IDTG

I am frequently asked by people how to go about their genealogical research. Many have not started at all while others have some bits and pieces of data but, not at all organized and mostly in their head.

With this blog post, I’m going to try to share the same advice I’ve given friends and others that have contacted me with this same question. It may be of value to you or not but, I have found it works for me.

Write down everything you know or think you know
This is very important. Be as detailed as possible. It will give you a good idea of what it is that you know about your family tree, relations, legends, stories, etc. This will allow you to identify gaps in your knowledge and will help create a road map of what you need to tackle. You may discover that you don’t know the birthdays of any of your cousins or that you don’t have the names of your mother’s cousins.

Attempt to put it in the form of a tree, what do you get?

After you’ve analyzed what you already know, you will be able to start asking the right questions

Don’t discount family stories/legends

We all have that family story of the great-great-grandad who was the King or Prince or was the richest person in town or owned all the land in a region or something like that. More often than not, this is complete hogwash. However, within these stories are grains of truth. It may be that great-great-grandad was not a prince but he was an officer that worked for him or worked at the prince’s favorite bar. Examine the story and see what can be discovered. You will ultimately prove or disprove the story, which is an achievement in itself, but you will also find the truth and some fascinating stories about your family.

Talk to senior family members

The only certainties in life are death and taxes. This is why it is important to make the most of the time we have with the eldest members of our family. They can be parents, uncles, grandparents, cousins, whatever they all have a story to tell. Spend some time with them and just have a conversation about the family. Don’t make it an interview or an interrogation, just let them talk. You’ll find that all they need is a reason to tell their stories and off they go!

I would recommend having a recorder handy to record the conversation, this way you won’t be worried about committing it memory or keeping notes and can focus on the actual story, asking questions when needed and steering them away from tangents.

Don’t worry about inconsistencies or contradictions. Have them go back to the same event from a different path and see if they say the same thing. You will also, hopefully, have the chance to compare with other elder family members.

Document, document, document

Did I say document already? Everything you do or find should be documented. Try to find proofs of whatever it is you are examining. These proofs can be birth/baptismal certificates, death certificates, marriage certs, wills, court decisions, video, pictures, anything. Pretend that your genealogical research will have to be presented in court, that should give you a good feel of how well to prepare.

If you ever plan on petitioning to join any sort of hereditary society, you will need at least a birth/baptismal, marriage, and death certificate for every person in every generation in the line in question, going back as far as possible.

Use good software

If you are doing it all in pen and paper, more power to you. For the rest of us that live in the current century, we like computers. I won’t go into the benefit of using a computer for this as it should be self evident but I will go into the importance of using the right software.

Some may prefer to use Word or Excel and some may have even gotten creative and are tracking things in an Access database you’ve built yourselves. Great! But, it’s not good enough. You need specialized software that can handle all the aspects of genealogical research, handles backups efficiently, is easy to use, can generate reports, perform searches, organize sources, and can support the standard data interchange formats that have been developed specifically for genealogical research.

There are a lot of options out there ranging from desktop only solutions to iPad apps to web based ones. Some are completely free while others are paid for and still others are in between. The choice is yours. I do strongly suggest that you try before you buy, to make sure it does what you need.
Supporting the standard data interchange, called GEDCOM, is crucial. Especially if you’re going to transfer your data from one application to another or what to share with another researcher/family member. Re-entering 10-20 people is a pain but doable. Re-entering 10,000 is reason enough to crawl into a corner and start crying.

Use online sources cautiously

Sites such as FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com are amazing resources. However, one must exercise caution when using them and really examine the source information. If there are scanned images associated with the text, examine them. Never take anything at face value because mistakes can and do happen. This is more prevalent on sites such as Ancestry.com and Rodovid.org since individuals may basically enter whatever they want. For example, according to Rodovid.org I am a direct descendant of Poseidon, the Greek God of the sea!

Also, Google is a great tool. You never know what you may find simply searching on a name. Give it a try!

Patience

All the other stuff is important but, perhaps the most important thing to have when embarking on the journey of genealogical discovery is patience. This is a lifelong project and probably even longer. Disappointment abounds as do brick walls. However, patience and perseverance will help you push forward and make the discoveries that will make you feel it is all worth it. It IS worth it!

I hope this helps and I am open to discussing your own experiences. Feel free to post below in the comments section or shoot me an email.

Heraldic and genealogical studies have the distinction of requiring high academic standards in its research, to be taken seriously, but there is very little formal training and education available from traditional educational institutions. The vast majority of us in these fields are amateurs, in the original sense of the word (look it up).

Therefore, it is exciting to see that some universities take these fields seriously enough to establish some educational programs around them.

The list below is not intended to be comprehensive or all inclusive but, it will be an ever growing list (kind of like the list of heraldic artists I have):

• University of Strathclyde: Offers a Genealogical Studies Postgraduate Programme offering postgraduate certificates and diplomas via distance education. Graduates of the Diploma program have the option to continue their education and receive a MSc.
• University of Dundee: Offers a Heralrdy Course (only) that is part of its Postgraduate Certificate in Family and Local History, or as part of the University of Dundee’s Masters degree in Archives and Records Management.
• Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED): A top Spanish university, offers three levels of education via distance education at a postgraduate level also that covers not only heraldry and genealogy but also nobiliary law. The levels are “Expert”, “Specialist” and “Master” in the mentioned areas. Naturally, the language of the program is Spanish.

At this point, I’d like to quote Martin Goldstraw from his excellent Cheshire Heraldry blog where he said:

Courses of this nature can’t be a bad thing however I can’t help but think that once universities get involved we are only one step away from the view often nowadays held by academics that unless one has a recognised qualification in a particular subject one can’t possibly know anything about it.

I agree with this sentiment and would hate for this happen.

While looking for some genealogy books I need for my research, I came upon an amazingly valuable resource for anyone doing research in Chile that’s absolutely free!

It appears that the government of Chile has created a website that contains hundreds, if not thousands, of scanned images, articles, books, etc. from sources from the early 1900′s and older.  It is a veritable treasure trove for anyone doing research.

In my case, I had been unable to find many books that I had leads that may contain information on my family and had resigned to the fact that I had to plan a trip to Washington, DC to visit the Library of Congress as that was the only place I could find them. On the rare occassion that I did find a book for sale, its price would range from the mid $100′s (USD) all the way to close to $1,000!

The name of the site is called Memoria Chilena and is located at this address: http://www.memoriachilena.cl/

It has a very powerful search engine that can search by either title, author, publisher or any other keyword. The results returned will include, perhaps, an information page a list of books, articles and photographs.

All books or articles are available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format to be read electronically on your computer, PDA, etc.

One of my favorite features is the e-Libros section whereby there is a list of recommended resources for researchers and enthusiasts alike. What’s great about the list is that it changes monthly which means that you may find a gem there that you never knew existed.

Any researcher of genealogy or history will be well served to use this most excellent resource.

Just be aware that you will not be able to find any of the books or articles published after around the 1930′s. This means that one of the books I’m looking for “El linaje de Vial” by Raúl Díaz Vial, published in 1960 is still to be found by me outside of the Library of Congress… If anyone knows where to find it, please let me know!

On June 3, 2001, a new branch of the Center for Research of Orthodox Monarchism (CROM) was established: the Board for Heraldic and Genealogical Studies (BHGS).

As the name implies, the CROM dedicates itself to the research of any topics that pertain to the monarchies of those countries that espouse the Orthodox Christian faith. By extension, topics related to the families of the former or current nobility, royalty of the Orthodox faith are also covered by its charter. The Center also has a close relationship with ecclesiasts of of the various Orthodox churches of the world.

Arms of the Rev. Fr. Deacon Nenad Jovanovich

Furthermore, the CROM (and naturally the BHGS) has operated since November of 2005 under the High Patronage of HRH Prince Aleksandar Pavlov Karageorgevich of Yugoslavia. The BHGS currently being led by the Reverend Father Deacon Nenand M. Jovanovich, an Orthodox clergyman with extensive heraldic knowledge and a passion for his work.

Arms of HRH Prince Aleksander Pavlov Karađorđević

The CROM over the years has had the opportunity to design and/or emblazon the arms of many distinguished personages such as the Royal House of Karađorđević of Serbia, the Royal House of Bagration-Muchraneli of Georgia, the Royal House of Braganza of Portugal, etc.

Marital arms of Bagration-Mukhrani and Bagration-Gruzinsky

The Board was most recently asked to create the marital arms for the wedding of Prince David Bagration-Mukhrani with Princess Anna Bagration-Gruzinsky, that will result in uniting the two principle claimant lines to the throne of Georgia. These marital arms are displayed above.

Specifically though, the charter of the BHGS states the following:

• The popularization of heraldry in the Orthodox countries.
• To create new or enhance existing relationships with other similar organizations worldwide. An emphasis, of course, given to those extant organizations in the countries of interest. Also, to assist those few individuals in those countries who have a passion or knowledge in the subject matter to promote the topic.
• To organize and participate in related congresses, conventions, lectures, panels, etc. where heraldic and genealogical topics are presented. Presentations of subjects that are well researched and contribute to furthering the body of knowledge.
• To publish research findings and to appear in the media (printed, audio, visual or electronic). The objective, of course, to make the subjects of genealogy and heraldry more approachable to general population. Most people either aren’t aware of the art and science behind these areas or have an incorrect notion of what is involved. Through media exposure, it is hoped that more people will come to know what is genealogy and heraldry, and perhaps take a personal interest.
• Publication of a periodical in print and electronically where various topics researched are presented. Additionally, emblazonments of the armorial achievements of various armigerous persons or familes, such as royal dynasties or historical nobility.
• In addition to the periodical, the creation and maintenance of a website to have an online presence is sought to enhance the communication with the general public.
• An emphasis is also put on keeping up to date in the technological arena so as to make sure that the message is always delivered without hindrance.
• The Board is to also give its attention to the education of those who are interested in the disciplines of genealogy and heraldy. Through the education efforts it is expected to set the foundations for the next generations of experts in the field.
• Finally, the study, rendition, design and certification of existing or new ecclesiastical, civic, corporate and personal arms and symbols are to be central.

Naturally, all of the above can only be achieved by making sure that experts and talented artists are brought together to make sure that the outcome is of the highest quality.

The Right Reverend Protopresbyter Father Srboljub M. Miletich

The associates of the CROM-BHGS are highly talented and very much devoted to the cause of genealogy and heraldry. The artists, especially, are at a level that very few world-wide can even come close to in talent and attention to detail.

Arms of HRH Duke Dom Duarte Pio of Braganza

The art shown in this post are from the heraldic gallery of the CROM-BHGS located (in English) at www.czipm.org/heraldika-08.html

The website is predominantly in Serbian with certain areas in English and Russian. It is located at www.czipm.org while the direct link to the BHGS section is at http://www.czipm.org/heraldika.html

In my attempts to find more information on the family of the Martínez de Vergara line in Spain, prior to Juan’s move to Chile, I ran across an article written by a genealogist named Angel Custodio Rebollo Barroso of Huelva, Spain.

I contacted him and he immediately offered his assistance to find more information about my ancestor. Over the course of several email messages between us, I asked him for recommendations on relevant societies in Spain that I may join. He suggested I join the same society he is a member of: Asociación de Genealogía Hispana (or Hispagen).

I had heard of this organization before while doing my research on the Martínez de Vergara line but had not gone forward with looking into joining them. To be honest, I wasn’t interested in joining any societies at the time.

This time, things were different. I went ahead and filled out the online application form and thought that it would take a couple of days before I get approved. Though it did take a couple of days for it to be processed, it was not a blind approval. I had a number of email exchanges with a representative of the association’s board where I had to expound upon my reasons for joining, my intended areas of research and also attach a photograph.

I was excited to find out that I was eventually approved to join and added to the mailing lists. In the email announcing my admission to the general membership, I was asked to introduce myself. At first I didn’t feel like doing so but then, I thought of being on the other side and wanting to know who this “new guy” is.

In my introduction email, I spoke about myself and my hispanic ancestry. I also spoke about the difficulties in finding information on the Martínez de Vergara family prior to the mid 1500′s. I share some other information I had about what I had already found and in general expounded upon my interests in the field of genealogy and specifically in hispanic genealogy.

I was amazed with the response I received from the membership. Within 24 hours I had several email messages with pointers to where to look for the information I have been looking for and also on other lineages that I haven’t yet researched in depth.

I highly recommend Hispagen and publicly thank the members there and especially Mr Angel Custodio Rebollo Barroso.