From Acorn to Oak: Building a Family Tree (Part 1)

Overview

Have you always wanted to find out more about your ancestors but don’t know where to start? If so, then this is the ideal course as it will help you to begin building and developing your own family tree from scratch. It is also suitable for those who have already begun to research their family tree but would like to learn more about genealogical records and how to research databases more effectively.  

This course focuses primarily on British family history research. Students will learn how to effectively search a number of subscription and free genealogical websites, as well as use and interpret the 1939 register, the census, civil records, military records and wills and probate. This online learning course enables you to study from home and participate in an online community of other students learning about genealogy. The module is delivered through Blackboard, our online learning environment and a live webinar will be held at the end of the module. Wherever possible, alternative free resources are highlighted, and the majority of the subscription websites used are available to access for free through local public library services. Some of the online resources referred to during this course do require a subscription, if accessed from home.  

Programme 

Activities and tasks will be embedded into each unit so students can practise the techniques they have learned and develop their skills. Students will be encouraged to share their own work and participate in discussions on Blackboard. Alongside the learning materials on Blackboard the tutor will be on hand via email to answer any queries and provide guidance throughout the course. They will also participate in the online discussions.   

Unit 1 - Course Introduction 

• Course aims, topics and assessments 
• How to identify and collate effectively what you already know about your family history 
• How to use the online family tree template 
• Discussion boards and online journals: how we will use them during the course

 Unit 2 - Genealogical Websites 

• Identify the main subscription and free online websites for genealogical research.
• Demonstrate basic searches and building a tree online. 

Unit 3 - The 1939 Register and the Census 

• History of these 2 important record collections
• How to find, search and use the 1939 register and census effectively for family history research. Identify challenges and idiosyncrasies of these documents. 

Unit 4 - Civil Registration: Birth, Marriage and Death Records 

• History of civil registration, examples of certificates, highlight key features and how they can be used to breakdown brick walls. 
• Demonstration of General Register Office website and how to order certificates online. 

Unit 5 - Military Records: The Two World Wars 

• A short history of these wars and number of people involved. 
• Summary of collections that have survived and those that have not. 
• Where they can be found, what has been digitised and how to search for your ancestors effectively. 

Unit 6 - Wills and Probate post-1858 

• Definitions of will and probate, why are they useful for family historians.
• Introduction to the post-1858 Principal Probate Registry.
• How to use the UK government wills and probate website to order copies of wills. 

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:  

1. Collate and evaluate their personal archive material to begin building their family tree.
2. Perform multipart online searches on a number of genealogical websites to locate relevant records.
3. Evaluate and cross-reference genealogical records to prove or disprove a hypothesis. 
4. Analyse and synthesise the information they have collated to create a profile of one of their ancestors. 

Assessments

1. Online Search Test - This test will be in Blackboard, following Unit 6You will be given one genealogical document. You will then use the research skills and searching techniques you have learned to locate further records to answer a series of questions relating to that person. All records can be found on the main subscription and free genealogical websites. (20% of the overall mark) 
2. Profile of an ancestor - You will write up a profile of one of your ancestors that utilises the majority of the records covered during the module. It should include vital data about the person (e.g. birth, marriage and death dates) as well as information about their profession(s) and places they lived. There should be evidence of you beginning to place your ancestors’ lives within a wider social and economic context (800 words).(80% of the overall mark)  

Reading Suggestions

Reading suggestions will be offered throughout the course. 

Entry Requirements

This course is for everyone. No previous experience is needed and there are no formal entry requirements.

What Do I Need?

As this is an online course, you would need the following:

• Internet access
• Access to a laptop or computer with a web camera and microphone; the use of headphones might also be of benefit
• Use of the Chrome web-browser where possible.