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An Introduction 
to GENEALOGY

by Larry Cardwell

Whoever you are, your family history will be very interesting, and quite unique.  Researching your ancestry is the perfect hobby - bringing you a lifetime of enjoyment.  You will make new friends with the same interest and find distant relatives you did not know you had. You will also discover places, trades and historical facts you did not realise you were connected with. Within a short time you will begin to picture the lives of the ancestors you have discovered - the area and sort of home they had, their occupations and how their children grew up. Were they glass workers, mariners, miners or shop keepers ?  There will be marriages, births, and tragic deaths. Who stayed in the area and who left to find a better life elsewhere?  Genealogy will become an important part of your life, and your family history can be passed down from generation to generation. A unique priceless family heirloom.

Where do you begin?

At the outset the task might seem daunting, but you will enjoy every exciting step.  There are some VERY important rules to remember. 

NEVER work forwards in time, only back.  Always be certain of your direct ancestry, NEVER guess. One small error can find you researching someone else's family history.

Finding out what your relatives, especially the elder members of your family remember is the best way to get started. Jog memories by asking for names, dates, places etc..  Ask them to write the details down for you, or do it yourself.  Give them time to think, and go back with more enquiries.  Contact relatives living outside your area, and ask them to send you any information they might have. Write any details down, don't rely on your memory ( you'll soon have too much to remember ).  Make sure you record the source of any information you are given.  This will assist you later on if you ever need to confirm any of the details.  Most elderly relatives will enjoy telling you what they remember.  Apart from names, dates, places etc.. write down family stories, traditions such as recipes, old remedies and so on. Ask to see old photographs, family bibles, diaries.  Birth, marriage and death certificates hold a great deal of information, i.e.:- A birth certificate will tell you the name, place of birth and date, as well as  both parents names, age, and fathers occupation. Ask to borrow them and copy what you can, or scan or photocopy them.  Any printing company will be happy to make you a good copy of photographs for a small fee.  Show them to other family members, it may jog their memories.  You could discover that someone else in your family has done some research before you!

ALWAYS RETURN WHAT YOU BORROW, IT'S NOT YOURS TO KEEP

Compiling your Family Tree

Having collected some information from your relatives etc... you can now begin to compile a family tree.
Beginning with yourself, work backwards.

Below are three types of research you can work on.

1. Collecting only direct ancestors (no brothers or sisters). Set yourself a target of say five generations which will give you all 16 of your Great Great Grandparents.

2. Collect as many family members of one surname as you can, developing into a one-name study or narrowed down into a 'Line Pedigree'

3. Total Ancestry, which means for every family member you discover you then search for their parents and siblings, creating an 'all in one family tree'.

Always use CAPITAL letters when recording surnames.  When recording place names, add the County too (e.g.. Knottingley, Yorkshire).  Did you know there are 5 Twyford's, 11 Stretton's and 30 Middleton's in England alone!!

Now that the foundations of your research are set, you might like to extend your interest and visit one or all of the following places to gather further information.

1. Knottingley Library. Tel 01977 722450 for opening hours.
Here you will find Census, Birth, Marriage and Burial records for Knottingley, Pontefract and the surrounding areas.

2. Pontefract Library. Tel 01977 727692
Holds similar records to Knottingley.

3. Castleford Library. Tel 01977 722085
Here you will find Census, Birth, Marriage and Burial records for Castleford and surrounding areas.  These records are scanned images of the original records on microfiche.  There is only one microfiche reader available and so you will have to book to make an appointment to use it.

4. Visit your local Churchyard(s)
Gravestones can supply information about other family members and generations, giving dates and often other information.

All the above facilities are available FREE for you to use and you could quite easily find ancestors dating back to the 1700's by using these methods