Could you be related to Elvis Presley or Jimi Hendrix? Maybe!
The tracing of one's roots is an amazing and interesting activity and for many is a lifelong hobby. Family history, also referred to as genealogy, is the science of the origin, sequence, and relationships that occur in families. Genealogy traces the roots of a family name through an illustration of charts, trees, or graph. The persons that are listed within a family's history can include living and deceased relatives. Relatives that are connected through family history can have blood, marriage, or adoption relation. The pleasure and ease that you could receive in connecting relatives through various resources (verbal, written, etc.) is often enhanced by many through software and diagram charts.
Initiating the tracing of your family history is through compiling the information that you already have obtained. This can be through knowledge, a collection of pictures or information that you may have received in the past. You can use a pedigree chart in order to make this a simple step in your process to tracing your family's history. Once you have listed these names, you can then begin to list the birth date, children, wife/husband, parents, grandparents, etc. of each person listed. You can write down as much information as you choose to and if you are unsure of a couple historical points then leave them blank.
Your next biggest step is to fill in the blanks with outside sources. There may be a relative that can inform you of a birth date or a hometown of a relative so that the outline of your family history is a bit clearer. Inform the person that you are asking of your intentions so that they are not astounded by your inquiry. It is helpful to take notes so that you are able to piece together the information that the person has provided you with and incorporate it into the amount of information that you have gathered.
Birth, marriage, and death certificates/ records could also provide you with information to fill in even more blanks that you may have. You can find these records in the library of the town the person was born in/died in, in baptismal records, letters, and in obituaries. These sources might also be found in the attic of another relative or even in your own basement. It is important to ask, ask, ask. Most of the questions that you are stumped on may become answered with a simple inquiry directed toward a close relative.
The amazing experience that you will encounter in finding out your family's roots and connections is a delightful hobby that people are increasingly becoming involved in. It is important to have knowledge of your history and the people that compose your heritage. The beauty of attaining the roots of your family's history can build amazing wonders for you and your family, because who knows, maybe Elivis Presley is actually your great uncle.
By Danielle Spanner