Collect the evidence

Surviving relatives are a goldmine of information on your family’s history. A conversation with an elderly aunt or distant cousin could reveal names, key dates, relationships, occupations – the list is endless.

Record all you are told in a coherent way; either in written notes or using a recording device such as a dictaphone or camcorder, transcribing the content for easy access. In any case, note the subject of the interview and the date and time.

Taking along your sketched family tree or a couple of significant photos may serve as a useful aide memoire to elderly relatives – can they fill in any of the gaps?

Make the most of your visit by asking whether they have anything else that might assist you with your search. A cornucopia of useful evidence could be right under your nose, including family bibles, boxes of precious papers and documents and photographs you can mine for information.

As well as saving you time and money spent tracking down duplicate certificates, this process may also uncover precious personal heirlooms such as letters and diaries, offering a unique insight into a forebear’s personality and experiences.

A telephone call or well-worded letter or email to a distant cousin might make a connection with one of your family’s other historians, who will be only too glad to pool resources.
 

Get organised

Make photocopies or digital scans of the documents and papers you need for reference and keep the fragile originals in archival storage boxes, made from acid-free paper. A family history project generates a plethora of paperwork, so it pays to settle on a system early and stick to it. The more computer-literate may find specialist family history software a useful way of collating their findings, while others prefer a card file system or a collection of labelled ring binders.
 

Take nothing you are told at face value – people’s memories may have become muddled over time, or perhaps a secret they perceive as shameful is stopping them sharing the whole truth. Part of your job is to find the evidence that backs up each new piece of information, separating fact from fiction. Sometimes the discrepancies between different accounts will take you down interesting and unexpected avenues.
 

With any new piece of information, write the surname of the person it relates to in capital letters (eg, John SMITH). This will help you scan to the relevant part of your notes when you need to find it.