When you are passionate about genealogy, there is nothing more
frustrating, than finding out after a hard days research that you have
been looking in to the wrong family. It is a problem that every one who
traces Irish ancestry has come across... So how can you prevent this from
happen there is no magic solution but here are a few helpful tips, to keep
you on the right track as you seek out your family history and heritage.
First things first, make sure that you write down every single piece of
information you get, record the source, newspaper, title, author,
page and date of publication. If it was a
book, get the title, the author, publisher, and even the ISBN or ISSN
number so that you will always be able to access the same resource down
the line if you need to. If you record information from a relative,
record, when you did the interview, who it was with etc. Information is
vital to genealogy and the family tree hobby, so make sure you know where
you got yours from and where to get more if necessary.
Second, Organisation is the key to to filling in your family tree.
Establish a filing system on print on computer, family trees are often
made frustrating by knowing you have the information, but not sure where
you put it. Also if the files are clearly linked it is easier to make
family connections.
Third, Re-check everything. Make sure that the facts you have are
correct to the best of your knowledge, when you have all the information
concerning on e person, it can easily show, if things are wrong, i.e. if
you Great Great Aunt, was born in 1876 and married in 1879.. The same
applies to all dates or events. Just always make sure things are making
sense before you keep going digging a genealogical hole for yourself
Fourth, Don't bother with ads that are about easy solutions to genealogy, or that offer you free research on your family tree, chances are its a scam, keep you money in your pocket. Tracing your family tree is hard work.
Fifth, Make sure that you are very clear on your
formatting when you share genealogical information on family tree
websites, as different layouts are used in different countries i.e. dates.
Sixth, to keep things accurate make sure you are not assuming
things about families and relationships. In earlier times, a step child
was sometimes called a son in law or a relative that was not a sister or
brother was called a cousin no matter what the actual relationship was.
Seventh, Trust but verify, different branches of the family will
have differing versions of stories, especially the further back that you
go, your job as a genealogist is to verify who is right, so you can
complete your family tree.
Finally, give yourself the opportunity to succeed by advertising
the surnames for which you are searching. Post them online with Irish genealogy
websites and get the information to any Irish genealogical societies to which
you belong. If you do not belong to any, it is something you might
consider since they often have resources you may not be able to get on
your own. Many genealogy sites are free forums.
Genealogy is great, but it can also be hardwork. You will enjoy genealogy much more when you know you are looking at
correct information. Best of luck in researching your Irish family tree.
