Genealogy Chat

See Message below please

I started with a folder, with dividers for births, marriages and deaths. That eventually got confusing, so I bought more folders and dividers. I have now divided it into parents, grandparents, g grandparents etc. Within each group I have each family couple together, (2 births, 2 deaths and 1 marriage) Siblings I have in a separate folder divided into families. Anyone know of a better way please

Hi I have all my BMD's together, in date order...one file with my dad's mums side and the other file with my dad's dads side. Haven't got any from my mums side, yet, as she's French...boo hoo hoo! Tanya in Wokingham

HI I KEEP ALL MY CERTIFICATES IN DATE ORDER AND I HAVE DRAWN A ROUGH FAMILY TREE (THAT I CAN WRITE ON AND AMEND WHEN NECESSARY) FOR QUICK REFERENCE. EACH MEMBER OF THE FAMILY IS LISTED IN A CARD INDEX OR WILL BE WHEN I GET ROUND TO FINISHINGI IT. HOPE THIS HELPS. CHRIS

Well I have just got a million and one bits of paper with all the info I have found, letters I have had from family with bits of info in and they are all just in a big handbag!!! I DO have index cards with all the names, dob, spouse and parents on though, and these are filed in alphabetical order - so I am not all bad! All my certificates are just in the envelopes they came in with scribble on the front so I know which is which! Does this count as a filing system??? I have drawings of the family tree's so I can see who fits where. What I do have however, which helps me a lot, is a sheet with all the same names listed on. Each person with the same name has a number on their card and then I write it down e-g. Frank Casey - 1 - born 1812 Frank Casey - 2 - born 1837 Frank Casey - 3 - born 1874 and so on. This way I can see at a glance which Frank I am working on so I know which years I should be looking at etc - does that make sense??? But for all my messiness, I can always find everything so I guess it's just whatever works best. So long as hubby keeps his hands off (which he does cos he values his life!!) I can find everything. Having said all that, I have just been thinking this morning about getting one of those concertina file holders, to see if I can make some sort of order out of all these bits of paper!! LOL. Now as I see it written down like this, I feel such a failure. Time to get it filed I think!!

I forgot to mention that I am also surrounded by yellow post it notes with useful websites, census dates, info found on certificates etc!!

I do have a system of sorts, but nothing so organised as specific folders for families or anything like that! My index cards are very incomplete. I use coloured biros and paper so I know which branch is which colour - even if it's all messed up I can see at a glance where someone belongs. Fortunately I have a reasonably good memory and can tell you without looking who is who and their birth year.

I bought two ring files, dividers, and plastic pockets (I shall soon need to buy two more!). I've devoted one file to my father's side of the family, and the other to my mother's side. Within each file I've divided it up into the different surnames. At the start of each name, I've put a tree that I've typed up on Word, and I amend it as I go along - in pencil until there are enough alterations to make it worth reprinting. When I find an entry on Family Search, BMD, Ancestry, 1901 or IGI, or if anyone sends me any information from any other source, I print it out and file it in the appropriate section. Any certificates or photographs are filed in plastic pockets at the beginning of the section to which they relate, in date order. And I am still knee deep in pieces of paper, and get in a dreadful muddle when I can't find what I want. Jan.

And I have another folder with all the bits of paper in. Not to mention all the little text files on the computer. And the census images

I file the same as jan a folder for each surname of my immediate four grandparents. Then a divider with the surname for that part of the tree, the deatils are then filed by youngest to oldest in family order which follows the database. I mostly refer to the database rather then the paperwork. Fortunately for me I have a photographic memory and can remember most of the dates, names places etc - very sad I know, but very handy when searching online. Donna

I have a similar system to Jan's. Two folders seperated into mum's parents names and dad's parents names. At the moment any census records, certificates or info given to me by family members regarding people who married into these families are put in with the connecting person. Eg. My nan's maiden name was Hadfield so I have a section for Hadfield that has got bits about Quayle in there because her mum's maiden name was Quayle. Eventually I am going to have to get Lever Arch size folders and devide them into different sections for different names I think as it is starting to look a bit messy and I can't always find things. I have also got post it notes slipped inside the pockets with information on them regarding people who haven't been proved as being the right ones so I am waiting for more proof before sending for certificates and adding them to my tree. I printed out family group pages which help me keep track of some of it too. Mel

My certificates, & receipts, I keep in a large brown envelope in a 2 section rack on my desk for easy access. I recently found 2 plastic accordion files with handles on top and 26 sections divided into 2 of 13 by a stiff plastic divider. I keep one for mum's side and one for dad's, direct male line at the front, wives and offshoots ie any interesting looking great uncles who've emigrated etc, in the rear section. I keep all my notes, as yet undecideds, etc at the very front of each section. With the handle on top it makes it easy to carry around or to the FHC. I have another smaller plastic folder in which I keep tips, my PRO notes, and other assorted useful stuff. I only started this recently as I was getting so confused and frustrated looking for things. Life is so much simpler now. Di.

I use folders for my mothers side of the family, separate one for fathers side and include all certificates and information, newspaper cuttings etc. photographs with descriptions of who,when and where in each one. I've even started a separate one starting from when I was born right through to my granchildren,where we've lived, pets etc. All makes for an interesting potted history of my family that hopefully my kids will enjoy. Mary Brooke

As soon as I receive a certificate, I photocopy it, so I only use the photcopy, as all the certs that I have, as some are originals, are kept it a box folder. I keep all my copies in the folder that is relvent to the side I am searching, ie, Walton = gt granny(mothers side) Moralee, gt grandad (mothers side), Buddell (fathers side) and so on. Totally unorganised person, but there again I am a Librian!!!! totally unbalanced!!! Kim

I bought a big box file complete with twenty folders about 3 months ago. I've since used it as a paperweight to hold down my pile of certs, census printouts, bits of paper with very important things scribbled on them, etc.

Have this year got organised!! I got certificate folders/inserts/paper for Xmas last year (from S&N genealogy). Then I have a lever arch file with census prints/transcripts in surname order. My main info is on the computer in family tree maker. A ring binder for all the family pages divided by generations - always male line first so my Jennings stuff (Dad's name) comes first and mum's mum's etc comes last. Then a lever arch for Familysearch prints - proved and unproved in family name sections. 2 box files of various info e.g. churches, cemeteries, maps, photos etc separated in plastic wallets. Then piles of books, magazines etc and always a box file, notebook and pile of stuff I've still got to input and file away. Took a long time to sort out, but well worth it as I can now find things so much easier, and when you sort you spot things which either fall into place or prompt more research. Have just had computer fixed after hard drive crashed - was very lucky and someone saved my FamilyTree Maker stuff. Will now be backing it all onto CD - won't take the risk again!! Maz. XX

Here is one for the Christmas list...... I keep mine in a certificate binder, (17 1/2 x 10 3/4 ins) choice of three colours price £10.90, you buy the poly pockets or polyester pockets to put inside, each will hold two certs back to back, 40 pockets to a folder. Supplier is in Southampton, will email address to any one who wants it. They also do binders for photos etc, so Dear Santa.............. Anne

Hi Anne Could you please email me the address for the certificate holders. I could then start writing my christmas list so I can finally get myself a bit organised. I have everything in a briefcase at the moment, was my birthday yesterday and had a big box thingy with lots of folders. Its just finding the time to sort it all out, theres to much to look at on here. Debbie

When I started to research my family history, I decided I did not want to spend unnecessary money on software for keeping all my records on computer. So I down loaded the LDS family tree, PAF 4, to put all my findings onto. While trying to work out how to use this, I discovered that they had a really interesting piece on the best way to file all of the papers etc., that I would eventually end up with, as eveyone knows this can amount to alot, so I printed off the info, and now I have a totally organised filing system. I have two black plastic boxes with handles with hanging files, and file folders inside to hold all notes, BMD certs, wills, etc., and also extra hanging folders for holding files for all of the notes etc, that I have not had time to look at yet, and to then be filed into the correct family name. Each family name has it's own colour, and siblings have the same colour but a star or dot intead, so you know they are not direct descendants. Also I have added into each family file folder there pedigree chart, and other charts that I have printed off of the LDS. All sounds complicated but once you get going it's really easy. Before this I had notes in a ring binder, but got totally confused. Now I also have the same info from my big black boxes in a index box set up in the same way, which I keep next to the computer for easy access. I really have got so much out of the LDS website and family tree, that I would recommend it to anyone. Amanda

mine are in a filing system known only to me (a mess) but i can go to any one straight away ask hubby to find one and he can't without getting in a strop. sue