EMMA STAFFORD

MANY people like the idea of looking into their family tree but often feel they don’t have the time. As we face into further weeks of self isolation and social distancing, the time is ripe for dipping a toe in the genealogy pool.

With a number of important sources of information going online in recent years, it’s never been easier to start tracking down your ancestors.

Before delving into the records, spend time compiling the information that’s already available.

Call older relatives and see what details they can remember; in this time of isolation and distancing, it’s a fantastic reason to touch base with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins or anyone else you may not have spoken to in a while. Write down any stories or family legends they can share; while these will no doubt have been embellished or confused over the years, there’s normally a grain of truth at the heart of them.

If you know of any family graves, pay a visit to the graveyards and take down the information on the headstones (if they’re outside your 2km limit, put it on the ‘to do’ list for when the current restrictions are eased). Also have a look at the graves nearby – multiple graves with the same surname side-by-side can indicate a family connection, while a headstone with different surnames within your plot may reveal some in-laws of long ago.

If there’s someone in your family who kept hold of memory cards, you’ve hit the jackpot. Not only do these provide a date of death, they can also include where a person lived, where they are buried and/or a photo. Numerous cards with the same surname and from the same area could hint at a family connection, while very old cards must have been important to have been passed down from generation to generation.

If some old family photos have notes on the back, these can help put faces to names but may also give you a name or location of interest.

Armed with this information, it’s time to start searching. Before you do though, an important tip: write down everything. Detailed notes will stand you in good stead further down the line and save you doing the same thing twice. Make a list of searches you’ve carried out; jot down baronies, electoral areas and townslands/streets; and take note of all results in a name search – you may not think they’re related to you but, once you’ve gone back a few generations, you might discover a link. At worst, you’ll get a picture of other families in the area sharing your surname.

Many people begin their search with the census returns from 1901 and 1911, which are available online through the National Archives (www.census.nationalarchives.ie). The search facility allows you to enter the details of a known ancestor while the browse function will let you look at the returns by townland and see all the families living there.

Finding your ancestor living with family members opens up a range of other investigative opportunities. If they are a child living with parents, you’ll learn their parents’ names and ages. A handy addition to the 1911 census was the inclusion of the number of years a couple are married, the number of children born and the number of children still living, although these are normally only filled in if both parents are still living. The age of your ancestor and their siblings means you can start looking for their birth cert which will provide an accurate date of birth as well as the mother’s maiden name.