Who Will Take Over My Family History???

[Lynn H]

I have all the information on paper, i print everything i get. I have lost all my computer info twice now, so its all in print. I only use computer for research. Thankyou all for your advice though you have given me some great ideas to keep it going.

                            Lynn.

[Su]

Your son is only young Lynn.  I didn't begin to get interested until I was in my forties.  I only began proper research in my fifties when I got hooked.
I have made ring binders for my daughter and all my nephews and nieces, and presented them with them whether they were interested or not.
Now two nieces show a great deal of interest, and I have made proper books for them with photo's and certificates.
My nephews showed no interest (even though one on his Mother's side had Spanish and American ancestors ..I'd die for something like that).  The other nephew's small son, was given school work on family history.  He took the ring binder in to show his teacher, who made a great fuss over it, delighting my great nephew so much that he began to take an interest.
So it might not be this generation of your family, but the next that carry on your work.  So make sure your son knows that it is his responsibility to keep your research whether he personally wants it or not, to pass on to the next generation. 
Maybe you can get him interested not only by making the web site, but by asking him to try to find an ancestor for you on a census.  Tell him you just can't find them (even if you have already).  When he finds them, tell him what a great researcher he is.  Then ask him to try and trace another.. after that he should be hooked 

Su

[LoneyBones]

A couple of years ago I found some very good archival quality journal type books each in it's own box. They were on sale so I bought them all. (5) One day when I'm sure I have my facts all correct I'm going to start writing my family history into them. (soon) I already have two large hard cover note books with family history, unfortunately they don't lend themselves to photos but I've already started putting my photos into archival albums. These are almost impossible to buy now so I've had to make some up myself. Not a very difficult job, getting acid free tissue is much easier these days too. No way would I trust my photos to plastic sleeve type albums.
cheers,
Leonie.

[drodgers34]

For real future long term security I'd put everything down on good old fashioned good quality paper rather than trust ANY form of modern technology!!!!

Couldn't agree more, Carole. Computers and the Internet have transformed family history research, but if anyone imagines today's digital storage media will still be around in a few decades, let alone centuries, let them remember the Sinclair Microdrive, or try to buy a 78rpm record player or even a cassette tape player . . . ok, I'm sure there are still plenty around at the moment, and possibly even still being made, but as soon as the next latest thing comes along they rapidly disappear.

I'll carry on using the computer and the Internet, but If I ever manage to finish writing and binding my book, I think I might try lodging a copy with a museum or history society as suggested above . . . something I hadn't considered before.

An ancestry chart on parchment . . . now that is an interesting idea . . . better brush up on the calligraphy . . . 

Mike.

I have high hopes for USB keys and SD chups. They might lose theur cherge over time but as they are now used by photographers too they might still be able to be read in the future

[Sylviaann]

My trouble is I have 24 ring binders containing information about the various branches of the family.  Who is going to want to keep all that.  I don't know what a solicitor would do with it.  It's not just a tree we have, it's all the other things like certificates and census.  I told my daughter, who is not interested, to put them in a box and store them in the loft.  Someone in future generations may want to know.

When my mother-in-law died my bro-in-law told me about all the certificates she had, which they threw out, even though they knew I was doing the family history.

I've just started going through my mother's side again.  I estimate it will take 2 years.  When it is done I will send a copy on disk to every cousin on that side whose address I know.  I did that with my father's side.  I'll have to hope that they can transfer it to different storage.

Having seen so many family heirlooms sold on Flog it and such like programmes I can only hope some will be interested.

A few years ago I did send a hard copy of a little book to the relevant family history society but I have so much more now and the ancestors are from so many counties.

Meanwhile I will just enjoy the research and hope for the best.

Sylviaann

[Siamese Girl]

Solicitors seem keener on throwing away documents these days rather than storing any more 

I bet they said Mr Edison's wax cylinders were amazing when they were invented  because generations to come would always be able to hear the important people and great singers of the day on them 

I wouldn't trust ANYTHING!

Carole

[mike175]

I have high hopes for USB keys and SD chups. They might lose theur cherge over time but as they are now used by photographers too they might still be able to be read in the future

Hmmmm . . . I bought a 2gB USB memory stick and copied all my data files to it . . . but then I apparently tried to transfer a file that overflowed it's capacity. It now produces a "write protected" error, and no amount of low-level formatting will make it usable again. So I no longer have high hopes for any form of digital storage media, apart from short-term backup storage.

Of course paper documents can fade . . . or can be destroyed by water or fire . . . but I still think they are the best bet. After all there are millions of documents that have survived centuries, even millennia. I might have to give the parchment idea a miss for now though, since I checked the price! 

Mike.

[stevenson]

I think we all have family members who think that our hobbie is a bit of an obsession......and we are all a bit weird

But......I do worry...not only about who will take care of the tree....

(just give it on disc's to all family members however distant in relative or mind)...........

but after spending hours in gloves looking at old documents...........I do wonder if a paper trail would survive more than a computer disc.

Dead sea scrolls do come to mind

Do think we should all be running to the desert to bury our records


Steve

[Christopher]

I have been sitting here reading some threads and it got me thinking, who can i get to take over my family history research after i'm gone. (Not that i plan on going for a while yet) but i have no family members that are remotelly interested in what i'm doing and it breaks my heart to think it will end. I have written letters to my kids, and asked them not to destroy all the hard work i've done, in the hopes that interest will come with age.  Does anyone have any suggestions on what i can do to get them interested?

                                     Lynn.

Lynn, have you thought of publishing the first of a series of books relating to the history of your family. It can be factual or fictional based on fact ... it doesn't really matter so long as the money starts to roll in ... that's the stage your kids will begin to take an interest.

Christopher