Genealogy Chat

Hiya Just wondering how other people catalogue their research! I have a PC package but like to print off info to take with me when investigating etc! I am building such alot of information from all sorts of sources that I am considering filing it alphabetically by Surname - then obviously by person! Even though this means that the tree lines won't be together! What do you think? Are there some tips and ideas out there that would be easier and make more sense than that?

I keep each main branch of the family in a seperate lever arch file. I put the direct line on yellow paper so they are easier to spot. When someone marries into the family I just copy all the information onto a sheet for him and a sheet for her and I file that 'incomer' for want of a better word under their surname and just mark it as e.g. Freda BLOGGS (married SMITH) then when I enter the actual marriage details on both sheets I do the same thing e.g. Freda Bloggs married John Smith (see Smith File) on blah blah date etc. Time consuming but tends to be working and DO NOT forget to write where you sourced the information from on all your sheets as you end up repeating yourself over and over. Hope this makes sense. Pam

Hi Kate I use Generations 8 to keep computer records and print out each families card as a record. Then I keep a wide arch lever file for each side of the family one for my Mums line and another for my Dads each family is filed alphabetically but where they marry patners ie Mary Watson marries Fred Bloggs I file Mary with the Bloggs but keep her parents & siblings under Watson. I have a separate PVC free folder for all certificates & census info again one for each side of the family. Hope this helps. I liked the idea of a different coloured paper for direct lines that is good Pam!! Best wishes Jenny

Kate I have whopping great files for various branches and file my neat individual and family sheets in them, as well as certs in acid-free pockets, plus printouts of census entries, rough notes etc etc. When I go out to a records office I take a small notebook in which I write what I am looking for. I also take an A5 hardback a-z book with all the relatives I am bothered about (mainly direct line) written in with their births, baptisms etc, plus census refs. nell

I keep all mine in different colour files, ie. yellow for Harrison, red for millership etc, everyone is filed in date order and I have another file called 'Problem file' this file contains possiblities of people who could be related somewhere along the line. I draw up a table to take with me to the Records office and it has Name, DOB, Occupation etc it works quite well. Regards Yvonne

Hi, I do the same as most of the others - one large Leverarch file for my side and one for my husband's. I index them all at the front by numbers and then put numbered dividers in. Three plastic wallets then go in each division, birth, marriage and death and then a final one in which I put census returns, etc. I only do this for the direct lines though - branches off and siblings I just add to the tree on GR and my other family tree file on the computer. Suex

Thanks for that! What an organised lot we all are! Part of the fun of this hobby I think! Frustrated librarians!! Seriously though - thanks for the tips - I'm looking forard to my next day off to change my system a bit! Kate xx

Maintaining paper records lost its attraction for me a long time ago. I keep nearly everything related to my genealogy research on computer, using a combination of Family Tree Maker for the actual records, and a genealogy directory tree for separate any research diaries and images. The only physical records I keep are original documents/images, and they all get scanned so I can have a copy on the computer for quick reference. When I need to take something with me for reference at a research site, I take a copy of the relevant files on a laptop computer. The computer files gets backed up everyday to a physically separate computer, and the backup gets archived every week to a separate location. Cheers, Bill Sydney, Australia