Genealogy is now the second most popular
hobby in the United States, right after gardening!
So if you are already a genealogist, you have lots of
good company. If you want to get started in genealogy,
but don't know where to begin, here are some tips for
getting started.
Start by asking family members for information on
your family. Someone may have already compiled a portion
or even a significant amount of your family. There may
be a family bible with births, marriages & deaths. Older
family members may recall information that you can
compile.
Prepare a chart showing your parents, grandparents,
great-grandparents, etc., reaching back as far as you
can find information. Begin collecting the following
information as a minimum: full name, date and place of
birth, marriage and death. Add to your collection of
information as you learn more. Here is an easy-to-use,
free genealogy software
that provides a way for you to collect and compile your
information.
Find other researchers who share your ancestry. The
first place to start your search is within your own
extended family, including great-aunts/uncles and
second, third or fourth cousins. They may be already
researching your family or know a distant relative who
has more information. Eventually, you’ll want to seek
out any Family Historical Societies.
Start looking on the Internet. There are several
Internet sites that sponsor Surname Forums and
Discussion Boards. Two good ones are at
RootsWeb and
GenForum. Once you
find your Surname site, use the search tool to look for
your earliest ancestors. And, post a message
identifying your early ancestor's), including date and
place of birth, spouse, where they lived and any other
distinctive information. Make the Subject line as
specific as you can. You also should check to see if
there are alternate spellings of your surname that also
have a site.
Discuss your findings. Many people compile their
family information and share copies within their close
family, or even publish their information. With the
advent of the Internet, more and more researchers are
compiling and presenting their family information on
their websites. Sometimes, there are extensive
discussions about early ancestors of general interest on
the Surname sites. Family History and Genealogical
Societies are great places to share and discuss
information. Often, these can be found with a search
through
Google. We hope you
will also
post your pedigree and
any questions, answers or information you have on the
World Families Network Forum.
