How do I go about findinginfo on my ancestors?

Answer 1

You have a little knowledge about your family history, a few old photos and documents and a consuming curiosity. Here are some basic steps to start you on your family tree adventure!
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Depends on the family
Here's How:
Gather together everything you have -- papers, photos, documents and family heirlooms. Rummage through your attic or basement, the filing cabinet, the back of the closet.... Then check with your relatives to see if they have any family documents they are willing to share. Clues to your family history might be found on the backs of old photographs, in the family bible, or even on a postcard. If your relative is uneasy with lending an original, offer to have copies made.

While you're collecting family records, set aside some time to interview your relatives. Start with Mom and Dad and then move on from there. Try to collect stories, not just names and dates, and be sure to ask open-ended questions. Try these questions to get you started. Interviews may make you nervous, but this is probably the most important step in researching your family history. It may sound cliche, but don't put it off until it's too late!

Write down everything you have learned from your family and begin to enter the information in a pedigree or family tree chart. If you're unfamiliar with these traditional family tree forms, you can find step by step instructions in filling out genealogical forms. These charts provide an at-a-glance overview of your family, making it easy to track your research progress.

Select a single surname, individual, or family with which to begin. Focusing your family history search helps keep your research on track, and reduces the chance of missing important details due to sensory overload. As much as you might want to, you can't do it all at once.



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Explore the Internet for information and leads on your ancestors. Good places to start include pedigree databases, message boards, and resources specific to your ancestor's location. If you're new to using the Internet for genealogy research, start with Six Strategies for Finding Your Roots Online. Not sure where to start first? Then follow the research plan in 10 Steps for Finding Your Family Tree Online. Just don't expect to find your entire family tree in one place!

Visit your local Family History Center where you can access the world's largest collection of genealogical information.

Look for the records of your ancestors including wills; birth, marriage and death records; land deeds; immigration records; etc.

Organize your new information -- take notes, make photocopies, etc. Make sure you save and date everything!

Visit the place where your family lived -- look at cemeteries, courthouses, churches, etc. for information.

Make sure you continue to document everything, including taking pictures. You never know when you might need it.

When you have gone as far as you can go, step back and take a break -- then go to Step #4 and choose a new ancestor to start searching for.

Remember to have fun!
Tips:
Ask your family members if there is a genealogy book or other records within the family. This could give you a wonderful head start!
Keep copies of everything you find in your search. It may not seem important now, but it probably will be in the future.

Make sure that you keep in mind possible alternate spellings of your surname as you are researching


Have fun with it.
G.G.

Answer 2

Hello Patty,

The best way is to start at the beginning. Look at the long form of your birth certificate. It gives information about your parents. Then, get their birth certificates. Same information! Parents names, and places of their birth and year. You can trace back using that method.

Remember that for each generation you go back there is a power of 2 more people to look for. So, starting with your Grandfather would be a mistake, because you would miss your other Grandfather, and your 2 grandmothers sides.

Other methods for research are: interviews for the living, document what is said, then research it. Draw a tree, or use a program like FamilyTreeMaker ($29). The web has thousands of sites for Genealogy information. A few listed below. Also, obits and cemetery records will help. Marriage records, deeds, are also good records.

After you get about 6 or 7 generations out, you may find that certain lines of your ancestry are being worked by other people! That makes those lines easy to follow. Just remember that is not the complete picture. For each generation you add a power of 2, to the number of people possible in your family tree.

Generation 1 2 Total 2 (your parents)
Generation 2 4 Total 6 (+your grandparents)
Generation 3 8 Total 14 (+ your 1st great grandparents)
Generation 4 16 Total 30 (+ your 2nd great grandparents)
Generation 5 32 Total 62
Generation 6 64 Total 126
G 7 128, G8 256, G9 512


And so on. If you get to the 1600s you will have 11 to 15 generations. Lots of ways to see your ancestors.

Answer 3

a million. What nation are you from? Ireland two. Where are your ancestors from? Ireland. My grand aunts had been the 2 such a lot lovely ladies in our county. They had been honestly popular round wherein i am from on account that they had been so lovely. They had been nurses and had been serving to any injured man or woman within the first global struggle. Their send acquired torpedoed through Japanese approximately a month earlier than one was once because of get married, Their our bodies are on the backside of the sea a few wherein.=( three. What colour is your hair? Brown four. What colour are your eyes? Brown five. What kind of hair do you have got? (immediately, curly, wavy) Slightly wavy. 6. Are you tall, common or brief on your age? Tall for my age. 7. Do you have got any freckles? a pair on my hands and nostril.

Answer 4

Start by tracing your family tree. Ask your parents if they have any idea then, your relatives, your relative's friends, etc. Sometimes it helps if you check it out with your local registry of records.

Answer 5

Ancestry.com is a good place to start. You can also do a search for free genealogy sites. Good luck.

Answer 6

If you still live where your family lived, check the local libraries. I am sure they have a great genialogy department - mine does

Answer 7

i can help you only if you provide more specific information;e.i.....what surname.....what national background....grandparents and greatgrandparents surnames ;if possible ican usually get you to the beginning of the actual name!!!!!!