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Starting Your Family History Research
Genealogy is the charting of a family's descent through a chronological record of births, marriages and deaths; in short it is the bones of your research. It consists of a record of names, dates, places and relationships through which one can compile a Pedigree Chart or a Family Tree. The information on this page will help you find these facts, record them and store them systematically.
You can download a Pdf copy of this information to keep handy:
 Starting Your Family History Research (34.01 Kb)
In the process of your research you will amass a lot of other information, which will fill out the lives of the people you are researching and the conditions under which they lived. This is the flesh and bones of your research. It changes your ancestors from a set of facts into real, live, interesting individuals and is the material of Family History. You should file away any information you discover, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. Later it may prove to be the piece of information you need to fill in part of your jigsaw.
You do not require any special skills for family history research, but there are certain basic rules that you will find helpful. Some of the basic ones are listed below, but there are also many genealogical guide books which will help you learn more.
Ground Rules
1. To start with write everything in pencil. Not only does this make it easier to correct mistakes but in libraries and record offices you will only be allowed to use a pencil.
2. Always work from the known to the unknown. Start with yourself and work back to your parents, grandparents and so on. A systematic approach brings best results and saves time in the long run.
3. Prove each step as you go. Unless you do this you may finish up following a line of descent that is not yours and waste a lot of time.
4. Be methodical. Keep a record of all sources of information. When you make a duplicate of a permanent record make sure you include a reference to the source.
5. Set up a filing system that makes it easy to store your data and to retrieve it. There is no "right way" for this, only one that is "best" for you. It will depend on your needs and the facilities you have at your disposal. It is a good idea to have a separate working, and storage file.
6. Store your original documents, photographs, etc, in a safe place where they will not deteriorate. Acid free albums, acid free glue and copy safe plastic envelopes should be used. Never use sticky tape! If you want copies for working or display purposes, the best course of action is to make one photocopy and then use that as your "master" copy.
Genealogy Forms & Charts
There are two internationally recognized forms for recording research data. Samples of these are available on the links below. They are:
Pedigree Chart
This charts the direct line of descent of a family. You should start by entering all of the data you know alongside the headings on the chart. Remember to write everything in pencil to start with. Ink it in after confirming the accuracy of your data. Also record all dates as, e.g., 11 Jan 1885 (i.e., day in figures, months in letters, years in figures, in full). This avoids ambiguity with Americans or Europeans whom you may contact, as they tend to write the same date as 1/11/1885 (i.e. month, day, year). Blank Pedigree Charts are available to purchase at the WAGS Library.
Pedigree Chart (63.83 Kb)
Family Group Sheet
This records all the basic data on a family group (father, mother and children). There is also room on the form to record the source/s of your information. When filling in this form the same rules apply as with the Pedigree Chart. Blank Family Group Sheets are also available at the WAGS Library.
Family Group Sheet (13.34 Kb)
From here, you should now have a look at our Sources page.
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