland for some years now. I have extensive information on the Irish and English Barry famlies down to today. If you give me your e mail address and some names that you are trying to find, I will send you what I have.

I am on summerhillguestfarm at telkomsa dot net
Wendy

[bumblebee]

Don't throw any information away, you will be amazed how a piece of information you cannot initially tie in becomes the crucial detail you need two years down the line.

Also.............enjoy it...

Bumblebee

[stonewall]

hi im also new i joined ancestry.com who were good cost about 10.00 a month. also free bmd there is no cost .also other one is familysearch there very good i joined familyrelatives good for matching marriages cost 38.00. ayear but have know census records i also joined the essex record office for my area and thats is free and get to see all there records hope this is of help

[Browneyes]

Something simple I find useful if I print off census pages with ancestors on them is to carefully highlight (with one of those thick coloured yellow felt tip ones) the family on the page. Then when you look back you can pick them out easily if need be. And a tip I'd like to pass on is to ALWAYS write the year etc on the printed page if its not on there already...I learnt that the hard way.

Browneyes

[christanel]

Not only do I highlight the relevant names on printed census returns I write out underneath the district, address and all the information for all members of the family. So much easier to read.
I keep all my info in plastic sleeves in ring binders. One binder for the direct line and another for the off shoots. I identify the various people by sticking a coloured cardboard square on the edge of the plastic sleeve with the person's name, date of birth, parents and who they marrried.
Anything belonging to this person is put in their section. My memory is a shocker so I find this way best for me.
All documents are also on computer - do this from the very beginning! - and linked to the program and backed up every time something is added.
The main thing is to make sure you are researching the correct family by purchasing any documents needed to confirm what you think is correct. Oh and don't believe family stories completely until proven even though there may be a grain of truth in there that starts you on your way.
What works for you is best and I bet whatever system anyone uses we all still have bits of paper hanging about waiting for action to be taken.|laugh1|
Christina

[Browneyes]

It's definately all about keeping organised isn't it and introducing a 'system' as early as possible. What about photos? Does anyone have any suggestions? I've tried to find an album that, instead of fixing them into place or holding them under thin plastic, has thin plastic pocket strips (a bit like stamp albums have) but no luck so far. At the moment they are in boxes and I would like to be able to rearrange them easily as I go along but also keep them in a folder/book or something similar so I can enjoy them too.

Browneyes

[Procat]

Hi Ken,
I know your surname is Barry but are you researching the Barry family? I have researched the "ancient" Barry family in England and Ireland for some years now. I have extensive information on the Irish and English Barry famlies down to today. If you give me your e mail address and some names that you are trying to find, I will send you what I have.

I am on summerhillguestfarm at telkomsa dot net
Wendy

Hi Wendy,

Ken is no longer a member of the forum so it is unlikely that he will see your response.