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Ancestry Search – How to Get Started

Posted by Kim on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 2:42 pm

Have you ever thought about delving into your family history?  Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned expert, genealogy can be a fascinating adventure.  You may just want to know a bit more about your family tree or the origin of your last name.  Or perhaps you want to jump in full force and research your family history as far as you can.  Regardless of your interest, we have some pointers to help you get started.

The Basics

The best place to begin your ancestry search is with you.  Start there and work your way backward one step at a time.  Gather together all of the details you have including important papers, family heirlooms, photos and documents.  Check with other family members to see if they have any family documents, a family bible, old photographs, obituaries or other clues to your family history.  You would be surprised where clues can be found.  Even an old postcard, newspaper clipping or letter could lend information for your ancestry search.

Getting Organized

After you’ve begun gathering data, the next step is to narrow your focus.  Choose a specific ancestor or family line to concentrate on.  This will reduce the odds that you miss important details due to overloading yourself.  Let’s face it, as excited as you will be on this journey of discovery, you cannot do it all at once.

Now it’s time to organize all of the information you have collected.  Compile a chart showing the names of your immediate ancestors.  You will want to list their dates of birth, marriage and death along with the locations of each event.  You can do this by writing the information down or you can purchase a specialty software program to record and organize the data.  This will not only help you keep track of the information, it will help to clarify relationships and show you where you are missing information.  As we mentioned, start with yourself and work backward one generation at a time. 

Filling in the Gaps

Now that you have accumulated all of the information you can from family members, attics, family bibles and photo albums, you need to fill in the gaps.  In the past, genealogy fanatics were forced to do most of their research by traveling to courthouses, libraries and cemeteries.  Today’s researchers have a distinct advantage with the ability of doing all or most of their research online. 

 Birth, death, marriage and divorce records are crucial tidbits of information that can help you fill in the gaps.  Other interesting sources of research are criminal and property records.  If you want to save time and money, use a site that can help you access all of the records you need.  We recommend Net Detective.

Remember always record the source of any information you find.  Once you spend a few hours researching your ancestry, you will be enthralled.  Genealogy can be a very rewarding hobby.

Tags: Ancestry search, Birth records, Death records, Genealogy, Marriage records, Public Records
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