What do you do with census returns?

[MaryA]

Yes Family Historian and many other programmes would have somewhere that you can enter census details and attach them to all the people they are applicable to.

I do like to keep the original images just for my own use as I've sometimes looked back to them and discovered a related family with a different name living nearby.

[kerryb]

Calm Newfy

I have actually found going back some time after to census returns that what I thought was an unconnected family turns out to be a child with new husband for example.  So if I should ever run out of money and not be able to afford Ancestry any more, I wouldn't have to totally start again.

Downside - Excel sheet sounds a good idea, I recently set one up for all certificates that I might like to buy/find useful etc so that when I have a bit of spare cash, I pick the one that might be of most use to buy!

Kerry

[pjbuk007]

I grappled with this for ages.  Took advice off various boards, still not sure what is best.  In FTM I attach them as a source and then put the different facts as FACT for each person.  I am really interested in the addresses they had, and how you can often find other rellies or people they married as neighbours.

There was a discussion called "How and where to enter census data etc" on the Ancestry genealogy software/family tree maker message board started on 22 April 2006, which has some fantastically detailed suggestions on how to do things. It is still there, you do not have to be a member.  Just go to Ancestry.co.uk, click on the header "Ancestry Community", then click "other topics" then "see more topics" then you see a list of all the message board titles.  on the FTM board keep clicking next to get to the thread.

I do think if this is to be PROPER research, everything you find should be documented.   If one of your descendants wants to carry on your work they need to know how you got to your tree. 

I also print out the census images and file them (actually mostly in a plastic box at present, but good intentions....).

[Pels.]

I use Family Historian - and can enter the details for each census again each person listed.

MaryA, is Family Historian worth persevering with?
It was bought for a present and I had it very briefly on my old computer, but didn't bother too much. Wondering whether it is worth giving it another try?

Pels

[Necromancer]

Kerry - dont misunderstand, I'm just saying that whatever solution is good for you - is good for you 

merely stating my own view ...... 

[kerryb]

That's ok Newfy you didn't use a smiley!!!

I like to think by downloading census returns from Ancestry I am getting my money's worth from them!!

Kerry

[MaryA]

Pels, Re Family Historian, I haven't found it difficult at all, still have the old version, updated with many free updates, although there is a new Upgrade.

I find it very useful as I can store everything I have, including attaching images of wills, censuses etc. so that I know where everything is kept and just on looking at a report for any particular person I know at a glance just what I've got, and also (probably more importantly) what I'm probably missing.

There are a lot of add-ons also, such as Gedcom Census, which is an easy way of entering the census details, attaching the image if you want to, and having the details appear for each individual.

There is a good website with an searchable archive which gives great explanations and also a User Group who between them seem to answer any queries, thrown at them.

The new version does have the facility to create a website, although I don't see it as a failing in the older version that I have since I wasn't intending to use it for that originally.  There's probably a lot that I haven't yet investigated but just to use the basic functions helps me to keep all my bits together.

Hope it helps you
Mary

[Pels.]

MaryA - Thankyou!

Must admit I did originally install it when my old computer was playing up - not enough memory etc.
I felt a bit guilty about not giving it a second chance but then to be honest it did seem complicated.
By this you may have gathered I am also one of those people who keeps everything in a file and drawn up on A4 sheets of paper!
This has now given me a project - hopefully I'm a bit more computer literate than I was when it was given to me!

Many thanks once again,

Pels 

[kerryb]

I'm going to have and go and investigate some other family tree packages.  Mine seems very basic compared to some of the others. 

Kerry