So, I've got 700 or so names in our family tree. Sounds good doesn't it?
The only problem is that for most of them all I know is that they were on a census at some point or that my mum remembers a distant cousin. The majority are actually not direct line ancestors but collateral ancestors.
Luckily I've already been through once and made sure that I have a source for each fact but I feel like I need to add more focus to my research.
So, I'm getting organised and using folders (I think they are called notebooks in the States?) for surnames, then filing each family and associated documentation in their own section. This should mean that if someone says "What do you know about the family of Daniel Guthrie and Jane Loughridge?" I'll be able to go to a file and show them all the information in one place. This is based on the postings in DearMYRTLE.
It is difficult to leave behind some of the interesting stories I've started to uncover on distant relations but I can always come back to them in the future.
Oh, yes - getting organized is the bane of the genealogist's existence, and the more you do and farther back you go, the harder it will be to stay organized (and this comes from someone with folders, binders, and loose papers all over her office).
ReplyDeleteI'm going through the same process right now, only I've chosen to begin using a new genealogy software and am inputting only data for which I have a very reliable source. It is slow-going but very meaningful work. The best to you in your efforts!
ReplyDeleteLisa
100 Years in America
Small-leaved Shamrock
A light that shines again
Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture