Genealogy Chat

Thanks Debbie, I must say guys it looks a lot more impressive than having them in a pile on the floor!

I think I bought the Binder with none in, and then bought 20 in a pack. It was on a stall so perhaps buying from the website you get free ones.

So you dont the pocket things with them then? I had a quick look on the S & N Genealogy too. They have them for £14.95 but with a snazzy Certifcates on the front in gold? It says comes with 4 pockets - so I guess you buy packs of extra ones when you need them?

Yep Heather I bought the Black one, and only bought ten of the pocket things have a bout 25 certificates so I need some more. They are very good and not a bad price.

Hi debbie, just looked at that site, thanks. They have a very nice binder/album which holds 80 certificates (gawd, thats £560 worth) for £11.

I went to a family history fair and bought a Certificate album. which stores 80 Certificates, even the long ones. I have just found the paperwork out and the web site is /www.cwsparkinson(.)co.uk/ They have quite a lot of good stuff. And you can order online.

Nell That notebook is a super idea. I'm forever having to go into PAF to look at the notes section to get little bits of info that I suddenly realise I need. Off to Tesco in the morning then........... Lou

Nell, Have you read about the CD's and how they will last about 5 years and the DVD's that might last only a little longer?? I have my pictures on CD Rewritables but when told they were not too good I changed them on to CDR but was told that was not much better so am considering a DVD rewritable to be told that that medium is not wonderful either. I also have pictures and certificates in archival Plastic sleeves and more files than I thought I had. No wonder I am having difficulty finding things, and doubling up on the computer does create more work. Still we are in good company, as many record offices are also having difficulty preserving their material and wondering how to cope. I suspect this problem will never go away! Janet

Thank you everyone for your advice. It seems my problem is quite a common one which I just have to get to grips with. The trouble is filing never has been my strong point, but I guess there is no point finding an elusive rellie one day only to lose them in the paperwork the next. WH Snith here I come .......

Heather I believe S&M (?) Genealogy Supplies do posh binders to hold your certs, but mine are OK for my lifetime, which is all I am bothered about. Photos are a problem, and I plan one day to get them onto CD, but at the moment they are loose in plastic pockets at the front of my big ringbinders. nell

Are there specialised folders and stuff for all this info. I have a pile of stuff on the bedroom floor that my husband keeps complaining about - lots of certificates in a drawer, piles of notes on my desk in the office which is supposed to be for real work (Im hubby's secretary). Wondered if there were 'proper' folders and things that I would keep neatly. And what about old pics, do you just put them in a photo album.

Well I have two large and I mean large folders - one red one blue for male/female side. In the front of the folder I have a fan family tree to show the relationships and fill in the indexes starting with the latest at the beginning and working back. Each numbered divider has the name of the couple and I put their birth, marriage and death certificates and censuses and other info in plastic sleeves behind each divider, so keeps all relevant paperwork together. In order not to be swamped with all this information I have now started a small folder with consolidated Family Group Sheets in. These blank forms I have taken from the Family Tree magazine site and now contain both couples names, their parents name and details of the births, marriage and deaths. There also room at the bottom for the children of the marriage with their bdm's. On the back of the form I have put every address I can find for each couple. This I hope summarises all the information I have found and enables me to to see at a glance what I know and what I don't.

I have HUMUNGUS ring binders with all the forms etc - I think I have a ring binder for each of my great-grandparents' branches of the family. They have 8 hole-punches in them to secure the paper. I file all certs, census copies etc in acid-free plastic wallets with 8-hole punches. I also have an A5 a-Z hardback book with all ancestors listed alphabetically and all their life events, plus where they were in relevant censuses with the references listed. Very organised, but at the moment I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I HAVE PUT IT AND I STRONGLY SUSPECT IT IS UNDER A BIG WODGE OF PAPER THAT NEEDS FILING IN MY BINDERS!!!! Nell

Alice I started neatly with one folder, then two and so on. When I got to 7, I could not find anything so, I split them all into names and ended up with 25 folders. Now I have piles of paper on the bed in one spare room, the table, the computer and the floor and I no longer know where to file anything at all! I can find even less now. I tried to put all certs together in one file but ended up with three files and still taking me ages to find things and that did not work because I wanted everything to do with Aunt Sally in one place, not to have to look in different files. The further back you go the more you collect. I am seriously thinking of dividing my files into Places. Just hoping that might work but I am not banking on anything. Janet

HI Mad Alice, Like you, I'm completely disappearing under piles of paper. I keep meaning to file them all properly, but somehow never get round to it. One file for certificates, and a few other folders for different famillies, but none organised!! Paula x

Does everyone buy the folders from genealogy suppliers or just use everyday ones?

I have familytreemaker which is invaluable - I have a folder for certificates. However I would appreciate the best system of filing the census returns and copies of parish records and bits and bobs of notes and run offs from GR and other sites that are shoved hurridly in folders and never there when you wamt them. I'm on holiday this week. Any advice please before I completely flip and disappear under the evergrowing mound of paperwork in the corner? Alice

Having now got back to the 1800's with most branches the pile of paperwork is ever growing. see below