How to Start Your Family Tree

Perhaps you were like me and you remember your grandmother mentioning the village she and your grandfather were from in Malta. You recall your family vacations where you first encountered relatives you had never met before, but never thought beyond that in terms of where and who your family came from. Maybe you have an old photograph, a Maltese surname, or questions you never had the chance to ask any relatives...

Those are all starting points in the journey to building your family tree. You don't need a complete family history to begin -- just a few clues and a place to record what you discover.

Start With Yourself

Start with yourself and work backwards. Write down your details, then add parents, and grandparents. Use a notebook, a simple family tree chart or genealogy software.

2. Talk To Your Relatives

Ask what they remember. Speak to several people, because each may know a different part of the story. Write down what you discover.

3. Look For Documents At Home

Search for family papers for birth, marriage certificates, passports, letters, memorial cards and photographs.

4. Identify A Place in Malta or Gozo

Try to move from "born in Malta" or "from Gozo" to a specific village or parish. Keep birthplace, residence, and marriage location separate. If your family emigrated, begin with records in the country where they settled.

5. Find A Record That Connects Generations

Choose one person and one question -- for example: who were my grandfather's parents?

6. Check That You Have The Right Person

A matching name is a clue. Compare parents, spouse, age, location, and other details before adding someone to your tree. Treat other people's trees and information as clues, not evidence that supports a lineage.

The important thing is to be thourough and consistent. You do not want to build out your tree so fast that you have to constantly go back and eliminate entire branches as you discover more information. If you find a "source" without evidence (i.e. a record, or supporting document), treat it as a clue. Online genealogies are notorious for misinformation and assuming far too much.

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