According to Dictionary.com genealogy is the study of family ancestries and histories and that it includes records or accounts of the descent and ancestry of a person, family or group of individuals that defines the original or ancestral lineage of an individual.
The term genealogy refers to the study of family history as it pertains to a personal record of ancestors. This includes records which may contain important information such as where family members were born, where they died, if they ever married, had children and where they lived while alive. It’s a fascinating hobby and for many people it’s a lucrative livelihood.
When a person becomes involved in genealogy they will come across organizations established to assist those who are searching for family ancestors or others working in a professional capacity in the field of genealogy. Such organizations include the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Family History Library located at family search.org, the Federation of Genealogical societies and the National Genealogical Society.
Since the advent of the information age where it’s so much easier to find information about family history, genealogy has been a hot topic of conversation especially as it’s become a much more popular hobby. Over recent years, most people have either read about the topic, heard about someone who has discovered the importance of genealogy in finding family members or has used the field of genealogy to earn money.
Exploring your own family genealogy tree can tell you many things about your extended family. Once you start delving, you may even find you’re related to someone famous or even distantly related to royalty!
There have been many books written about the topic of genealogy, many different websites jump on the bandwagon and appear each day about the subject, in fact there is so much information on the internet about genealogy it may take some time to dig through and glean the information you require.
Many family members have been reunited, discovered or enlightened by digging into their family history which can be revealed by searching through records such as birth certificates, obituary and wedding announcements; even documents that have recorded vital statistics like births, deaths, and weddings such as a family bible are very useful when researching your family tree.
People interested in learning about family history often start with these resources because they are easy to obtain and are usually free information just for the asking. After these easy to reach, free resources have been exhausted individuals on a genealogy search or hunt usually turns to other sources such as public libraries, courthouses, and genealogical or historical societies. These organizations usually have archived resources available for those doing family research where they can glean valuable information to lead them closer to discovering who their ancestors were and how they are a part of the history of a particular region, state, or city.
There are some organizations such as those of local historical societies who will provide courses on genealogy that teach people how to explore their family tree in order to provide answers to questions about their ancestors.
There are many reasons why a person may become interested in genealogy including a curiosity about who their ancestors were, or to answer some deep dark family mystery, or simply to satisfy an itch for a new and exciting hobby.
People who earn a living in the field of genealogy include:
* Historians
* Genealogists
* Genealogical Research Specialist
* Writer or teacher of Genealogy
* Archivists
* Librarians or Society Administrators
When most people speak about genealogy it’s normally as a hobby where they are talking about the history of a particular family. Sometimes when a family’s history is revealed current family members discover interesting, disturbing or surprising details about individuals related to them who lived a long time ago.
It’s important to remember though that if traumatic events occurred a number of years ago they could still have far reaching consequences on the family members of today. It’s also important to remember that some families like to keep their skeletons buried and unearthing past misdemeanors and secrets can sometimes have a catastrophic effect on those who are still alive.
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