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Month: March 2019

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Cite sources! Always! No exceptions!

When you get on a roll and you are finding lots of new information about your ancestors, it’s very easy to get caught up in the moment. STOP!! Have you remembered to make note of where your information is coming from? Citing sources is not the most exciting part of genealogy research, far from it. But if you don’t cite sources, you WILL forget where you found out the information.

“So what?” I hear you cry! “Stopping to do that boring stuff will make me lose my flow! There’s so much exciting information right here I need to gather!” That is true. But that information isn’t going to disappear while you take a few moments to make some notes.

Why is it important to cite sources?

Let’s say you find out something critical about an ancestor that allows you to tie them into a family line that you then continue to research several generations further back. Two years (and hundreds of hours of research) later, you find another piece of evidence that totally contradicts what you thought you knew. This new piece of evidence ties them to a totally different family, unrelated to the first. What do you do? How do you decide which piece of evidence is correct since they can’t both be? Answer: you go back to the sources and critically examine them both to see which is most credible, or use them to decide where you might look for further supporting evidence for each.

Problem: you didn’t cite the source of the first piece of evidence. And now you just don’t remember where you saw it. Was it from an official document, reported in the newspaper, in a book, on a website, did you hear it from a family member or did you find it on someone else’s family tree and assume it was right? How reliable was it? Where can you go to check it’s accuracy further? You just don’t know. Therefore, you also don’t really know if the tree you constructed based on that information is correct. Perhaps you’ve just wasted two years barking up the wrong family tree!

Citing your sources is all part of good genealogical organization.

What does ‘cite sources’ actually mean?

For a professional genealogist, there’s a very specific way of doing it, with specific formats for different sources of evidence. At the end of the day though, for your own personal family tree (unless you’re planning on publishing it), the main goal of citation is to be able to easily find your way back to the source of the information. It can be as simple as attaching a copy of the source to the relevent family group sheet, or attaching a scan of it to the relevent person(s) in a family tree computer program or online. If it’s a page of a book, make sure you’ve noted which book – author, title, publisher, edition – as that may not be apparent from the photocopied page! Some subscription genealogy services will have the sources amongst their offerings and you can directly connect them to the person(s) in question.

A well-sourced family tree saves you time and headaches

If you have unfailingly added source citations to all your ancestors as you have discovered them you can save hours of pulling your hair out trying to remember what made you assume something was true about them. You can simply go back to the sources and compare them for likely accuracy.

  • How close was the source to the actual event?
  • Who recorded it? Why?
  • Would they have had any reason to record the information inaccurately, either deliberately or by error?
  • Did you misinterpret it?
  • Is it a correct source but for a completely different person with a similar name?
  • Did the source itself rely on secondhand information (or third hand, or fourth hand)?

Get as close to the original source of the information as possible. If your source cited another source, seek that out and verify it.

And remember the more individual sources of evidence you have for each fact about your family members, the more confidence you can have that it is correct. Aim for at least three!

Have you ever wished you’d kept a better record of where you found some evidence? I know I wish I’d started my research the way I do it now! Comment below…

Finally, I know I said I was going to bring you a blog on finding your female ancestors as a follow up to a previous blog, but a fellow genealogist published a fantastic article about that topic on her blog soon after my saying that. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I would urge you to take a look here!

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Organizing genealogy research

organizing genealogy research organize
organizing genealogy research pile of documents

Genealogy is one of those activities that creates a whole lot of ‘piles of stuff’ that increase exponentially with every generation researched. You need to work out how you’re going to be organizing genealogy research right at the beginning of your family history journey. Otherwise, you run the risk of not being able to find the information you’ve gathered when you need it. You may even miss vital clues that you may have overlooked first time around with documents. You could possibly end up purchasing multiple copies of the same document as you forgot you already had it. Somewhere.

Is there a standard method for organizing genealogy research?

It really doesn’t matter which exact process you use to get your research organized. So long as it works for you, and allows you to be able to access the information you have easily and reliably, there are many ways to do it. However, follow the golden rules below whichever method you choose.

Essential golden rules

  1. Keep copies of your work. Keep them in separate places. Heaven forbid, if your house burns down and all your work is lost, you will regret it if there is not a copy somewhere. Scan or at least photocopy all documents, photos, correspondence etc. What works for me is uploading scans to the family tree I keep online and attaching them to the relevant people. Scans of correspondence are backed up into my Google Drive.
  2. Preserve your documents with appropriate storage methods:
    1. use only ‘acid-free’ paper/cardboard and plastic sleeves
    2. do not use metal paper clips or staples which will leave rust marks
    3. never use sticky tape to repair tears (have you seen what ancient sticky tape does to paper?)

My suggested method for taming those paper piles!

A good place to start is with your existing pedigree chart, and assigning the ahnentafel numbers for each person. You’ve already talked with your relatives and obtained as much information as possible from them so you probably have three or four generations of basic information covered by now. You can create your pedigree chart worksheet by hand using printed forms, use a family tree program on your computer, or use a genealogy website and enter the information there. Even better, do all three and you have then ensured you’re backed up in several places. I have my main working file on Ancestry.com. I sync it with Family Tree Maker on my computer and regularly print out charts for family lines as they evolve. In fact, I have uploaded my tree to every site that I subscribe to. Therefore, if disaster strikes, the tree will survive. Somewhere.

So what is ahnentafel numbering? This is a method of ensuring that each ancestor has their own unique number and cannot be confused with anyone else. If like me, you have two 5x great grandmothers named Mary Smith on totally different branches of the tree, this is a godsend. And it provides a great starting point for your filing system.

You are number one. Your father is number two. Your mother is number three. Your father’s parents are four and five. Your mother’s parents are six and seven. And so on. Just number vertically down each generation of the pedigree chart. If you have a family tree program it will likely be able to generate them for you.

Next steps, get the filing bug…

Now, create a file for each set of parents. For example, your paternal grandparents (ahnentafel numbers 4 and 5) would have their own file. Into this, you insert all the documents and certificates you have for them, photos, newspaper clippings etc. In front of this, I place a ‘family group sheet’. This is a summary page of their vital information along with their children’s. You can find templates for family group sheets online, purchase them or generate them from your family tree program.

I also have a summary spreadsheet of all the documents I have for them that I can tick off as I get them. Great for knowing if I’ve captured people in relevant census records, have all the necessary certificates, have immigration data, wills, etc. It also, therefore, shows at a glance what I still need to potentially find.

The third item I include is a genealogy research log. Here, I make a note of what records I have searched and what was found. This can save you hours of reinventing the wheel. It’s a common curse for the genealogist to come back to a family line, forget what they’ve checked and check it again. Possibly multiple times over the years. The research log prevents that. Don’t forget to record negative results as well as positive. These are just as valuable and often provide clues themselves. Keeping a research log is also a fantastic way to keep your thoughts focused on your goals for this family line.

Now you have everything neatly organized, so when you plan to visit a repository, library or archive you can simply select the family folders you will need to take with you. Or just take your laptop or tablet if it’s all been entered online. Instead of having stacks of random paper at home, you have a filing drawer with all your files arranged. It may be by ahnentafel numbers, or by surname in a hanging file that includes each generation in individual folders ordered by ahnentafel. Whatever works for you! The main point is…it’s organized!

It’s never too late for organizing genealogy research!

If you’ve been doing your genealogy research for a while and never implemented an organization system, do not despair! It is always possible to ‘KonMari‘ your work. Set aside a few hours and dig through those piles. You may be surprised what gems you find now that you have more context to see where they fit!

My way is not the only way…

For more ideas, I recommend you take a look at the category for this subject at Cyndi’s List. She lists several sites with information on the topic, and you may find the perfect method for you.

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Free genealogy giveaway to new subscribers!

If you’re just starting out on your genealogy research journey, you may feel overwhelmed when looking for resources. How do you know where to begin? There are so many genealogy websites out there, right?

I’ve put together a list and description of ten of my favourite sites that between them cover lots of ground, are simple to navigate and provide a great starting point for your online family history quest. When you subscribe to my newsletter, you will:

  • receive each blog post hot off the press
  • get a FREE PDF copy of this invaluable guide

How can you resist? Go on, you know you want to…

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Don’t just chase your surname – why female lines are just as important!

Happy International Women’s Day! Today is a great day to look at female ancestors and why they should not be overlooked in your research.

Why do people ‘forget’ their female ancestors?

Many people starting their family history will focus on their father’s line of the family. Why? It’s their birth name, it’s ‘who they are’. If they were born as a Yates, they’ll want to research their Yates family. It’s only natural to feel that connection to a name you’re already familiar with.

Let’s stop and think about it though. You are only half your birth name and half your mother’s maiden name. Go back another generation. You’re only a quarter of your birth name. By the time you go back 10 generations, your birth name represents only one of 1024 family lines you are descended from. When you focus on just your direct paternal surname ancestry, think of all the fascinating stories you miss out on!

Don’t risk losing the stories that make your family history sing!

Half of these stories are through women. Men’s achievements make up so much of the documented history we are made aware of, but women’s lives were often just as interesting and certainly at least as challenging. It’s only in very recent history that the concept of a ‘housewife’ existed for the vast majority of the population. Throughout most of history, women worked long hours to supplement the family income. They also shouldered the majority of the childrearing duties, often with very large families. It’s like the saying “Fred Astaire was a great dancer, but Ginger Rogers did it all backwards and in high heels”!

Ginger Rogers and Fred Asrire
byu/Lguy69 inBetterEveryLoop

My own favourite ancestor was my mother’s maternal grandmother, Leah Swinbourne. She survived two and a half marriages (she ran off with the postman at 18 and that one was immediately annulled!), banishment from her family, twice being widowed, multiple children – both her own and several stepchildren to raise, and all before the advent of any form of government assistance. A very resilient, and by all accounts amazing lady.

So don’t discount the female lines of your family. If you do, you can miss some gold. Of course, there are challenges with the female lines – you won’t get anywhere till you know their maiden names for a start! How to get around these challenges will be the subject of a future blog. I know you all love a puzzle…otherwise you wouldn’t be interested in genealogy!

Do you know the stories of any amazing women in your family history? Please share below!

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Finding the Stories in Your Family – Interviewing Your Relatives

Your family history is so much more than names, dates and places. It’s the stories that make it so fascinating. Tales of overcoming hardship, exploring new lands through immigration, the impact of changing technologies in a fast-evolving world, and even yes, the odd scandal! It all puts flesh on the bones of our ancestors and brings those bare facts found in documents to life. As you begin exploring your family’s stories you may even recognise some of your own personality and character traits in your ancestors and see where they have come from.

I highly recommend that you sit down with some of your older relatives while they are still available to speak with. If they are not local, can you Skype, FaceTime or even call them? Letters are great, but stories tend to come out most effectively when the conversation is two-way in real time. Whatever method you go with, do it now…the stories die with those who hold them. Don’t be fooled into thinking that if they had anything interesting to tell you they would have done so by now. They may have assumed you already knew or wouldn’t be interested in hearing it!

Last year, I had the great privilege of spending some time with an elderly uncle on the other side of the world from me. I asked him if we could talk about his life as a child. He was surprised but very willing. He started by saying that he wouldn’t have much to say as he couldn’t remember much. Almost three hours later he drew breath after sharing some amazing and fascinating tales that put his life and that of the broader family into great context and answered many questions that would never have been solved through documents alone. It was invaluable.


Some tips when interviewing your relatives:

  1. If at all possible, record the conversation (with their permission). There is no way you will remember everything they say, and it means you won’t distract them or make them feel self-conscious by writing notes or having to ask them to pause mid-flow while you get everything down. You can just give them your full attention. Place the recording item (which may just be your phone) close by but unobtrusive so that they aren’t feeling uncomfortable.
  2. Prepare some ‘prompt’ questions before you go, in case they have trouble getting started or go blank. If there’s any particular era of their life that you are interested in, try asking a question around that time to get them started. For example, “I understand the family was bombed out in World War 2, can you tell me about that? I imagine it would have been a very scary time for you as a child”. You may find once they get started, the stories will segue into others as further memories are prompted.
  3. Be sensitive to their comfort, signs of fatigue or distress, and do not be tempted to keep going because you want the information. If they are straying into areas where they are clearly uncomfortable going, steer the topic to something else so they don’t feel compelled to continue down a path they accidentally got onto. Take breaks if necessary. Make them a cup of tea. Even if they’re enjoying it they may need to pause for a while and talk about other things.
  4. If possible, visit them in their own environment. They will be more relaxed there and they may remember during a story that they have photos, mementos or other items that they can show you, a wonderful bonus!
  5. Take them a little gift as appreciation for their time and effort, and perhaps a nice cake to go with the cuppa!

Has anyone else had the experience of interviewing their elderly relatives, and if so, did you come across anything that completely changed your perspective on the life of the family? Share your experiences in the comments!