By Megan Harrison
Have you considered researching your family history, but are hesitant because you think you’ll just be finding a few names and dates? Well, think again. As someone who has been researching their family history since the age of 12, I’ve learnt that genealogy is far more than just the basics. There’s a wealth of skills that you can pick up. Here are some of the hidden abilities you can pick up along the way.
Research Skills – Being The Ultimate Detective
When you start to explore your ancestry, you soon realise that it is far more than just gathering some facts. You get to put on your detective hat and conduct a full-on investigation. Think certificates, censuses, newspapers, photographs, and so much more. There’s an array of information out there, each part becoming a piece of the puzzle in your ancestors’ lives. As your journey into genealogy deepens, you soon learn how to analyse evidence, sift through records, follow different leads, and spot patterns.
Presentation Like A Pro
Whether you’re working on your own tree, researching something for family or friends, or doing professional work, presentation is key. This could be in the form of drawing a tree, writing up a complex ancestor journey, or presenting your work to someone else.
Getting To Grips With Geography
If you’re like me, as soon as you discover a new location in your family tree, you’ll be straight onto Google Maps (or historical maps if it’s a place that no longer exists). By mapping out where your ancestors come from and any moves they made during their lives, this improves your geography knowledge of the country or potentially further afield.
Historical Document Genius
One of the most exciting aspects of starting your family history research is discovering historical documents. If you’re new to working with older records, though, this can be a bit of a headache at first, especially if the writing is hard to read. Never fear though! Practice makes perfect. Familiarising yourself with documents and looking at similar records and patterns in writing can all help. For more tips, check out the Family Wise blog on deciphering old handwriting. You’ll be well on your way in no time.
Organisation Extraordinaire
When you’re new to research, it is tempting to get stuck in and scrawl any notes on bits of paper and random notebooks as you go along. However, this will soon be your downfall, as you will soon realise you can’t find the information you have recorded! Genealogy is a great way to flex your organisational muscles. Whether you save details to a tree on platforms such as Ancestry or FindMyPast, or create your own system on spreadsheets or documents, organisation gets you a long way in your research.
Summary
So, the next time you think family history research is just about dusty dates and faded names, remember it’s also a great lesson in practical skills. From detective work to presentation skills, from geography to analysing and organising documents, genealogy improves your mind in surprising ways. Who knows? The greatest discovery you make might not be an ancestor’s story, but the new talents you find in yourself.
