Genealogy Chat

I am currently trying to write a book using FTM, for my father as a present for his birthday. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I can put into it to bulk it out? Obviously I have pictures from the box of family stuff, only of the more recent generations, but what else can I put in?? Emily.

maps and photos of churches Heather

Hi Emily-----what a lovely idea. You could do a breakdown of family surnames and their origins, using maps showing distribution geographically of names. Also Google surnames for family crests---there are loads on the web. Places of work----look them up on net---often find old photographs of towns and villages etc. Hope these inspire you!! ---Pam---

something to do with occupations

Anymore?

a timeline Snowdrops

Hi Emily, How about descriptions of villages from things like White's Gazeteer. It gave a general description & list of traders etc.. (with small villages that often means YOUR family). If you have anything from Norfolk, there's a site that has photos of village name boards - often really old & a bit whacky (do you know what I mean? - signs similar to pub signs) Great idea sarah :-)

I googled the names of the villages my lot were in & was surprised what info there is out there. Genuki sometimes has useful links and information too. Some of my ancestors came from within the Northumbrian National Park so there is obviously a vested interest in tourism there. The place my 4xgt grandfather lived is now a holiday let! And I found a photo of a pub one of my gt uncles had. But I have other ancestral villages in the middle of nowhere (not the ordinary sort of touristy area) where some kind souls are so proud of their villages heritage that they built a web site for it LOL My problem now is not so much what to put IN my book, as what to leave out!

schools they went to if known, any family customs/traditions, if anyof them came from London, Charles Booth did a social survey and wrote descriptions of the streets and classified them according to 'class'. just google Charles Booth Notebooks.

Hi Emily, I use photographs in my family tree presentation [book]. Perhaps you could visit all the houses where your ancestors have lived in the past, and take a photograph. Maybe the school they attended - the church where they were married - where the worked - anywhere really with a family connection. Not to mention photographs of your ancestors themselves! Its surprising just how many houses still are standing, and lived in by persons unknown - I have visited such places, and have been noticed taking photographs in the street - once you explain most people are interested in who lived in their house 100 years ago - some have invited me inside! Once you start, you will be amased just how much you can put into a family tree book. Incidentally, I use FTM - in my opinion it's the best programme around David

If i may ask a question,how would you write a section about a village,or an extract from a Gazetteer and put it into a book? One of my branches are from Norfolk and i can see heaps that i could add,but how would it be don?As notes added to the 'head' of the family or can you put notes in a book without 'attaching' them to an individual? Glen

hiya emily, how about census returns for the families??? just a thought Julie

Hi Glen Turnip pants I thought more of saving the gazetteer stuff in word docs & then interleaving them with the FTM stuff. Oh, I wonder if the 'scrapbook' bit would take a word doc... just popping off to have a look... Sarah :-) YES, you can! - go to 'individual scrapbook' & 'insert object' - the choice of objects includes Word docs But, who would you put your village information onto - the oldest ancestor in the village? and how would you find it again?

My point exactly,but what i really want to do is to produce a book about the village for my homepage,a lot of the family in one line are listed in Whites' 1843 and 1854,and the marriages link into another well documented family in the village. I need an idiot proof VERY low tech solution,but the Norfolk links i could add would be worthwhile. Oh well 4.30am start so it's bedtime(well she needs a lift to work anyhow),will have a peep back in the morning. If anyone want's to pm a possible solution i would be grateful Glen

Photos of pubs, clubs,organisations, churches or schools he attended. Various places he worked or lived. Favorite holiday locations. Old friends (try Friends reunited). An old photo of his favorite football team/club. A favorite poem or hymn. A lovely idea! TGx