Staying active

Living Room reader Jackie Waters – founder of Memory Catchers - shares her top tips so you too can get started tracing your own family history:

1) Start from what you already know

Start documenting as many family members as you can. If possible involve your older relatives and other family members and have a good old chinwag! Try to collect as many copies or originals of:

• family records or mementos
• old family photos
• diaries‚ address books‚ letters‚ etc.
• existing family bible or tree 

2) Write everything down

Pretend you are writing your notes for someone else. Scribbles and swirls might mean something to you today but probably won’t work in a couple of years time when you revisit the document!

It’s important to write everything you get‚ even if it doesn’t seem right at the time. It might make sense later‚ when you make new discoveries! In particular concentrate on:

• dates
• names
• references (when and where did you get the record from)

Find out how to write your own memory book.

3) Visit your local library or records office

Don’t be nervous about asking for help. Everyone has to start somewhere and help is always at hand.

It’s also worth asking if there’s a local history group or community college family history course.

4) Get online

Family History is a great incentive to learn your way round computers. There’s so much free help and advice on the world wide web. It can open up your search immensely‚ and really saves on shoe leather!

There are lots of places offering IT courses for older people - find your nearest computer course.

Use internet search engines to find loads of genealogy websites.

5) Leave requests on internet notice boards

Replies aren’t instant‚ but when you get them they can be very productive so this is well worth a try! 

6) Have fun

Jackie says: "If you have not yet dabbled in family history‚ believe me‚ there are wonders awaiting you.

I have made contact with lots of other Wood descendants‚ my kinfolk‚ who have provided so much help and information.

The Wood family tree has now blossomed way back beyond 1700‚ validated at every branch‚ with characters coming alive through books‚ records‚ old photos and graveyard inscriptions!"

If you have any information relating to the Wood family originating fom West Bradford in the 1700s please email Jackie.

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