When did you last speak to your parents, grandparents or any family member who might know about your family history? What documents do they have, such as photographs and birth certificates? Don't start online searching until you've captured your most readily available source of information.
Conducting the conversation
Consider if this is something you're going to do yourself, or if you'd like to share the project with another family member. Working together with someone close is great fun. It's good to bounce ideas between you, exciting to share surprising discoveries. And if two of you are sharing the work you'll make much quicker progress and costs are halved.
Step 1. Start with you
Take a pencil and notebook and draw a family tree starting with you. Add what you know about each person. Identify gaps or uncertainties in your knowledge. This will give you a framework for discussions with family members.
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Step 2. Fill in the gaps
Speak to family members to discover missing names and details on your family tree. Grandparents may remember ancestors back to a century ago. Write down everything. Include who gave you the information.
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Step 3. Cross check
Use details from one family member to prompt others' memory. Verify what you already have and seek new information. Return to earlier interviewees to see if new information triggers fresh memories and more details.
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Step 4. Take copies
It costs time and money to send for documents. If a family member has some, take copies. This is especially true for photos. If they're unwilling to let you take away to scan, you can get a good image using your mobile 'phone.
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Conducting the conversation
DO
1. Prepare your list of questions in advance. Structure in a preferred order grouped around branches of the family tree to ensure the discussion is logical.
2. Make an appointment for the interview and ensure there are no distractions such as television or other people present. 3. Get the person to start by talking about their own life. 4. Steer the conversation by asking open-ended questions. Say 'Can you tell me about your father?' rather than 'Was your father John Bentham?' 5. Ask for interesting family stories or rumours. |
DON'T
1. Intrude on grief or an awkward subject. Your interviewee has to feel comfortable about the topic being discussed.
2. Record the interview unless you have permission first. 3. Restrict the time allocated for the discussion. Meandering through memories takes time. Allow your interviewee to pause for thought. 4. Let the discussion meander for too long down dead ends. Steer the conversation back to another branch of the family tree. 5. Take everything you're told as fact. You need at least two items of supporting evidence to be sure. |
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