Genealogy Chat

I was lucky, we had A3 handbooks for some equipment at work that were being thrown out. I salvaged these and bought some A3 transparent envelopes to hold the certificates. Martin

I print out a family record group and file it in a plastic sleeve. Behind this, I put the marriage & death certificate of the parents and the birth (& sometimes death) certificates of the children. Then when a child gets married, I start a new family record group for them. The main problem I have is knowing which order to keep the plastic sleeves! I have also kept a 3 page excel spreadsheet on my PC, detailing all the birth/marriage/death certificates held, plus the GRO index details of certificates I have not (yet) ordered. Carole

Lyla, I am trying to do what you are doing, I have bought this huge old fashioned style Photo album (it looks really tastie) where you get these little sticky paper things I have the certs in a plastic wallet stuck to the page (they are in plastic to protect them from the sticky things), when you turn the cert over to the actual page there is information on that person, the people I am still researching (my headaches & brick walls) are in a separate place as unknowns (I have many of these, no birth, marriage or death certs), they are going to be put on the blank meaning no certs with pages, I have left room for them in date order as I am going back from my Mum.(Mind you I have only gone back to the late 1700's) Hope all this makes sense, but it works for me whatever works for you is the way to do it, all the names are relevant as at the beginning of this big book there is a list of all names I have found so far. At the back will be an index (but knowing my luck this will be incomplete as well). Good luck Pat x

Thanks for all your input, with a bit of luck I shall soon be organised.

Carol I agree that you have to decide what works best for you. My system - huge ring binders - one for each set of great-great grandparents and their descendants, has all the rough notes, printouts etc. Then I am beginning to do "neat" sheets with verified information, coupled with some biographical notes, in ringbinders for each surname. Certificates have worked so far - I have clear plastic A4 booklets which hold about 20 each (40 if backed). I have one for births, one for deaths, one for marriages on my dad's side, and one for births, one for deaths and one for marriages on my mum's side. They are arranged chronologically. nell

Mine are in strict date order, in a non-pvc certifice binder with safe polypockets so they should last a long time. Recommend buying these direct from manufacturers rather than from FRC etc - saves pounds. I don't think it matters what convention you use for filing, so long as it works for you and you are consistent. Angela

Put certificate folders on your Xmas list! S & N (they advertise in the mags) do special binders with proper acid free clear plastic wallets (so the certs can't get stuck to them) for about 15 quid each. I got 2 for Xmas and have births and marriages in one, deaths in the other. I file each generation together, with a typed list at the front so I know where to find each one - file them in whatever order suits you best! Maz. XX

Hi All, I keep my certificates in certificate binders available from the family records office shop (also available from by mail order from the people who sell data cd's ) I have dividers in the binders with the surname of each family, so I can find the certs quickly. With marriage certs I file them under the mans surname. I also have A4 binders for each surname where I store additional info such as census pages, IGI print outs and any other info that relates to that surname. Michele

Now that we all have computers, why not file things in strict order of receipt. Put it in a plastic wallet if necessary, with a little number in a right hand corner. You just use the number as a reference in your sources. If you take it out, you can refile it very easily. You keep a master sheet to indicate what each number contains, and write on the back of each item whether you have noted it against each ancestor. I used this system when I started out, and it worked like a dream. I could see the way my mind was working at any time and everything was kept up to date. Then I attended a lecture and learned that this was the wrong way to do things. Well, I tried to follow the method suggested, and it did not work for me. Now my notes are in disorder, I have piles of photocopies getting dog-eared while I work out what to do with them, and not a snowflakes chance in hell of ever sorting it all out! Brenda

As the song goes. If I only had time, maybe, time.

Lyla, I'm impressed!!! All my certificates and bits of paper are in plastic documents but just one for each surname. There is loads of rubbish in them as well. I don't seem to ever get organised. I love the idea of writing out a sheet for everyone but I never seem to have the time. Maybe. I should stop reading these boards so much and actually get myself organised. Kath

Sounds a good idea Lyla, I will try it.

What is the best way to file certificates. Family group, date order, alphabetical order, and if alphabetical where do you put marriages.