Using Ancestry.com for Research Part I

I use Ancestry.com for book research.

It’s been surprising and fantastic.

As a genealogist, I avoided Ancestry.com for years.

But when I began writing my biography of Mrs. Oswald Chambers, I started with one question: “Where did this woman come from?”

Ancestry.com provided the information, and so much more.

I live in California. I was unable to travel to England and conduct the in-depth, on-site research I had done on my own family history.

So, I purchased a subscription to Ancestry.com.

As a genealogy “purist,” who finished her research in 2000, I didn’t realize Ancestry makes available primary source materials with a click of the mouse.

Oh, my. It was a dream for this experienced genealogist and avid researcher.

Past experience

I’ve spent countless hours in libraries, scanning indexes in books, flipping pages, and imagining odd angles and names to investigate.

Microfiche and microfilm readers consumed hours of my time in genealogical libraries, from Washington, D.C. to Honolulu, Hawai’i.

Musty basements, brown-spotted volumes, pencils (no pens allowed in genealogical libraries), scribbled notes, and photocopies filled my days.

Oh, my. I couldn’t believe what I turned up.

And not just about Biddy.

It’s not just family trees.

Family trees are interesting and provide a glimpse into a person’s family life, including their relationships.

Many people examine family trees and import them into their family lines.

However, the in-depth research conducted by serious genealogists and biographers involves much more than a list of names.

To fully understand a person, a researcher requires a working knowledge of the times, places, and circumstances in which an individual lives.

You have to dig.

Sometimes that digging takes hours, days, weeks, or even months.

When you find a nugget, however, joy overflows.

I’ve embarrassed myself too many times in hushed libraries shouting, “Yes!” Or “Finally!”

When I did that at home, my husband might look up (he’s usually downstairs reading), but no one whispers an exasperated, “shhhh!”

Cost

For Mrs. Oswald Chambers, it was one of the best uses of money I spent–and, of course, it was a business expense.

Because I can gather this information here at my computer, I don’t have to leave the house.

In the past, while working on my family tree, I’ve traveled long distances to use libraries in Salt Lake City, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and even at UCLA.

I lived in Hawai’i while conducting research at the local family history center, Honolulu’s central library genealogy section, and the DAR library in Manoa.

However, even living locally, visiting those libraries required time, energy, and coordination with my family members and babysitters.

Here, I just sit in my office typing.

It’s wonderful

The results?

I have turned up all sorts of unusual information that appears in my book.

I’ve found answers to questions that have long dogged Chambers researchers.

Ancestry.com has also been an excellent resource to track other people involved in Biddy’s life.

I’ll use the next several posts to demonstrate how useful Ancestry.com can be..

Tweetables

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