Conduct an Ancestry Search and Capture the Spirit

Ancestry searches are like jigsaw puzzles, a fascinating detective story that may take the searcher down some blind alleys. Everyone wants to know where they came from and the interest in family history has never been higher. The Internet has made it easier and quicker to conduct ancestry searches and there are numerous databases and information on how to go about it. Most people can go back so far in their family history by talking to grandparents and other relatives. Tracing the tree as far back as possible is time consuming but can be great fun.

Basic facts emerge about our descendants, such as birthplace, birth dates and occupation. Details on dates and places of marriage, divorce or death records will also be revealed. Ancestry searches of this kind often lead to finding relatives. Others may do a one place search, especially if it involves a small village. Hopefully, some of their family friends can let them know about their family member’s history.

Ancestry research can be daunting to start but there are lots of organizations that can point in the right direction and give advice. Some records have been well documented for hundreds of years with birth, marriage and death certificates. There are parish church records, wills and census records. Gravestones are also a useful source of information when searching family archives.

When searching archives no one knows what they are going to find when they embark on the labyrinth of ancestry searches. Ancestors may turn out to be paupers or wealthy landowners. Some people search in the hope of finding a noble birthright! A family that has a coat of arms attached to it will want to find out more about their roots.

Some people do a one name search and find people with the same surname from different countries. Ancestry searches of this kind often lead to finding relatives. Searches can be conducted on the basis of the type of reference information available. The search algorithms consist of; direct reference or one reference. It's not enough to find out the raw facts. They also want to find out about the jobs, hobbies and military or political aspirations of their descendants.

Family trees are often presented with the oldest generations at the top and the newer generations at the bottom. An ancestry chart, which a tree is showing the ancestors of an individual, will more closely resemble a tree in shape, being wider at the top than the bottom. Family trees can be very simple, recording only immediate ancestors. Family trees should be as accurate as possible.