8:39am Thursday 29th May 2008
oNCE you've found the factual keys to your family's history don't shut them in a drawer. With a little thought anyone can turn that mountain of documents and photos into a vivid account of their ancestors' lives to be treasured forever.
Deborah Cass has been researching her family tree for more than 30 years. An amateur genealogist and author of Writing Your Family History, she says the main aim of genealogical research is to keep the story of a family alive.
"It's about passing it onto the next generation. While a box of birth certificates may give you facts, the family historian will want to weave those dates into a living history that everyone can appreciate."
So rather than simply putting your newly discovered documents into a scrap book, think about being creative with your research.
Cass suggests using your source material to write an account of your ancestors' lives. As well as being an excellent way to make sense of your research it will also protect against loss of material. This all sounds great in theory but turning a mountain of birth certificates into a narrative covering hundreds of years, with no experience of professional writing, might not seem like an easy task.
"First, decide where your story will start. You could work backwards or start with your most distant ancestor and work forward. It might also be helpful to make a timeline.
"It's also helpful to add significant social and historical events that would have affected their lives, which will help you add colour to your story later on."
With so many facts at your disposal, Cass suggests that writing concise character profiles for everyone you want to include could be useful.
"The volume of information can be overwhelming so begin noting down everything you know about each ancestor. Soon you'll start to see them as people rather than so many pieces of paper."
Once you've completed your timeline and character descriptions, begin your story. Cass urges the amateur genealogist not to forget about the all-important context', which can bring your story to life.
"Simple research will tell you what the weather was like on the day someone was born. That could help you introduce a new character in a really interesting way."
Or you can go a lot further, she adds. "On my great great grandfather's death certificate it said that he had drowned. So I thought, How can I find out more about this?' "I searched local newspapers for reports of an inquest and found the account, which was full of eyewitness statements. I then checked the paper a few days preceding and found articles about the storm, the report that he was missing and the item saying they'd found his his boat and body. So from a death certificate I built up a fascinating story."
In addition to factual records, your relatives may have given you first-hand accounts of your ancestors' lives. These stories and anecdotes should definitely be included but remember to be sensitive about how you handle the truth.
"My mother and sisters always remembered their paternal grandfather as a very strict disciplinarian, a deeply-religious man who ran a choir and wrote hymns. I was not prepared for their reaction when I casually told them that he was illegitimate. They were disbelieving and almost appalled. But he was so respectable and strict,' they said.
"So I was careful when I discovered that the death certificate of my maternal great-great grandmother said she had died from mania exhaustion in the imbecile ward of the local workhouse in 1902. Luckily my aunts laughed when they found out and said it explained a lot about the women in our family!"
Cass suggests that writers think about their relatives' reactions to any new revelations. "Family memories tend towards sentimentality. Changing or adding to family myths could potentially cause pain to your relatives so be sensitive."
Cass admits that not everyone finds it easy to write their story but explains that first-time writers can get help. "There are so many options. There are people you can pay to write it for you, you could go to a creative writing course or you could even collaborate with a family member."
But the story doesn't end there. Once you've worked out what you want to record it's time to consider the format.
"Of course you can hand write it, but think about using a computer. You could type it out and then print out the finished story or, if you want to be more adventurous, create the story as a Microsoft Powerpoint presentation. By scanning old pictures of your family into the computer you could combine text, graphics and sound to present your work as a slide show and still print off a hard copy. There are also many software packages that assemble and display a family tree."
Some people even choose to get the book professionally published. "Print-on-demand services are now available to those who want to self-publish."
All keen genealogists will know the internet is an important tool when researching your family's history. So if you've finished your own family tree, why not offer up your findings for the benefit of others.
"I wrote my own web page with absolutely no experience. It took me two days using Mrsite.co.uk for a small one-off fee. As well as letting people know about your family, it means they can also get in touch with you."
How to meet your long lost relatives for the first timeYOU'VE made contact with each other and now it's time to meet your long-lost relatives. Here are 10 tips for the first meeting from relationship expert, Fiona Fountain.
1. Don't assume that you will like each other just because you are related. Make first meetings short and if they go well, you can arrange to meet again or keep in touch by phone or e-mail.
2. Think about what you want to get out of the meeting. You may hope that the meeting will further your research so think about certain things you'd like to ask.
3. Trust your instincts. There may be family secrets they don't want to reveal. If they seem reluctant don't probe too deeply but try and find another route to get what you want.
4. Be aware that you may be the black sheep'. For example, if it turns out that one of your ancestors was adopted you may be quite a shock to your relatives, particularly if the person you've met is elderly. They may need time to adjust.
5. Explain where you fit' in the larger family tree but don't go into too much detail. They may not be interested in family history unless they too have been searching.
6. Allow them to ask you questions but if they're not interested in your research, be prepared for them to be dismissive or possibly even rude! There may be a good reason why the branches of the family drifted apart.
7. Don't assume that because you've found them they will want to be close friends. Be patient and give the relationship time to grow.
8. Don't be disappointed if you don't become friends. They may have things going on in their lives you don't know about and they may not have the time for new relations.
9. Don't assume that because they are relatives they are trustworthy. In reality they are strangers with whom you've found a common link. Don't tell them personal details until you are comfortable to do so.
10. Enjoy the process. If the meeting doesn't turn out as you hoped then keep searching. There are other links in the chain and there are bound to be some you will like!
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