Materials Needed To BeginMaterials Needed To Begin

•Three-ring, loose-leaf notebook binders and three-Three-ring, loose-leaf notebook binders and three-hole notebook paper allows for easy organizationhole notebook paper allows for easy organization

•Three-hole dividers for each surname researchedThree-hole dividers for each surname researched•Pens or pencils. Some choose to color-code their Pens or pencils. Some choose to color-code their

workwork

Remember:Remember:ORGANIZATION IS YOUR KEY TO ORGANIZATION IS YOUR KEY TO

GENEALOGICAL SUCCESSGENEALOGICAL SUCCESS

"Genealogy" in relation to "Genealogy" in relation to "Family History""Family History"

• Genealogy refers to the activity whereby we identify family descent-that is, who descends from whom-generation to generation

• It is specifically concerned with descendency from an ancestor or common set of ancestors

• Family History includes family traditions, oral and written, and revolves around the lives of family members, including ancestors

• It is much more broad in scope, and helps round out and give meaning to the family tree

Three Commonly Adopted PlansThree Commonly Adopted PlansFIRSTFIRST PLANPLAN

Family with male line ancestors tree, Family with male line ancestors tree, showing the wives and siblings of these showing the wives and siblings of these

ancestorsancestors

• ADVANTAGES

Direct approach which narrows down data,

and avoids confusion with un-necessary

information

• DISADVANTAGES

Often too specific and does not allow for the

inclusion of more removed relatives and

their families

Three Commonly Adopted PlansThree Commonly Adopted PlansSECOND PLANSECOND PLAN

“Extended Family Tree” with collateral branches descended from one common male

or female line ancestor

• ADVANTAGES

Expandable and helpful in identifying

relationships between family members such

as distant cousins

• DISADVANTAGES

Sometimes a bit confusing and will not fit well in a condensed

area

Three Commonly Adopted PlansThree Commonly Adopted PlansTHIRD PLANTHIRD PLAN

“Ancestry Chart” with as many ancestors from both male and female lines recorded as can

be traced• ADVANTAGES

All inclusive method shows direct descent

from common ancestors and ties between families

• DISADVANTAGES

Must be careful to document sources and

include as much information as

possible. Will take the most amount of time

and effort.

Successful StrategiesSuccessful Strategies

• Be scientific

• Be thorough

• Be resourceful

• Be cautious

• Be systematic

• Be considerate

• Use a cluster approach

Beginner's StepsBeginner's Steps

• Write Down What You Already Know

• Draw Information From Records In Your Home

• Ask Relatives For Information

• Create A Note-taking And File System

• Decide What Missing Details You Want To Find

The "26" TipsThe "26" TipsA Talk to your parents and find out where they grew upB Get birth and death dates of your mother and fatherC Get marriage date and location of the eventD Ask parents where their parents and grandparents are

buriedE Find out if any relatives (Aunts, Uncles) have done am

previous researchF Identify your oldest living relative, and make plans to visit

themG Ask oldest living relative questions about the familyH Ask them where your relatives are buriedI See if they know any dates for birth, death and marriageJ Ask if they know any stories about the familyK Ask them if they know of any other living relatives you

could contactL Search the Internet for surnames that you have found (www .gciilbniin.com)M Visit your local library to research areas that you have

identified your family ashaving ties to

N Visit the U.S. Government Federal records archives (Wallham. MA) for census records from 1790-1920

O Check if any relatives were in any wars as information may be obtained for a small fee from the Federal Government

P Visit the cemeteries in which your relatives are buriedQ Visit the Everton Genealogy Web page for Genealogical

Helper magazine

R Send for copies of birth, death. and marriage records from the relatives you know or have found

S Gather pictures of older relatives while making your visitsT Vi sit your local LDS church Family History Center (Weston,

Worcester, Foxborough), and order microfilm recordsU Take a course in searching your relatives (which you are

doing)V For the really difficult areas you may want to hire a

professional genealogist, but be sure to check all referencesW Join a local Genealogical and/or Historical SocietyX Visit the Internet GenWeb Project for your areaY Visit used book storesZ Dedicate yourself to doing this by spending the time and

energy necessary

REMEMBER TO DO THESE AS WELL• Save information in an orderly fashion• Search internet phone and e-mail directories for persons of the

same surnamelocated in the same region

• Take pictures• Let others in the family know that you are doing genealogical

research

• Respect the privacy of others

The Benefit of "WorkingThe Benefit of "WorkingBackwardsBackwards

• Starting with known information about already identified ancestors is better than trying to work forwards by seeking descendants of some historical figure or ancestor that your family claims descent from in the hopes of reaching your own family

• Working from known information gives you a starting place

• Do not ignore family legends, but do not take them as certain to be literally true

• Use family legends as yet another source of guidance for your efforts at finding the truth about the past

Taped InterviewsTaped Interviews

• Make a list of questions to ask in advance• Ask any questions that come to you during the interview process• Word questions to encourage detail rather than "yes" or "no"

responses• Be alert to the interviewee, listen, keep eye contact• Use a good quality tape recorder and tape, or digital MP3

recorder/player• Keep the visit informal• Place the microphone in a convenient acoustically strategic location• Test the equipment before you begin• Identify the persons in the interview, when and where it was

conducted• Spell aloud any names that are mentioned• Pause when necessary• Use the tape only for genealogical purposes

The Value Of Family TraditionsThe Value Of Family Traditions

• Stories that are passed down by word of mouth (oral tradition) are often embellished through the years of having been handed down from one generation to the next, still, there is often a great deal of truth to be found in them that may not be documented elsewhere

• Traditions often tell of the location or national/ethnic origin of the family

• Traditions may provide vital statistics• Traditions that claim close kinship with someone famous are often

misleading• Holidays, including rituals and foods associated with them, are often

good indicators of family heritage• Superstitions and tales handed down in a family may also be

indicative

Life HistoryLife History

• Start with yourself and work backwards

• Narrow down information as some pieces of information are more important than others

• Start with childhood, then teen years, and finally, adulthood

SEE pp. 24 - 26 of Unpuzzling Your Past for sample

questions

Names: Challenges and CluesNames: Challenges and Clues

• Names are often spelled a variety of ways• Surnames change over the years• Surnames may become given or middle names• Nicknames are sometimes intertwined with actual given names in

official documents• Naming practices often follow a specific pattern• Several people of the same name can appear in the same location

at the same time so the genealogist must be very cautious• In some documents certain persons would sign their name in a

unique manner to avoid confusion with others of the same name• Problems resolving names cannot always be solved, and in these

instances, educated guesses may prove to be useful• Always support your guesses

Family Sources ChecklistFamily Sources Checklist

• Relatives you are familiar with• Family friends and neighbors• Bibles and prayer books• Family letters, diaries, sketches, scrapbooks• School Yearbooks• Photographs• Family papers• Living relatives• Family chain letters• Reunions

Local ResourcesLocal Resources

• Cemeteries• Local historians and elders of the community• Newspapers• County Courthouses• Deed and property records• Libraries• Schools and Colleges• Churches

State and Federal SourcesState and Federal SourcesSTATE SOURCES• census records• land records• correspondence• Native American records• tax rolls• pension records• militia rolls• issued pay warrants• vehicle registrations• voter registrations• cattle brand registers• law enforcement records• Confederate records• vital statistics registry• state agencies• county records• Colonial government and Revolutionary War

records

FEDERAL SOURCES• Federal Census records• Soundex• Military records• Federal Land Records including bounty land

warrant applications, individual claims, donation land entries, homestead entry papers, and land grants

• African-American and Native American materials

• Immigration and Naturalization records• Records of Civil Service employees• Passport applications• Library of Congress• Microfilm from the National Archives

DatesDates

• Writing dates

• Reading dates

• Old style and new style dates

• Determining the correct day of the week

• How to use dates

Fitting The Pieces TogetherFitting The Pieces Together

• SEE PP. 95-98 of Unpuzzling Your Past

Reading The Writing RightReading The Writing Right

• Two styles of "r" and "t" were used in the 18th and 19th centuries

• "u", "n", "w", and "m" look alike

• double "s" may look like "fs" or "ps“

• "i" and "j" could appear identical

• when copying a passage from a manuscript, be sure to copy the passage exactly as it appears

Computer GenealogyComputer Genealogy

• A very helpful tool, there are a variety of programs available

• Word processing is often satisfactory• Bulletin Boards (BBS) and e-mail can be helpful

(excellent bulletin board is www.genforum.com)• One of the best sites for birth, marriage and

death records is the LDS family search (www.familysearch.com)

• Remote access databases (see pp. 106-108 of Unpuzzling Your Past)

Genealogy On The Net: Things To Genealogy On The Net: Things To Keep In MindKeep In Mind

• Just because it is printed doesn't mean it is accurate (verify sources)

• Look for inconsistencies (dates, contradictions with other information found on the Internet)

• Be careful downloading files to genealogy programs

• The Internet is an exceptional research tool with regard to the investigation of a location of interest

• Background research is essential and may enable you to avoid pitfalls should you decide to visit a locality for primary genealogical sources

Writing A Family HistoryWriting A Family History

• Title page (should include the title of the family history, your name and address, and publisher)

• Table of Contents• Foreword• Generation charts• Family Group Sheets• Names and Addresses• Biographical sketches• Interesting tidbits• Keepsakes and collectibles• Memories• Maps

Genealogy Searching on theGenealogy Searching on theInternetInternet

• The Internet provides a vast collection of information, some can be of valuable use to genealogists

• Success depends greatly upon the search engine used and how search arguments are defined

Categories of Search EnginesCategories of Search Engines

• Directories • True Search Engines• Meta Search Engines• FTP Searches• People Searches• Usenet Searches

• Note: Many Search Engines have two levels of search: simple and advanced

DirectoriesDirectories

• Similar to a library card catalog

• Updated by a web site administrator

• Usually necessary to select several levels of the directory to reach a desired category

• Most provide a Search Engine

• Data in their index limited to the web pages included in their directory

True Search EnginesTrue Search Engines

• Built and maintained by Robots (a.k.a. crawlers, worms, spiders)

• Scan web pages selecting information to be included in the index

• May contain the title of a web page, the first few lines of a web page, or key words from the entire page

• Huge databases and likely to produce results

Meta Search EnginesMeta Search Engines

• Do not have their own indexes

• Allow the user to search several True Search Engines in just one search

• Search results indicate the sites in which matches were found

FTP SearchesFTP Searches

• Known as File Transfer Protocol searches

• Older format for downloading text and files

• Not frequently used, but some sites are still accessed by the prefix FTP:// instead of http://

People Searches and UsenetPeople Searches and UsenetSearchesSearches

• Usually used to search for postal and e-mail addresses of living persons

• Some sites provide other services including nearby commercial services, area maps or route maps

• Usenet searches are for locating Usenet discussion groups

Simple SearchingSimple Searching

• Helpful for locating Usenet discussion groups on particular subjects

• Simple searches are controlled by punctuation (ex. +and- (force and ignore),

• "" (force sequence) and *and? (wildcards)

Using + and -Using + and -

• You can instruct the search engine to find pages that must contain a certain word, words or phrase

• If you enter two words into a search box, the result will be pages with either or both of the words

• Putting a plus sign (ex. +family) before any word tells the Search Engine that the word must be included

• Using a minus sign before any word (ex. -family) before any word tells the search engine not to find any pages containing that word

Field SearchesField Searches

• Supported by Search Engines such as Altavista, HotBot, Yahoo!, Infoseek and Lycos

• Enter a field name in quotes followed by a colon (:) and then a search term

• Valid field names include link, title, url and alt link will find the search term in links

• title only searches in titles of pages• url only looks at URLs• alt looks in labels of images• Example: If you want to know which sites link to

yours, simply search for link: your_url

Genealogical KeywordsGenealogical Keywords

• There should be at least one specific keyword such as surname, name of a state, county or cemetery

• When searching for a specific person, use quotes (ex. "bob brown")

• General words to use: +genealogy, +family, +history, +index, +born, +died, +married, +record (birth, death, marriage), +cemetery

Helpful HintsHelpful Hints

• Define keywords for the search by importance and number• Add necessary search language codes (do not mix symbols with

Boolean)• Use all lower case unless you specifically want upper case• When searching for persons, use the "" (ex. "bob brown")• Do not use punctuation in names• Modify keywords and try again if the results of your first try do not

yield what you are seeking• Use the Edit and Find in Page functions of your browser to find

words within a retrieved page• Do the same search after a few months to find any additions to the

net

Boolean SearchesBoolean Searches

• Searches that use the terms AND, OR and NOT according to Boolean logic

• Use AND (ie., family AND history) to find pages which have both words

• Use OR (ie., family OR history) to find pages which have one word or the other

• Use NOT (ie., family NOT history) to find pages which have family but not history

• Note: In HotBot choose "Boolean Search" from the "all the words" menu. In Lycos, search with Lycos Pro. In Yahoo, select AND or OR or NOT from the search options page. In AltaVista or Excite write the NOT command as AND NOT.

Genealogical Specific SearchGenealogical Specific SearchEnginesEngines

• Several Categories

• Lists

• Databases

• Queries

• Newsgroups

• Files

ListsLists

• Lists of web sites with a link to them

• Maintained by a web site manager

DatabasesDatabases

• Varied in what they contain

• Most have mutiple databases online (for example: FamilySearch from LDS has the IGI and Ancestral File online, Family Tree Maker has indexes to Library.com, Genealogy Web sites, Census, WFT CD's, Ancestry CD's, SSDI files)

QueriesQueries

• Sites that are the same as those found in genealogical publications

• You can locate other researchers who are investigating the same families as you are

• You can enter your own queries

NewsgroupsNewsgroups

• Provide information on discussion groups revolving around various topics

• Like BBS message areas

• Must subscribe to these discussion groups to receive the messages

• Programs such as Free Agent can be used to search these messages for surnames or subjects of interest to you

FilesFiles

• Places to obtain genealogical text files and software

• Mostly freeware and/or shareware

American French Genealogical Society

78 Earle StreetWoonsocket, RI 02895

401-765-6141users.ids.net/~afgs/afgshome.html

More than 6,000 volumes of marriage records, genealogies, biographies,

histories of French-Canadian families

Lending library

Research services

Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater

BostonP.O. Box 610366

Newton Highlands, MA 02161-0366

http://www.jewishgen.org/boston

Directories of Immigrant Ship arrivals

Computerized cross-reference to over 26,000 ancestral families and

8,000 town names

All publications of Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies

The National Archives (New England

Region)380 Trapelo Road

Waltham, MA 02154

617-647-8100

Census Records from 1790-present

Draft, Military Service, Pension, Bounty Land Application records

Naturalization Records

Court Records

Passenger Arrival Lists

Family History CentersFoxboro. Weston, Belmont,

Worcester

Volunteer staff members to assist you

Computer files

Microfilm/Microfiche documents can be ordered directly from Salt Lake

City

A door to a vast storehouse of original records

Access to a vast array of private, non-published genealogies and family

histories

NEHGS101 Newbury Street

Boston, MA 02116-3087

(617) 536-5740

http://www.nehgs.org

Outstanding collection of books and research materials pertaining to New England,

Canadian, and European (particularly Great Britain and Ireland) genealogy

Excellent manuscript collection

Circulating library

Latest research

Genealogical bookstore

Lectures, seminars and trips

Enquiries services utilizing professional, certified genealogists