need some advice please

[womblepatra]

hi there
im in need of some advice, i was wondering what is the best way to keep all my information of my family tree safe.
i have it at the moment on legacy software, which i keep backing the files up,
but im so frightened of losing it all, which as happened before,
so was wondering what is the best paper way of keeping it safe, what is the best filing system to use, i get so lost,
also when doing family trees, is it best just to document ie parents grandparents great grand parents or do i include all the children and their children . ie 6th cousins 6 times removed,

thanks so much
best wishes janet

[Uncle John]

You could keep a copy online e.g. Tribal Pages (I don't but many here do).
I wouldn't even contemplate a paper copy of my actual tree, much too big, but I do keep a lot of raw data on paper (certificates, useful messages from contacts). Some people keep their scribbles and doodles as well but I don't have the space.

What you put in your tree is down to what you want from it. I have chosen to put lots of distant twigs on mine, simply to keep everything in one place.

[BridgetM]

I agree with Uncle John (but I am one who does use Tribal Pages)

I detail my twigs because, sometimes, they are the only clue to a further generation back.

[womblepatra]

thanks for your advice uncle john

i want to keep a paper trail so i can hand it down to my children, (hopefully they will be interested), with technology moving so fast, if i leave it on cd or something, will they be able to see it, say a hundred years from now will cds be still going. oh i know its silly but ive put a lot of work into it and would hate for my descendants to have my cd and it be unreadable in the future.

[Olde Crone Holden]

I put the world and his dog on my tree, because as Bridget says, sometimes it is the twiglets that lead you back to the main branch.
My family did a lot of complicated inter-marrying so it helps me to put them ALL on my tree.

But it's your tree and you can do whatever you like with it.

My main tree is on Tribal Pages. I also have FTM but confess I haven't got very far with that.

I have a comprehensive paper tree as that is the medium I find easiest to work with, being an old dinosaur.

I recently discovered AHNENTAFEL numbers which have made my filing system much easier to negotiate. You can print off a free Ahnentafel chart from Lost Cousins and the chart is self explanatory. (It will only cope with your DIRECT ancestors, but I have adapted the numbering system to take in siblings and their descendants as well)

OC

[Uncle John]

It's highly unlikely that anyone would be able to decode a CD in 100 years, or even that the data would survive. Twenty years ago tape backups were all the rage, but even now people (and I mean big companies) are finding that their backup tapes have deteriorated. All that you can do is hand down your info. to the next generation while it can still be read, and hope for the best thereafter.

[womblepatra]

thank you all for your great advice

[Rachel Scand]

I wouldn't even contemplate a paper copy of my actual tree, much too big

Oh boasting again ! :D ;)


I have most of mine on TP and put any new finds on there (also have MacFamilyTree) but most of the important stuff is in ring binders ... censuses, BMDs, certs, e-mails and scribbled notes

[Little Nell]

What you keep and how you keep it is up to you.

I have my family tree on PAF (free software downloadable from FamilySearch.org - Family History and Genealogy Records) but will probably upgrade to more sophisticated commercial package if someone buys me it for Xmas.

I back it up when I remember.

In addition, I have enormous large ringbinders for each set of grandparents and their ancestors. This is arranged in surname order with family charts and separate individual charts for all direct ancestors plus details I've found for siblings etc - often you can find out more about non-direct folk, but it sheds light on their times.

I also keep photos (which I've also scanned to computer) and certificates here with other documents such as service records, etc. It is a bit of a mess - things are in the right ring binder but not necessarily in order or tidy. This is an ongoing task for rainy days etc. Not sure anyone in my family is that fussed about it, but there's enough here for anyone to pick up where I leave off.

Ex's family tree I did a chart of direct ancestors only and gave it to brother-in-law for Xmas. He and his children seemed interested, so they've got something to work on. I do have a lot of ex's family documents & photos, but I am seemingly the only one who is interested and at least they will be looked after till nephews/niece are old enough to have them passed on, if ex doesn't want them.

[womblepatra]

hi little nell

that sounds like a great way to keep a paper copy, i will give it a go,

i was working out the other day that
there is 1 me
2 parents
4 grandparents
8 great grandparents
16 2x ggp
32 3x ggp
64 4x ggp
128 5x ggp
256 6x ggp
and the numbers just keep getting bigger, how on earth im going to find them all. lol im sure my hubby thinks im nuts,

[Little Nell]

You are nuts, but you are in good company!

Don't worry, there will be plenty of relles who refuse to be found. Also, if you have any illegitimate direct line (I have 2) then that's just a lot of blanks going back endlessly into the past, so that's a lot of paper you've saved!

I am less concerned with going back as far as possible, as I am with filling out the way my ancestors lived. Past your gt x 4 grandparents, things seem too distant to me. My ancestors tended to marry late, so by gt x 4 grands I am in the 18th century.

The key is to do what interests you. If you fancy just following one branch, or one family in a few local parishes, or a line of the same occupation-holders, go for it.

There aren't any rules really, just record where you found what you found - and where you looked and found nothing, to save you looking again!

[JBee]

I keep a paper copy of everything but if you're a member of Tribal pages the forms/charts come up filled in so its just a matter of printing them off. (think you have to pay to get charts, but family group sheets, descendants reports, andeo whatsit makes good reading especially simplified for other family members.

Tribal pages of course, one paid family tree and two free for different trees.

GR too

and I've started a bit on ancestry.

That's also because I want to find connections if poss.

One of my trees haven't found anyone else researching apart from one person in immediate family who shares the same results.

[Hugo]

If you put your family tree on your PC then do NOT keep your backup copy on the same hard disk. A colleague did, his hard disk crashed, and he lost the lot.

I use a memory stick for my backup. There is also a haphazard collection of accumulated hardcopy in ring binders and folders.

Hugo

PS Womblepatra, your hubby is right, you are nuts, but you are in excellent company.

[womblepatra]

thanks to you all again for sharing your tips with me,

im probably being a bit too adventurous when it comes to finding all my ancestors
maybe i should concentrate on the ones with most trail (1800s downwards),
i noticed that some of you said that you try and find out about the lives that your ancestors lead, wondering how to go about this, and wot sort of information i should include.

[Uncle John]

Follow your nose! Some people led very boring lives and others had unusual occupations or moved around the world. Some of us go looking for bankruptcies!

[Jewels]

I was delighted to find that my 2x G Grandad went Bankrupt at least 3 times, and his brother and his uncle. Him and the Uncle were both solicitors who also dealt with other peoples bankruptcies, so am now wondering if they used inside knowledge of the law .........
I have still yet to look into it further, now I have dates I can try to find local newspaper reports or look in the courts records next time I am able to get to the Archives.
It makes things more interesting certainly - you have to go into this hoping to find skeletons in closets............

[Harrys mum]

I am terrified of losing my trees. I back up Legacy with a little flash stick thingy, also have all my files , photos, docs, etc on an external hard drive. (Best thing I ever bought).

One night I was in bed thinking about the house burning down (don't ask) and decided I'd also give my sister a copy of the files. I do have paper copies as well.
I think I also have a personality disorder lol.

[It_Is_I_Leclerc]

I asked the same question about 4 years ago when I started in ernest to put the family together, lots of people gave me valuable info based on their experience etc. What I did was to take what I thought were the best ideas from a number of sources to build what I now think is the best system for me.

I run Roots Magic as my main programme and from that I run a pedigree report, and from that I set up a filing system (both electronic and hard copy) so our grandkids are Generation 1, me & OH are G3 etc.within each "G" are seperate files for each family of that generation.

The info I collect hard copy e.g. Cert's. I scan and put into the electronic folder and visa versa and also upload into "Roots". So I have 3 copies of my tree, The electronic info is on an external hard drive but is backed up once a week onto my PC, the OH's PC and as I have web space I upload onto my providers server.

I know this all sounds a bit OTT but as many will tell you, "you can't put a price on all the hard work and money you spend" and if you were to loose it, well the B*****ation value alone of the above is priceless.

What ever system you choose make sure that your OH or children know how it works, because you never know.

L

[MarionH]

I recently discovered AHNENTAFEL numbers which have made my filing system much easier to negotiate. You can print off a free Ahnentafel chart from Lost Cousins and the chart is self explanatory.
OC

Where did you find the chart on Lost Cousins? I have hunted for one and couldn't find it on there!:(

[Olde Crone Holden]

Marion

Oooh, perhaps they have removed it - I'll just go have a look-see!

OC