Ancestry Research, explanations, steps, and order — all are important for Our “three-legged-stool method” searching
If you want to know (and sometimes, indeed most times you do not need to know the why) the methodology essentially “how to do it” as opposed to the “why We do it this way” read on. If you don’t want to know the “why”, go back to the front page:
To start searching the most basics or fundementals are where We start the first caveat is: TALK TO YOUR LIVING RELATIVES, NOW! DO NOT PUT IT OFF AS THEY KNOW MORE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE ! Many times One gets “I do not know anything” or essentially a “blow off.” You have to work through that and We would suggest you just keep talking about, When and Where (“Where” were you born, what is the fist memories, ect..). If you gather all that is known from your Living Relatives, it will save tons of time, money, and sweat later. Record it (if at all possible) so you can go back and refer to it at later time. Remember, as Humans We all die, and We wish We could go back and ask our Aunts, Uncles, and GrandParents things, but We can not do so today.
Talking about Ancestry over several visits (as no one remembers everything at once) is best. Think about doing this for a month, then every two months on Monday (or something similar) and having Tea with them (as usually one has to get the memories flowing)– as, if your Relative KNOWS your coming back might be thinking on it over the past week(s) and remember one of those old events they were at, dig out some old photos, and the end result is you get tons of new information, so the regular, repeated visits are best and do not forget, these are your most Cherished Ancestors, treat them good ! Keeping visits short can be important if long sittings bother them, but being prompt, and punctual, is a smart strategy ! As is bringing their favorite treat or some electronics to (give) teach them might also be an idea. What would you like somone to do when you get their age ask yourself (you will get there believe me)!
Once you have started gathering facts for building your THREE LEGGED STOOL RESEARCH METHOD® you should have several leads (and lists) of Your Ancestors to start running down using free online sources as much as possible — some of the best resources now are open source — but Ancestry.com (and others) are certainly gobbling them up all the time, and Ancestry now is the proverbial “800 pound gorilla” in this space. They are best doing the MONTHLY FEE (NOT The yearly fee discounted a few cents) — Get in and do your research and cancel your subscription . We do NOT suggest people be cajoled bythe websites payment page into choosing the ongoing subscription (even with the slight decrease in price) because who does Ancestry Research full time as a Family member? THEY Love the ongoing fee coming out of your bank account…..not too sure you do. Get in and do research and cancel so you can work through what you have done- you can always re-subscribe. And remember your able to keep access to the message boards even if you are not paying for the subscription access. Often, fellow researchers and posting online locates missing info faster than ancestry databases. Bottom line, be FRUGAL. This is a marathon, not a sprint !
No One ! Well, except the PROS, so not need to keep paying Ancestry month-after-month ! Use them fervently for a month, download everything onto thumb drives — then cancel.
You can use the next few Months to go through what you donwloaded in your paid Ancestry month — as it usually takes time to work through it — then you repeat. We have been doing this for over a decade and it works for Us saving a ton of money that is directed to ordering CERTS —
as it had too much in it for being on the front page — We created the “three-legged-stool®” approach to searching Irish Ancestry that CAN AND DOES work for most that are not experienced researchers. It subscribed to the KISS method (Keep it simple stupid) as it uses the most comprehensive Irish Records and works backwards.
Obviously if the entire Family and all cousins had left Ireland by the time any of the three records were done, not much will be found — BUT how often does an entire Family, with all their extended Family, leave all at once? Probably odds are in the millions to one — so it works. Most is based on the 1901/1911 Irish Census. IF you cannot find anyone in your EXTENDED FAMILY in the Census, your going to have to work the older records, as they are called “census substitutes” for a reason – not much else exists….
Announcement : that the Kilmacteige Parish Microfisches with many Baptisms and Marriage listings:
http://kilmacteige.com/?page_id=39
IRELAND WIDE RECORDS FREELY SEARCHABLE/ INDEXED !
Search (and retrieve) existing Ireland Ancestry Records for Ireland (except Northern Ireland) – We have our main interest in researching South Sligo area, centering on Kilmacteige Parish (around Aclare, Co. Sligo), but also research adjoining and close-by Lands, Townlands, and in County Mayo (including Swinford, Kiltimagh, Killasser, Killedan (Gallen Barony) and both RC and CI Parishes – but mainly RC and in Kilmacteige. We have essentially expanded research to cover 20+ miles (35+ kilometers +/-) area around Kilmacteige Parish, in the quest to discover records of Our Ancestors – we hope by posting them online these records (which we copy ALL records not just the surnames we are interested in) we might help others.
THE REASON for searching the adjoining areas is that, if you think about it, before the advent of Bicycles and Autos, past People did not have such comfortable, fast, and powered transportation. Generally speaking, most (prior to the 1940s) People never ventured more than than 10 miles or so from their Homes (or Birthplace). It is only in the past 50-70 years that Humans have been some easily mobile over long distances in short periods of time (I do not enevy researchers in the future given our present mobility worldwide)!
So, most Marriages, Births/Baptisms, and finally, Deaths, were generally within the 10+/- mile radius (and usually much less like adjoining townlands or villages) of their Homes. Some did move large distances due to events like War (Cromwell, in Ireland of the 1649-1655 period), catastrophic events (Potato Famine 1845-1850) – but in times of peace – post 1945 period to present –most stayed to the small area, generally, surrounding their Homes.
So, when searching for Ancestors, a good grasp of local, and over-all History is needed. The records that were collected in Ireland, are (generally again, which We hate to keep posting but exceptions exist to all these statements) mainly post 1864. In Kilmacteige, many Church records were started around 1845 (th Parish Priests might have been in contact with Associates in England, when they had started keeping “major Christian-Life event records” around 1839.
The 4 or 5 major Christian Life Events for Roman Catholics and Protestants are the same: 1) Baptism, 2) Confirmation, 3) Marriage, 4) Births, and 5) Final Rights or Death.
These were recorded in Parish Church records. Then Civil Parishes kept records as well and it is important NOT to exclude these civil records (like Land Purchases, or Leases “for 3 lives” (in Ireland), as well as other major events including Courts (such as “Quarter Sessions” and “Petty Sessions”). One wants to make sure they leave no stone unturned.
So, to start, We/YOU want to start by throwing a very “wide net” and find any and all records and references that were recorded (and are now, generally, indexed for easy searching.
“BMD”‘s are defined as: Birth (Baptism) Certificates, Marriage Certificates, and Death Certificates.