Genealogy Forum UK

Hi I dont know if anyone can help. I am doing my family tree on a computer and although I have found a good filing system I am having difficulty with naming the documents/records with the correct terminology. I am categorizing documents by their type, within each categories there is more than one document and this is where I am getting stuck.

For example, all my Birth Certificates go in the Birth folder then the Birth Certificate folder but I also have loads of Birth & Baptism records which would also go in the Birth folder but whats the next folder called? I could call it Birth & Baptism but I would rather use correct terminology.

Does anyone know of a list of common documents I can look at, preferably with example pictures.

Thanking you in advance for any help

I just have folders for each family name, and everything just goes in there, pictures, documents, notes, certificates etc.

HTH Linell.

I've not come across a formal system, although The Society of Genealogists may be able to help.

Computerised records are usually laid out in a gedcom file which can be used with most of the available genealogical software. Although these can be read with a simple text reader they aren't easy for the amateur to read so you would need a programme on your computer or online. There are several available to pay for, everyone has their favourite one, and a couple of free ones, I use Family Tree Builder from MyHeritage.
You can find a list of the Tags used in gedcoms Here.

I also have Family Tree Maker, not good for keeping documents or pictures though. I also have Folders as I mentioned for names, also for Places where I keep Census docs and pictures etc. HTH from Linell.

I use Rootsmagic and keep all family information there in different Files, ie, Salt File for my dad's family, Jones File for my mom's family, Mutton File for my Paternal Grandmother's family and Riley, for my Maternal Grandmother's family.

Each person in each of these files has Census, Birth, Baptism, Death and Buriel records, and I index them all, keeping the details in separate folders on my computer, numbered, so that I can cross reference and everything can be easily found.

For Example, my SALT File has census records, with a separate file for each census, 1841 - 1911 and in each of those files, the picture taken from Ancestry has an individual number : for example

William can be found on the following Census Records:
1841 : Aged 5 - Living at Shut Mill Lane, Romsley, Halesowen - 1841 002
1851 : Aged 14 - Living at Sweet Turf, Dudley, Worcs - 1851 006
Can't find anywhere in 1861
1871 : Aged 35 - Living at Wall Well, Hasbury, Halesowen - Sawyer - 1871 008
1881 : Aged 45 - Living at 19 Northfield Road, Dudley - Tree Turner - 1881 008
1891 : Aged 54 - Living at 2 Tipton Road, Tividale - Ironworks Labourer - 1891 008
1901 : Aged 64 - Living at Whitehouse Street, Dudley Port, Tipton - Striker for Blacksmith - 1901 011

So - if I wanted to look at the census for 1871 for William, I would look in the Salt folder for 1871 008

Any other document which I have copies for, are kept in the same way, and numbered - such as Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates and Death Certificates : ie

Marriage Certificate : No 019
William Salt : Aged 27, Blacksmith, Living in Dudley, Father Joseph Salt, Horse Nail Maker
Silena Barklam, Aged 22, Living in Dudley, Father William Barklam, Stock Taker
Witnesses: William Stanway and Phebe Ann Stanway

Everything else for William is kept on his page in Rootsmagic with details and sources: ie
Baptism (5 June 1836), St John's Church, Halesowen: Text : William, son of Joseph and Jane Salt, of Hasbury, Nailer, Dudley Archives
Death (1906): Registered in March Qtr 1906 - Dudley District - Aged 70, 1837 - 2005 Death Index
Burial (17 January 1906), St Giles Church, Rowley Regis: Text : William Salt, of 34 Tipton Road, Tividale - Aged 70, Smethwick Archives

I often spend time in the archives trawling through Parish Registers and if I see a record for someone I think might be related, I keep the details in folders in Excel, under last names - ie Baptisms A - Z, Buriels A - Z and marriages A - Z, for possible use later on.

If you don't already have family tree software, it is definitely worth investing in. As your tree becomes bigger, it's erally difficult to keep track if it's just on your computer.

Hope this helps - Maggie

Thank you for the replies. Maybe I am going about this the wrong way I have so much unfiled files I just dont know where to start. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

I have all my births and/or baptisms in the same file. They are in date order, with the newest first. I did give each item a "file number" at one point - but I've gone away from this system. For each person, I have a data sheet, which gives name, DOB, DOD, marriage, husband, kids etc - this also lists the source of the various info, so I know where to find it - especially useful as I can also list the source if it happens to be another person who has provided the info, so I know it's something that needs checking.
I use both ancestry and tribal pages to help keep track of things too, and it's these I use on a daily basis - but again I know what the source is.
I think you have to decide what works for you.