Find Ancestors

This topic is intended as a helpful introduction to make sure you get the best results from your lookup requests. Please take the time to read it. If you have any tips you'd like to add just add them. If you think theres something else I need to add advice on, let me know :) Please keep bumping this up for people to read! Thank you

1) Decide what it is you need looking up. Its no good just posting a name and hoping for any old information. Do you want to find their death? their birth? their marriage? a specific census entry? 2)Check that someone hasn't already offered the lookup you're asking for. There are usually a few ancestry topics etc. and some people have access to specific census returns. Use the search box to look for topics. 3) Give as much information as you can about the person(s) you want us to look for. A name is not enough! 4)Let us know what you've already tried looking at, what you've found and discounted and anything that might stop us re-doing research you've already done. It means you get the answers you are looking for. 5) Above all, be patient :) Like all boards there are busy times and not so busy times. It may take a few hours or a day or two to get an answer, but most topics will be answered! If you're worried that your message hasn't been seen, read below to find out how to nudge your post so that its back at the top of the board. 6) Always say thank you :)

How to nudge a topic Sometimes topics don't get answered because it was busy or because the person who can help you wasn't around when you posted it. If you feel your topic hasn't been answered, rather than post a new topic, you need to 'nudge' it to the top. Heres how Add a reply to your topic. Most people will send a message along the lines of 'nudge' or 'bump'. By adding a new message you have put your topic back at the top of the list again. Now go back to your topic and find your message which says 'nudge' or 'bump' or whatever it was you used. Click on the delete message option at the top of that message. On the next screen click the delete box underneath the box with your message in. You of course don't have to delete the message, but some people feel this makes the topic tidier. Why not test out this new found skill by bumping this topic up for others to read? :)

Census lookups Heres some tips for getting a response to your census query. 1) Make sure you put which census you want the lookup for in the subject bar, along with which county you're wanting the lookup in. Just putting 1861 census lookup often isn't enough to make people look. 2) Give the full name of the person(s) you're looking for. Also include (if you know it) the year they were born, where they born, their last known occupation, their last known address. Also make it clear where in the country you expect that person to be. 3) If you've found the person(s) in other census returns it can sometimes help to tell people about it. 4) Be reasonable in your request. Some names are more common that others and so even just giving the likely county they will be in isn't enough. If you can't give a lot of information, don't worry. Make it clear on your topic that you don't know any more that what you have already given. 5) Be patient. Few census returns are indexed either by name or address and so it can involve a lot of searching. 6) Always say thank you :)

LOST THREAD? If you "lose your thread", i.e. a thread that you either created or on which you have posted a request has dropped off the first few pages of the board, then click on the "view your threads only" link (located on the right towards the top of the board). The board will then show only the threads which you have created or to which you have added a message. Then, when you have found and opened the required thread, click on the "All Replies" link to see other people's subsequent messages on that thread. If you feel that your query hasn't been resolved, then "nudge" the thread as explained above. If you have received any responses (whether helpful or not!) , then add a short message to let others know that you've at least seen the response (this will also nudge the thread back up the board, serving 2 purposes at once!).

Nudge nudge (wink wink)

Sarah Brilliant thread, thought it needed nudging to page 1 Di

hi. wouldnt it be a good idea if instructions along the lines of this came up on the opening page of this site. would clarify to all new members what is needed. i am sure this would help everyone. are you reading this gc ???? sorry gr . lol. sue.

Hi Sarah What a great thread ,should be compulsory reading for all folks requesting lookups. Mary

Thank you to everyone thats sent a message of support! It really means a lot :) I hope this is beginning to make a difference

nudge

Hi Sarah Thank you for the info especially about the nudge. Regards Maureen

nudge

Its great to see people posting on this topic, thank you!

Thank you Sarah for your tips, I am still new to this and have been guilty of not puting enough details in, i am learning very fast only with the kind help from so meny people on this site. I have even started doing look up's for others, only smiple one's i might like to add. Regards Diane.

Diane - To be honest I think everyone has been guilty of not putting enough details in at some point! I hope that the advice you've had has always been friendly. People who are new to the site are always well meaning and it would be a shame to scare them away. Family history is a great hobby for people of all ages and with it gaining a higher profile on TV etc. more and more people are starting out on the great research journey that it is :) I think my top piece of advice to anyone who happens to be reading is never to be afraid to ask a question. If may have been asked before, but you're not the one who asked it, so you're not the one who got answered :) I think thats what people forget. When people ask a question that others have asked before, its because they weren't there the first time round and you can't penalise them because of it. I wish you all the best with your research and I'm so happy to hear that you've jumped in with both feet and are offering lookups! Believe me, you learn so much doing lookups that you may not have touched on with your own research! You never know if it'll prepare you for future brick walls!

Nudge cos this is important

Sarah, Thank you for your words of encouragement, i can't tell you how much i love tracing my family history al'tho at times i feel very sad at the way they had to live. I also seem to get as much pleasure from helping others with theirs. Regards Diane.

Diane - Tonight I was enjoying one of the side effects of family history research, talking with relatives about the past :) Tonight I sat down with my Mum and got her to read the Scarfe timeline I'd produced. This is my Mum's family so something not entirely alien to her like my Dad's family! I learnt alot about how they were brought up in terms of privacy, the relationship between men and women of the family etc etc. I learnt more about their general attitude towards life. It was absolutely fascinating. If my Grandad were alive I'd love to chat to him about the Scarfe's. Ah well, we can't have everything!

Hi, It helps if you always read through your message before clicking on "add message". It's easy to make spelling and grammar mistakes or errors in dates when you're typing. Reading the message before you post could eliminate a lot of these. Make sure your message says what you want it to say and isn't confusing to the reader. I have real difficulty understanding some messages so cannot help. Gwynne