Write it down! - Genealogists' Forum

Phoenix · #1 31-07-13, 07:59

Or file it.
I am actively researching Norfolk rellies and they are tumbling out of the woodwork. I visited the NRO a few years back and bought some photocopies at vast expense for records that were not subsequently put onto family search.

One sheet in particular was groaning with known family. Now I realise there are lots of new rellies too.

Can I find it

I've lots of other things of interest, but if this ever turns up it will be too late for this summer

Asa · #2 01-08-13, 13:39

Another write down thing - a friend of mine has just phoned me from outside Westminster Archives and asked if I needed anything. It can only be a couple of weeks ago that I thought to myself 'I'll have to go to WA for that.' Can I remember what it was? Can I blither. An old friend of mine used to keep a "things to look up" notebook. I wish I did.

Phoenix · #3 01-08-13, 21:18

I have been busily compiling lists of what I have and what I want.... only to turn up a much more accurate list I made donkeys years ago! I always think I'll remember, when in reality I forget as soon as I turn the page.

Olde Crone · #4 01-08-13, 22:47

Years ago, I decided that I would Write It Down and to that end, I purchased several shorthand notebooks so that I wouldn't be tempted to write things down on bits of paper.

What a brilliant idea! So clever! I even date the pages and the front and back covers.

So all I have to do now when I want to know anything is trawl through every page of 33 shorthand notebooks.

OC

Phoenix · #5 02-08-13, 07:45

How I can relate to that, OC! (Though I have no idea of how many books I possess)

In the days when I was virtuous and organised, I then used to go through and x ref everything, making a note in the cover to that effect.

Now I know there's a missing book somewhere. And I'm damned if I can find that, either.

On the other hand, coming across "just in case" notes, particularly manorial is useful. And having bemoaned a lack of wills for one branch, I've just discovered a clump of abstracts I made. (Though I won't remember that in a week or so!)

Chris in Sussex · #6 02-08-13, 09:16

What I now do is record all my 'wants' on the plan page of FTM. This is FTM 2010 but I guess most family history programmes have something similar?

When I enter a new 'to do' task I write down who it is, what I want and most importantly why I want it in the description field. In the category/location field I have set up individual RO/Archive names so I can select the relevant one from the edit box for that person.

This means that when I have the chance to visit somewhere I just look down the category/location column on the task page and can easily identify my wants.

I have found it works for me after years of trying notebooks, index cards and (bad) memory!

Chris

Nell · #7 02-08-13, 13:42

I think the problem is that after we've been doing this for a while we forget which records we've checked and we have hundreds of people to keep track of. That's why I'm glad I've got 5 trees on Ancestry (mine, my ex's, a family connected to my family, a specialised tree concerning the murder events in one branch, and 2 separate families I KNOW are connected to my ex's tree but I haven't yet discovered the links. It's easy to see what info I have by looking online.

But I have a vast number of ring binders and despite best efforts to keep them in order and updated....

Phoenix · #8 02-08-13, 18:46

It's having all the Norfolk records online. I used to do neat sweeps (neighbouring village, within five miles etc). Now I'm finding definite hits ten, fifteen miles away and have masses of new names in the old regions.

And I have had so many systems in my time.

Olde Crone · #9 02-08-13, 21:48

Chris

I even have a shorthand notebook dedicated entirely to "Things To Do".

If only I knew where it was.

OC

marquette · #10 03-08-13, 00:27

I decided to review my PAF tree of over 15,000 people, to see what I needed to find out about each person. So far I have done 104 people !. I used a spare field to note the date of review, so I would know where I was up to. But now I have lost the notes I made of what I needed to chase up - did I make a Word document, an Excel spreadsheet, or just a piece of paper ? oh, well, I can always start over, it should not take long to re-review 100 people.