"We've all got families but very few of us know anything about them. OK most of us know who our parents are and a lot of us know who our grandparents are but after that our knowledge gets a bit shakey. That's where computers can help. Adrian reports.."
"Researching our family history used to be a time consuming and laborious task but with IT it's never been easier. On-line databases of names, worldwide internet connections and the ability to scan photographs and produce family tree wall charts have brought the past and present together."
"In short...genealogy is about collecting and organising information and that's what computers are good for."
"What we want you to do Ron, is use this package to produce a beautifully illustrated Chart like this"
The package chosen by the BBC for this challenge was Reunion. It is the most popular genealogy program that S&N sell. Ron Tepper took up the challenge with the help of family historian Valda Hudson.
Adrian asks Valda Hudson "Why are people interested in finding more about their ancestors?"
"I think it's about identity. In a modern society people are more mobile socially and geographically and often lose touch with their families. People want to know more about their roots...where they've come from. They want to know how they fit into the bigger picture."
Ron isn't the type to dodge a task as he was a Sgt Major in the armed forces. Guided by Valda, Ron was soon tapping away at the keyboard searching for Tepper's on the International Genealogical Index. Using the state of the art program BIRDIE he could soon see that his ancestors came from Devon. BIRDIE displays on a map of the UK the concentrations of surnames and allows you to search the data with ease.
Ron says "So all I do is type my details onto the family cards and Reunion will produce the charts". Using the certificates Valda and Ron got from Myddelton Place he was soon back 4 generations. The IGI provided further clues taking his family research into the 1750s.
Myddelton Place Family Records Centre can provide you with copies of birth, marriage and death certificates. They are indexed in heavy bound books although some LDS centres have the index on microfiche.
Ron soon had enough information and family photographs to form an illustrated chart meeting the challenge with ease.
Reunion - Used for creating illustrated trees and can also produce family history books. Reunion has now been renamed and is now called Generations Grande Suite. The new version is even more powerful.
BIRDIE - Maps and searches IGI data