Top Ten List developed by a Frustrated Genealogist
1. Go Forth and Multiply
2. Pack up and move to a different location many times
3. Use names other than those given to you
4. Refuse to talk about your family or ancestors
5. Make up interesting stories that can’t be verified
6. Make spelling changes to your name regularly (And anything else important, or otherwise)
7. Have many different birth dates
8. Do not record any kind of family information
9. Claim to have come from a different Country (preferably one that doesn’t keep records)
10. Do not save any family correspondence
WHERE DO I START? Hints and Tips for Beginning Genealogists with Online Resources
Reviews
“This book was very informative and at a very modest price. One website I may have missed in your book that has been very helpful to me is genealogybank.com. I found articles about several of my ancestors in their newspaper archives. Thank you for your great newsletter and this book.”
“The book was clear & concise, with excellent information for beginners. As an experienced genealogist, I enjoyed the chapter with lists of interview questions. I’d recommend this book to those who are just beginning to work on their genealogies. For more experienced genealogists, it provides a nice refresher.”
Yes! And number 11 would be: Sneak off to Texas when you get in trouble with the law.
Been their done that father was adopted out at 5 yrs old looking up his blood kin for yrs where he & who we are been everywhere know the feeling
no.12, ancestor may have been adopted, some sources say yes, some say no, some say his mom just remarried when he was young and might have have taken the new dad’s name or refused to take the new dad’s name – “we really are not sure”.
I think I’ve hit all of these at one time or another. What frustrates us today is much of the spelling in the 19th century. Standardization wasn’t the case. Within one family, the family name may be spelled differently between different branches- Lonnergan, Lonergan, Lanagan or Teal, Teel, Teele. An individual may show up on 3 censuses by 3 different names with an age difference of +/- 2 years. Different people in the same family may say their father was born in as many as 3 different places. If it weren’t so confusing, it wouldn’t be fun.
Me too#
Oh yes, been there, seen that. I always say genealogy is a lot like looking for gold, turn over enough rocks, you find a nugget.
Yep, all the above and more.Been doing this very thing since I was 14. Old now so I may never know.
And use the same names over and over. Brother Enoch had sons Able and Enoch… Brother Able had sons Able and Enoch…..etc
This is my favorite! It was my ancestor’s favorite for many generations!