Genealogy Chat

I was just looking through all of my family tree stuff and had quite a bit of this and that. Ranging from several family tree charts, folders, forms, software, pads of paper, news paper clippings, photos... it goes on, and it keeps growing. Are you organised? I do keep all of mine in my own cabinet, but at this rate i may need another!
How much do you have? x

Oh dear....

Bottom cupboard of the dresser - Files for each line with printed data and certs. Files for 'connections' not added to my tree.
Bottom two shelves of bookcase - Reference books.
Settle - Files I am working on and my genealgy coursework files.
Bedroom - Box of files of data that might be useful one day.
Laptop - FTM and copies of all data.

Believe it or not I do have a study but prefer it this way!

And yes I am organised but I learnt a long time ago how easy it is for the 'paperwork' to get out of hand and how long it takes to bring it into order :-)

Chris

So, nothing unusual then Chris!

All my research papers are in 1 box file. There might be a couple of ref books in the cupboard too. I have a slim file with printed trees and info about my main family, I look at this most, it sits on the shelf near the 'puter.
But I do have a suitcase of 'archive' stuff which includes all the certificates plus other family odds and ends.

desparatelyseeking

You have just given me an idea....Suitcase under the bed rather than a box.

Thanks
Chris

Of course, there's always under the mattress!

I have just started a folder for each named family.
Inside are
1. A printed copy of the family and copies of all the photos, certs etc.
2, I have all the originals in special folders with acid free paper etc.
3. I am just starting a list for each folder of all the people who have helped with the research and their contact details such as GR, An....ry, etc.
4. I am going to print off all the wonderful bits and pieces sent to me over the years from far away places that I know I will never be able to travel to and I shall attach a note explaining how helpful these people have been.
5. I also have some original documents going back as far as the early 1800 hundreds and I am not sure how to keep these safe some are even posted or glued to even older wills etc... so any advice would be wonderful to read and learn from.
I have army records, again many are originals and a divorce document which makes me cry every time I read it. It is written in black on white parchment and is detailed in exactly what caused the accident, and together with that is a letter of apology from the courts to my mother for failing to respond a year earlier to tell her when the hearing for who should have her eldest daughter. As a result of this failure the custody went to her former husband and she did not see her daughter for a very long time.
Books galore, pages of paper with scribbled notes are on the shelves of my desk..
Oh well I should be spending this time looking to see if there is some tidying I need to do!!

My 'archive' suitcase is the first thing I would grab if I had to leave the house in an emergency. After all, there are some things you can never replace.

Where do I begin, one 6' long shelf filled with files/ref books. 3 Box files containing ref maps/census books (just dawned on me I do not need these any more), Burial /Memorial books for IOM. One three shelf desk stand on floor under which is large lidded box (another one in bottom of wardrobe). At the moment Printer has a pile of printouts over past 2 weeks, another small pile on bedside cupboard. On bed one file in disarray, I dropped it and all my lovely listed sections fell out plus 29 sheets of OH's g.fathers service records I got today. Not a lot. Not when I think of relative who has medium sized bedroom with desk - all wall space floor to ceiling is covered with custom built shelves to house files and they are full, last time I saw it he was getting shelves for landing. Good job he is a bachelor.

Ive just been looking through whether to buy another cabinet, but then i have the dilemma of where to put that!

I have six cardboard archive boxes that used to have hanging files in, one box for each family. Then I thought I would reorganise and took all the papers in the files out and put them in alphabetical order now I don't know where anything is anymore and I think that system is a failure. I have got a box card file which is not finished yet or up to date and I put all the BDM certificates and census printouts in alphabetical order in a file to grab in case of fire but the rest is in the too hard basket.
It is all there if someone wants to search but I am losing interest in most of the family as no-one is interested so why bother looking.

Aww...Marjery. If you enjoy doing it, then carry on for your own sake! Someone on an earlier thread has suggested giving or leaving their research to the relevant local archive. Worth a thought.

I have 5 lever arched files, supposedly for different branches. I did start to sort them out and reproduce mini trees or Reports, but got sidetracked when realised that some details were missing. The rest is History - lol!

There is also a pile of papers on the desk which keeps being added to and a few magazines on the bookshelf. Although OH moans, it sounds as if he has got off lightly. I'd love a dedicated room to spread out in, but that is unlikley to happen.

Just remembered - there are several photo albums in a chest and a cardboard box of memorabilia in the bed room. OH has got used to seeing those and now doesn't 'see' them :0

Well, in my case, it's not really the family history stuff that's a problem - I scan all that and keep all my notes and certs on my PC. The paper originals, I just bung in a suitcase with the photos and stick it under the bed.

It's really all the books and other papers that's the problem. I've got a dozen+ bookcases scattered around. Most are screwed to the wall as I live in an earthquake zone. The tall ones are 6' high. I built a mess of H shaped extensions, attached them with little 5cm plates, so now they run to the ceiling. There's 4 closets in my apt. Each had a top shelf 6' high. In 3 of them, I've added another shelf 1' wide and 7' high. I also built a large flat box, screwed fridge rollers under it, and store this under my bed.

Our biggest problem is not our own stuff, but our childrens. They have both left loads of stuff here, one lived in a very small flat, the other has moved house a number of times and may do again soon. However soon they will both have far more space than we have in this house, so we threatened them that this summer we will have a 'life laundry' day, and everything will come out for them to take away.
After that, we intend to try to limit capacity, try to restrict the amout of stuff we keep.

This subject is a "war zone" in out house....never mind his bird and train set "junk" which I accept with quite good grace !!!!!

My problem is....I keep researching for the leaves on my trees, no matter if they are 10 times removed, I want to know who they are and to keep the records. Heavens forbid we ever have a fire because I would have to have three months notice and book a removal lorry lol lol.

But my excuse is......someone on this site said....."Never throw any piece of paper away as not being relevant, because one day you will fit it into the jigsaw.

Kathlyn

I have 2 shelves of A4 files, plus 3 storeage boxes on the floor by the desk,2 files of photos & certs & a coffee table which is collapsing ubder the strain.Now the other half is talking about moving house!!. We´ll need a seperate lorry just for this stuff. I have notebooks going back 20 years & much of the info in them isn´t available on line, It was laboriously gathered in Record Offices etc. Keep promising myself I will "rationalise ". The spirit is willing, but the flesh is extremely weak. there are always other calls on my time. Being retired is vey time consuming.
Marion

I agree with wisechild being retired is time consuming. The less you do the less you want to do my mother used to say.
I have been stuck inside every day since the middle of November from about nine thirty in the morning as it is too hot to go ourside. Have had loads of time to sort my genealogy and tree,sort a drawer full of photos and 35mm slides,get my income tax figures up to date,do all the mending,get rid of everything I don't need. Unfortunately it is too hot to go upstairs and rummage about so actually I have done very little. Answering my emails takes up a lot of time, pressing buttons here and there for washing and dishes, spending a lot of time thinking of something for dinner that (a).is not too much trouble and (b) we might feel like eating.

**The less you do the less you want to do***

So true Marjery. Not that we are officially retired, but circumstances result in the same situation. There is always tomorrow! At least with your autumn and our spring round the corner, it may give us a bit more oompf.

When I first commenced this "hobby" about 6 years ago, I was a regular poster on here asking for help as to how to organise things. Lots of people gave me good advice. I didn't follow their advice. I now have about 8 feet of lateral filing space in a cupboard, full of papers in no particular order, and at least 4 piles 3-feet high of "MIscellaneous" papers. Quite apart from 4 boxes of old photos that I keep meaning to sort out.

It must be the messiest hobby on earth!

Meg

the problem i have is that as soon as i decide to sort it out i start rereading the papers and get waylaid.The one gem i can pass on is fire proof containers for irreplaceable bits and pieces also share copies so if god forbid anything happens you can reshare Making a note who you are sharing with.My sister was flooded out 2 years ago all without warning.
she lost lots of irreplaceable bits and bobs.
i also keep a card index with a card for each person/family etc.