A Beginner's Guide to Genealogy

Welcome to the world of genealogy!

Ancestral research is a fascinating, frustrating, highly addictive, and incredibly informative field of study. If you are new to the world of genealogy, there are a few things you should know. This Hub aims to arm you with all the necessary information for making your genealogical journey a success.

There are countless ways to create a family tree, from the good ol' fashioned paper and pen to highly advanced software. I strongly recommend finding a website that offers free family tree building and is simple to use. I personally use TribalPages, but there are several similar sites out there. When choosing a site, there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. As stated above, free and simple are best, at least to begin with. Many sites out there are difficult to navigate, and take a lot of time and effort to create a tree. Most also charge a nominal fee to use their cooler features, which I assure you, you'll want!
2. You'll want to easily add and access pictures and documents to each person, so find a site that allows you to attach files to names.
3. Choose a site that gives you the option of creating a gedcom file. I had to pay for this feature, but the fee was minimal and it was well worth it! A gedcom file is basically a back-up file of your family tree, which comes in handy if you ever accidentally delete something or want to upload your tree to a different site.

This is, of course, the most obvious step in creating a family tree, but there a few things you'll want to consider before you start adding names.

First, how do you want to add them? Not everyone goes by their birth name (my father, for example goes by his middle name and his step-father's last name), and women usually take their husband's surname when they get married. So, do you want to add their given name or they name they use?

Next, you'll want to add all of the names you know for sure, starting with yourself. This will be the basis for everything you do from this point on, so make sure you confirm all of this information right away.

Lastly, add pictures as you go. It's far less time consuming that way, and it makes your tree much more interesting to look at! Pictures also make it easier to remember people; once you get to the great-great-grandparent stage, it will be harder to keep everyone straight. Having a face to associate them with helps immensely.

Once you've found a good site and added all of the names you know, you may ask yourself: now what? Now, the real fun begins!

If you want to really delve into the world of genealogy, you're going to need some help. There are literally millions of genealogical sources out there, but here are a few you should hit up right away:

Family Search is probably the best beginner site out there. It's the LDS genealogy site, and it is absolutely brimming with information. There are historical records (census records, baptism records, birth and death certificates...), family trees (these have been added by other members though, so double check for accuracy) and countless ways to search for ancestors. And fear not, it's not just for Mormons. I've found numerous ancestors on Family Search that were never Mormon. I can honestly say that my tree probably would have gone nowhere if not for this site.

GenForum is exactly what it sounds like -- a huge genealogy forum. You can post according to surname or location, and respond to others. I have been contacted by several long lost relatives through these forums, and the information we've provided one another is invaluable!

Find A Grave may sound a little morbid, but gravestones are often the last remaining source of birth and death dates, as well as spouses and children. This site collects pictures of gravestones and includes basic information about each person. Occasionally you'll get lucky and find a picture of the person as well!

Your local archives are also a rich source of information. If you happen to live in the same town your ancestors did, you may be able to find anything from death certificates to pictures of their houses.

And, when all else fails, Google is your friend. Numerous times I have Googled a name on a whim and found a website or forum that told me what I needed to know.

When I began researching my genealogy, I didn't expect to find much of interest. There were no known celebrities or presidents in my history, no astronauts or Indian chiefs or Prime Ministers. As I gathered more information, however, it got more and more interesting. Mormon converts who had traveled from England to Utah -- and made a lot of the journey on foot! Polygamous men with 42 kids. Illegitimate children, victims of the Titanic, Freemasons, a sea captain who vanished into thin air and 12 year old brides. I found out that one great grandfather was adopted, and another had a previous family we didn't know about.

Some of my ancestors did things I'm not proud of, some lived noble and righteous lives. What struck me most, though, was the thought that every single action of every one of these people led directly to my own existence. Had any of them done even one thing differently, I may not be here, learning their stories now. When you look at it that way, there's no such thing as a boring history.

Good luck, and happy searching!