How To Trace Your Ancestry?

Answer 1

Learning how to trace your ancestry is not difficult, but actually tracing your ancestry is time-consuming. Each time you find a bit of information about one of your ancestors, such as the fact that your great-great-great uncle died in the greatest battle of the Civil War, you discover all the time and effort you put into your research is worth it. Here are some tips on getting started:

Stay organized

Good organization is essential when tracing your ancestry. Make a copy of each original record you possess, such as birth certificates, death certificates and marriage certificates. It is also a good idea to make a digital copy by scanning the document and saving it to disk. Once you make the copies, protect the original document by placing it in an acid-free sleeve and storing it properly. When you need to reference something on the document, use the copy instead of the original. It is good to use a filing system to keep photos and documents together, and you can use a similar filing system on your computer or on CD.

Use reliable sources

Now that many people have family tree information online, there is a wealth of information available. A common mistake is mining information about ancestors from other people's family trees. While these sources are extremely valuable in the right circumstances, they can send you down the wrong path if you use them incorrectly. If you are researching John Dillard, for instance, and find a family tree showing John Dillard's line back to the time of the Mayflower, it is tempting to copy the data into your own tree. Instead, first check the source material. If the person who posted the info does not include any source documents or notations, send an email asking for that information. If you are unable to obtain source material documenting that the information in the tree is correct, save the information in a word processing document instead of adding it to your tree. Continue your search; you may find reliable sources to back up the data you have saved and then you can add the information to your family tree.

Reliable sources include original birth, death, marriage, military and Immigration documents as well as census records.

Tracing your ancestry is a worthwhile, rewarding experience. Learning about where you came from can help you in your journey forward, and this is a gift you leave your children and grandchildren when you are gone.