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Family History Search

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Thinking of a Family History Search?

If you're seriously thinking about beginning a family history search, or if you're just toying with the idea, here's some useful information that might help you to realize that the process may be far more exciting and rewarding than you think. Recording the names and dates of family members is only the beginning of your family history search. Once you have these names and dates, the real genealogical detective work begins, and can give you a deeper and more personal sense of your family history.

The World's New Favorite Pastime

Ancestry.com's UK branch released research in 2005 showing that people spend 20% more time on family history search websites than shopping online, overtaking online shopping as the most addictive hobby! There is even research that suggests that genealogy searching is the #1 activity on the internet.

Royal Family Ties

So, you've always wanted to have rich and famous cousins, huh? Well, that might not be such a far fetched notion after all.

Because of the resources and the record keeping available to the nobility, royal family trees are among the most complete, accurate, and longest kept family trees in the world. The royal class has always been very interested in the genealogy of its ranks. It was assumed that those with royal bloodlines were superior to those without, so a precise cataloging of all the members of the royal class was necessary to ensure that there was no mixing with those of inferior birth.

Here's a more recent example of tracing your "royal" lineage.

The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) in Boston has released a study in which it found Illinois Senator Barack Obama, can claim at least six U.S. presidents as distant cousins, including George W. Bush and his father, Gerald R. Ford, Lyndon B. Johnson, Harry S Truman, and James Madison.

Obama's "Royal" Bloodline

NE Genealogical Society says Sen. Obama is related to 6 former US Presidents!

Barack Obama related to Brad Pitt, 6 U.S. Presidents, Cheney: by AntiConformist911 | video info

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Brangelina, meet your new cousins, Clobama. Proving again that politics makes strange bedfellows, genealogists announced Tuesday that Barack Obama is a distant cousin of actor Brad Pitt, while Hillary Clinton is related to Pitt's girlfriend, Angelina Jolie. Maybe they can all adopt a village in Cambodia. "When you get back into your ancestry, you eventually find that you're related to lots of people," said genealogist Christopher Child, who guided the presidential research for the New England Historic Genealogical Society. "Presidential candidates are no exception." The family trees of this year's White House contenders only get weirder from there, according to the study, which was based entirely on vital records kept by cities, counties and towns. Clinton, who is of French-Canadian descent on her mother's side, is also a distant cousin of singers Madonna, Celine Dion and Alanis Morissette, Child found. Obama, the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, can call six U.S. Presidents, including George W. Bush, his cousins. Meanwhile, McCain is a sixth cousin of First Lady Laura Bush. Child said that while the candidates often focus on pointing out differences between them, their ancestry shows they are more alike than they think. "It shows that lots of different people can be related; people you wouldn't necessarily expect," he said. Obama has the most prolific presidential lineage, featuring Democrats and Republicans. His distant cousins include President George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, as well as Gerald Ford, Harry S Truman and James Madison. Obama often jokes on the campaign trail about earlier genealogical surveys that have tied him to Vice President Dick Cheney, saying he wishes he could be related to someone "cooler." It's all good, Barack - your family tree includes civil rights-era President Lyndon Johnson, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Clinton has a touch of British blood in her veins as well - she's a distant cousin of Camilla Parker Bowles, wife of Prince Charles of England, and beatnik author Jack Kerouac. Pitt and Obama are ninth cousins, linked by Edwin Hickman, who died in Virginia in 1769. Clinton and Jolie are ninth cousins, twice removed, both related to Jean Cusson who died in St.Sulpice, Quebec, in 1718 http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/03/25/2008-03-25_genealogists_claim_clinton_and_obama_are.html

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Uncovering Rich History

One of the many rewarding and fulfilling benefits of delving into your family's past, is the discovery of riveting tales of love, peril and adventure sure to put even the biggest of "blockbuster" movies to shame. Who knows, your family history search might lead to the "stuff of legend"!

Many have gone on to publish their findings and become best selling authors and screen writes. Alex Haley may ring a bell.

The Peterborough Evening Telegraph reported on a woman who's Family history search revealed a tale of love, death and disaster. Her desire now is to dig deeper and discover how the tragic story ended A PAIR of young lovers torn from each other's arms after one of them, 25 year old Arthur James Blackham, drowns in a freak accident aboard a cursed ship.

Sounds like the plot of a Hollywood movie, doesn't it? But it's a true story involving a couple from Peterborough, around the same time as the Titanic tragedy

Getting Started

Staring with a simple blank family tree diagram might seem a little overwhelming but, it's actually an excellent place to begin your genealogical research. Strange as it may sound, a family history search begins at the end... with you. Put your full name on the first line of your first blank family tree. Use maiden names for all women. Underneath your name, there may be spaces for more information: the date and place of birth, marriage and death. If you are married, fill in the Spouse blank with his or her full (maiden) name.

Your ancestors lived much richer and fuller lives than just a birthday, date of death, and marriage certificate. There are innumerable resources available to reveal aspects of our ancestors' lives to us. In addition to other government records, like immigration, military and probate records, you can find out more about your ancestors through photographs, letters and correspondence, and newspaper articles, to name only a few good sources.

Making The Job Easier (and Faster!)

Did you know that if you research 10 generations of your family, you'll be gathering information on 2,046 individuals? Twenty generations -- and the number increases to a whopping 1 million people!

Researching your family history, whether in the initial phases of finding names and dates or in the later phases of filling in their lives, is very time-consuming. In our busy society, you might consider using research services, including books, software and online tools, to assist or complete your tasks.

For instance, you can discover what research has already been done for your family tree at OneGreatFamily.com, or read e-books like Genealogy: Uncovering Your Ancestry.

The joy and fulfillment of beginning your family history search will add depth, richness, and a sense of connection with all who embark on the journey with you!

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Merlyn63 Apr 9, 2009 @ 2:15 am | delete

Nice lens with some interesting information, thanks

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markjones Feb 26, 2009 @ 2:54 pm | delete

great and informative lens on family history.

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anthropos Dec 2, 2008 @ 8:51 pm | delete

Oops! I goofed. My genealogy group is Everything Genealogy and Family History. I was thinking of my travel group and typed it wrong.

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anthropos Dec 2, 2008 @ 8:36 pm | delete

Good job, Marlon. I am always looking for new lens on genealogy. You might want to think about joining my group on Anything & Everything Genealogy. I have done several lenses myself on genealogy and family history.

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d-artist Sep 11, 2008 @ 6:52 pm | delete

very nice lens!I love doing my genealogy, you can learn so much about yourself when you learn about your ancestors...5*s

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Margaret_McKinney Aug 18, 2008 @ 10:36 pm | delete

I've been trying to put together information for the younger generations. It's important to me to record more than just dates and places. Stop by my len about my Grandmother for an example of the type of thing I'd like to record for each person in the family.