Geneology

[gilmore]

...
Just interested to see if anyone else has done a comprehensive geneology and what you've found if you have.

My family has been doing it for a long time, a couple of generations now. We are American and have most of our lines traced to the Revolution. I have a cousin whose goal is to account for every one of his ancestors back to the immigrants who came here from Europe. He recently retired, and is well on his way to achieving his goal.

What I have found:

1. ALWAYS work from the present backward. NEVER skip back a few generations and then try to make a connection with possible descendants. It's almost always a waste of time, and can become misleading. E.g., your surname may be Bruce, but if you try to find a descent from Robert the Bruce to you in the direct male line, you won't.

2. Start by talking to the oldest relatives you have. Learn how to interview the elderly. Let them talk at their own pace, gently nudging their memories toward relevant facts. On the other hand, don't dismiss some facts as irrelevant. You never know when they may come in handy as clues to what you are looking for, or help you contextualize your information. Tape record them, and maybe transcribe the tapes if you have time.

3. Family stories that are passed down orally are often muddled, embellished, embroidered, or even outright lies, but may contain a germ of truth that can be helpful.

4. Keep an open mind. Always be prepared to revise your work if you come across more reliable material. I have a relative who likes to say that he never accepts something as a fact until he can hold the original document in his hands. Of course, even then there will be mistakes. Documents aren't facts, just the best evidence of facts.

5. When the paper trail fails, try DNA testing. See the FAQ at www.ftdna.com.

[pipesndrumsnun]

I'm addicted! I just found another Irish ancestor by the name of Jones.
Have you looked at rootsweb.com? It is pretty neat/helpful!

[12stones]

My family has been doing it for a long time, a couple of generations now. We are American and have most of our lines traced to the Revolution. I have a cousin whose goal is to account for every one of his ancestors back to the immigrants who came here from Europe. He recently retired, and is well on his way to achieving his goal.

What I have found:

1. ALWAYS work from the present backward. NEVER skip back a few generations and then try to make a connection with possible descendants. It's almost always a waste of time, and can become misleading. E.g., your surname may be Bruce, but if you try to find a descent from Robert the Bruce to you in the direct male line, you won't.

2. Start by talking to the oldest relatives you have. Learn how to interview the elderly. Let them talk at their own pace, gently nudging their memories toward relevant facts. On the other hand, don't dismiss some facts as irrelevant. You never know when they may come in handy as clues to what you are looking for, or help you contextualize your information. Tape record them, and maybe transcribe the tapes if you have time.

3. Family stories that are passed down orally are often muddled, embellished, embroidered, or even outright lies, but may contain a germ of truth that can be helpful.

4. Keep an open mind. Always be prepared to revise your work if you come across more reliable material. I have a relative who likes to say that he never accepts something as a fact until he can hold the original document in his hands. Of course, even then there will be mistakes. Documents aren't facts, just the best evidence of facts.

5. When the paper trail fails, try DNA testing. See the FAQ at www.ftdna.com.

Gilmore, that's excellent advice, unfortunately all of my grandparents have passed, as hava all others who would be useful in this capacity. My mother knows nothing of her side. My father died when I was quite young, so it's been quite a trial. Luckily, there are many others who enjoy geneology as well, and have done most of the work for me.

[Cawdorian]

Another hint, if your family has lived for years in a town or county, try talking to other relatives, even those on the other side of the family. You will often find they are very familiar with the people in question and often have information you can use.

For a few years my wife and I have been searching for some information on her great grandfather on her mother's side of the family, I have searched every cemetery transciption I could find in that county, there wasn't even anyone buried there with the surname. We mentioned it to her dad's brother, he told me real quickly, he's buried in Cedar Grove which is two counties away. I never thought of asking Uncle Lee, he was a member of the other family, but he did know the family history.

Talk to the older relatives on both sides of the family, they often can help you with the history of the other side of the family. They may even know a few well buried secrets.