Genealogy Chat

You have to do what's easiest for you. I personally have a fan family tree chart at the front of both my male line/female line in large binders and go in strict generation order using a numbered index sheet on which I've entered the names of each couple. This also helps as I have many with the same name. I put couples together with all the information about them and their other children in plastic pockets in the file in strict order birth/marriage/death census plus any bdm's of other children of the couple. Male child (1st generation) His parents (2nd generation) Grandparents (3rd generation) Great grandparents(4th generation) Great Great grandparents (5th generation) all strictly in order of the fan chart ie father/mother of male then father/mother of female. When I have the birth, marriage and death's confirmed I highlight the name on the Fan Family Tree chart and add the dates so can see at a glance what's missing. In order to have a consolidated file to refer to - I have an A4 file which holds only Family History Sheets and Fan Family Tree chart. This is where every snippet of information is condensed to. The Family History Sheets I downloaded from the Family Tree magazine downloadable forms webpage and are very clear and plenty of room. For each couple I have their bdm information - also their parents names - children and any other marriages. On the back I've put all the addresses they've lived at and year and occasion ie census - birth - marriage - death and occupations even witnesses at their wedding and it helps not having to lug big files around. The rest of the paperwork is put into surname cardboard folders as often bits of paper relate to several generations of the same name and its easier to have a look through occasionally in case you've missed some snippet or other.

At the moment I've got 3 lever arch files, one each for my side and wife's side, with alphabetical index separators, so each surname goes in it's place. The third file just has general information, record office addresses; tips leaflets; catalogues, etc. There is a fourth file for one family I am researching jointly with several other members. Certificates are separate, once again mine and hers.

Hi As you say, filing on the pc is easy but paperwork is a .............. During the last 12 months, from starting with one file and one pad of paper, I must have changed my filing system 6 or 7 times due to the piles of paper getting larger and larger. I have now found that the best system for me is: A lever arch file for main families and an ordinary A4 file for surnames that I may research sometime in the future. Each file has a divider for each generation. I am generation 0, my son generation -1 and my dad +1. Each person within that generation has a name sheet with details of birth, marriage, death, parents and children etc, these are in acid free plastic covers. At the front of each file is an index sheet with generation no. name, dates etc for easier look ups. I also have a notebook for website addresses and passwords, another for my daily tasks and lastly one for notes as I go along that maybe useful in the future. You will find that everyones system is different and you will adapt as time goes by. I hope this helps. Little Lil

How do you all keep your paper copies of your family trees - do you keep folders for individual family names? Starting a new tree every time a new name arrives? Easy on the computer but all the paperwork with the different sides of the families gets very mixed up at times. Any good tips???