Get More Information By Asking Not Buying

Introduction

As you will both understand and hopefully learn, there are a number of ways, which you can increase your family tree, some, do involve you needing to purchase the information or go searching original records, these we will cover in later posts. However there are a lot of records that you can access for free, which we will also cover.

Ask?

This might sound simple, guess what it is!

Ask your family, what do they know about your Parents, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles? Do not forget any siblings or other family members.

When we found our family Bible, thus starting the bug, I, then in a cheap book store found a hard back book, this contained blank pages in which to fill out your Family History. A start was made using what I had found in the Family Bible.

When two Aunts of my wife’s came to visit, they were able to fill in a lot of my wife’s family for us. Before this the knowledge was somewhat sketchy, mainly from my wife’s memory.

This conversation, enabled me to research in depth my wife’s family, methods will of course be explained as this site expands.

If it helps I have a defined list of questions which you might like to ask each person, that you speak to about the family, either about themselves’ or a relative of whom they have knowledge, these could include:

Full Names

Dates of Birth, Marriage and Death

Any Issue

Occupation

Abode

Anything else that might give an insight into their lives and those of the family, such as photographs, certificates, newspaper cuttings, and so the list can go on.

Do not forget to write down these findings, I used to date them, giving each a new reference number. Do not forget who gave you the information.

As you will quickly realise this list is but a few of the many questions you could ask a relative about themselves or about another member of the family. Always ask for the loan of any certificates
that they might have, and other useful items to copy for your records.

If a relative lives a distance away you can always write with your request and include a list of questions which you would like answered. It is polite to include a stamped addressed envelope, if you need a written answer, or a telephone number so that you can phone them.

Do not restrict your pleas for help to just those who are older than you, younger members of the family may know about Great Aunt Bessie because they stayed there in the school holidays. Younger family members often have documents in their possession for a multitude of reasons. If you do not ask you will not get.

It is also a fact that relatives, particularly the older ones, do not like to admit that there are skeletons in the family closet.

One of my sisters was heard to remark, that one of our linked families were the only ones that she had ever come across where seven month pregnancies for the firstborn were considered normal!

Not Just Names

In addition to asking around the family for other members who they remember, do they have any documents, such as Birth, Marriage or Death certificates! What about newspaper articles or cuttings of family events.

Having just read a book I wrote on Getting Started with Family History, came across the following notes on Newspaper cuttings:

Are there any newspaper cuttings about? These can provide a great source of information, especially when they give details of say a funeral with a list of mourners. I found my 2 times great grandfather’s funeral details from a paper of 1897, the entry gave me information on his family which I had not found through other sources. It did take time to track this paper down but it was worth it, so do not forget to ask for newspaper cuttings as well.

We had a similar piece of luck with my wife’s family. The cutting referring to her Great Grandfather’s death, mentioned people that I had never heard of. But mentioning some of these too older relatives opened up a gold mine of information. They had just forgotten them, or assumed that my wife knew them, in many cases she was not even born! When I mentioned this funeral to my wife’s Uncle, he remarked that he had been a Pall Bearer, and getting the coffin down the narrow stairs of the little cottage had been very tricky, such comments are priceless,

Do not forget to ask for photographs. Make sure that you have them detailed properly, take copies, and do forget to return them.

All of these items must be recorded, who gave them to you, when, who are they off, you cannot add too much detail. Again use pen and paper, number these items, as you progress with your research you will have numerous items and documents, so it is vital that record keeping becomes a habit.

You will find that should you also use either a word document or software programme, you may also need to use, good old pen (pencil) and paper. The inclusion of pencil is deliberate, ink cannot be erased as easily as pencil.

When I visit record offices, even if I have my laptop, I also carry a metal pencil box, inside are just pencils, a sharpener and an eraser. I consider this part of what I call my visiting kit. As a note for future reference only the use of pencils is permitted in record offices and research centres.

Memorabilia

We have already discussed items such as old photographs, certificates, Family Bibles and newspaper cuttings. However there are a number of other items that can be found.

However, if I may, relate a story regarding photographs:

I have a copy of my grandparents wedding photograph which was taken in 1914, I knew several of the faces and others I recognised from other photographs. I mentioned the existence of the photo to a cousin, who I met for the first time at a funeral, he casually remarked that his mother had been one of the bridesmaids. I sent him a copy of the photo and he was able to fill in a lot of detail, including the fact that the recently deceased was also on it. He was delighted that his grandparents were on it, as photographs of them are rare.

Whilst on the subjects of rare photographs, I found this one in the leather bound albums, it is of my Great Grandparents on their Wedding Day in 1891.

One that may surprise you is old letters, not forgetting their envelopes. Two stories come to mind here. When my wife’s Aunt died, we were sorting out various bits, as you do. To my surprise and delight, I found a packet of airmail letters, complete with censor stamps, these had been sent by the Aunts Brother, while he was in India during the war, yet another tiny piece in the family jigsaw. Must confess, as yet, have not checked what medals he was entitled to.

The next story involves my family, when Mum was getting ready to move, she asked me to burn a load of old rubbish, as I was doing so, I came across an envelope to my Granddads sister, when they lived at Watlington. Not only have I still got it now in my stamp collection, complete with Victorian stamps, but I also have the address that they lived at all those years ago.

When due to attend an Air Force reunion not too far away, I left home early to visit Watlington and its Church. There I found the grave of my Great Grandmother, next to her was her Father-in-Law, my Great, Great Grandfather.

Be Always on the lookout for such finds. Fortunately I had my camera with me to record the location of them both, as evidenced below. The surrounds are in an area that is left to nature, despite being uncared for, was just able to decipher the inscriptions. Not sure that I was aware that my Great, Great Grandfather had in fact moved to be with them, after his wife had died.

The final story for this part on Memorabilia, concerns my Nana, she always said that she went to the Coronation of the King and Queen in 1937. Must confess we all thought that at best she had watched from either the stand or the street. Imagine my surprise when we were clearing the house after my sister died, to find the actual card admission ticket to not only the Coronation, but for her seat in Westminster Abbey.

This of course is the total reverse of checking facts, this one almost bit me.

Not sure when I got the next items, but I have them not far from where I am sitting, three leather bound photograph albums, with brass clasps. The beauty of these is that many photographs are named and dated. They include my Great Grandparents, in the late 1800’s and also their Wedding Photograph. In retrospect, they possibly came from Mum’s after Nana died.

As I discussed earlier, make sure that items are labeled or recorded, better still both.

In my collection I also have a portable writing case, made of stiffened leather, it still has inside it, quills and nibs, also the ink pot. When I first opened it I discovered a number of mourning cards, these again were most useful, helping me to date deaths and places of burial.

Hopefully these last few notes have given you an idea of what you can find should you care to look. Helping to empty old family homes in many cases could provide some real finds.

Another item in my collection is a set of hand carved dominoes in bone, they are nines, not the usual sixes, being the size of miniature playing cards, a real treasure find.

Should you come across old letters, then you could find yourself immersed in the lives of your ancestors, reading how they did any manner of things, from entertainment to holidays, so the list goes on.

In closing this article, another suggestion, always collect anything that you can connect with the family, not just memorabilia. In my collection of all sorts I have articles and books on where they lived, the reason being that this allows me to add anything of interest to the books that I write on the family.

My thoughts on this, is that it adds to interest for the reader, should you ever publish your work. Information on the family is of interest to the family, information on Towns and Villages, will attract a lot more interest.

Top Tip

Always search backwards for the next direct link or generation