Monday, December 28, 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Organizing your findings

My Personal Journal: January 5, 2001

Beginning a new year I decided I needed to get organized. I went out and bought a file folder caring case, file folders, ink for my printer and a few packs of white printing paper. This helped me because I am a visual learner and having the information I had collected in front of me helped with focusing and targeting the questions I wanted answered next.

I organized the information I had in family groups. I was researching both sides of my tree which became very confusing at times because a few surnames were the same on both sides but had different spelling variations and many given names were the same with first, second, and third generations being of Scottish descent.

Next Step: 1901 & 1911 Census

Using a search engine (Google, Bing, Metacrawler...) I inputted ancestors names, areas where I knew they settled and to my surprise the outcome was overwhelming.

The resources that appeared on my computer screen was a shock to me because I didn’t know that they existed on the internet. I thought I had to drive a distance to the area where they lived and search through microfiche and microfilm at the local library in order to find census, birth, marriage and death documents.

First try this website: Click on the title "Next Step: 1901 & 1911 Census"
http://www.automatedgenealogy.com/

This site will allow you to choose the province, enter the surname and then the other particulars such as first name, date of birth and gender.

Your search will help you find your ancestors on the census records. Clicking on the blue number to see if that person is your ancestor. If you scroll down and the person matches your next step is to go back up to the top of the screen and click on the words split screen - "Image: View the image with: split screen"
Zoom in on the document so that you can read it.

The census will appear on your screen so you can see the family information, most census tells you the place of residence, personal description, Citizenship, Nationality and Religion. Along with profession/trade, wage earner, education, etc.

Friday, December 18, 2009

My Genealogy Journal

Spring 2000
I printed a pedigree chart to get organized and ready to begin my family search. www.ancestry.com/charts/ancchart.aspx

Starting with myself and working out filling in my Pedigree Chart with information I already had accumulated through uncles and aunts research on both sides of the family. Between the documented information they had collected and the information I found on-line that filled in some gaps created a substantial tree. I was satisfied with the product that lay on the table in front of me.

Back to our Roots

Searching for our ancestors can be overwhelming but there are many ways to make it easy and fun.

Start with yourself and work with what you know. The next generation is you parents. Following this path you will be able to write down everything you know to this point.
For example write down the full name, date of birth, marriage and death. Then record your parents siblings and your parents parents remembering to record everything you have knowledge about.

Here is a document that will help with this process.
Click on the title Back to our roots to go directly to this web page.
http://www.ancestry.com/trees/charts/familysheet.aspx

This is a good place to start and if you have it on paper you won't have to think about the date Aunt Lucy got married when you are searching in the archives dealing with microfilm, computers, and hundreds of Lucy's.