Start With What You Know......

So, where does one start making a family tree?

The answer is as simple as it is complicated! 😉

Start with what you know!

Sounds simple enough, right? 😊

First you are going to  make a list of everything you  already know. You might be surprised at what you know or can piece together in a few minutes with a pencil and some paper. So go ahead and grab a pencil and a note book!  ✏📓

Always start with yourself and work your way up the tree! List everything you already know!

A good format to start your list is  this:

Name: First, middle and last! (if this person is a female always use their maiden name here, if their maiden name is unknown leave it blank you can fill it in later)
Born:                                               Place:
Christening/Baptism                       Place:
(here you can list any other religious rites or sacraments and the place they occurred, if there are any)
Marriage:                                         Place:
Spouse:
Died:                                                Place:
Notes: (here is where you can list any important notes about this couple, include how many children the had, but do not include names you are going to be listing each child separately next)

Now make a list of your/couples children using the same format as above, remember this list is to gather the information that you know and you will be transferring this information to other documents or software later.

Once you have completed the list of children you will want to list your parents and your spouse's (if you have one) parents and their children and spouse and grandchildren if applicable. Again, write down everything you know, you can use a separate piece of paper for each couple or whatever works to help keep you organized. Don't worry if you are not sure  about dates or places, just make the list and leave the sections blank for now.

If you are lucky enough to have a family Bible on hand or some hand written notes from family members this is the time to have a look in them and see if you can add any information to your list. If you are transferring information from a family bible or notes you need to record this information in a different color pencil or ink and make a legend on the bottom of the page or on a separate piece of paper. The legend should look something like this:

Blue pencil/ink = information from Doe Family Bible
Red pencil/ink = information from Grandmother Doe
Green pencil/ink = information from grandfather Doe

Remember to include a color for the information you wrote in the original list, as that will be considered personal knowledge of (insert your name here). This legend will be the making of your first sources.

With your completed list in hand start talking to living relatives. If you don't know your Grand mother's maiden name, and she's still alive call her up or better yet drop by and visit her, and ask! Most of the older generations love to talk about their past and pass on stories. If you find the odd relative that just does not want to talk about their past, that's fine do not push them to talk, be respectful of their privacy, there are other ways to find out information later, if you feel compelled to dig around at a later date.

So there you have it, the beginnings of your Family Tree. That wasn't so hard was it? 😁

Remember that patience is the key to a good, well researched, well sourced family tree, this isn't going to happen over night!!

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!!