When interviewing a relative to gather genealogy information on your ancestry there are several important considerations to keep in mind:

Do start close to home. Interviewing your own parents can be one of the most enlightening and enjoyable experiences you will have. If your relationship with your parents is not as close as you would like, that is all the more reason to reach out. Almost everyone loves to talk about themselves and their history and is flattered when someone takes a genuine interest. Consider it a great new bonding opportunity.

Do get important dates and places and other specific information on marriages, births, deaths of parents and siblings.

Do ask them to relate stories about their past that will bring insight and understanding to who they are and the events that shaped their lives and attitudes and contributed to making them the person they are today.

Do come prepared with a set of specific questions so that you can control the flow of the conversation and keep it moving.

Do come prepared to either take notes or record or video tape the conversation.

Do try to ensure that everyone is comfortable and that you are in a relatively quiet place so that they are not bothered by household distractions.

Do ask if you can make copies of important genealogy documents, letters or photos.

Do ask open ended questions that will elicit information rich responses to your questions. An open ended question is one that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no or a short one word response.

Do not overstay your welcome by taking up more of their time than you ask for up front - unless they offer to extend the visit. A 1 or 2 hour initial visit is plenty.

Do not bring your cell phone or other things that are likely to distract you from your mission.

Do not act bored, even if the information is not of personal interest to you.

Do not be afraid to politely move the conversation to a new topic if the interviewee gets stalled on an irrelevant topic for too long. But be careful not to interrupt in the middle of a thought.

Do not be pushy about getting sensitive information. Be aware that your interviewee may simply not be comfortable discussing certain things.

Do not dominate the conversation - let the interviewee do most of the talking.

Do not forget to thank the person at the conclusion of the interview for their time and information.

Do not procrastinate - particularly when it comes to interviewing older relatives. It is sad when you intend to get around to an interview but don’t find the time until it is too late.

Once you have completed your interview it is wise to go back and work up a transcript of the conversation. It is both courteous and appropriate to offer to share a copy with the interviewee once you have completed the transcript.

Author: Christopher L. Dunn

Christopher L. Dunn has been active in personal genealogy and family history for many years. He resides in Salem, UT.

For more information please visit more of the authors websites:

http://www.cixx.com

http://www.mtworld.com

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3 Easy Tips For Starting Your Genealogy Research

You’ve decided that it’s time to start a family tree, but have no idea how, exactly, you’re going to do that. If you’re like most of us, you’ve probably looked at the idea of hiring someone to help you (and then promptly fainted when you heard the price tag attached to hiring help), or you’ve looked into expensive computer programs. You can make a family tree easily and inexpensively by using these three tips, though, and you’ll be pleased with the end price tag.

Tip #1: First and foremost, talk to you family! All too often people forget to talk to their family members when they’re trying to make a family tree. This is a goldmine of information you just can’t afford to ignore. The relatives that you have living can help you to get a great start, or to fill in the blank spaces that may be hard to figure out. If you’re trying to keep things a secret, try being a bit discreet in your questions.

Tip #2: Be organized in your genealogy research. The more organized you are, the better off you’ll be and the easier it is to get things together. If you know how to make a spreadsheet, use one of those, and if you’re not quite sure how to use one, get a piece of paper and be very detailed. This can help you to keep everything in order.

Tip #3: The easiest way to make a family tree, and to get your genealogy records, is to do so online. There are a few great websites that can help you to search through public records in order to learn who your ancestors were and where they came from, helping you to complete your family tree without having to spend tons of money.

Author: Rick Evin

Rick Evin is an enthusiast of genealogy research. He specializes in researching and writing about public records on the internet. Check out http://recordsproject.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Evin

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Family Research – English, Scottish and Irish Genealogy

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Genealogy - One’s Family History

Genealogy is the study of who is in a family and whom they are related to. The more general study of family history will also try to determine important information about their lives and deaths such as dates of birth and death and employment records. Genealogy has existed since ancient times. Genealogical information was originally transmitted orally and later, through written records. Genealogy was vital in determining the ancestry of rulers and nobles. Detailed genealogical records ensured that the passing down of titles would be done without error.

Genealogists helped people displaced by World War II find family members who remained in Europe. Many Irish families used genealogical records to help rediscover family members that have been separated for two or three generations since their families emigrated from Ireland. James Dent Walker founded the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society in 1977. He aided Alex Haley with his book Roots. This book inspired many African Americans to search for their ancestors.

Major events in a person’s life are usually recorded and stored at a local, regional or national office. Genealogists locate these records and use them to determine family relationships and recreate timelines. Genealogists generally start from the present and work backward in time. Genealogists may also conduct interviews with living relatives to determine the same information. The success of a genealogist may depend on the volunteer efforts of complete strangers.

There are many helpful message boards that will help you find people with particular surnames or who lived in a particular region. Many genealogists contribute their free time and participate in projects such as preparing name indexes for records and placing them online. Other genealogists can then use the name indexes to find these records. There are other projects that transcribe records so that genealogists can find records based on something other than a name. For example, there are projects that transcribe deeds, which allows for searches by land description.

You may also look for help from the thousands of genealogical societies around the world. These societies are generally focused on a particular surname, geographic area, or ethnicity. Most of the people who work at these societies are volunteers. These societies have large amounts of genealogy material. They may also publish a newsletter, provide research assistance to the public and offer classes in genealogy. There are two other useful genealogical resources: International Genealogical Index (IGL) and DNA analysis.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints copied most of their available genealogical records onto microfilm. An important part of the Mormon faith is tracing their family history, so there are a lot of records. This resulted in the creation of the IGL. The IGL contains hundreds of millions of records of people that lived between the 1500s and 1870s. These records can be viewed at the Family History Library, which is their main library, in Salt Lake City, Utah. They can also be viewed at the more than 4,000 Family History Centers located near their churches.

If you prefer the Internet, then you can view the IGL as well as the Ancestral File, 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Social Security Death Index, Salt Lake City Library Catalog and some American Army Indexes to those who died in the Korean and Vietnam wars on the website FamilySearch. This is especially useful because you can do multiple searches for names, parishes, dates, etc.

DNA analysis has proven to be useful to the field of genealogy because the DNA from your earliest ancestors will be passed down relatively unchanged. A genealogical DNA test can estimate the probability that two people are related. The Molecular Genealogy Research Project is a collection of genetic test results that will be used to match people descended from a direct ancestor. The Genographic Project is a collection of results that can be used to trace human migratory patterns and to determine biogeographical and ethnic origin.

Author: Michael Russell

Michael Russell Your Independent Guide to Genealogy

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Public Birth Records - Tracing Your Genealogy Through Public Records

Tracing your family tree through public birth records can be an overwhelming task since it’s difficult to tell where to even start. Most people use their access to these public records to try to piece together their family tree. Getting access to these public birth records lets you do the work so much more easier and faster rather than having to manually visit government offices and trace it manually.

Defining A Birth Record

Birth records are public records and legal forms of document that are used to record an account of an individual’s birth. The document usually contains a person’s detailed information, like the name of the mother and father and the time and place that they were born are all included. The occupation of the parents as well as their nationality should be included in the public record. The birth record is done the moment the child is born and the doctor in-charge is the one that verifies all of the information that is written. It’s the physician’s job to make sure that it is error free and he places his signature to affirm it.   

Creating Your Family Tree

There are several ways for you to start your search. You have the option to choose from different websites to help you secure the public records of birth that you need. You can begin tracing your family tree by doing a people search and locating birth records of existing relatives. From there, you can take note of the names of their parents and trace their birth records and so on and so forth. Government sites usually keep several types of records, from birth records, marriage, and divorce records to death certificates. You can begin your people search through these sites and then expand from there.

Once you have located a birth record of your parents or their parents, these would contain their own parents’ name. You can then just continue tracing back using the names of their parents until you complete your family history. You also have the option to use the city or state name along with their names so that you trace it accurately when doing other public records searches. Locating the public birth records online is just the beginning. This can lead you to so many other information about your parents and great grand folks if you’re only willing to trace it. The information that these public records sites offer are very comprehensive. This is the reason why most of these sites ask for a fee to let you access their databases.

Having access to these public birth records is an invaluable opportunity to help you get in touch with your roots.

Author: Patrick Robinson

Run your free public records search now to find records like birth and death, marriage and divorce filings, criminal law, county public records, phone number, address and more.

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Free Genealogy Resources

There are a growing number of useful and free genealogy and family history resources, tools, and websites.

Family Search Website

One of the most active organizations in genealogy is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - the Mormon Church. Their flagship genealogy information FamilySearch website is one of the most comprehensive databases of family history and genealogical information in the world. What is more, it is a growing genealogy database that increases in size and scope with each passing day. The Mormon family search website is free to use and is well worth your time to explore.

Personal Ancestral File Free Genealogy Software

Again, from the Mormon Church, PAF - or Personal Ancestral File, is a free genealogy download available on the home page of the Family Search website. The PAF genealogy software is extremely powerful and user friendly and provides an excellent repository for all of your genealogy information. It has a robust pedigree or family tree feature as well as family group sheet templates to create your own extensive family history and genealogical information database.

Free Family History Information Centers

The Mormon Church has a very extensive network of Genealogy Libraries and Family History Centers. Listings for the family history centers can be found in the white pages under The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The centers are located in many cities and are staffed during the day and into the evenings with trained volunteers. The centers are equipped with an extensive array of computer and microfiche resources. Schedules may vary so it is wise to call to set an appointment. The genealogy centers are free to the public and the staff is typically well trained and helpful.

Public Records Databases

City, county, and State public records are available for your review with a little effort. These records are not always the easiest to navigate. But generally there is someone there who can assist you. You may be surprised to find a few nuggets of important genealogy information by searching these old records. Be aware that many of these old records have been transferred over the years to microfilm and microfiche. The family history centers of the Mormon church can provide advice on how to access these archived records. Public records databases may include information on wills, land and property deeds, marriage information, household census information, immigration records, and other vital pieces of family history and genealogy information.

Cemeteries

It can be exciting to search old cemeteries where you know that ancestors have lived and died. Quite often these cemeteries will contain the graves of one or more of your relatives. Headstones generally have very accurate information regarding birth, death, and often marriage dates. Some headstones even include information on children born to the deceased. A visit to one or more cemeteries in the vicinity of known ancestral homesteads can yield a great deal of genealogy information. It is wise to not only make careful notes when visiting these cemeteries but also to take photos of the ancestral headstones you discover. Don’t forget to note the name and location of the cemetery!

Author: Christopher L. Dunn

Christopher L. Dunn is personally active in genealogy and family history. He lives in Salem, UT. For more information please visit more of the authors websites: http://www.cixx.com http://www.mtworld.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L._Dunn

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Getting Started in Genealogy and Family History

If you have had limited or no exposure to genealogy and family history, the most difficult part of getting started is often knowing how and where to begin. Searching and documenting your family roots can be one of the most rewarding activities you will ever engage in… and frankly it can be quite addictive. Like most worthwhile activities, genealogy and family history require a modest level of commitment and dedication and a fair amount of patience. Here are a few ideas to get you started on the fast track.

1. Designate and set aside some specific time to work on your genealogy each week and then stick to your schedule. Begin modestly so that you don’t get frustrated and quit. Be consistent. Even if you are able to set aside just an hour per week, do it religiously and you will begin to see dividends over time. Be careful not to spend more time than you budget, at least in the beginning. Family History can become an all consuming black hole if you are not careful.

2. Begin first by collecting all of the items that you personally have access to. This may not amount to much. But you may be surprised at what you will find. Specifically you will be looking for photos (of yourself and others in your family and extended family), journals, documents, letters and postcards, paperwork, family heirlooms, and any information that you may be able to get your hands on that will shed some light on your ancestry.

3. Next, call on relatives and friends of the family who either have records, photos, documents, etc. or who have firsthand knowledge of specific ancestors. Explain what you are doing and ask if they would allow you to make copies of photos, papers, documents, letters, and other family records. Make sure you are extremely careful about returning originals in the same condition in which they were received. In cases where records are not available but personal relationships existed, ask if you could schedule a brief interview to gather information about either the ancestor or a deceased relative. Most people will be gracious and obliging, particularly if you agree in advance to limit the visit to a reasonable length of time. Be courteous and stick to your time commitments. It is not unreasonable to request to either record or video tape the conversation in order to preserve the information. You may also just come with a notepad and pen. You will be looking for any and all information that may shed light on the character, life, accomplishments, family culture, etc. of your ancestry. But you will also be interested in gathering as much specific information such as birth dates and places, death dates and places, burial places, baptismal and other church records, marriage dates and places, etc. as you possibly can. This is the information that will be most useful in documenting your family heritage and history.

4. As you gather information you should begin to organize it and label it. A filing cabinet with file folders can be useful for keeping things in some semblance of order.

5. Once you gather information begin to enter it into a pedigree chart. One of the best free genealogy programs is available through the Mormon church. Go to familysearch.com for a multitude of great resource information. Once you download the PAF (personal ancestral file) program, fill in as much information as you can and then see where the holes are. As you identify specific pieces of information that you still lack then you can begin searching the growing number of genealogical resources to discover the missing pieces of information. This is where the real fun begins!

Author: Christopher L. Dunn

Christopher L. Dunn has an active interest in personal genealogy research. He resides in Salem, UT.

For more information, please visit more of the authors websites:

http://www.mtworld.com

http://www.cixx.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L._Dunn

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Common Google Searches on the Subject of Family Trees

This is just a quick post. I just did some research on what the most common searches on Google were concerning family trees and genealogy. I was trying to find what my readership was interested in so I could tailor this blog more closely to interest.

Here are about 30 common Google searches:

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When you are tracing ancestors, one of the most common problems you will come across is the variation in surname spellings.

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Here are some of the reasons why this happens.

1. Until the 19th century there were no standardized spellings for surnames. Around 90% of the population could not read or write, so spelling was not important.

2. Most documents were written by someone in authority, and when writing someone’s name, he could only go by what was given to him by speech. So, when one of my Reid ancestors got married, he would give his name to the presiding priest (the Reids were Catholics), who would write it down as he heard it. Therefore, this line of my family can be found under REID, REED or READ - and possibly even REDE, all of which sound exactly the same.

3. Some foreign immigrants would anglicize their names because they wanted to fit in with the local community or because of discrimination. The German name, ALBRECHT could therefore become ALLBRIGHT, and the Jewish name COHEN could become KAHN.

4. Strong accents could result in surnames being mis-heard when given to someone from a different area. If your ancestors have moved from place to place, this could often change the spelling of their surname drastically.

5. Where surnames have been indexed in more recent times, the indexers have had to decipher some difficult handwriting, and very often names have therefore been mis-spelt.

It is very important, therefore, that you look at all variations of a surname when you are doing your searches. NEVER assume that someone is not your ancestor because the spelling is not correct!

With some surnames, this can cause time-consuming searches. I have experience of this with my own family tree. My maternal grandfather’s birth name (he was adopted) was MCEWEN. The variations on this surname appear to be endless. I have found the following possibilities so far, and there are many more: MCKOWAN, MCEWEN, MCEWAN, MAGOWEN, MCKEON, MCKEOWN, MCKEWEN, MCKEWAN, MCCUNE and so on.

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Most index search engines will do a phonetic search, which does help to a large extent. However, these do not always cover every possibility, and it may sometimes be necessary to use your imagination and try a few different spellings in the search box.

Sometimes surnames can evolve into something surprisingly different from their original spelling. I once discovered that the Northamptonshire family surname of PETTIFER had evolved from the 17th century name of PECKOVER.

It is a good idea to say the name out loud using the dialect of the region they lived in, or came from, and seeing how the vowel sounds flatten or widen. Don’t forget that consonants can also sound different with a heavy accent, and particularly if a person had a cold at the time!

Common mis-spellings also need to be taken into consideration. For example, the "S" at the end of some names, such as SIMMONS, could be dropped, or a double letter shortened to one. Modern typing errors often involve a key that is next to the correct on, so NUNN could become MUNN.

Some of the letters used in old handwriting can look very different to the same letters today, and even experienced indexers can make mistakes when transcribing these. For example, the letter "t" can look like a "c", and "o" can look like "a". On one of the census indexes I found that my BOTT ancestors had been indexed as BATT.

Genealogy is never straight-forward! But this is what makes it such an absorbing hobby, and when you have used some imaginative detective work to work out your ancestors’ different surname spellings you will feel all the more rewarded by your efforts when you eventually find your missing person!

Author: Rosamunde Bott

Ros is a professional genealogist and writer, and offers free help and advice and an ancestry tracing service at her website, Tracing Your Ancestors In The UK.

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Genealogy: Bringing Your Family’s Past to the Present

Thanks to the Internet and easy availability of information, many hobbyists are delving into their roots by exploring their family genealogy and creating family trees for future generations.

By Linda Orlando

You don’t have to be a professional genealogist to know how to research your family’s history. There are professionals around who can be paid to unearth the secrets of your lineage, but doing the research yourself is where all the fun and excitement of genealogy comes into play. And it’s not hard to get started, if you know what questions to ask and how to find the information.

The first question a budding genealogist should have is how to begin. Obviously the starting point is the easiest part of the journey, because your family tree can start with you. Record the names of everyone in your immediate family, and as many names as you can in your extended family. Note each person’s major life events on ancestor charts. Fill in as much detail as you already know, then start talking to people. Interview your relativesespecially older onesand ask them if they have any documents such as family Bibles or baby books that can provide you with information. Don’t forget to enjoy the interviews and visits in between making notes. What you learn about your heritage, especially from older people in your family, is more important than seeing how many generations back you can go.

Sometimes your last name can provide a little insight into where your family’s roots are. Although the same surname may originate in different places and have different meanings, it may be that your present surname is actually different from the original. Immigrants who came to America decades ago may have changed the spelling of their name to "anglicize" it and make it easier to understand. Surnames have existed for only about 1,000 years, and often were created to differentiate people according to their trade or the place they lived. Finding out the origins of your family name may be very eye-opening. There are many books and websites available that can help you in this quest.

Many people who are curious about their roots may think that the search will be relatively quick and that they will happen to find part or all of their family tree already done somewhere. That doesn’t usually happen. However, some public libraries have collections of local historical and genealogical societies that contain useful information. There are also many records available on the Internet that might offer you some insight. You can search through the Library of Congress and Family History Library catalogs to review published genealogies, but remember that most of them contain at least some inaccuracies because of the wealth of information from sometimes sketchy sources.

There are several excellent genealogy software packages available that can help you create a family tree and keep records of all the information you find along the way. Some of the best available are RootsMagic 3.0, The Master Genealogist, and Legacy Family Tree 6.0. Almost all family tree software does a good job of letting you enter your family data, organize it in a variety of ways, and print out the information in a wide variety of formats. The programs features and extras differ widely, and generally the more they cost, the more useful they are. Most genealogy software programs offer free trial versions or a money-back guarantee, so you can try before you buy.

The One-Stop Beginner’s Genealogy guide on About.com is a terrific place to start for budding genealogists who want to get up to speed quickly with the best advice and most useful tips. Go there and read enough to get you started, then start making notes and asking questions. Before you know it, your family tree will be in full bloom!

Grand Traverse Area Genealogy Society
Grand Traverse Area Genealogical Society provides genealogical services, products and help for those researching this Michigan county (also Antrim, Leelanau counties).

Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter
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Averaging about ten pages in length, including portraits and coats of arms, the family histories are no mere catalogues of births, marriages, and deaths but are rich biographical and genealogical stats.

English Research from Canada: Landkey Parish Registers
I started genealogy in 2003 with my courses and that has pretty well occupied all my time since then. Just now I am thinking that I would like to get back to knitting and sewing again.

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