My top tip is don't get sidetracked

[AdrienneQ]

I have just spend a wonderful day delving into my Family history and adding records.

However the plan had been to enter records on the Lost Cousins web site and I have only entered 2 households. First of all I tidied up those records and then somehow ended up adding lots of records for my Uncles Wife's family. I know my (not lost) cousins from that family will be please but that was not the plan.

I will try to do better next time Peter, the positive thing is that it will give me more records to add to LC later (that's if I don't get side tracked again)

 

[Carla]

Oh gosh exactly the same thing is happening to me!! I have had all good intentions of adding more information to the Lost Cousins web site...and indeed i have added quite a few over the last two days, but this afternoon i got side tracked. I was double checking things and found some additions to my ancestors, such as children of siblings of my direct line. Of course i have been adding those to my tree, and although i am so pleased to find all this it has stopped me from doing what i intended Ditto to what AdrienneQ said, though.......

the positive thing is that it will give me more records to add to LC later (that's if I don't get side tracked again)

 

[Tim]

Its all about how you look at things in life. You say side tracked, I say Serendipity

Finding new family members is great, it's why we do genealogy. You just need to use a process that allows you to find and then add to LostCousins after adding to your tree. You also need to indicate in some way that you have now added them to LC so that you don't have to go back to them. I have added 3 custom tags to the software I use to show whether I've entered them on LC. I can then run reports on ones I haven't entered to see if I can enter them.

So you're not really getting sidetracked, you're just finding more people to add. Happy hunting

 

[Alexander Bisset]

I got side tracked when starting to enter some English 1911 census, I noticed that Ancestry now shows a map of the location for the census and it struck me that I could add that to my FTAnalyzer program!!! So I've now added OS Maps to the view map options, and I've added a view map option to the census reports in the program.

 

[Tim]

See how easy it is to get sidetracked?

 

[AnneC]

I got sidetracked this morning when entering more ancestors........saw a location I didn't recognise, looked on google maps, then on Facebook to see some old pictures of Ipswich and noticed an article about the Underground system in Ipswich. Fascinating I thought, how is it that I never knew about this? A bit more research provided the answer - a spoof website by Simon Knott, who incidentally does have a "proper" website including some other photos of Suffolk & Norfolk and lots about his family (Knott, Page, Cornwell, Reynolds). Two hours later and I still have only entered one more household on LC....note to self - must take AdreienneQ's advice and not get sidetracked.

 

[Tim]

Its a nice website, shame its spoof.

 

[LawrenceP]

My top tip would be: when settling down to do some FH, open up your family tree software and then IMMEDIATELY open up your Lost Cousins page. Then start on your session of FH research and whenever you discover relatives on an LC-relevant (1841/1881/1911) census first enter them into your family tree software and then BEFORE doing anything else enter them into LC. After that you can reward yourself with some more fun of looking for their BMDs, other censuses, newspapers or generally getting sidetracked - or even having a cup of tea or whatever your tipple is. That way you will much more easily stay on top of entering data into LC.

 

[MaryK]

The trouble there is, Lawrence, you need to be super disciplined, and I'm not When I find a new family I get the itch and can't seem to stop ! I do have both sites open, plus FMP and Ancestry - and somehow, despite starting out with every good intention, I find myself in Canada or Wales, or down a coal mine - and no entries anywhere !

 

[Tim]

The trouble there is, Lawrence, you need to be super disciplined, and I'm not When I find a new family I get the itch and can't seem to stop ! I do have both sites open, plus FMP and Ancestry - and somehow, despite starting out with every good intention, I find myself in Canada or Wales, or down a coal mine - and no entries anywhere !

Haha, yes I know that feeling.

I have my FT software, FindmyPast, Ancestry, FreeBMD, LostCousins, LC Forum, FamilySearch(IGI), LancashireBMD, CheshireBMD all open. Quite often I have 2 or 3 sessions of FindmyPast and Ancestry open as I'm following the leads.

But I have established a routine now, which is exactly as LawrenceP described. As soon as I've entered a census for 1841, 1881 or 1911 into my tree, I add the details to LostCousins and then mark the individuals as having been entered onto LostCousins on my FT software.

 

[MaryK]

I have my FT software, FindmyPast, Ancestry, FreeBMD, LostCousins, LC Forum, FamilySearch(IGI), LancashireBMD, CheshireBMD all open. Quite often I have 2 or 3 sessions of FindmyPast and Ancestry open as I'm following the leads.

Tim - you forgot CWGC !

I obviously need to take myself in hand and become properly organised, but - personally I find the side-track route to be very exciting and rewarding - a bit like being Alice in Wonderland.