Ask Your Family.......

When you were younger, did your grandparents regale you with stories about their past lives?

The tales they told probably often fell on deaf and disinterested ears, and even when you were enjoying them, you could hardly have realised their potential value.

There are two distinct aspects of family research. First, there's the finding-out of names and dates, so that you can put people in their rightful place on your family tree. You don't actually need to do any more than this, and some people do stop here. But this is just name-collecting.

There's also the emotional (and this is what makes the journey so addictive) aspect - getting to know the people, giving them character, understanding them, building relationships with them, accepting them for who and what they were, good or bad.

It's this which is the exciting aspect of genealogy. It draws you in, the way a soap opera does, but because it's your own family, it's so much more compelling.

This is where the value in your grandparents' stories lie. They give life to the names, form their characters for you, and provide you with a platform from which to take your research further back in time.

As well as memories, they may also have tangible evidence for you - a dusty old suitcase in the loft, packed with birth, marriage and death certificates, passports, war medals, souvenirs, letters, photographs, family bibles.

Keep an open mind

Do bear in mind that memories aren't always factually accurate. Sometimes several memories merge into one, and stores easily become distorted.

But, if you make sure that you prove the important events, then it's okay to let artistic licence rule the day.....

Draw up your first family tree

Once you've talked to your relatives you should have acquired an extensive amount of information - more than enough to draw up your first family tree.

You may only go back two, or possibly three generations, but lay it out methodically, and already you will begin to see a picture of your ancestors emerge.

Ensure you adopt consistent standards and make your tree easy to read for yourself, and for anyone else you share it with.