Here's a few key ideas that you can use to jump start your family tree research! If you have been researching your family's history for any length of time you may find that you seem to be hitting more roadblocks than ever. That can be very frustrating. I tried to identify a few things that amateur genealogists can do to try and overcome those hurdles. These ideas are not new…but they may be just the thing that you need to make an important breakthrough.
You may be brand new to genealogy and think that these ideas won't apply to you…but they can. Whether you are just starting out or have been researching for many years these tips are timeless. Let's get started.
One of the most important ideas to help you move forward in your research is to review the records that you already have. It's amazing – I can reread a document that I have had for years and suddenly realize that there is a reference to another family member, a date or a place that I never noticed before. I am sure that I am not alone here. You probably have done the same. By taking the time to review all of the data I have collected there is a good chance that I will find a new fact to follow up…a new lead in the research.
The next idea that I follow is to make a checklist of the information that I have as well as the information that I want to find. Review it carefully to make sure that you have haven't missed a thing. Include all of the common elements like:
- Birth Certificate;
- School Records;
- Marriage Banns;
- Marriage Certificates;
- Land Transfer records;
- Every Census that is available;
- Tax Records;
- Death Notices;
- Death Certificate; and
- Cemetery Record.
This is not an exhaustive list but you get the idea.
Another often overlooked item, particularly in this "computer age" is to get the original documents. The originals can be photocopies, photos, or digital images. Don't just rely on the transcript or the abstract to tell you everything that that document has to offer. Read them carefully because the details might provide a lead that has been buried for decades.
Write down your family member's history in a document. Simply having the details in a dozen different documents isn't quite the same as a detailed record from birth to death. This process may lead to new ideas about pieces that are missing as well as bring their life into focus and perspective.
Another recent invention that you can use to find new information about your ancestors is to "Google them". Type their name into Google or Bing (or any search engine that you like) and see what appears. You might be amazed to find that their name is referenced in a County Record or a newspaper article that you hadn't seen before. There's no guarantee that you'll find your ancestor but it's worth a try.
The last item that I wanted to discuss was to trace your family lines forward to locate cousins and other family members that may also be researching your family. You never know who might have a Family Bible or a scrapbook that has a wealth of information that you can add to your research.
Although this is not an exhaustive list of things that can jump start your research, any one of these items might bring you that much closer to your heritage and the legacy that your family has left for you to find. Try them out and be sure to let us know what works for you.
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