Every family tree begins with the information that you already know and normally the next step is to ask other family members for details. Once you have these then it may seem like you will have exhausted your family's knowledge but nothing could be further from the truth.
At the start, we tend to ask for names and dates of birth, marriages and deaths. If our relatives have documents or photos this is great too and most are happy to allow copies to be made.
People often think they are giving you everything they have but will later find, when clearing out a box or things in the loft, that they have all sorts of other items that can help to build your family's story.
People often think they are giving you everything they have but will later find, when clearing out a box or things in the loft, that they have all sorts of other items that can help to build your family's story.
There is normally someone in the family that is good at keeping family information so ask in your family about who is normally the best source of information. However ask everybody for information as everyone has their own experiences and knowledge that is unique to them. If anyone in the family passes away then sensitively ask if you could look at any family information that is found if a family member is going through paperwork, photographs or other items.
Old letters, diaries, address books, jewellery and medals are common finds from a clear out of a loft when a family is moving home or simply having a tidy up. Sometimes there will be more unusual items too. All these items can help to build the details of your ancestors. At Kn Tree we are expert in explaining the significance of objects from the everyday to the unusual and what they tell us about your family.
In amongst this treasure trove, it is also common to find more documents such as certificates also. These things are often stored away carefully but are also often forgotten about until they are unearthed for some other reason. So it is good to ask your relatives to remember your family tree research if they later come across anything related to your ancestors.
Older relatives are good sources of information on family life and other information however people often remark that these relatives can be reluctant to talk or have seemed to have forgotten any details. Sometimes there may have been a family rift or an event and they do not want to discuss it or anything in relation to it. Never press on a particular issue but of course, it can also be that you do not know of an issue so don't know there may be a sensitive point.
There are ways to chat though where you will not be stepping on toes and this can help with those relatives that are simply not great conversationalists too!
Try to avoid the type of question which makes it easy to say yes or no. For example, do not ask
Did you like school?
Instead, you could ask
What was school like when you were there?
Similarly, if you want to know more about home life then a question asking about home life might not get much of a response if it was not happy or they are someone who is not much of a talker but by saying
What was it like in your neighbourhood when you were growing up?
This can be a great starting point to find out more about family life. The social history of a family brings it to life more than simple names and dates.
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