After investing years of time and energy in the research of your family, you’ll want to ensure the story you uncover stands the test of time. Future generations of your relatives will enjoy and take pride in their heritage, but only if it’s there for them when you no longer are. Our family histories are treasures, and should be preserved as the valuable items they are. Maybe you’ve even used research done by another relative who preceded you. What if …
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Constructing a family tree is the basic goal of analysing genealogical data – using vital records, census reports, and other documentation to compile individuals into a family. A one name study will include other analysis such as geographical patterns of names, spelling variations, and uncovering the connections between migration patterns and spelling variations, which can be very involving, but extremely interesting. Analysing the different forms of data you encounter will enable you to distinguish between genuine spelling variations, and those …
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Data collection is both the most tiresome part of a one name study, and the most important. You’ll need to amass as much information as you can find regarding your surname and keep an accurate record of its sources. You will use many of the same resources as you would for a family tree project, albeit you will apply it in different ways. The same principles apply; you are encouraged to verify any information before publishing it in your study, …
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There is no set way to commence a one name study, as there different variations one can employ. There are set methods that have proved effective over the years however, and the following is based on the best practices employed by a variety of ONS researchers. The first thing you might want to do is determine how rare or common your surname is, and how it has been distributed throughout the country you live in. Later you can expand your …
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When I first began genealogical research I came across what was referred to as a “One Name Study.” (ONS) As a beginner I had no idea what it was or the potential value it could have to my own research. After looking into the subject I realized that it was both an interesting undertaking and a very valuable genealogy tool and resource. Though not for everyone, there are aspects of a one name study that can be of value to …
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We’ve had quite a few new genealogists joining us here at ObituariesHelp.org, and I wanted to welcome them with a brief recap on how to formulate a family tree. We as experienced genealogists remember (I hope!) how daunting a task tracing your family history seemed at first. Where do I start? Who do I look for first? Where do I look? These are just a few of the questions that revolve around your brain when first considering a genealogical project. …
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There’s nothing more satisfying than finding your ancestor in a digital database, archive or other record collection, especially if the document you found is packed with valuable genealogical data. That is indeed cause to celebrate, but some researchers are content to stop there. Many documents and databases have hidden information however, and if only you learn to “turn the page,” you could begin another chapter in your family history. What I mean by turn the page is simply to look …
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After recently attending the funeral of a friend, I spent some time reflecting and walking amongst the graves looking at tombstone inscriptions. One can’t help but wonder when viewing tombstones what kind of a person the deceased was, what they did for a living, what their family life was like and that sort of thing. At least I can’t anyway, and if you’re even a bit like me, you might also wonder what some of those illegible inscriptions once said. …
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