A few “do’s and don’ts” for recording family history information:
- Do not abbreviate names, dates and places.
- Enter the full name: first, middle and last.
- Many family historians record surname/last names in capital letters, enter the last name first: BROWN, William Sylvester.
- For women, record the full maiden name, not a married name.
- Write dates in this format: Day-Month in Full-Year in Full (e.g., 1 June 1921). Recording the date 1/6/21 can cause confusion for other researchers: Firstly, the year ‘21 could refer to any century and secondly, some countries record month/day/year meaning it could be read as 6 January ‘21 by a distant relative who you may choose to share your research with.
- Enter full place names: City, County/State, Country (e.g., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia).
Names
Don’t place any importance on the precise spelling of any names you’re researching. Although spelling matters to us now, before the 1900s extraordinary variations occur in the spelling of names and places. Illiteracy was widespread and names were often recorded by clerks as they heard them.
Adding Family
Be sure to include the brothers and sisters of your direct ancestors. Apart from adding depth to your family history, extended family members might have left behind important records that your direct ancestor didn’t. Often, siblings or cousins will supply a clue that can launch you over one of the brick walls you will occasionally encounter in your direct path.
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