Then the best place to start is with yourself, working backwards from the present to the past. Write down what you know about your own birth and baptism. Gather your certificates of birth, baptism and marriage.
Next think about your parents – if they are deceased, when and where did they die? When and where were they married? What was your mother’s maiden name? Where and when were they born? Again, gather any birth, marriage or death certificates that you have. Do the same with your grandparents.
To help you organize your thoughts you can use a form called a Pedigree Chart to record this information. You can print a blank pedigree chart from this website http://genealogy.about.com/library/free_charts/pedigree.pdf or, if you prefer, you can complete the pedigree chart online and print it but you will not be able to save it to your computer. The Family History Centre in Qualicum Beach also can provide a free blank chart along with a one page handout called “How Do I Start My Family History?”
The next step is to look around your home for sources of additional information about your family. Perhaps you have collected wedding invitations, newspaper clippings, memorial cards, certificates giving information on births, marriages or deaths, military papers, passports and old photos, to name just a few. These sources will help you fill in the blanks on the pedigree chart that you started and will help you write your family history. Don’t hesitate to ask your parents or siblings to check as well.
Now it is time to interview the family to learn more about your genealogy. What do they remember? Do they have any documents that can answer some of your family history questions? Do they have old photos? When and where did your ancestors live? When did they come to Canada? Where did they live in the ‘old country’? Did they change their name or were they known by another name? What did they do for a living? Who might be able to answer some of your questions if you no longer have living ancestors – their neighbours and friends, your cousins, the local museum, for instance?
Researching your family history will be easier if you take the opportunity to learn about the study of genealogy and the sources that you will need to use. Much is on the internet but you need to understand how to do genealogical research to find most of the sources that mention your family.
By joining Qualicum Beach Family History Society and family history societies in the area where your ancestors lived you can take advantage of the knowledge of the locals, attend classes and presentations, use the libraries and read their journals, newsletters, and reports. Please see the upcoming events page for details of our next meeting and our courses.
Visit your local Family History Centre operated by the Church of Latter Day Saints. The Family History Centre in our area is located at 591 Arbutus Street in Qualicum Beach, BC. Members of the Qualicum Beach Family History Society are in attendance and willing to help you during the opening hours on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 pm (Tuesdays only in July and August).
Our library is housed in the Family History Centre. Some of the books you might find helpful are:
- Pelling, George “Beginning your family history”, 5th ed.
- Christian, Peter “Genealogist’s Internet”
- Croom, Emily Ann “Unpuzzling your past”
- Jonasson, E “Untangling the tree: organizational systems for the family historian”
- McClure, Rhonda “Complete idiot’s guide to online genealogy”
Take advantage of the internet. The following links will help you in your quest to get started:
http://rwguide.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
http://genealogy.about.com/cs/beginnerscorner/ht/family_tree.htm
http://www.genuki.org.uk/gs/ (English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish research)
http://www.ffhs.org.uk/tips/first.php (English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish research)
Once you have assembled the basic information you will experience a strong desire to go deeper and further and further back in time. Visit our Tips and Links section for further help and join our Qualicum Beach Family History Society to take advantage of our educational programs and meetings.
Good luck with your research. Oh! – and be prepared for surprises, although maybe not like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdMLvy1Xv8M
