What needs to be considered while you conduct your family history research?

When you first set out on your family history research, you probably started with a basic tree, online or offline. Because the details needed to complete such a Bennett family tree (or chart) is pretty straightforward; you simply fill in your ancestors’ names, birth dates and places, marriage details, and the death information…..then you go to the next generation.

And, in truth, this is as far as many people ever go with their trees. Folks acquire the most basic details and move on, trying to add as many names as they can. However is that really all you want to know about your family members’ lives? Or, a better question to ask is, is this all you really need to know about each person in your Bennett family tree?

In the early days of your genealogical quest, the answer might be yes. Completing a simple Bennett family tree might be daunting enough for the time being. However as you try to extend or expand your family lines and get more curious about how and where your ancestors lived, this will likely change. You’ll want to know more about each and every person–well beyond just the dates and locations that defined only three points in their lives.

Once you start that deep dive into your family history research, there are plenty of rabbit holes in which you could lose yourself. Just think–how many random pieces of information about you are out there in the universe today? Of course living in the digital age is different from the 19th century, but there are still lots of titbits to be uncovered about great-great-grandma Stella.

Jackie has been a professional genealogist for over 30 years and she can help you with that, get in touch with her at http://familytreesbyjackie.com.

Top 3 reasons to hire a professional genealogist

With a lot of advances in tech and enhanced record availability these days, one question we get fairly often is, “Why should I hire a professional genealogist? What can you do for me that I can’t do myself on? There’s really no quick answer to these questions, but there are a lot of reasons people hire a professional genealogist. Some of them include the following:

1. Time
Learning more about your family tree can be extremely time-intensive and your quest for how to find your ancestors can turn out to be a nightmare. It’s not as easy as just clicking the little hint leaves. While those can be very helpful as a foundation, it’s important to have a primary source document that proves each piece of information. 

2. Brick Walls
Quite a number of people who have spent time working on their genealogy have at least one line that seems to be at a complete dead end – known as a brick wall which they need help breaking down. A professional genealogist has experience solving difficult genealogical problems, and has the knowledge and skills necessary to get past them.

3. Language Barriers/Foreign Research    

                                      
For those who live in the United States, and many who live in other parts of the world as well, it’s a fact that at some point your ancestors came from a different country or place and spoke a language you might not have an idea about. You would also find that within one country you might have records written in a variety of languages.
You can also consult with Jackie at http://familytreesbyjackie.com on how to find your ancestors.

4 tips to start your family history journey

Don’t want to go through a lot of ancestry research sites to build your family tree. Our genealogy experts compiled some awesome tips to get you started with your ancestry research and answer some of the most asked family history questions.

1. Start your family tree
Your immediate family often holds the key to starting your family tree research. Tape the memories of your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and cousins as you start exploring your family tree online. Question each relative about specific individuals and gather details surrounding their lives including nicknames, places they lived, vital information (including birth, marriage, and death dates), occupations, and other important clues.

 2. Search your home for scrapbooks
Family scrapbooks often yield important clues for family tree research. Evaluate your home for vital records (birth certificates), school records, family bibles, diaries and letters, old photographs, and memorabilia boxes that tell stories about your family.

3. Start with the family history basics
Utilize your initial research for your first searches and then analyze your results to achieve a personal success strategy. Following the family history golden rules will help you become a more efficient researcher and hopefully lead to greater rewards in your family tree research.

4. Start your online family tree
Create your online family tree to organize your results. Ensuring your research and records  are kept organized is important as you continue to find new details related to your family. Enter important information, including names, dates, and places to build a solid foundation as you continue exploring your ancestry research.
Visit http://www.familytreesbyjackie.com/ for more details.