Sources of info/How to....?

[mickwood]

Hi,

I wondered if there is anyone out there who is willing to share the basics and point out, what they probably see as, the obvious to a very muddled beginner? My questions are:

1, I've seen all the online genealogy websites but which one would people recommend? (and why?) I've downloaded the 'my heritage family tree' program from myheritage.com and have put a fair bit of info on that (can info be exported from program to program or would I have to input manually if I swapped programs?). My wife has a fair bit of info from her side, Sir this, Sir that, baronet the other! - mine is pretty blank!

2, Does anyone have a list of information sources and be able to tell me what they offer? eg. birth certificates offer parents names etc etc. marriage certs? death certs? military records? What can be found online, what needs to be ordered?

3, What information do I need in order to 'work backwards', eg. I have grandparents names and DOB, how do I find G-Grandparents info? I've ordered birth certificate and Marriage certificate but I'm not sure what that gives me and how to work backwards from then? (I was hoping it would become clear when they arrived?).

Please...treat me like a fool, step by step instructions...this really does confuse me!

Thanks in advance, I know it's all confusing right now but hopefully it'll all get clearer/easier as it goes on besides I think this is an important thing to do for my children to have and to add to with future generations.

oh another less important question but are there places where trees can be written out on nice paper with good Calligraphy so they can be displayed in a large frame?

Cheers

Mick

[Northern Lass]

Hi

I don't know about the My Heritage one.....can you back up the info on a gedcom?
If so that is the first thing I would do.
Once that is done you at least have it on a memory stick that you can upload to other sites should you wish to.

Do you want to contact others?
If so there are lots of online sites that you can upload your tree to.

But I would suggest having one place where you put your info
your "bible" one. Maybe the online ones just put brief info.
The online ones are useful if you want to contact others.

I use family tree maker an older version which suits me.
I also use Genes Reunited and Tribal pages.

Before you start get organised
And I suggest do a hard copy of the info too.

Start with yourself then work back.
So your parents
and your g.parents.

Then choose one line/surname to track back.

[mickwood]

gedcom? not sure what that is?

[Northern Lass]

gedcom? not sure what that is?

A Gedcom stands for
Genealogical Data Communication

most of the good computer progs will export your data into a file format called a gedcom.

so on the site you are on check if it allows you to back up the gedcom and then you can export it to your
computer and a memory stick.

[Northern Lass]

Have a read of this too
viewtopic.php?f=76&t=796

What have you got so far re the "tools "

ie you have a computer program you are inputting into....check it saves info in the gedcom format...then save that somewhere.

Have you started a hard copy file too?

[mickwood]

Thanks for the replies.

'tools'...I have started with the family tree builder which was a free download from myheritage.com. I've, literally today!, joined ancestry.co.uk and so discovered that I can export as a gedcom from myheritage.com to ancestry.co.uk which I've subsequently done.

I haven't got any real substantial hard copy only notes but I'm thinking through how to keep a folder with copies of relevant documents etc?

[Northern Lass]

You could get yourself a ring binder and put an A-Z dividers into it.

Then you could get some of those tabbed dividers and put your Surnames on those and
put those in the A-z file.

or you could get a box or filing cabinet and get some folders with surnames on those.

I use a Ringbinder A-z.

so eg.

my Rose surname is under R in the A-z and has a tab divider Rose.

In your binder at the beginning you could print out your family tree you have at the moment
adding to it and printing it out as it grows.
That could be at the beginning of the whole binder.

Then you could go to say for eg the Rose tab under R and put a Pedigree/Ancestor chart as the first page in Rose surname info.
Your Pedigree or Ancestor chart shows all the ancestors going back in time.
You can do either a hand done one using charts you can print off the internet or using the
computer generated programs on say my heritage or ancestry or whichever prog you are on....you can print off ancestor reports in different ways.
So the pedigree chart could go in
then you could do Family group sheets for each family.

The pegigree sheet is an at a glance view of the Surname you are researching.
The Family group sheets are a more detailed study for each family.

You should really put in a source sheet for your citations on each family member-verifies where you found info say a bapt etc
and a research log/Calender...useful to see where you have been so you dont hunt thru the same church or record again....and to show you where to go
next.

but really it is up to you how you put your info together when recording in a hard copy.

Whatever you do though.............verify any info given yourself.

[mickwood]

Awesome, thanks for the advice....think I need to buy some ink for the printer!!

[SRD]

I use the MyHeritage site and their Family Tree Builder (FTB). I've tried some of the other free options and personally like the way it works, but it is a personal choice. I have invested in one of their upgrade packages as I have around 2,500 in my tree. I also have trees dotted around other free sites as it can generate contact with far-flung relatives & ancestors.
You can convert the FTB projects into gedcoms which can be used to upload to other sites and apps but I suggest you get a bit of a tree built first.

information can be found in a variety of places, it's surprising how much info can be found by simply googling.

Most of us use one or other of the big paid for Genealogy sites: Ancestry, Find My Past, Genes Reunited, The Genealogist etc. they all have their plus points and none of them are comprehensive. Ancestry can usually be found for free at your local library but you will have to book computer time there. Some libraries will have membership of other sites as well.
These sites often have images of original documents copies of those images can be downloaded for personal use.

There is also the Mormons (LDS) project but be careful, many of the records (usually marked as 'easy') have been 'donated' by hopeful genealogists and may not be accurate.

FreeBMD is another project, freely available, but is in no way complete.

Ok, let's start with you, I'm assuming you were born before 1983, if not we'll have to use your Mother or Father:
Go to http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl choose birth, type in the surname then the forename. Then the year you born in both boxes (unless it was in December in which case you want the year you were born and the following one). Go to the Counties box and scroll down to the county of birth and click on it then click on 'find'. Have we been succesful? If you look at the entries you will see there's an entry for the mother's maiden name which will help you find your particular entry.

Once we've found the entry we can go about getting original documents if you want them.

[mickwood]

Thanks SRD, yeah what I've done so far is plot everyone known as well as all known info. This, unfortunately, only goes back to grand-parents. In order to get the names of great grandparents I've ordered marriage cert of grandparents (I managed to get maiden name of great grandmother by searching birth record of grandmother, marriage cert should confirm?). I've plotted further back but its by no way confirmed!

Like you, I think I prefer myheritage family tree builder, info is kept on my laptop, backed up online plus it just looks user friendly! I exported it as a Gedcom to Ancestry but I'm not as pleased (early days yet, I've only just signed up) and photo's didn't get transferred with the info?

I'd like to match the depth of info on my side that my wife's side has, back to 1600's!

[peterd]

Hi,

I wondered if there is anyone out there who is willing to share the basics and point out, what they probably see as, the obvious to a very muddled beginner? My questions are:

1, I've seen all the online genealogy websites but which one would people recommend? (and why?) I've downloaded the 'my heritage family tree' program from myheritage.com and have put a fair bit of info on that (can info be exported from program to program or would I have to input manually if I swapped programs?). My wife has a fair bit of info from her side, Sir this, Sir that, baronet the other! - mine is pretty blank!

if the info is store as a gedcom file which a lot of family use then it can be swapped to different trees might need some adjustments though

2, Does anyone have a list of information sources and be able to tell me what they offer? eg. birth certificates offer parents names etc etc. marriage certs? death certs? military records? What can be found online, what needs to be ordered?

certificates need to be ordered but marriages can be looked up at your local archives, as any thing pre 1837 that is in the parish records, military records are on pay to veiw sites WW1 or before

we have a list of useful site in our link section most are free to access

3, What information do I need in order to 'work backwards', eg. I have grandparents names and DOB, how do I find G-Grandparents info? I've ordered birth certificate and Marriage certificate but I'm not sure what that gives me and how to work backwards from then? (I was hoping it would become clear when they arrived?).

where were your gp born you then can find a refrence no for the local or national register note these no will be different for ordering certs

you will obtain parents names mother maiden name on cert then you can look for a marriage etc

Please...treat me like a fool, step by step instructions...this really does confuse me!

Thanks in advance, I know it's all confusing right now but hopefully it'll all get clearer/easier as it goes on besides I think this is an important thing to do for my children to have and to add to with future generations.

oh another less important question but are there places where trees can be written out on nice paper with good Calligraphy so they can be displayed in a large frame?

Cheers

Mick

if you wish us to step by step take you through it post some info here and we will try to find it, then tell you how to find the same info

[mickwood]

if you wish us to step by step take you through it post some info here and we will try to find it, then tell you how to find the same info

That's very kind, thank you! Here's info on my maternal GP's:

GF - Timothy Dwyer, Born Liverpool, 28th Nov 1921, Died Liverpool Oct 1987 (he was, I believe in the first SBS/SAS commando's during WW2 and also served in Burma?)
GM - Bridget Dwyer (Dawkins) Born Liverpool, 4th Oct 1920, Died Liverpool April 29th 2002
They married in Liverpool, 1946 and had 5 children (Timothy, Sue, Tony, Collette - my mum! and John)

Obviously what is found is very important but for me how you find something, how you verify the info you find and how that can lead on to finding more is what I'm really interested in learning! I'm signed up to ancestry.com if that helps? (so you know what I'll be using)

Thanks again, this really is appreciated!

Mick

[peterd]

go to free bmd

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

select marriages,
select all district,
all counties

you could just put the area your looking for but no need as you have a lot of info to start with. so dont need to narrow the field down

put in both surname leave christian name blank just incase the used a middle name, instead of there first name in life

mar put 1946 dec put 1946 as you no this is the year they were born

see what you end up with copy and paste it

[mickwood]

OK...this is what came up...

Surname Given Name Spouse District Volume Page Transcriber
Marriages Sep 1946
Dwyer Timothy Dawkins Liverpool N. 10d 803 Jeandan

but....that's merely information I already have? How do I move this forward to get more info for Great-Grandparents? Am I right in thinking that the only way forward now is to order the marriage cert. as that will have their parents names? Then search marriages for the GGP and repeat the process for every generation I want to go back??

[peterd]

if you click on the 803 you get this


Marriages Sep 1946 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawkins Bridget Dwyer Liverpool N. 10d 803
Dwyer Timothy Dawkins Liverpool N. 10d 803
Quilliam Sydney Wilson Liverpool N. 10d 803
Wilson Ida F Quilliam Liverpool N. 10d 803


there were two couple entered in the register but you no that dawkins is the other partner now there two option one look up the marriage at the archive in liverpool or 2nd order the certificate from this you will obtain witnesses father ages and job