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Tips to
get you started on your Family Search
You
never know what you may uncover about your family. Find out if
your great uncle really was a cattle thief or if you're somehow
related to the royals. Thanks to Ancestry.co.uk, you can easily
find out if you are a distant heir to royal riches or one of
Elvis' cousins.
Here
are our tips kindly provided by Ancestry.co.uk:
Start
with what you know. You can begin by filling out a pedigree
chart - either on paper or online. Fill in as much as you can
based on memory, then leave question marks indicating what you'll
need to research in the coming months. You can download a printable
family chart at Ancestry.co.uk.
Purchase
genealogy software. When shopping around for genealogy
supplies, you'll find a variety of software designed specifically
for family history research. Programs such as Family Tree Maker
are indispensable tools for easily compiling and organising data.
Look for
records in your home. Before traipsing off to a library,
you'll want to scour your own attic for family bibles, photographs,
diaries, journals, letters, scrapbooks, legal records, baby books
and, most importantly, birth, marriage and death certificates.
Interview
relatives.
You can begin to fill in the blanks on your pedigree chart by
asking relatives for information. Often, extended family members
will be able to provide much of your missing information. Record
or videotape the interview for posterity.
Search
compiled sources.
While it's exciting to find original records for each of your
ancestors, it's best to begin with compiled sources. Previously
researched genealogies, biographies, family trees and name indexes
will save you a lot of time in the long run. Online databases,
such as those on Ancestry.co.uk or Genealogy.com,
can be a huge help.
Pay attention
to spelling.
Variations in spelling (especially surname spellings) can affect
the amount of information that you find. Be sure to try alternate
spellings every time you search for a name. Or, when using Ancestry.co.uk, try the Soundex search
feature.
Cite your
sources.
As with any major research project, you'll want to ensure accuracy
by keeping track of your sources. For every record that you use,
record the title, a microfilm or volume number and a page number.
Read up
on history.
Learning more about the historical background and migration patterns
of your ancestors will help your track down important sources
of information - such as local histories, regional maps, town
directories and gazetteers (geographical dictionaries).
Share
your discoveries.
Once you've compiled at least a portion of your genealogy, you
can begin to share it with friends, family members and fellow
researchers. Using message boards on Ancestry.co.uk, upload
your tree where others can see your work and even contact you
to share information they may have found on the same family lines. |