Genealogy And Family History Defined

Genealogy and family history are two terms that people use to describe the hobby of tracing your ancestors, but do they mean the same things? Not really. If you are doing genealogy, then you are basically doing a family tree, locating the vital dates of birth, marriage and death of individuals and moving farther back from one person to the next.

Family history means going beyond the confines of of a literal "family tree" to look at history and a family's place in it. When someone looks at family history, they try to see what was happening at the time a person lived, major events and much smaller, more localized events and how the person reacted with these events.

Of course, when we are tracing our family histories, one aspect of this research is trying to locate records that provide proof of an individual's birth, marriage and death. What makes this information much more interesting than a simple recitation of dates like "He was born..., he married..., he died..." is by trying to find out more about the times that ancestor lived.

As an example, I've found that some of my ancestors lived in Ireland around the end of the 1700s and early 1800s during a time of tremendous upheaval. They lived in Wexford county an area that was in bloody rebellion during the summer of 1798. I've read about many families having their homes torched, people killed, mobs of angry people marching and attacking soldiers and others, as well as battles raging around the county as the people rose up.

Wouldn't you like to know what role, if any, that your ancestors played in these events rather than just knowing their dates of birth, marriage and death? By reading about the Rebellion of 1798 in Ireland, I think I have a better handle on what my ancestors went through. Truth be told, I didn't know very much about that particular Irish rebellion, but now I am keenly interested as it affected my ancestors.

I do have a lot of information about the births, marriages and deaths of these Irish forebears, but what really excites me is the information I've uncovered about what happened to them during this rebellion. How one "had to cross a field strewn with the bodies of dead soldiers" and that they had to hide in ditches as large groups travelled the countryside, killing anyone they thought was not on their side.

That's just one part of my ancestry, a branch of my family tree that I've discovered. There are others who fought in wars, travelled to the far east, and some who simply stayed at home and tended the family farm. All are of interest because when you look at them as people during their life and times, you get a better picture of them - and maybe a better understanding of our own place in the family history.

The bottom line is that this hobby is so much more than simply looking up the date your great-great-great-grandfather was born or died, which in itself is an exciting event when you accomplish it, but also finding out what kind of world he was being born into and the surrounding events that shaped his life.

Using Google For Genealogy Searches

One of the most powerful tools available to family historians is the Google website. Google searches can offer genealogy leads that someone searching for their ancestry may never find otherwise. Google is, of course, the number one search engine on the Internet and the video above shows several different methods to track down leads to websites and family history information that you as a researcher just may not be aware of.

One tip outlined in the video, spelling genealogy incorrectly as geneology is fairly common. There are many search terms that can be used like this to uncover information that might otherwise be missed. Spelling cemetery as cemetary is another slip that you might be able to use. Basically, Google is currently the most comprehensive and up-to-date resource covering the whole Internet and should be a common tool for any researcher trying to track down their ancestors.

English Parish Registers: How Do I Find Them?

The original copies of most of the English parish registers, which contain christenings, marriages and burials, are stored in the relevant County Record Office, which usually also doubles as the Diocesan Record Office.

The location of the registers for each of the ancient parishes and their various chapelries is given on the relevant page on the GENUKI site, or at least it should be. If you should find any of the information is not correct, there is a link at the bottom to let them know of the error. You will also find maps on the various County pages under (of course) "Maps" which should show you where most places are in each of the counties.

For an overview on the subject of English Parish Records, take a look at this useful website British-Genealogy.com, which provides information about the County Records Offices and local Family History Societies.

Still Working On Family Tree Maker

I am plugging away adding dozens of records at a time, but I still have so much work to do before I get all my ancestors and assorted cousins correctly inputed on Family Tree Maker. I've been hard at work since mid-February trying to get all my family history information sufficiently changed over to Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum and I feel that I've just scratched the surface. The link I just gave will take you to Amazon so you can have a look at the program. It really gets a thumbs up from me. If you are unsure about how to use the program, you can also pick up The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker 2009, which is an in-depth guide that shows you how to get the most out of the features included in the program.

Why I Got Into This Crazy Genealogy Hobby

I've been tracing my family history for over 30 years now and I've seen it all. I began before the internet which has revolutionized the hobby and turned it into a business. I remember doing an outline for the genealogy book I wanted to write when I was just 14 years old (I knew I wouldn't take that step at that time, but the desire was there).

Now I'm blogging about genealogy and creating cool (in my own humble opinion) webpages for the world and distant relatives to enjoy. Thirty years later I'm still in love with the quest and I'm consumed with pushing back my lines even further. I don't think I'll ever become jaded with this pasttime and look forward to whatever the next changes occur. I was once the young kid peering at microfilm at the local library getting some help from older genealogists. Now I'm the older guy lending a hand to newbies in the field. I hope I can help.

Now, if I can just dig up that old outline, maybe I'll get that book published!

Ancestral Trails: An Excellent Book For English Research

Ancestral Trails is by for one of the best genealogy books for those doing research in England. It's almost like a family history bible containing information about almost everything you would want to know about all sorts of records and research material available in English genealogical research.

Already in it's second edition, the book is described as "the complete guide to British genealogy and family history." Written by Mark D. Herber, it is well written and very enjoyable to read. Herber provides how-to information using examples from his own family tree research to illustrate various different records and methods of research. Very highly recommended.

Top Ten Genealogy Websites

There are hundreds of excellent websites available for family history researchers and whittling that number down to a list of just 10 can be a daunting task. Here are my personal favorites. They are not ranked 1-10 because each contributes differently to your genealogy research. Let me know if you dispute my choices or want to add to the list.

Cyndi's List: One of the most popular genealogy directories and indexes on the web. Cyndi's site features a massive number of links that are categorized and cross-referenced. If you are looking for general or specific family history information, this frequently updated site will point you in the right direction.
Ancestry.com: Ancestry.com does require a subscription, but it also offers a free trial on its home page. If you aren't happy with it, just cancel. Use this site to find indexed Census Records and images for the U.S. and other countries, family stories and publications, news articles, birth and death records, and military records. Ancestry.com is one of the biggest and most comprehensive genealogy websites out there and a lot of your research needs will lead you there.
Genuki: Hands down the absolute best source for those doing research in England, Scotland and Ireland. Broken down to the county, parish, local level with links to the massive amount of available records. Your best connection to others also researching in your family or area of interest. The best, most comprehensive site I've used for overseas genealogical research.
US GenWeb: This genealogy website contains information about the US GenWeb project and also links to state-level GenWeb sites. Maintained by volunteers and growing daily, this is a site you simply must visit for US family historians and researchers.
Rootsweb: One of the oldest and most popular free genealogy sites on the web. This website offers several different services to the genealogical community, including web-page hosting, search indexes and registries. This site provides actual information and not just links to genealogy information. I've used this site from day one of my online family history research.
Genealogy.com: You can search mailing lists and forum postings. Post questions you have and family names you are researching. Lot's of help here with your family history questions.
Google: First and last, Google is one of the best websites you can use for family history research. Setting aside it's massive search capacity, Google provides access to great genealogy blogs (like this one!), webpages, groups, useful maps and just about everything else. You can also search the web for others posting about your ancestors from the old country.
Family Tree Maker Online: The Family Tree Maker website offers an extensive "how-to" guide, a genealogy mall, the 115-million-name Family Finder index, message boards, a biography assistant and more.
Linkpedium: A new website from the founders of Rootsweb. This site will provide links to everything under the sun for anyone trying to find genealogy records and resources.
Familysearch.org: A massive database and free to use, FamilySearch is favored by just about everyone who does online genealogy. this useful (extremely useful!) website has over a billion names in various databases that get updated all the time. Census records, the international genealogical index (known as the IGI), pedigree resource files, and vital records index. FamilySearch is one of the most visited, bookmarked, favorited and best sites out there. I'd give it 5 stars out of 5 for all the help they've provided me in my own family research.

You probably have even more favorite websites you use. Let me know what you would like to add to this list. It's always changing and being updated.