Gathering Family Information – A Key Step
Before diving into archives or exploring online databases, the best starting point for any genealogical research is often within your own family. Testimonies, memories, personal documents—these resources form the foundation of your family tree. It is from these elements that you will build your first branches.
Close Family: Your First Source: Start with the people closest to you: your parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, great-uncles and great-aunts. These elders are invaluable sources of information, often providing details not found in official records.
Ask Open-ended Questions: During conversations, favor open-ended questions that encourage storytelling and memory sharing. In addition to asking questions like “Do you know Grandpa’s birth date?”, try “Can you share some memories about your father (or grandfather)? Where did he grow up? Who were his siblings?” These narratives can reveal names, places, professions, anecdotes, and important family connections.
Explore Family Documents Alongside oral testimonies, carefully examine documents preserved within your family. Look for:
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates
- Family record books
- Old photographs (Don’t forget to label them with names and dates if possible)
- Letters and postcards
- Old identity papers, passports
- Wills, notarized deeds kept by the family
- Objects with family significance (medals, diplomas, etc.)
Every fragment of information, every name, every date, and every location collected from your close family will serve as a cornerstone for your future archive research. These initial discoveries will help establish solid starting points for further investigations.
Always document the source of each piece of information (who provided it, which document you used, and when it was collected). This initial rigor will be extremely helpful later when verifying and contextualizing your discoveries.
Example: Patrick’s interviews his relatives
Patrick starts by calling his maternal grandmother, Berthe, who is 97 years old and has an astonishing memory. Instead of asking closed questions, Patrick remembers the advice from the lesson and uses open-ended questions.
“Grandma, can you tell me some memories about your parents, my great-grandparents? Where did they grow up? What did they do?”
“And your brothers and sisters, Grandma? Do you remember their full names and birthdates?”
Berthe begins telling stories.
She explains that her father, Antonio Saint-Pierre, worked on the railroads, which is why she was born in New Brunswick, and that he had a sister named Thérèse. She also mentions that her mother, Aurélie Otis, came from a small village near Matane and had several siblings, including someone named Paul.
Berthe even remembers some approximate dates and anecdotes about their wedding in 1919.
Patrick carefully writes everything down, making sure to note that the information comes from his grandmother Berthe. He then turns to his father, Jean Guy. He doesn’t know as many details as his mother, but he remembers that his paternal grandparents, Louis Lefrançois and Clarisse Harrison, lived in Saint-Léon-le-Grand near Matane, and that Louis was a farmer and also served as mayor of that village. He also finds an old wedding photo with a date written on the back: 1907.
Inspired, Patrick asks his parents to dig through their old documents. They find:
- The family booklet of his maternal grandparents, Roger Thibault and Berthe Saint-Pierre, which includes their birth, marriage, and death dates and locations, as well as those of their children, including his grandmother Berthe.
- An old baptism certificate for his paternal grandfather, Roger Thibault, indicating his birthdate and the names of his parents: Luc Thibault and Ozilda Lévesque.
- Some old photographs on which his aunt had taken the time to write names and dates on the back.
Patrick scans or photographs these documents and organizes them carefully.
Organizing Data and Using Genealogy Software
As your research progresses, the volume of collected information (names, dates, locations, events, sources) will increase significantly. It is essential to establish an effective organization method from the beginning.
Organization – The Key to Staying on Track: You may choose a traditional paper-based approach, using individual record sheets for each person and charts to visualize family connections. This method is sufficient for small genealogies or for those who prefer a manual approach.
However, for managing large amounts of data and navigating your family tree more efficiently, using genealogy software is highly recommended.
Genealogy Software: Powerful Tools – There are many genealogy software programs available on the market. Some are free, offering basic features to record your ancestors, their information, and their relationships. Others are paid, providing more advanced functionalities such as online synchronization, analytical tools, detailed report generation, and sharing options.
Among the popular choices, Gramps is a free and open-source option that is highly comprehensive. For those who prefer a more intuitive interface with advanced features, Heredis and Legacy Family Tree are well-known paid references. Finally, for a collaborative and connected approach, Family Tree Maker stands out for its ability to sync with online platforms like Ancestry.
What These Programs Allow You to Do
- Create and visualize your family tree in different formats (ancestry, descent, etc.)
- Record detailed information for each individual (dates, places, professions, notes, sources)
- Link individuals together (parents, children, spouses)
- Add media (photos, documents)
- Generate reports (individual lists, printable trees, etc.)
- Export/import genealogy data in GEDCOM format, a universal genealogy data exchange standard.
When selecting genealogy software, evaluate your needs and compare available options. Some are easier for beginners, while others offer greater flexibility for advanced researchers. Many programs offer free trials, so don’t hesitate to test them and find the best fit for you!
Whether you choose a paper-based method or software, the key is adopting a systematic approach to organize your discoveries. This will save you time and allow for more efficient progress in the exciting adventure of Quebec genealogy.
Example: Patrick organizes his data
Faced with the sheer amount of information, Patrick decides to download Gramps, the recommended free software. He begins entering all the details he has gathered: himself, his parents, his grandparents, and now his great-grandparents. He creates profiles for his paternal grandparents, Roger Thibault and Berthe Saint-Pierre, as well as his paternal great-grandparents, Louis Lefrançois and Clarisse Harrison, and his maternal great-grandparents, Luc Thibault, Ozilda Lévesque, Antonio Saint-Pierre, and Aurélie Otis. For each entry, he makes sure to note the source (Grandma Berthe, family booklet, baptism certificate).
He sees his family tree beginning to take shape, with names, dates, and places coming together.
Building an Effective Research Plan for Genealogical Investigation
Once you have gathered the initial information from your relatives, it is time to structure your approach. Establishing a research plan will allow you to advance methodically in uncovering your Quebec ancestors.
There is no single universal method—the key is to adopt an approach that works best for you while maintaining a certain level of rigor. This organization will prevent you from getting lost in the growing complexity of your family tree.
Choosing Your Approach: A Matter of Personal Preference: There is no one-size-fits-all method in genealogy—your way of exploring your family tree depends entirely on your personal preferences. Two main approaches are available to you:
- Lineage-based Research
Focuses on tracing a single family branch at a time (e.g., paternal lineage: father → grandfather → great-grandfather). Ideal for deepening a specific family line before switching directions.
- Generation-based Research
With this method, you explore all individuals within the same generation before moving on to the next. For example, you begin by identifying your four grandparents, then you research your eight great-grandparents, and so on. This approach provides a more balanced overview of your family origins.
Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Lineage-based research allows for a more linear progression and makes it easier to track a specific family line. Generation-based research, on the other hand, provides a broader perspective of your ancestry at a given point in time.
The Importance of Methodology: Avoiding Getting Lost. No matter which approach you take, it is essential to stay methodical. Genealogy can quickly become complex as your family tree expands and the number of individuals grows.
To stay on track and ensure that no branches are overlooked, here are some best practices to follow:
- Define Your Starting Point Clearly – Usually yourself or a recent ancestor with solid information.
- Set Clear Goals for Each Research Step – E.g., _”Find my great-grandparents’ marriage record.”
- Document Each Search Conducted – Record searched sources, dates, and keywords used to avoid redundancy.
- Keep Your Family Tree Updated – Add new findings as you discover them.
- Review Your Research Plan Regularly – Adjust based on new findings and obstacles encountered.
By choosing an approach that suits you while maintaining a rigorous work method, you will gain efficiency and clarity. This will allow you to make the most of your time and advance with greater confidence in your fascinating exploration of your Quebec roots.
Example: Patrick’s research plan
After organizing his initial data, Patrick thinks about the next step. He has identified his four grandparents and six of his eight great-grandparents. So far, he has more details on his grandmother Berthe’s maternal line (the Thibaults and the Saint-Pierres).
He decides to take a lineage-based approach for now, focusing on the Saint-Pierre family on the side of his great-grandfather Antonio.
His immediate goal is clear: to find Berthe Saint-Pierre’s birth record and her parents’ marriage record. He notes this objective in the software and prepares for the next stage of his research.
In the next lesson, we will dive into the heart of the subject with parish registers. You will learn how to access them, where to consult them, and how to extract the most valuable information from them.
