Page 15 - Gen Mag Online November 2020

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USEFUL WEB SITES For a small island, the Isle of Man
has influenced many places in the
London Manx Society (Yn Cheshaght Manninagh world and has borne many people
Lunnin) who made a mark in history.
www.londonmanxsociety.com
As such, it is only fitting that these
North American Manx Association people’s stories should be told. In
the next issue of Gen Mag Online,
www.northamericanmanx.org
there will be a feature article of one
of the famous but perhaps forgotten
General TransCelt Society
emigrants to North America - Myles
www.transceltic.com/manx-societies
Standish.
Visit the Isle of Man Others that will be given the same
www.visitisleofman.com/ treatment will be Fletcher Christian of
Mutiny on the Bounty fame, William
Manx National Heritage Christian (Illiam Dhone).
https://manxnationalheritage.im/collections/library-
and-archives/
Did you know
A Manx Note Book the Laxey
www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/ Wheel has

been around
since 1854?

GENEALOGY FOR BEGINNERS

Have you just started out on your family history quest?

Or perhaps you are thinking of doing so, but not sure how to start.

Whatever it is in each issue of Gen Mag Online there will be a focus on getting started, and on the
basic sources you will need to consult.

Genealogy and family history is all about moving from what you know to what you don’t know. So,
to ensure you get off to a good start perhaps it is wise to start from the beginning. But, rather than
simply plunging into looking at the various sources - online and offline, it is better to sit back get a
writing booklet or some paper and write down what you know already.

It might sound daft but you start with yourself. So, what do you know about yourself? What’s your
job? Where where you born? Are you married? If so, who to, when and where?

Do you have a birth certificate or marriage certificate? If not, do you know where to go to get these
items? Short birth certificates are useless genealogically. You need the long version.

Do you know who your parents were? Or were you adopted> What about baptism - were you baptised
and if so what church? As you progress back to before the days of births, marriages and deaths,
baptisms are a source you are going to have to rely on.

Once you have written down all the basic stuff you know about yourself, the next step is to organise
it. The best way to do that is to create a Family Group Sheet of FGS for short. A FGS is basically a
record sheet containing all the info that you know about a person - their spouses, children, dates,
places, biographical notes etc. See over for a example of a Family Group Sheet. If you decide to
use a computer program these can be generated along with many other useful reports.