I have been on to genes reunited - but it seems I have to put in all the names and birthdates myself and I have no idea after my grandparents??? Please help
2007-07-20 23:05:56 · 9 answers · asked by nickynoodles33 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Genealogy
That's ok. You always have to start at the present and work back - it's the golden rule.
Put in what you know with regards to names, dates and places - don't worry about the gaps for now. You need to verify all the data you put in as it is easier to connect with others when you have the correct data. The easiest way to do this is to get or at least borrow birth, marriage and death certificates.
Once you are as far back as you can go with what you know, you have to get certificates and use census records or you can't move back.
Genesreunited (GR) is a great site, if your a fee paying member you can use the message boards, everyone is really helpful - just ignore the occasional cat fight that happens everywhere - there are no silly questions on GR, only silly answers (occasionally)
If you want a free forum to ask questions on and get help I can really recommend http://groups.msn.com/britishgenealogy the managers are little gems, so helpful and kind - they really helped me when I started out.
I have a beginners guide somewhere that I can email to you if you want a copy - just let me know.
good luck
2007-07-20 23:27:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Geneaology requires a lot of detective work. Often, you will go down the wrong track entirely. It takes a lot of time and costs a lot of money. Anyone who says it doesn't is lying. There are still people out there who believe that you can go to what used to be Somerset House and have your entire family tree delivered to you from the basement. More still believe that if you sign up to Ancestry your family tree will somehow magically appear online for you. It doesn't work that way. It only works that way if someone on Genes Reunited has been working on your tree already and has done all of the hard work for you. You'd be very lucky indeed if you was this fortunate.
Your first problem is likely to be breaking the "1901 barrier" and being able to use online resources like the census to get back further and use the IGI Mormon website with any degree of success. If granny was born in 1915 however, then that leaves you stuck in the mid 20th century without a clue how to get further back.
The only reliable way to get back a generation is to purchase the necessary birth marriage and death certificates from the General Register Office (www.gro.gov.uk). To do this requires some kind of knowledge on how to search the indexes and follow the clues. It goes without saying that finding an unusual surname in the index is a lot easier than finding a common one like Smith or Jones, so I would suggest picking the most uncommon of your parents or grandparents names and starting there.
It's a hard thing to explain in 1000 words or less. It reads a lot more difficult than it actually is. I can only suggest you pick up a book 'genealogy for beginners' or some such thing and absorb it's contents. If you still feel it is a hobby you want to get into, at least then you'll have some kind of idea of the work involved.
2007-07-20 23:20:13 · answer #2 · answered by Mental Mickey 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
These are all good answers. So here's another one
When I first got started I bought a book called "unpuzzling your past" by Emily Croom. That was over 15 years ago and I still use it. She has a 4th edition out now with even more in it then when I started. It takes you step by step. It's about $20 and the best investment you will ever make.
NEVER take anything you find on the internet at face value. Use it as a tool. You MUST ALWAYS document your work with birth, death, marriage certificates, obits and cemetery records. Family bible are good too. What you find on the net is only as good as the researcher. Trust me I learned the hard way. I lost so much time and work when I trusted someone elses work. Then when I started documenting I found that that line didn't even belong to me. I cried for days. Years of work down the drain. Save yourself the heart ache and document from the beginning.
Genealogy is a great hobby but it is expensive and time consuming. Its a work of art that never ends. It's something you can pass on to future generations to keep up. I've already got my grandkids working on it. They love to dig as much as I do and they are all under 12.
Visit your local Mormon Family History Center. They will be happy to help you and they have loads of info to search thru.
Happy hunting
2007-07-21 03:17:37 · answer #3 · answered by Holly N 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a million) communicate on your kin mothers and fathers, Grand mothers and fathers Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and so on 2) collect any and all paper artwork you have certificates of start, death, and Marriage. Diary's, Letters and defense force papers. 3) issues like Medals could provide you some info ( some have call and repair quantity engraved around the side, and previous photograph's may be a super help. 4) draw out a coarse tree in simple terms so which you have a theory who is going the place, 5) be organised as quickly as you commence the education will advance and advance so have a submitting gadget waiting. it incredibly is a coarse theory of a thank you to commence and in case you get caught (and all of us do) in simple terms come decrease back right here and ask for help some one will. stable success and stable looking
2016-09-30 10:11:22 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You start with your parents and your offspring. Then you go back up your tree to your grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. If you stop and think about it you yourself span a lot of time in a family tree. My grandfather was born in 1870 and I grew up with him and heard stories about his father who was born in 1844 I beleive. My youngest grand son was born in 2005. That means I have had direct contact with 5 generations spanning 135 years. My wifes family's direct contacts span 130 years.for the five generations. If any of your relation are genealogy buffs they will probably be glad to help you. Otherwise go to ancestry.com
2007-07-21 04:14:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Free Genealogy Books and Resources
http://www.7dayfamilytree.com/?hop=neving51
2007-07-20 23:16:16 · answer #6 · answered by sidestepper11 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Trying using these forms to help gather information.
http://www.uftree.com/family_tree_template.asp
And these sites have helped me a lot.
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/frameset_search.asp
2007-07-21 09:30:38 · answer #7 · answered by aamanda_88 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You've started it already.
2007-07-20 23:24:39 · answer #8 · answered by nontarzaniccaulkhead 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
just use the internet
2007-07-20 23:13:12 · answer #9 · answered by - Alex. 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋