The Genealogist

Tracking Down The Past Begins In The Present

April 13, 2006 on 9:01 pm | In Amateur Genealogist News, Genealogy Tools, Finding Ancestors, Genealogy, Family History, Ancestral Research, Genealogy Tips, Family Tree, Free Genealogy |

You’ve heard for years that your great-great grandfather was a famous bullfighter. Perhaps it was stories about your great uncle and his sailing career that were passed down as family lore.

Now as an adult, you’d like to learn more. Were these stories true, or just legend? Where do you start?

Tracking down ties to the past begins first with you.

Making the decision to clearly delineate a family tree, or pedigree, is a big one. Make no mistake, it can be a lot of work. But it also can be a very rewarding, entertaining labor of love.

The best place to start in tracking down such unusual references is with the present generation. Create as much of your family tree as you can by speaking with living relatives and try to find documents to back up the research as you can.

Once you’ve landed in an area you cannot confirm, it’s time to hit the books, so to say. Start with your last known relative and his or her place of birth. See if you can find birth, census or other vital records. Within these you might find the next clue on your hunt – a name, a place or a date that might lead you to your next ancestor going back in the line.

Once you have names and dates, it’s a little easier to begin to confirm or deny that family lore. With the names, dates and places, check out old newspapers for your ancestor’s name and even check the Internet.

If the stories surround professional prowess or even some form of entertainment talent, there may even be professional groups or organizations you can check with. In their archives you might find documentation to confirm the stories you’ve heard all your life.

Creating a family history and especially tracking down a family legend to prove or deny its truth is a real detective job. Don’t pass up on the clues that lie in front of you and certainly don’t forget to start in the present.

The best way to map out your family’s past is to start in the present and work your way back, picking up clues and bits of information along the way.