Finding Your Kin: An Introduction to Genealogy Presented October 16, 2009 by Jean Cooper.

Finding Your Kin: An Finding Your Kin: An Introduction to Introduction to

GenealogyGenealogy

Finding Your Kin: An Finding Your Kin: An Introduction to Introduction to

GenealogyGenealogyPresented October 16, 2009 Presented October 16, 2009

by Jean Cooperby Jean Cooper

Summary

• Why genealogy?• How to begin?• Terminology• How to Record Information• Choosing Genealogical Software• Mistakes to Avoid• References

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Why Genealogy?• To satisfy your curiosity about yourself and your roots.

• To provide your children with a sense of who their ancestors were, where they came from and how they lived their lives. 

• To preserve family cultural and ethnic traditions for future generations.

• To compile a medical family history to give family members an advantage in the battle against inherited diseases or defects.

• To qualify for a lineage or heritage society.

• To assemble and publish a family history book, whether for family members or for profit.

• To discover facts that others have overlooked and solve the puzzle of a lifetime.

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Percentage of Americans Interested

in Genealogy

45

6073

01020304050607080

1995 2000 2005

Data from Maritz Marketing Research and

Marketing Strategies, I nc. Polls

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Terminology

• Paternal / Maternal• Ancestors / Descendants• Primary sources / Secondary sources• Family history / Local history• Lineal / Collateral / Half / Step

• Relationships chart-http://genealogy.about.com/library/nrelationshipchart.htm

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Great Moments in Genealogy

• 1632 – General Assembly of Virginia requires ministers to keep and report vital records.

• 1783 – Society of the Cincinnati organized; membership limited by ancestry.

• 1845 - New England Historic Genealogical Society (oldest of its kind) chartered.

• 1969 – ARPANET created.• 1977 – First airing of Alex Haley’s “Roots” on

television.• 1996 – Cyndi Howells sets up her webpage

linking to genealogical websites.

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How to Begin• Start with you & your parents &

grandparents– date and place of birth – names of parents – date and place of marriage – names of children – date and place of death

• Record everything, even if you don’t think you will need it. Get photocopies if possible.

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Cite Your Sources

•ALWAYS record where and when you got the information.

•Record everything, even if you don’t think you will need it.

•Get photocopies if possible.

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How to Record Information

• Charts– Family Group Sheet– Pedigree Chart

• http://www.ancestry.com/save/charts/ancchart.htm

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Jean L. Cooper University of Virginia Library

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What do genealogists look for?

Recorded evidence of the existence of a person (related to them or not), and facts about the person and that person’s relationship(s) with others.

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Primary Sources• U.S. Census • Birth, marriage, death records• Newspapers• Court records• Land records and maps• Medical records

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Secondary Sources• Biographies• Dictionaries, encyclopedias• Guides, handbooks, manuals• Histories

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Choosing Genealogical Software

• http://genealogy.about.com/library/onestop/bl_software.htm

• Family Tree Maker• Family Origins• Brother’s Keeper• Personal Ancestral File (PAF)• Cumberland Family Software

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Virginia Genealogy• A Guide to Genealogical Resources

in the University of Virginia Library. (2005)

http://www.lib.virginia.edu/genealogy/

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Major Websites Containing Genealogical

Information

• Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet - http://www.cyndislist.com/

• USGenWeb Project - http://www.usgenweb.org/

• RootsWeb.com - http://www.rootsweb.com/

• Ancestry.com – http://www.ancestry.com• FamilySearch (LDS Genealogy website) -

http://www.familysearch.org/

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Where to Learn More• Introduction to Genealogy (Free) -

http://genealogy.about.com/library/lessons/ blintro.htm• American Genealogy: A Basic Course /

National Genealogical Society ($) - http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/eduhsc.htm

• Brigham Young University Independent Online Courses in Family History ($) - http://ce.byu.edu/is/site/

• Cyndi’s List –Information for Beginners in Genealogy - http://www.cyndislist.com/beginner.htm

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Tips for Genealogists• Talk to your relatives ASAP.• Write down your sources (and make

photocopies of everything, if possible).• Question all information.• Information found on the Internet is often

unreliable.• Verify and cross check your sources.• Family legends must be questioned.• You’re probably not descended from royalty.• Try multiple spellings of your surname.• Dig deeper, past names and dates.• Beware the generic family history.

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