Planting the seeds of fruitful family tree research

Skeletons in the closet, illegitimate children, secrets and deceptions, criminals and forbidden liaisons …  it’s the stuff of Hollywood drama, but  also part of the rich tapestry of family history research.

When we look into our family history, we take our own private time machine that peers into the past, glimpses the  lives of our ancestors and sees how we’re all connected.

We get to know the family members we were never able to meet. They can ‘speak’ to us across the centuries and from around the globe.

Those who came before us on the family tree have helped create our unique story, in some small way. Maybe we have grandad’s eyes. Perhaps we are named after a favourite aunt. Mystery may surround our red hair and freckles.

Piece by piece, we unravel the ancestral puzzle (though that puzzle grows over time, without end).

Going down the rabbit hole of exploration into family trees is not for the fainthearted, though.

Not everything is as it seems. The past holds many secrets – some that were taken to the grave.

Multiple marriages, similar names and assumed identities also muddy the waters.

Be prepared for genetic curve balls, busting family ‘myths’ and, in some cases, questioning all that you had taken for granted growing up.

Still, there are sure to be many “yahoo” moments – when you uncover an ancestor who led an extraordinary life, and  perhaps discover Indigenous heritage, First Fleeters and convicts, links to royalty or wartime bravery.

It’s this adrenaline rush that keeps the ‘inner detective’ on the case.

But where to begin?

Roz Kuss, president of Caloundra Family History Research Inc., agrees that the thought of starting any family research can be daunting.

Her advice is to always start with yourself and work backwards from there.

“Most people know their parents and grandparents, and some are lucky enough to have known their great grandparents,” she says. “Write down as much as you know in your family tree, including dates and places of birth, deaths, marriages  and residences.

“Most records can be checked since civil registration began (1837 in England and 1855 in Scotland).

“A lot of old parish records are available – some dating back to the 1600s.

“This can also be a great project to involve the grandchildren, or to base your next holiday destination on.”

Today’s family history seekers are fortunate to live in a technological age with DNA research at their disposal.

Roz says DNA is usually the first port of call for adoptees (and those who have few living family members they know of), after having accessed their own files.

“DNA is an excellent tool for breaking down brick walls when you are dealing with skeletons or fractured relationships,” she says.

“DNA … doesn’t lie when it comes to finally proving a mistake or a fib in parentage. Always be mindful of other people’s right to privacy and be  mindful that you may uncover  distressing or uncomfortable information about your own family that was kept hidden for a reason.

“Generally, though, do the basics first, as DNA is the ‘cherry on the cake’ in confirming you are on the right track.”

Accurate research means cross-referencing, checking and rechecking.

Other people’s information should never be taken as ‘fact’, but it can provide clues or ideas on where to search next.

Without your own, independent research, you may find yourself following lines of ascent over many months that send you on a wild goose chase.

Charlotte Sale, coordinator – research services of Queensland Family History Society, warns that “most online trees are poorly researched”.

“The most common mistake people make when first using the large commercial family history websites is to search for a family member, see a family tree that includes people we recognise – perhaps even our parents – then assume that everything in that tree is correct,”  she says.

“Make your own tree using information such as birth, marriage and death certificates, burial registers, newspaper articles and all the types of historical documents available to us.

“Think carefully about each information item to be sure it relates to the person you are researching and consider how accurate it may be.

“Always work from the known to the unknown: start with yourself and work backwards in time.

“Find several pieces of evidence for each of these three links and repeat: the father to the mother; the child to its parents; the child’s birth to its marriage.

“It’s helpful to ‘kill them off’, too (child’s marriage to death), to confirm our conclusions. For example, perhaps someone who vanished from the  records didn’t die but came to Australia in the gold rushes or became a convict and was transported.”

Roz adds that subscription sites try to make it easier to add to your tree by presenting you with ‘hints’ to extend your branches, but this can be fraught with errors, especially when families repeat names to honour parents or grandparents.

Even birth, death and marriage (BDM) certificates can be “a minefield of inaccuracies” for varying reasons, and Roz recommends you obtain at least two sources to back up each fact.

“In many cases, a lie was a matter of vanity – such as a woman decreasing her age, or an occupation being made to sound more important,” she says.

“But it can also hide whether or not a person had been married before or was, in fact, still married. Back then, you were taken at your word. Death certificates can be the most inaccurate sources, containing honest mistakes, purely because those registering the death may a) be grieving and not thinking straight or b) may not be close enough to the deceased to accurately know the information required.

“Also keep in mind that the information on BDM certificates may have been transcribed incorrectly. English in particular, has gone through many changes in its writing form over hundreds of years which is why it is so important to sight the original document. And when dealing with older church records, you may also find that the Latin version of your ancestor’s name was recorded.

“Be aware that in the case of Census records, the enumerators rounded up/down or sometimes guessed people’s ages.”

Much research into your family tree can be done at home using family members’ records, photos and knowledge, as well as online resources.

But many who have dabbled in this area know that online subscriptions to the popular pay-to-use sites can be expensive. That’s where family history research groups and genealogy societies come in.

“Conducting your research at your group’s facility opens up a world of camaraderie, advice, discussion on discoveries or brick walls with like-minded people, who usually have years of research experience to share,” Roz says.

“Many genealogy groups also bring in guest speakers or ask member experts to give a talk about genealogy research topics and you always come away learning at least one new thing.

“CFHRI, for example, also has special interest groups dedicated to researching particular regions of the world (England/Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Germany), how to navigate family history software to record your findings, DNA guidance on interpreting and collating your results, and a writing group to encourage members to record their findings.

“CFHRI is also an affiliated library of the Church of Latter-Day Saints FamilySearch site.

“At home you can search millions of records, but affiliated libraries hold so much more.”

Taking the time to seek out the past may be just the legacy you want to pass on to future generations.

COMMON MISTAKES

Queensland Family History Society’s Charlotte Sale offers some tips on pitfalls to avoid when starting a search.

Same name is the same person: Don’t accept the first occurrence of a name as being the person you are researching.  Our name is only spelled one way: No matter how sure we are of a particular spelling of family names, historical records may record them differently. Making assumptions: Don’t assume that a family tree, document or family story is right or wrong. Always try to find other independent sources.

‘Known’ dates must be correct: Dates are often mis-remembered, or birth dates may be ‘shifted’ if they are less than nine months after marriage.

* Queensland Family History Society holds extensive resources, provides access to the state’s largest online collection of family history records, recorded presentations and news and journals and to online services such as Ancestry, MyHeritage and Findmypast. The organisation offers talks, classes and workshops online or in person.

HANDY WEBSITES

Queensland Family History Society: qfhs.org.au

Caloundra Family History Research Inc.: caloundrafamilyhistory.org.au

Genealogical Society of Queensland Inc.: gsq.org.au

Genealogy Sunshine Coast: sites.google.com/site/genealogysunshinecoastinc

Queensland State Archives: qld.gov.au/recreation/arts/heritage/archives/collection/family

Queensland Government’s research tips: qld.gov.au/law/births-deaths-marriages-and-divorces/family-history-research/hints-and-tips

State Library of Queensland: slq.qld.gov.au/collections/family-history