Family Tree Records: How to Discover Your Family Genealogy
A distant relative on the paternal side of my family was interested enough in their family history to create a genealogy that dates clear back to the days of Napoleon Bonaparte. No, I’m not related to the French Emperor. But I do know that one of my ancestors fought against him during one of Bonaparte’s many battles. Unfortunately, my relative lost his life when he was hit by a cannon ball.
If you’re interested in your own family’s history, and there’s currently no record of it, you can do some research and create your own genealogy. Even if both sides of your family already has written genealogies, you can always pick up where they leave off and continue to delve deeper into your family’s past. It takes a lot of time of time and effort, but the results can make it well worth it.
The first step is to decide where you want to start, and where you want to end up at. Logically, starting at your own generation is the easiest way to go. Then, you’ll need to go backwards into time and discover your family’s history.
There are several great software titles on the market today that can aid you in your quest. Some examples include Broderbund Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, and Famtree.
Usually, genealogists (and the software programs) start a family tree by filling out a standard Pedigree form. Not to be confused with your purebred dog who has papers, this type of form has lines for listing you and your spouses, children and their spouses, grandchildren, et cetera; your sibling’s spouses, children, grandchildren, et cetera, your parents and their immediate family, your grandparents, and so on. You get the picture.
A Pedigree chart lists full names, (Given names, middle names and surnames), dates of birth, death, marriages, and divorces. There is also a listing of the place that each event took place.
The next step is to begin your research. Your Pedigree may not be a hundred per cent complete, so that would be a good place to start before you dig deeper into your past.
Let’s say, for example, that you don’t know who your great-great grandparents were on your father’s side of the family. You’ll soon find that the best resource is a human being. Try to find any relatives in your father’s family that can help you by supplying information about these distant relatives. If any of your relatives have old pictures, newspaper clippings, land records, scrapbooks, old phone books, or official records of any kind, those can often be a big help. Also, old wills can provide valuable information you can use for your family genealogy.
Now that you’ve exhausted that source, it’s time to research the public records from long ago. You’ll undoubtedly be amazed at what you will discover here. These records can be found at libraries, court houses, on grave markers, and, of course, on the Internet. You’ll want to find birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, military records, and the like. Anything that can link you to someone else in a distant generation will be helpful.
There are also several online web sites that you can search. Some are free sites, while others charge you a fee to search their site. A few examples include Ancestry.com, Rootsweb.com, worldgenweb.org, and the United States Census.
You can even go on the Internet, key the surnames you’re looking for into your favorite search engine, and often find some family sites. Then, you just have to fit the pieces together and figure out how you are related.
