Genealogy - A History of Genealogy Research

Genealogy Research and Its History

?My great-grandparents would have been incredulous at how very easily genealogy research can be done today with just the click of a mouse! Information that once used to take years of research to discover and compile is now found so quickly.  In days gone by information was verbally passed down from generation through generation relying solely on memory of those doing the recording. When keeping records through writing evolved,  myths were some of the first things recorded and stored on these written genealogy records. Ancient ancestors believed they were children of mythical gods and their family history was born out of a myth. The earliest genealogy research records are based upon myths.

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Genealogy Research and The Bible

One of the more famous bits of genealogy research perhaps is written in the Bible. “So and So begat So and So who lived to be 480 and begat so and so….”  The famous passages from Genesis and the Gospel are often referred to as “The Begats.”  The Bible is often looked at as the genealogy research record of Jesus.  Nearly all the Old Testament characters are somehow related to Jesus Christ.

In wondering why our ancient ancestors bothered with keeping genealogies it more than likely was due to squabbles over inheritances  In the times when the King James Bible was comprised (1611) this would have especially been an issue of contention while countries were under divine right monarchies. In these times people who hoped to have a chance at all of property or a title needed to prove they were related to the recently deceased owner.

The 1900′s

My Aunt Ruth use to take me on genealogy research trips with her in the mid 1960′s in my family’s home state of New Jersey.   In those days it was not possible to do any type of substantial genealogy research unless you traveled physically to the place that your ancestors had lived and died.  Their lives were traced through dusty, faded and quite often illegibly scribbled notes on yellowed, brittle pages in the halls of public records in the town that you thought your ancestors may have once lived in. As you searched for any trace of them and their lives.In the past, two of the very best resources of genealogy research were cemeteries and the family Bibles.  Our ancestors would record all the important family information in the blank pages of their family Bible and pass this book down through the generations.  Family Bibles are true gems to genealogists as they were recorded by the very people they’re researching.

The next best resource was a cemetery headstone.  It was common genealogy research practice o hold a sheet of paper over the headstone and rub it with a pencil to more easily read the information and take it back home where it would then be added to the rest of the genealogy research.

Linda operates an online People Search Engine is an active affiliate marketer,blogger,webmaster,author and current Super Sponsor at Acme/GDI Support Forum helping to “Pay it Forward” by helping others. She enjoys her grandchildren, 5 beloved cats,music,inspirational reading,movies,and lives with her family in beautiful Colorado Springs, CO.

Genealogy – Good online sites for tracking Ancestry tree?

I live in Canada and am interested in using one of those genealogy sites to track personal ancestry. Are there any good “free” online services available for use.

Thanks

Answer
I would recommend that you look at ancestry.com. While it is not totally free it does help.