Nine Tips to Start Your Family History (2024)

FAQs

Nine Tips to Start Your Family History? ›

So – to summarise – never start at the beginning. Choose an event, place or object, relate it to your ancestor, and THEN introduce your ancestor's birth and life story. You can work forwards or backwards from that point to bring in other family members.

So – to summarise – never start at the beginning. Choose an event, place or object, relate it to your ancestor, and THEN introduce your ancestor's birth and life story. You can work forwards or backwards from that point to bring in other family members.

Utilize the internet during this time of uncertainty because sites like Ancestry.com, Familysearch.org or archives.gov provide free access or trial services. You can take what you've learned and start digging through census records, military records and birth and death records to learn even more!

To begin tracing your family, begin with yourself and work backwards through the generations, creating a timeline of major events that occurred during each person's lifetime, and recording the information on an ancestor chart. Names and dates should be recorded on ancestor charts and family group sheets.

Through public records you can find evidence in birth certificates, marriage certificates and Wills for instance. Talking to people and writing to relatives could also provide clues and ultimately your detective work could take you anywhere from local graveyards and memorials to record offices abroad.

Family trees are built in reverse-chronological order, meaning you start with yourself and then trace your family backward. To start, you'll need to put in your own name, birth date, and birthplace. You can then add any siblings, who will sit on the same branch as you.

You'll feel wiser.

67% said that knowing their family history has made them feel wiser as a person. 72% said it helped them be closer to older relatives. 52% said they discovered ancestors they had not known about.

What is family history introduction? ›

Introduction to Family History is designed for people interested in their own family histories or genealogy in general. You will learn how to efficiently plan and accurately record your family history using family history research principles and practices.

Filling in Your Genealogy Timeline

The timeline should start with the birth date of your ancestor, and then go forward with the date and place of his baptism, employment details, military service, marriage date, children's births and deaths and then his own death.

Start with your family and friends

Be sure to talk to family members and relatives. They may provide information that will help you fill in some gaps before beginning your research. Ask about family tradition, old Bibles, pictures, and documents that may hold clues to your family's origins.