Genealogy and Tracing your Family Tree

Introduction to Genealogy and Family History

Genealogy is a fun hobby enjoyed by millions of people across the globe. It has become more and more popular since the Series “Who do you think you are”, a genealogy documentary Tv series where each episode follows a celebrity on a journey to track his/her family tree and “Heir Hunters” a TV series which focuses on efforts to uncover missing or unidentified heirs, entitled to the inheritances of the dead, before the Government siezes the money.

“Genealogy begins as an interest, becomes a hobby, continues as an avocation, takes over as an obsession, and in its last stages, is a consuming passion”. (Author unknown)

What is Genealogy?

Genealogy is the investigation of your unique family history and the process of doing a trace for your ancestors in times gone by. It is a personal record of your ancestors, when they were born and where they lived, who their children were and to whom they wed, and where you belong in your extended family tree.

What is Family History?

Family history is the story of your predecessors lives, tracking the dates of your ancestors’ birthdates and their deaths, the jobs they held, and additionally any other significant details in their lives.

Family History and Genealogy

Family History and Genealogy are very much connected and as you trace your family tree they are often inseparable.

Genealogy is a good way to get more information about your family history and acquire a better and richer understanding of history in general.

It keeps you linked to your roots, provides you a greater appreciation for the family members who came before you, and affords you a greater degree of connection to your existing family members.

Searching for your ancestors and family history and constructing your family tree is a personal detective story, you will learn features about your self that are similar to earlier ancestors

What drives individuals to get involved with genealogy?

• Verify Family Stories – To work out if family stories about their ancestors are right.

• Famous People – To see if they are related to someone famous.

• Historical Event – To get a better understanding of an ancestor’s involvement in a famous historical event.

• Search for Medical Conditions –To analyze the possibilities of getting specific medical conditions that run in families.

• Search for a Family Inheritance –To figure out genealogical proof of a family connection for possible heirs.

• Uncover Birth Parents – To find out the birth parents of an adopted child. Or, to find children given up for adoption.

• Evidence of Paternity – To check the biological father of a child.

• Religious Tenet –To fulfill the tenets of the religion.

• Community History – To document a community history by becoming familiar with the families that started and influenced the community.

• Historic Research – To give insight into history via the scholarly study of a famous family, such as a royal family.

• Heritage Societies –To produce proof of lineage to meet the criteria for a heritage society.

• Safe guarding Family Traditions – To safeguard knowledge of ancestors who contributed to family practices.

• Retain Family Culture – Allowing families that have migrated to another country the opportunity to preserve some of the culture of their homeland.

• Get in touch with Family – To find and reconnect with family members who are still alive.

• Family Legacy – To fulfill a wish to pass on a legacy to future generations.

Why is family history and genealogy important?

Family history and genealogy helps gratify a deep desire to have an understanding of how we fit into the broader world around us. From this perspective, family history and genealogy is more than just a collection of single family threads that go back through time. Genealogy truly is a great journey of many lives joined together from our past, present and future.

The 3 defining questions that are at the foundation of genealogy are also the three questions that major religions around the world are based on.

• The Past – Where do I come from?

• The Present – Why am I here?

• The Future – What is going to happen to me?

Is Family history and genealogy for you?

Did this article raise your curiosity?

Do you like mysteries and puzzles?

Do you wonder where you came from , how you got here?

If you answered YES!..., Genealogy is the hobby for you.

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