New skills can help search family history

May 24 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

AS THE saying goes, the wise man knows he knows nothing. You might think you’re a family history expert, but as with any subject there are always new skills to learn.

Broadening your abilities will eliminate the need to call on expert help at various stages of your research, and will also give you an excuse to indulge your hobby a little further.

Brush up on the following areas and you are on your way to becoming a bona fide authority.

HOW TO DATE AND CLASSIFY ANTIQUES:

Was that family heirloom really handed down from your great- great-grandmother, or is it a more recent family acquisition?

Did a relative really send back a treasured piece of family furniture from India? Gen up on your antiques knowledge and you’ll soon be able to get a fuller picture of your family’s past.

A good book to invest in is The Complete Guide To Antiques, by Martin Miller, published by Carlton Books (2003), priced £35.

HOW TO USE YOUR SOFTWARE:

You may have splashed out on the latest version of some fancy-looking kit but do you know how to use it, or get the most from it?

Contact the Society of Genealogists at www.sog.org.uk for details of its lectures on various brands of software.

You can find online learning tools for most of the major packages, and look around on community sites for tips from other users.

HOW TO READ OLD HANDWRITING:

There is nothing more annoying than indecipherable script on a long searched-for document.

You’ll probably develop this skill as your research progresses, but pick up some pointers by following the online tutorial at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/palaeography

HOW TO CORRECTLY LABEL FAMILY MEMBERS:

Do you know the difference between a second cousin once removed and a first cousin twice removed?

Probably not, but you’ll need to get a handle on these terms for a better understanding of your family tree. Log on to anthro.palomar.edu/kinship/glossary.htm for a useful list of the terms used to describe kinship.

HOW TO “READ” OLD PHOTOGRAPHS:

Learn how to date old photos from fashions and other give-aways, and you could shed new light on an event or identify an unknown person.

You can find out more about dress through the ages from a variety of sources, including books, lectures and courses, but a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (www.vam.ac.uk) or The Fashion Museum (formerly The Museum of Costume) in Bath (www.fashionmuseum.co.uk) could be an engaging diversion.