How To Write About Your Own Life

Whilst researching your family history is in itself an absorbing and interesting hobby, most people also hope that they information that they have collated will be passed on down through the generations.

It can be easy to forget about your own personal story or feel that you have nothing to contribute. Don't forget though that as you are interested in your ancestors' lives, descendants will be interested in your own story.  Although we might record the big events in life and find them easy to document, it is often the small things that you find out that make your ancestors' stories really come to life.

So how do you start to do this in a meaningful way? What to write about and what to leave out?  What if you don't feel confident in writing about your own life?

A great way to start is by thinking about one of your ancestors who you did not get a chance to meet and think about what you would have liked to ask them if you had been given a chance.  

Write down a list of questions - it doesn't matter if it's a long or a short list. Sometimes it can be difficult to think of questions but usually once you get started, it gets easier as ideas start to flow.  You can try to write your list all in one go or over a period of time. If you like to write electronically then write your questions using this format and if you prefer pen and paper then use those.  The thing is to feel as comfortable as possible with the format.

After this and in your own time, start to answer these questions but for yourself.  If you can't think of something to write about a specific question then leave it.  Most of us can write down a few words at least about places where we have lived or worked.  It doesn't need to be a long piece of writing if you don't like writing much.  Anything that you write will be precious to your descendants.

It can also be good for inspiration to think about how things have changed in your lifetime.  The rate at which technology is changing our lives for example, is surprising and any observations that you make about changes that you have seen would be interesting to future family historians.

Radio Times listing

So what kind of observations might you make? 

It could be something as simple as tv schedules.  It is not long since everyone relied on a weekly magazine or magazines to check out what their next week's viewing would be for example.

Now with television guides available on your television set, catch up television and guides and news accessed online in a variety of ways, it would be interesting for future generations to know how much these magazines were a part of every day life. 

Your descendants will treasure your thoughts and memories even if they are simply a few notes on a scrap of paper.  However, it is also possible to expand on this by writing it up or by getting it written up into a fuller piece. Even if you don't have personal photos etc to add to this, a little research can easily be done to add some images.

At Kin Tree we are experts in writing up family stories so even if you are only looking for some advice or guidance, please get in touch for a chat.

For more information on researching  and writing about your family tree:

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What Can Hospital Records Reveal About Your Ancestors?

Death certificates can reveal a tremendous amount of information about your ancestors but they need not be the final piece of the jigsaw.  If you are lucky then an obituary may appear or you may find a will but even without either of these things, there is a great way to look for further information.

If your ancestor died in hospital then it is worth investigating if there is a record of their hospital stay. Depending on the country in which you live there may be some restrictions on what you can access and how much time must have elapsed before you can access the records however it is always worth checking with the archivists for the latest information as data protection laws are often updated.  

So what information can you find? It will vary even within the same hospital - from the briefest of details perhaps regarding your ancestor's admission to hospital to full clinical notes or a post mortem.  The great news though is that even with the briefest of details, these can easily reveal some interesting facts and open up a new way to investigate a branch of your tree.

A good example of this was Edinburgh Royal Infirmary who on admission to the hospital, asked  patients for their "native place" or in other words, their place of birth.  This can be invaluable for those seeking to place their Irish ancestors as it would often name a town or at least a county.

It can often be a surprise to find ancestors admitted to hospital.  How did they afford to pay for their care if there was no free health care? However many hospitals were operated by subscriptions and were known as "free" or "voluntary" hospitals.  They received donations from rich individuals but also charities, churches and many work places and unions operated schemes where workers paid into a fund so that they could receive treatment if they needed it.  The work place contributions were particularly common within industries where there was a certain amount of danger and therefore there was more chance of accidents.

Hospitals were not always  in the immediate area in which your ancestors lived so if your relative died in hospital, you may find it is some distance from their home. This is usually because this was a hospital that was free or perhaps, the one to which their workplace or church subscribed.

It is important if you are going to approach a health archivist to be prepared.  They will need specific information on your ancestor in most cases.

They are not usually able to look for someone without details of when they were in the hospital as the information is not in a nice modern database where they can simply search for someone's name!

Also, think closely about what information you would like to find out.  The archivists will answer your questions but they cannot answer questions that you have not asked!  

If you would like further help or information on discovering heath records then contact us for a no obligation chat at: 

kintree@ymail.com

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Successfully Tracing And Contacting Relations

Kin Tree is often asked if we can search for descendants as well as ancestors. The answer is yes! 

The research itself is similar to looking for ancestors because what is important is to carry it out in a systematic way and have the knowledge to know where to access the information.

It  is  not  only direct  descendants  that people are interested  in finding but also  2nd, 3rd, 4th cousins  etc. People look for these relations for a variety of reasons. Occasionally it is for medical reasons but mostly it is simply to widen their family circle and find out what happened to other branches of the family.

What sometimes worries people is what reaction they will get to the initial contact that is made.  Most people are welcoming and interested themselves and the worst that is going to happen is that someone says they are not interested or doesn't reply.

The way in which you contact someone is very important.  The best way to get in touch is by mail.  This gives the person the time to think about what you are saying and how they want to respond.  If you phone them then they may be suspicious that you are trying to scam them and could brush you off. 

The important things to remember

• Be specific about why you are getting in touch
• Explain how you obtained their contact details
• Give them multiple ways of contacting you so they can pick the one with which they are comfortable
• Offer to share information with them
• Be patient! Some people don't answer for a while

After you successfully contact and get a response from your relation then it can provide new information for you.  It is often one person in the family who inherits the old photos and documents and they are likely to be a rich source of information.  All great for filling in some blanks in your family tree!

If you would like help to search then please contact us for a no obligation free chat.

Contact us by email: kintree@ymail.com  

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++Competition Result +Competition Result +Competition Result ++

Thank you to all who entered our competition!  The winner of the competition is 

Mr David Fraser of Lanarkshire  

David was a little camera shy so did not want his photo on our page however he was happy for us to share the details of his prize with everyone.

David is looking for information on some specific ancestors and so we will be spending the day check information in two archives for him.

Remember, you can contact Kin Tree with any queries you have on specific ancestors, not only to have a whole tree researched!

Contact us:  kintree@ymail.com

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How Reliable Are Family Stories?

In every family, there are stories of ancestors lives.  Some of these are stories that are interesting or fun to know but which don't change our family's story even if they are embellished over the decades! An example might be an ancestor meeting someone famous.  The ancestor could easily have told the story of the occasion in a straightforward way but it is not to say others who heard it didn't interpret it in their own way but present it to others as fact. Over the years, this could mean the story becomes more "details" that it originally contained however no harm is really done as it does not change the story of your ancestor's life!

However, sometimes stories evolve through a simple mistake and it can give a false impression.  A case in mind was one where we were asked to investigate an ancestor who had reportedly played football for Scotland in the early part of the 20th century. It was part of a bigger family tree that we were tracing but naturally, there was interest in seeing if we could find out more about this footballer's career.   

We had identified that the player had indeed played for a senior team.  He had a full time day job and played football at the weekend. For anyone who knows about Scottish football, the bible of facts and figures is "The Wee Red Book" and his name did appear as a Scotland internationalist.  When we looked further into his career we quickly realised that the Scotland player was actually another person with the same name!

We discussed this with the client and they were surprised as they knew the Scotland player had come from the same small town as their ancestor. We were able to tell them that their ancestor didn't come from the same town but why the mix up? Had someone assumed that it was the same person and passed on the story in the family with the birthplace of the internationalist given without any proof?

The truth was probably more complicated.  It turn our that whilst their ancestor who was on their father's side of the family, had not come from that town, the client's mother's family had originated from the internationalist's home town.  the likelihood is someone mixed the two facts - footballer's name and town - in all innocence.

 Family stories can be a great sources of information but it is important to check them out where they involve facts like the footballer's story.  Family members  pass on this information with a genuine belief that the stories are true so it is important to handle any new information sensitively. Although there might be initial surprise at this change of direction in the family's story, most people are keen to know the new details and are pleased to have an accurate family history.

Kin Tree have the skills and resources to investigate your family stories. Most turn out to be true and we can often add details and images to word of mouth stories so please contact us for for a no obligation chat on how we can help you bring your family's story to life at 

kintree@ymail.com

Why not enter our competition to win some free research.  It's a great way to find out if a professional researcher can help you!

Entries close on 30 June 2013

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Should You Be So Quick To Dismiss The Possibility Of A Professional Family History Researcher?

If you are one of the many people who like to investigate their own family history or perhaps are thinking of investigating it, you might think that it is unlikely that you would not need a professional family history researcher.  

Should you be so quick to dismiss the possibility of a professional researcher?

Professional researchers can save you money on doing it yourself.  Looking at Scottish records, a basic online search of only three generations could easily cost you £100.  However, professional researchers can visit centres and do the work for you - and far more work - in a short time period and certainly for less cost per certificate than trying to do it online.  

Part of the fun for you, might be doing the research yourself, even if it takes much longer and is more costly.  However, have you ever hit a brick wall with your research?  Professional researchers such as Kin Tree have obtained nationally accredited qualifications and have a great deal of knowledge of other ways to find out information on your ancestors.  Getting over that brick wall could be all you need to get on with research yourself.  Why limit your family history interest because of a snag that could easily be remedied?

Professional researchers with properly accredited qualifications are used to dealing with archives and with so many records not online, they are ideally placed to visit on your behalf.  

Visiting an archive may not be practical for you or sometimes it can seem daunting but it every day business for the professional researcher.

Most people find ancestors have moved around - often to other parts of the world and it can be a difficult to navigate in other countries' records systems.  Also, like at home, many records will be offline.  Professional researchers are used to dealing with these record systems and have links with other professional researchers around the world who can look for offline records for you.

At a good professional research company like Kin Tree, our researchers have qualifications in both family history but also in history.  We have specialists in Scottish history along with more general history.  This is important to put your family story into context.  Once you have the basic dates, you will want to know how your family lived and perhaps what prompted them to move or do the type of work that they did.  We can all guess at this but with our knowledge of history and how it is properly researched, this can quickly be added to your family story in a way that it can take months if not years to do on your own.

So remember, it's important to think of every avenue for your family history research.  Don't limit your family's story because you didn't check out what help is available.  At Kin Tree, it is always free for you to have a chat.  Contact us for a free no obligation chat at 

kintree@ymail.com

Why not enter our competition to win some free research.  It's a great way to find out if a professional researcher can help you!

Click here to enter the competition 

So You Thought You Had No Images To Add To Your Family History. Here's How To Find Some!

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono
 www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When we are researching our ancestors, it's not always possible for us to have images of them and their families. 

So how can we make their stories come to life in pictures?

If we are looking for images, we can either look for images that already exist or produce some images for ourself!

The internet produces a wealth of images which can relate to our ancestors. First though, remember copyright! Don't simply copy someone's images!  Most people are happy to let you have a copy of images for personal use or will sell you an image at a low cost but please ask!  Remember they have taken the time to produce the image themselves and it belongs to them. You would not take a photograph from their house without asking permission!

A good way to add images to our ancestors' stories is to look for images from the area in which they lived or worked.  There are many sites which have old photos of towns or buildings.  Facebook too has many groups researching specific towns and other  places of interest.  Even if the images don't always match what you are looking for, then you can often leave a message to see if there is anyone who can help.

It is often possible also, to see images of uniforms, medals, or equipment that your ancestors may have owned.  Once again, the internet is useful but  you can also think about visiting places such as museums and graveyards. Look at how we have added to the information by adding the images.

James joined the Royal Navy in 1916 and served aboard HMS Nonsuch.  The photo shows us the uniform that James would have worn.

During World War 2, Henry was too old to join the services. He played a vital role in the war effort as part of  the Casualty Service.  Henry would have had to carry an Identity Card which would include details of his name, address and date of birth along with a description of his appearance.

If it's possible to visit places yourself then this is great!  Although you may feel that the present day image is not representative of the time in which your ancestors lived, it still adds to the story.  Look at  our example of present day image that we took and how it can be woven into the story.

David and Mary were married on 21 January 1905 at Example Church, Anytown. This is the view that Mary would have had as she came over the bridge towards the church.  We do not know if there was snow on that day but the bridge and the surrounding buildings were built in the 19th century so the view is largely unchanged. 

It is also possible to alter photos to give a more "old fashioned" feel. 

David and Mary were married on 21 January 1905 at Example Church, Anytown. This is the view that Mary would have had as she came over the bridge towards the church.  We do not know if there was snow on that day but the bridge and the surrounding buildings were built in the 19th century so the view is largely unchanged. 

Kin Tree can help you with images and writing relevant information.  We can produce these for you or offer further tips for you to do it yourself. We can also supply images, either ones we have ourselves or by visiting places on your behalf.  Getting in touch with us costs nothing so please don't hesitate!

Contact us at kintree@ymail.com

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Click here for details!

Are Siblings Important To Family History Research?

Brothers and sisters can prove to be life long friends or alternatively squabble their whole lives but they may not seem a significant part of family history.

Research is generally aimed at looking at your direct ancestors so your relatives' brothers and sisters may seem of little importance.  They do play a vital role in your investigations however!

Image:debspoons www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Elderly relations often move in with their children and you may find that elusive ancestor residing with a sibling of your direct ancestor.  If this is a female then she may have married so if you get stuck with where an ancestor ended up, it is worth looking at what happens to other family members such as siblings and checking out possible marriage records.

If you hit a brick wall with your research, siblings can be a great way of trying to get over your genealogical barrier. Looking at the family history of a sibling might bring clues to your own direct ancestry. Often, one person inherits all the significant documents or photos in a family and by looking at other people who share some of your family history, you may find information that is important for you also.

Siblings can also help add to the family story.  Although not direct line ancestors to your family, they were the children of your ancestors so have a great significance to the lives that your ancestors led.  

Often migration for example, was to give their families a better life and it can be interesting to look at how people fared.  Circumstances can often change quickly for these people.  Lack of opportunity or education often meant poverty but  a change of country could open up previously unimaginable ways to improve their  situation.

At Kin Tree recently, we had a case where we unexpectedly discovered a whole new part of a family story as a result of looking at a sibling.  We had the death certificate for someone and noticed that the person who had registered the death was the son-in-law of the deceased.  We had no record of a daughter as we only had  sons showing up on census records.  

It turned out there was a daughter who had left home by the time that the family had moved to Scotland.. We found her marriage and her death certificates which confirmed her parents' names.  The family had originally come from Ireland and we were able to track down a birth certificate for her in Ireland which gave us a start on the family's Irish roots.  From that, we were able to trace back two more generations of the family, taking us back to around 1804.

For a free and friendly chat about your family history, email us at kintree@ymail.com

Last article: Does It Matter How You Spell Your Name?

Does It Matter How You Spell Your Name?

Robert II

Today (19 April) is the anniversary of the death in 1390 of Robert II, King of Scots.  Robert II was the first Stewart King, the grandson of Robert Bruce and the son of Robert Bruce's daughter Marjorie and her husband Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland.

The name "Stewart" had been adopted by the the 3rd High Steward of Scotland as a surname, based on his position of "Steward" at a time when surnames were not very common.

It is an early example of how names can change because of a deliberate adoption of a spelling, a mistake or simply because there is not or was not a common spelling for a name.

Unusual names can  help

 genealogists

Looking at names today, we can see that first names in particular are spelt in a variety of ways.  In fact, many parents like to give their children's name a unique twist.  This can make it easier to search for someone but only if the name is correctly recorded.

Surnames now, are usually the same as one of the parent's surnames but once again, this is only as good as the person who recorded the information.

Many people spend hours looking for records and are puzzled when they come up with no results or find gaps where it seems unlikely that there should be one.  

Often people call in Kin Tree when they hit a problem like this.  We have the expertise to look for records quickly and this can save much time and money for those looking for their ancestors.  

What problems can be found when searching for a name?

A look at old birth, marriage, death and census records can show a different spelling on each occasion.  

Misspelt names can make it hard
 to track down ancestors
Image: Master isolated images www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Take the name "Baillie" for example.  Having researched the name as a surmane, we have seen it with a number of spelling variations - Baillie, Bailie, Bailey, Bailley, Baylee - all for the same family!

On top of that, if the name has been recorded by someone that has been told the surname but misheard it, then it may recorded as something completely different!  Our Ballie family had one recording of their name where a "P" replaced the "B" and suddenly they were recorded as the "Paley" family. 

Often when we are searching for records, we use an index of recorded names that have been transcribed for the index.  Sometimes these can be incorrectly transcribed and so the index will show the wrong name. When researching a family with the name "Burton", we found a record where the name had been transcribed as "Binton" as the "u" and "r" had been misread. Even though we searched for it using spelling variations it didn't show up and only using our expertise at looking for the family in a completely way, were we able to track them down.

Happy hunting and remember you can call on Kin Tree for a free initial consultation if you want help! Leave a message below or email us at kintree@ymail.com

Next article: Are Siblings Important To Family History Research?

Last article: First Cousin Once removed? Second Cousin? 

Find Out The Difference!

++++Ten Tops Tips +++Ten Tops Tips+++Ten Tops Tips +++Ten Tops Tips+++Ten Tops Tips +++Ten Tops Tips+++Ten Tops Tips +

Ten Tops Tips For Family History Research

1. Family Information 

Most families have access to some birth, marriage and death certificates so it is always a good place to start by asking relatives what information they have.  Families can also be a wealth of information on where people lived, their jobs and interests. These can all be keys to filling in your family's story. This is something that Kin Tree professional researchers will always encourage people to do.

2. What Do You Want To Find Out

Think about what you want to find out. Are you interested in birth, marriage or deaths, surname origins, places, occupations... Plan out how you will do this. You may find out that your interests widen as you find out information.  That's great but remember to add these new interests into your plans.  Kin Tree often find that people come to us for their family tree details but then ask us to research why a family might move or to give them more information on an occupation, a work place or the living conditions of the family.

3. One Branch At A Time

Image courtesy of franky242/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Its not so good to try to do different parts of the family all at once.  It can be hard to not get confused with names, dates and places otherwise.  Whether doing research for one tree or like Kin Tree for a variety of families, its important to have files for each family and their branches.  Keep a note of where you get information.  It makes it much easier to go back and check if you need further information or to clarify anything. 

4. Keep Records Of Searches

Image courtesy of Keattikorn/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Keep a note of what you are doing. Recently, for example, one of Kin Tree's researchers was at a Scotland's People Centre and came across a birth where the mother's maiden name was not the one expected.  Although our researcher was fairly sure it was a mistake, she took the time to check out these new details for this mother - birth certificate, census records and a marriage - to check if this was a different person.  No details of anyone with the unexpected maiden name were found but our researcher noted down the research carried out.  This prevents duplication.  It is easy to forget what might have been done when you look back some time later.

5. Family Stories

Family stories can be a great source of clues to the past but sometimes they are not accurate. Our researchers were asked to find the death certificate of someone who was originally from Scotland but who had died in the USA.  He was supposed to have died helping to build one of New York's iconic buildings. The family had hit a brick wall and called us in to help.  We checked USA records on the person but could find nothing for a death.  We decided to check the Scottish records and found his death in Scotland some 10 years after the building was finished.  

6. Archives

Many archives hold great information unavailable elsewhere.  Often though these are not online.  Archives will be indexed in different ways so if you don't find the information you are looking for, try to think of a different way of looking and you may be surprised at the results! Kin Tree have experience of accessing a wide range of archives so please get in touch if you need some help.

7. Write Down Your Thoughts

Have a notebook to jot down your thoughts as you go along.  This is great for when something pops into your head at a time when you are busy but you might forget later. It's especially useful when you are searching records and it makes you think of a follow up which might also be relevant to another branch of the family tree.  

8. Be Sensitive

Sometimes you will find out unexpected information which you may find fascinating however others may feel sensitive about what you have found.  Kin Tree would suggest that you talk to people about the information before putting it all down in a book.  Kin Tree would always pass on this information but never put it down in black and white without permission.

9. Looking To The Future

If you are attending a family event, record who was there along with the date and place.  Was there anything out of the ordinary - perhaps a wedding in a location with a significance to the couple etc? What might be known to you will not be known to future generations when your family history book is passed on.

10. Expert Help

Professional genealogists such as those at Kin Tree have a wealth of knowledge which can be very useful. Do you need help when you hit a brick wall or can't access an archive yourself? Would trawling through records cost too much? Kin Tree can help save you time and money as our expertise means we know what is possible and practical and are used to costing out research. We have studied not only genealogy but also history so we can provide a rounded service to give you an extensive picture of your family's story.

If you have any questions or enquiries, please contact us! 

You can contact us by email:  kintree@ymail.com

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Next Article:  First Cousin Once removed? Second Cousin? Find Out The Difference!