Did you know that with each generation your number of direct ancestors doubles? For example, you have 2 parents, 2x2 = 4 grandparents.
Self
2 parents
4 grandparents
8 great-grandparents
16 great-great-grandparents
32 great-great-great-grandparents
64 great-great-great-great-grandparents
128 great-great-great-great-great-grandparents
512 great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents
1024 great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents
Wow! You have 1024 7th great-grandparents! How many of these have you found?
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Start Searching!
Genealogy always begins with yourself and goes back in time. Some of the online databases charge a fee, some are free. Copies of certificates usually cost. Find out all you can from any living relative. Spread the word you are interested in family history. Ask them to send you copies of things they have. Always offer to pay for the copies and shipping.
Birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, census records, etc. prove your work. Keep an open mind about how the names are spelled. Remember it might not have been your relative writing the information. Also, in the 1800’s spelling your name several different ways meant you were educated.
Direct line means your father, mother, grandparents, great grandparents and so on. Collateral lines are the uncle, aunts and cousins. Search both direct lines and collateral lines.
Use complete a complete date - a 4 digit year. Use town, county, state, not just Fairfield, for Fairfield, California.
- What information do you currently have.
- BMD (birth /marriage /death) records/certificates
- Old Photos
- Family Tree Charts
- Bibles
- Diaries
- Letters
- Report Cards
- Immigration/Emigration
- Homestead papers
- Oral Histories
- Written histories
- Wills​
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