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Genealogy research notes

Short, practical guides for family historians: sorting DNA matches, reading old records, interviewing relatives and looking after the photographs and papers you inherit.

One task per note, with a checklist
Methods that work on any platform
General information, not professional advice

Article list

A black-and-white group photograph of three generations of a family

Getting started Start a family tree in one evening Write down three generations, gather the papers in your drawers and set one research question: a calm first evening that gives a new family tree solid footing. 4 min read

Old handwritten postcards with stamps and postmarks

DNA matches Sorting DNA matches into family lines Use anchor matches, shared-match lists and a consistent labelling system to sort thousands of distant DNA cousins into family lines you can research in turn. 4 min read

A worn handwritten ledger with ruled columns and a quill pen

Records Census returns: what each column shows What the address, relationship, age, occupation and birthplace columns of a census return tell you, why spellings wander, and how to record what you find. 4 min read

Old handwritten letters in French, one dated 1897

Family stories How to interview older relatives How to prepare for interviewing older relatives, which open questions bring out stories, and how to turn a conversation into leads you can check in records. 4 min read

A basket of old black-and-white family photographs, including a wedding group

Preservation Scanning and labelling family photos Scanner settings, a file-naming pattern, captions that stay with each image and storage habits that protect the original prints in a box of old family photos. 4 min read

Several old printed maps spread across a table

Places Using old maps to follow a family How parish maps, town plans and gazetteers explain why ancestors seem to move between counties or countries without travelling far, and where to find old maps. 4 min read

Ready to put a note into practice?

Pick one ancestor, one question and one record set. If you would like a DNA test or an online tree to work in, compare the options and their privacy settings first.

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