A Brief Guide on how to go about Constructing your Family Tree

Where to start:

Do NOT start by searching the internet. This can lead to other peoples’ errors setting you on the wrong trail. Ancestory.com, Find My Past and Genes Reunited may be of some use to you at a later stage, but for now should be avoided as erroneous information does exist on these websites and can be misleading.

Firstly talk to your parents and ask them all they know about their family, and make careful notes

Important things to know are:

• Your parents dates of birth and marriage as well as where these events happened
• Full Names of all relatives, Brothers, Sisters, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins
• Birthdays, Deaths and Marriages of as many of the above as they can remember
• Place where all the above happened if they know

Then approach grandparents if they are still alive for similar information about their relatives

Approach aunts, uncles and cousins and find out what they know about their parents, they may well have information that your parents have forgotten or never knew. Some may have a Family Bible with names and dates going back a hundred years or more, or they may already have made a Family Tree of their own.

At this stage, start constructing your tree on paper from all the information you have gathered so far.

Ensure that the information is accurate and always note the source of the information as well as the information itself, this enables you to refer to the source if you find you’ve forgotten something.   Include as many details as you can, such as their trade or profession, where they lived and whether they were ‘in service’ or served in the armed forces etc.

With this ‘Welcome Pack’ are very basic blank Family Tree sheets for you to fill in. These will get you started. Use these first (make photocopies if necessary) before considering creating your Family Tree on a computer programme.

Under normal circumstances you should be able to create three or four generations without too much trouble.  This is where you need to start doing some serious research. Once you know where your relatives were born or married, parish records or census records are your best source for finding out more about them.

Parish and Census Records are usually held at the County Record Office in the district where the person lived. Be aware that transcribed census records sometimes omit vital information.

Staff at the record office will be happy to help you get started and show you how to use the equipment available and in which records to look.

Failing that, S.F.H.S. have an extensive range of Databases and Transcripts for you to examine. These can usually be viewed at the Monthly Meetings or purchased from the Society on CDs. Fiche are being phased out and most of the information that was on fiche is now transcribed onto CDs.

Baptism, Marriage and Burial Registers of much of Suffolk are available through the Society Shop.

Once you decide to put your tree into a computer programme seek advice from others as to which one will suit you and your needs best. If you attend your local S.F.H.S. meetings there will always be someone there willing to help and advise.