The Genealogist

Three Clicks Away!

THE GROWING interest in family history over the last few years has been remarkable. With a new series of the popular BBC programme “Who do you think you think you are?” due to start in the New Year, family history and genealogy research is becoming easier thanks to the internet. Leading the way in online genealogy is the website www.familyrelatives.org which has begun to revolutionise Family History research by making the process of locating Birth, Marriage and Death records (BMD) for England and Wales much easier, more accurate, cheaper and without the need to visit the Family Records Centre in Central London.

Familyrelatives.org has launched the complete records for the period 1837, (the year of Queen Victoria’s coronation and the year records began) to 2003. It is the first website to make available 300 million records searchable by Surname and Forename with 150 million of those records being fully searchable on any criteria from spouse name to age at death to mother’s maiden name.

This ease of use and pinpointing of family relatives has created much excitement in the Family History community as no other website allows the searching of marriages by using a marriage match or booster marriage facility.

Familyrelatives.org search capabilities allow family history enthusiasts to find an ancestor quickly and identify the exact record needed. Searches for 1866-1920 and 1984 to 2003 can be made by forename, surname, mother’s maiden name, spouse’s maiden name, approximate age at death (+/- 5 years), year of event, year range, geographical area as well as official registry districts.

In addition a unique and exciting feature has been added which allows researchers to track down spouses using the ‘Marriage Match’ search.

Now we can go to the right records almost immediately with the Marriage Match. For example we want to research Charlie Chaplin’s mother: we know his father was also called Charles Chaplin, and we know his parents were married sometime between 1870 and 1910 and his mother’s surname was Hill, although we don’t have her forename or the precise date they were married. We can search for Charles Chaplin in the period during which the marriage took place (1870 to 1910); and entering the spouse name. Once the search button is pressed it searches 150 million records and it produces one result. As we know that Charlie Chaplin’s mother was called Hill, we have established our match as Hannah Harriet Hill, St Saviour.1d, Page 325, Marriage – Quarter 2, 1885. Furthermore an important and invaluable feature is that all previous searches are automatically saved allowing researchers to pick up from where they left off.

Treequest Ltd., the company behind Familyrelatives.org, says “Genealogists across the globe are beginning to appreciate this remarkable facility in terms of reliability and user-friendliness. The new additions and the new search functions are just part of our commitment to the Family History research community, to make available as many useful UK genealogical documents as possible on our website and to make sure that they can be accessed in the quickest, most up to date and most affordable way.

We have had some very positive comments and interesting stories. One lady found out that not only did she have a Nelson in her family but she also had a Bonaparte (which no doubt they kept quiet at the time!). We also had a family history enthusiast who was tracing his roots and found he was related to Cecil Rhodes of Rhodesia or modern day Zimbabwe. So it’s very rewarding to be able to help people trace their heritage.”

How to get your Kids on the Hunt for Ancestors

There can be no better activity to do with your child than tracing your genealogy-after all, the connection from one generation to the next is what your research is about! Kids as young as 5 can start learning about their family history and many even surprise you with the help they provide or the new ideas they have. By working on the project together, you can teach your children about their ancestors and create a keepsake that can be passed on to them when they are older.

Begin with what you already know. The easiest way to get started is my filling out what researchers call family information sheets. These can be printed from the Internet and usually include full name, birth date, death date, parents, hometown, spouse, children, and other vital information. First, have your child help you fill one out about yourself, your spouse, and him or herself and any siblings. Make it a game-what does your child know? For example, can your child give you his or her sister’s birth date? Tell your child funny stories pertaining to the information, such as details about your wedding or what your hometown was like when you were growing up. Of course, not every child will be interested in hearing about this, so don’t make yours listen if he or she would rather be doing something else. However, many children will surprise you with their interest. Be prepared for lots of questions. Get your parents or other older family members involved as well if possible. Oral history is vital to genealogy, not so much for research purposes, but to ensure that your family history stays alive with each generation.

When your child gets a little older, you can take him or her to the library with you to do some research. Kids like finding out about their family crests and surname meanings, and learning to use a library is an important skill that kids should learn at a young age. As they mature, kids can accompany you on other field trips as well, such as to family plots in the cemetery, to the records department at your local courthouse, or to virtual destinations on the Internet to help you find your ancestors. By learning research skills, your child will develop an interest in genealogy that might last a lifetime. When your research is done, have your child help you put together a family tree or other family history project that can be passed on to them when they have a family of their own.

Our Genealogy Lens is Squidoo Lens of The Day!

Our Genealogy and Family History Lens over at Squidoo was featured as “Lens of The Day” during the week and we received some really positive feedback.

Together with our Scrapbooking Ideas, Hobbies and Planning for Christmas Lenses we have had so many visitors!