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Family History on a Shoestring |
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Copyright © 2001-2008
Tel +44 (0) 1704 512966 |
This section can be used by anyone, regardless of whether or
not they will ultimately be using a word processor to record the details.
Feel free to distribute this to any of your family and friends who have an
interest in their Family History.
Even if you are tempted to dive straight in to your word-processor, I would recommend that you use the paper and pencil approach first and jot down the details of your immediate family, just to familiarise yourself with the system. There's a lot to be said for being able to place 2 or 3 pieces of paper side-by-side to visualise how the linking works, and you will find it much easier when entering the data at the keyboard.
WHERE DO I START?
"I've often thought about researching our family history but it is so expensive and I wouldn't know where to start." Wrong!
Forget the idea of those diagrams or wall charts you did at school, or have seen in historical books or on the walls in big houses with the children strung out like washing on a clothes-line, with the "spurious," "natural", "base-born" and "merry-begots" tucked in a corner; you are nowhere near that stage.
Ignore, for the present, those people who talk about starting at St. Catherine's House in London or the Public Records office (PRO) at Kew; these are at a much later stage - if you need them.
THE COST
The only expense you need to start with is a pen or pencil, some paper and a binder to keep it in.
That really is all you need to get started!
Assuming you wish to store your information on a computer and that you are sat at one reading this, then in all probability, you already have everything else you need.
You DON'T need an expensive Genealogy package - you DO need a word-processor and a printer. I can't tell you where to get a free printer, but if by some remote chance you do not have a word-processing application (MS Word, MS Works, LotusSuite, Ability Office to name just a few) then check out the Useful Links section to get a free one.
If you want an easy to use, portable, low cost way of compiling your Family History, the Suffolk System is exactly what you need!
Please click one of the links below
Introduction
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