What do you have to do to find out about your family tree?

•  Well, first of all we suggest that you talk to your relatives - they may be able to give you lots of information, especially your grandparents
   
• See if you can find copies of birth, marriage and death certificates - these will help you to confirm dates and probably discover more people.
   
• Ask at home if there are any newspaper cuttings, wills, letters, diaries that could help you – they may be up in the attic or in the back of a drawer, forgotten.
   
• Then you could find out where family history records are kept – there might be some at your local library. This will help you develop your knowledge of how to continue your family detective work.
  
  Then what?
  
  We need you to tell us what you have found and for everyone to do this in a similar way. So please:-
  
  1. Make a simple family tree covering at least three generations. The tree you create should be hand drawn and include as much information as you can comfortably fit in. Try to include any known dates of birth, marriages and deaths.
  
  2. Write an interesting account describing some aspect or event in the life of one of the ancestors named on your pedigree (1), try and include lots of facts about them. The account does not have to be about great events or adventures. You might want to tell us about his/her education, occupation, their wartime experiences, daily aspects of life at home or how local events affected their life.
  
  3. Next we would like a short account describing how you collected your information.
  
  The word count or length for these accounts depends on your age:
  Under 9 100 to 300 words
  10 – 12 300 to 500 words
  13 – 15 500 –750 words
  16 – 18 750-1000 words
  
  4. Finally let us have a list of any books you looked at. It would be a good idea to write down the title and author.
  
  5. Lastly you will need a covering note or letter, which should give your name, address, date of birth, phone number and email (if you have one). It should include a statement from a teacher or parent that it is your own work. A selection of entries will be displayed from time to time.
  
  If you want to send us photographs of family members, houses or gravestones, copies of registration certificates or other interesting documents which would help to tell the story of your family we suggest you include photocopies of these with your entry.
  
  Please don’t send any valuable originals, we cannot be responsible for their safe keeping.
   

1.  Under 9 As at 1st December 2003
2. Ten to twelve years As at 1st December 2003
3. Thirteen to fifteen years As at 1st December 2003
4. Sixteen to eighteen years As at 1st December 2003
   
   All entries must be received by midnight Monday 12th January 2004 and sent to:
   
   Pudsey Civic Society, Young Family Historian,
   P O Box 146, Leeds. LS28 8WY. England.
   
   Winners will be notified by 31st March 2004. Please enclose a suitable amount of postage if you wish your entry to be returned after judging.