So, your family tree isn’t empty, but it’s not overly full either. You have identified a few generations, but there are still some holes. Now what do you do?
You need records. Records, such as birth, marriage, and death, often have the names of parents, a spouse, and children, as well as the dates and places that help tie them to a specific location. Records can help you go from this:
To this:
Here’s how: Choose an ancestor who needs more information. Go from the fan/pedigree chart to the Person’s page in Family Tree. Two helps for finding records are on that page. Both helps use the indexes created through the Indexing Projects. The two helps are Record Hints and Research Help. These records often include other family members missing from the tree that you can add.
Record Hints lists records that are good matches for your ancestor found in indexes. When you click on a link, information from an index will be displayed. If the original document is available, a link is provided to view it as well. When available, this is a fast way to see information about your ancestor.
Research Help goes to a list of possible matches found in indexed records. The list includes spelling variations for names, initials, and other possible ways the ancestor’s name could be found. It also has links to indexed information and original documents when available.
Here are a few steps that can help you find an ancestor’s records using these helps:
- Go to FamilySearch.org and sign in. Then go to Family Tree.
- Choose an ancestor on your family tree. A search is easiest if the ancestor is male with the town/county where born, married, died or lived and an approximate date for birth, marriage, or death. If that ancestor doesn’t have enough information, choose one of the ancestor’s children or grandchildren who do.
- Links to the two helps are on a person’s page.
First check any Record Hints shown in the top box (see 1 below). Clicking the ancestor’s name will show the information from an index with a link (View Image) to the document, if available. To add data to the person’s page and attach the document, click the Review and Attach button. Also add any other family members you find in the document.
Next click on Research Help (see 2 below). Look for your ancestor’s name including spelling variations. These could be your person. To see the index information, click a person’s name or the Details icon (on the right). If an image of the actual document is available, an icon of a camera will be shown on the far right. Click the camera to see the document, such as a census, birth record, burial register, etc. When you find a record for your ancestor, click the Attach to Family Tree button (above the view document link) to add data and tie the record image to the person’s page. Be sure to add any additional family members found in the documents.
As you add new information to your family tree, your new found ancestors can be used as a jumping point for further research. With each piece of new information you find, you will enjoy that exciting feeling of seeing your family tree fill in with many new ancestors.
