Tuesday, 14 July 2020

Free Family History Mini-Class : Lesson 1


In the first of my series of family history mini-classes, here are some do’s and don’t’s to remember when writing down your family information:

      Print rather than write – you may like to use block capitals to highlight surnames.
      Pick a format and stick with it. For example, if you prefer to put the surname first, be consistent.
      Use pencil when adding information to charts, then go over it in black ink (for permanence) once you’ve confirmed it as accurate.
      Write names out in full if known – avoid abbreviating for speed’s sake as you may not remember what the abbreviation stands for!
      ALWAYS record a married woman’s details using her maiden name, if known. Don’t be tempted to fill in a blank space with her married name, as this can be confusing.
     Write dates in standard genealogical order – e.g. 8 Oct 1840 rather than 8/10/40 which can be interpreted in more than one way.
      Write places with smallest area first – parish, county, country – with any farm names or townships before the parish.

And to help you get started, here's a family group record you can print off and use as many times as you like.

Please comment below if you have any questions about this lesson!
The next mini-class will cover identifying record sources.

1 comment:

  1. Things I wish I'd known when I was starting out.

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