Family history what to do to pass it on

[teaurn]

Primarily I am doing this research for me.  If others after get some benefit from it then its a bonus

[jds1949]

I would just like to make two points:

1. try to make sure that all the important parts of your research are recorded on paper, as has already been said it is unlikely that any electronic method of recording which we have now will be easily readable in a hundred years time; on the other hand we are able to literally read things which were written down hundreds of years ago.

2. The Society of Genealogists accepts donations of family history material - see

http://www.sog.org.uk/library/surnames_intro.shtml

jds1949

[Ringrose]

I have 5 grandchildren and am making them each a family history file with copies of original BMDs and stories of the families. I also have files of original records  and also records on Family Historian. We cannot inflict our interest  in genealogy on them and their interest might not happen for many years yet but at least they will all have my records in their own folder.Over the years as I have found out something I have just done 5 copies---easy.
I realise that I have found out things that my parents would not hjave known about thanks to the internet and visits to record offices.
Ringrose

[Simon G.]

so who knows what sort of technology will be able to read stuff in 30, 50, 100 years time ??

Even if the technology didn't move on much, it's very unlikely that the physical media you'd have saved the data onto would survive the tests of time.  Computer disks are relatively fragile things that can be damaged by just about anything...water, magnets, heat, cold, physical jolts.  Paper is far more likely to surive, and will be easier for future generations to view.  Although from a survival point of view, parchment is probably the best bet.

[Finley 1]

laughable really that tho we live in the 21st Century... Parchment... is still the best thing to store documents on.?

xin

[Simon G.]

It is amusing that parchment is perhaps the best media to use, but that's progress for you.  It's all, of course, due to parchment usually being more naturally alkaline, wheras modern paper suffers from acid.

[trish58]

Only last week I presented my Brother with our family tree in book form 400 pages (to date) for his 70th birthday.

When I started 7-8 years ago no one was interested in the history, now they all want to know and his children are now asking "can I have it when your gone ?"

So whatever you have keep it all safe as down the track some one will want it.

Trish

[dbath]

I have had the great fortune of relatives who documented their research before I became interested.  While some might say this has kept me from doing my own research, I feel I have been able to research the information (to verify information and see what might have been missed), but have been extremely happy to have copies of pictures taken of the family five generations back and details no longer available, like which family member accomplished which chores and small details they remembered about parents and siblings.  Had these documents/pictures not been retained (and names placed on them) by previous generations, a huge amount of our history would have been lost.  There are also Civil War letters (from the US) and other documents that have been fascinating to read.  However, my recommendation is to find a family member who cares, even if they are distant, and provide the information to them.  One of my greatest sources is a distant cousin.  Once I asked her where she found out so much information and she told me that my grandmother had provided it to her before I was old enough to care.  Had my grandmother not shared the information, it would not have been there for me when I decided to look for it.  (An aunt decided it was all worthless when she died and sold or burned the stuff that was left.) Finally, other family members have created books from their histories and provided it to the family.  That is what I am doing as well.  While most of the family does not care about "John begat Sam begat Susan", when you can tell the story about William's father dying young and the family selling everything they owned to purchase a one way ticket to America, hoping they would make it on their arrival, everyone becomes much more intrigued.  Now many family members want copies of my updates when we get together.  This year, my cousin's oldest son even asked if I could teach him how to conduct the research.  While close relatives may not be extremely interested, if you put the information out to the family, it will pique someone's interest.
David

[Les de B]

I now have 8 volumes of my Family Tree sitting in my book shelf - about 2000 pages? As well as notes on individuals, they also contain BDM Certificates, photo's and newspaper articles. The actual notes on the individuals are saved on my computer in a Family Tree program.

At the moment, I'm abridging all those notes as best I can into the 4 branches of my grandparents. I then email  these notes to my siblings, cousins and nephew/nieces, along with a pedigree chart of that branch. So far I have sent 2 of the 4 branches.

At least by doing this, hopefully somebody will show some interest and appreciate the work I have done. So far I have had positive responses.

I also submitted my notes to RootsWeb.com  many years ago (free site), and those notes still appear on their site for anybody to read and take information. Unfortunately, those notes are "years old", and I will be updating them sometime in the future, but at least I know my work will not be lost forever, or will it................?

Les