Where do I start with my family history?

I have had several friends recently ask me about doing their genealogy. Usually the comment I hear is, “I have no idea where to start!” or “All my ancestors are gone” or “No one really remembers anything in our family.” And my favorite line of all time, especially when it comes to Irish records, “all those records have been destroyed so we’ll never know!”

Well, I’m here to tell you that even if no one remembers who your great-grandparents were, all is not lost. In fact, there are many records available that will help you in your research.

So let’s take one of the questions I often hear: “I have no idea where to start!” Simple answer, start with yourself! Write your information first. Add your name, date of birth, place of birth, and if you would like baptism information. Remember, there will come a time when someone will one day want to hear from you! Add any information you’d like to add, such as your education, interests, and perhaps vacations and occupations.

Most of us know who our birth parents are and may have some record of their lives. If they’re still alive and you don’t have much information to begin with, ask them questions about their parents, dates of birth and death, and where they may have grown up. Obviously, if you are adopted, the search may be more difficult, but depending on the state you were born in, there are some options as well.

Once you’ve collected some information, keep it organized by using a pedigree and family group chart, either by going the printed route which you can get copies at many libraries or download online or by using one of the available computer programs. I use Family Tree Maker, but there are others that might work for you too. You may find at this point, you may have already collected enough information to post two or three builds or even more than that.

Start looking at some of the free sites online, such as familysearch.org or the National Archives (nara.gov). You can probably find valuable information from records like the US Census. Determining an ancestor’s location from a census listing will allow you to search for county history books for that region, obituaries, and even vital records like birth certificates , marriage and death. Church records from that region would also be a valuable source. I wouldn’t start checking any foreign records until you’ve exhausted almost all possibilities in the US first. There are a number of other online sites like Ancestry.com, Findmypast.com, and Myheritage.com that can also be helpful, although you’ll need a subscription to these sites.

Many believe that Irish records are no more and that their chances of finding anything are slim to none. That rumor is absolutely false. Not all records were destroyed in the Four Courts fire in Dublin in 1922. We are now discovering some copies of church records that were never sent to Four Courts for archiving and some pre-1900 censuses still exist and now appear in line. There are also a number of census surrogates that are also available online and have also been filed outside the Four Courts building.

What might also be useful for the new researcher is a workshop or course which many libraries offer and some societies even offer an online workshop. Some programs, such as the National Institute of Genealogical Studies, also offer certified and non-certified programs and courses for the family historian. If you’re ready to make that trip to Ireland, the Ulster Historical Foundation also offers two family history conferences each year from its office in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The conference includes research at the Northern Ireland Public Records Office and a day trip to Dublin to do research at the National Archives of Ireland, the Register of Deeds and the National Library of Ireland.

Well, that’s a lot of information, but once you get started, many of these records will look very familiar. Just remember, the key to starting your family research starts with YOU!