Our second Hints and Tips blog features ten quick tips on research methods.

1 : Make a note of all sources searched, even those which have not returned a positive result.

2 : Transcribe exactly what is written never abbreviate or expand any words.

3 : Note the date you accessed the records and what the records covered.

4 : Whenever possible photocopy the source material, rather than transcribe, this avoids mistakes.

5 : Label all transcripts and copies with the source, date & repository.

6 : Be methodical in your approach, if searching for a specific event start before the expected date and work past the date.

7 : When stuck reading old handwriting scan the pages for other instances of the letter or word in a familiar context

8 : Familiarize yourself with abbreviations and markers used to indicate missing letter(s), there are many guides available for this.

9 : If in doubt ask ; archivists, librarians and online forums will all help you solve your problems, but you have to ask first.

10 : Reassess your work frequently, new finds may prove or disprove earlier theories.

Our first Hints and Tips blog features ten quick tips on using family sources and traditions.

1 : Family Bibles, many families have a bible in which they have noted the births in the family and often other events.
Check the date on the bible to see if the dates of the events were before the bible was printed, if so they may not be accurate.

2 : Photograph Albums, go through any photograph albums, preferably with the person whose album it is and try to identify people and dates, too often albums turn up with no identification on the photos.

3 : Talk to older relatives and make copious notes much family information can be gleaned from grandma's memories.

4 : Memorial & Funeral Cards at one time very popular are a source of accurate information as they were printed at the time of the event.

5 : Check to see if there are any military records in the family, there may be details of service pensions or regimental number, photographs etc.

6 : There may be old letters from relatives which mention important events, check for dates on both the letter and if in an envelope the date on the envelope. Make a note of any addresses given.

7 : Details of employment and apprenticeship records may often be unearthed stored away in some half forgotten corner. Employment records help to change a dry list of names and dates into a living history of the subject.

8 : Are there copies of old deeds or wills in the family? These often mention other members of the family and of course any property owned.

9 : Never overlook the certificates that most families have, these may be the short form with minimum details but they are a lead to the original records

10 : Talk, above all talk to your family, every relative has years of stored knowledge, talk to them and compare the various versions to get to the truth.

Hello and welcome to the Anguline Research Archives Blog. Here we will post our latest news and releases, together with articles and tips to help with your research.