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Tuesday's Tip: Introduction to family history

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Genealogy is a study of pedigrees, a collection of names and dates, which trace a family line back through the past. 

  • When were they born? 
  • Who and when did they marry? 
  • How many children did they have and when were they born? 
  • When and where did they die? 
It's about establishing and proving relationships.

 For some people genealogy is enough, their challenge is to go back as far as they can, but they know comparatively little about the people they are researching other than the facts.

Family history is a continuation of genealogy, in that it is also the research into the social history of the family. 
  • What did they do for a living? What was involved in their job?
  • What schooling did they have, and where? 
  • What events were happening around them during various periods of their lives? 
  • Why, when and how did they emigrate? 
  • Where are they buried?
- Its all about social, political, military, religious and cultural history.

 Family history is about the stories.

Your library will have copies of “how to guides” that can get you started.
Genealogy is the skeleton
Family history is the flesh on the bones

Setting up your research
Note what you know in a pedigree chart - download our free Pedigree chart from our Resources page. 

 Charting what you know allows you to spot the gaps.

 Choose a genealogical software program that suits you.

Genealogy software programmes are complex database software programs that use a language called GEDCOM (GEnealogical Data COMmunication). 

 Because genealogical programs use a common language, this makes sharing of information really easy.

Choices depend on budget and circumstance.
No computer? Try an online one, via a website.

Pros:
  • Portable, you can access where ever you have internet access
  • Other people can usually search your Family Trees to see if you have common ancestors (but don’t forget to verify other people’s research)
  • Usually free, with upgradeable options if you decide to spend money later
  • Uses GEDCOM so if you later decide to download your family tree to your own software program you can
Cons:
  • Its the internet, so things like privacy and control of your own info could be an issue
  • You need to be sure that the website you are going with is one that is going to be around for a while, and what will it mean to you if they start charging for access or decide not to run their site any more
However, people wanting to undertake this hobby seriously, will need a computer.

For your own software, whether free or purchased, you will need to do your own research to decide what’s right for you.

Read some reviews and decide which to invest your time (and maybe money) into. Remember, though the old “you get what you pay for” is often true. Although you don’t need to spend big bucks necessarily, it would do to remember that “free” products are usually limited in some way.

 Cyndislist.com is a good resource for all things genealogical, so try this page for software reviews: 
http://www.cyndislist.com/software.htm or
http://www.ancestry.com.au/
http://genealogy.about.com/od/publishing/tp/web_sites.htm

 Keep a research notebook, note the person you are researching, where you have looked, and what information you found. Transfer this into your genealogical database.
Filing your paperwork is immensely important. Number your subjects:-

• your most recent subject is number 1,

father = no.2, mother = 3,

• fraternal grandfather = no. 4, fraternal grandmother = no.5;

• maternal grandfather = no. 6, maternal grandmother = no. 7Keep a master folder for each branch with family group sheets inside, to act as your index.


Create another folder for each family member once they get married, and start collecting their info as they create their own family groups.

 Colour code your stationery (folders, document wallets, boxes etc) for each branch so you can tell which line they belong to at a glance (blue, red, green, yellow for example).

 Keep very good notes, and make sure you record where you got the information from, recording volume number and page/folio numbers etc.

 If its anecdotal information, cite who that person is and how they say they came across the info. Try to prove or disprove the story.

 What to do with the information?


Share your research with your family.

Consider publishing your family tree online.

 Even if you’d decided not to assemble the information online via a website when starting out, consider uploading the GEDCOM information when you are a bit more experienced.

 There are many websites out there that encourage you to share your data.
If you are comfortable enough with this idea, then it is a splendid way of finding relatives, by having them find you.

 Consider also sharing via Facebook. Which is a whole other session by itself.

Consider publishing your research in a book. - Remember to donate a copy to your library!

 Happy hunting

 Seonaid

Location: 44 Lorne Street, Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand

Some recommended social histories

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We are regularly adding to our stock family and local history books in the Central Auckland Research Centre.

Some books you look at the title and think "not my area of interest/thing"; while others just seem to leap off the shelf at you. Two such books arrived recently which I found to be very interesting and thought they may be of interest to some of you.

Ragged London: the life of London's poor

by Michael Fitzgerald
(The History Press, Stroud, Gloucestershire, 2011)
Call number: 4 ENG LOC LON

I found Ragged London enlightening as it is easy to view London's landscape as it is today and forget that it wasn't always that way - many houses in inner London were demolished in the Vistorian era for the building of railways and the underground system. Until the latter part of the century, there was no onus on the developers to provide substitute housing for those who were displaced as it was also seen as a way of clearing the slums. St Giles-in-the-Fields is used as an example in many instances, but the circumstances could easily apply to rookeries elsewhere in London. A wide range of subjects are covered such as food and drink, love and marriage, home life, work and employment, philanthropy etc. Much of the detail given could probably also apply to any other over crowded sections of other cities in Great Britain and it is therefore worthwhile having a look at this fascinating book.

 
by Jennifer Newby
(Pen & Sword, Barnsley, Sth Yorkshire, 2011)
Call number: 4 GBR OCC

This book relates to resources to be found in the UK.  It covers domestic service, factory workers, land work, criminals, middle class and aristocracy so virtually all forms of employment for women are covered.  Each chapter gives brief details of the type of work which may be involved and end with sources of relevance to that subject.  There is a good bibliography and a timeline of key events effecting women at the back of the book.  If you are researching any aspect of the life of one of your female ancestors or women in general then this book is well worth reading.

Another title which is borrowable through the library system is:

by Maureen Waller
(Hodder & Stoughton, London, 2000)
Call number: 942.106 WAL

While this relates to London many of the subjects discussed could apply to people anywhere (especially those living in cities) eg childbirth, death, disease, the home, fashion to name a few.
If you have an interest in London, there are a number of borrowable books available through the library. 

A couple which come to mind are written by Jerry White titled: London in the eighteenth century and also London in the nineteenth century.

I could go on but do have a look at the catalogue as you never know what treasures are lurking there.

Marie

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