Month: August 2021

The Importance of Family Tree Record Keeping for Future Generations

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Discovering family histories and creating a family tree is certainly fulfilling, but perhaps the greatest benefit of family trees is the ability to pass them on to future generations. What a priceless gift!  Believe me, your descendants will be grateful for your hard work and determination. So what’s the best way to store those records? 

Storing Your Family Tree

It is ideal if you have a record of all your notes and documentation gathered during your genealogy research. This information is an asset, and should be duplicated in case of disaster, such as fire, flood, or theft. Copying and storage can be done offsite. The information can also be scanned and stored on your computer, on disks, and possibly an external storage place.

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If your information is stored on a computer program, consider backing it up online with an external storage site. It is also possible to back up the data to an external hard drive and make copies of it on disc.

Presenting Your Family Tree

Creating a family tree is one of the best gifts you can give future generations. The family tree can be made into an elaborate work of art, framed and printed on glossy colour paper. They can also be as simple as a binder that contains charts of each family branch. Other options include reports and maybe even a book. Several genealogy software products also offer the option to print a beautiful book. It too would be a marvellous gift to future generations.

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Sharing Your Family Tree

In addition to presenting your family tree in the form of a book, report, chart and as a work of art you can also share your family tree information by recording the information, and some of the family stories you’ve learned along the way, by creating an audio or video for your family. There are software products that allow you to upload family photos, which means you can display photos you’ve found and share and record certificates like birth, death and marriage certificates.

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Software products often include sharing capabilities, so you can simply email or connect with other family members online and share your research. In this digital era, this is one of the most convenient ways to share your family tree, and it can be accessed by your family and descendants with ease.

Genealogy and researching your family tree can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can be a long and complicated process. Even after you have created a comprehensive family tree, your journey is not over. One of the most important aspects of a family tree is that it can be shared among generations. Wouldn’t it have been great to have all this information done for you when you were a child? An amazing connection to your family and history!  Sharing your research and maintaining good records for future generations is one of the joys of genealogy research.

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Genealogy: What Is It and How Does It Work?

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Genealogy is the study of a family’s ancestry. It is derived from the Greek word “generation” and is a great way to connect with your family, history, and genetic records all the way back to the dawn of record keeping.

What are the sources of information used by genealogists?

Genealogists use a variety of resources to research genealogy. Prior to the advent of written documents, people recorded information by telling stories. Interestingly, much of your family history may still be passed down orally from generation to generation. So, talking directly to family members may be one of the best sources of genealogy information.

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However, genealogy researchers consider record keeping essential for their research. Some families have a family bible, which is passed from one generation to the next. There is usually a record of who has owned the bible at the front, and this can be a valuable source of information. Additionally, birth certificates, obituaries, wedding announcements, and census information are all useful.

Genealogy Information: How is it presented?

The family tree is the most common way to display a family’s lineage. It is a flowchart that starts with the ancestors who went the furthest back at the top. The branches of the family tree are then the children, marriages, and so on. Often, child-friendly family trees are presented as trees, with the trunk representing the family’s core and each branch and leaf representing an extension of that family.

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A family’s lineage can also be documented in a book, through a software program, or by using a spreadsheet.

What Are the Benefits of Genealogy?

Most people use genealogy simply because they want to learn about their family history. Perhaps they heard about a famous relative and are curious about whether they are related. Genealogy can also be used to track genetics and health concerns. It is possible to discover if your family has a history of cancer, mental illness, birth defects, etc.

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Finally, one of the greatest benefits of genealogy is that future generations will be able to trace their roots. This is an amazing way to connect to not only your family, but also to history. Getting to know your genealogy helps you figure out your place in the world.

Getting started.

The first step in genealogical research is talking with family members. It can be a great way to learn about your family history and point you in the right direction once the information stops. From there, you can search for a birth, death, or marriage certificate. You can also look up census data and property records. The practice of genealogy involves detective work as well as meticulous record keeping.

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Using genealogy as a means of connecting with the world can be extremely rewarding. It conveys a sense of history and connection. Would you like to learn more about your family tree?  Find out where you came from by contacting your living relatives.

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Genealogist, Family Historian and History Fanatic

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My name is Annette Kerr and I am a genealogist and family historian, with over 16 years family history research experience.  I specialise in Scottish records, but I have experience of researching a wide variety of records from across the UK, Ireland and North America.

Annette Kerr BA PgCert Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies (Strath)

I have a Postgraduate Certificate in Genealogical Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies from the University of Strathclyde and I am a Student Member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG), and several other genealogical organisations and family history societies.

I have studied Latin and Palaeography and can transcribe Medieval records and decipher old handwriting.

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I live in Central Scotland, with easy access to archives at Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as access to the fabulous castles, stately homes, lochs and historical landmarks that Scotland is famous for.

You can find out more about the services I offer here.

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