Family Trees That Talk-Interviewing Relatives

[Marlon Christian]

As a means of researching family trees, interviewing relatives can be
a really enjoyable experience for both parties, BUT there are some
rules that need to be obeyed. As with anything worthwhile, genealogy
does have guidelines that must be followed if you are at all serious
about family history.
5 Simple Rules
* Contact them first - DON'T just turn up on their doorstep, cassette
recorder in hand. Get their permission to do the interview and be
honest about why you would like to speak to them.
* Be careful not to offend them by asking questions that maybe too
personal or of a very sensitive nature. Some people will answer any
question you throw at them whereas others will be more guarded.
Obviously if you already have a close relationship with Uncle George,
he will be quite relaxed in talking to you. Aunty Madge however, who
you wouldn't know if you fell over her, is not as likely to be so
forthcoming in laying out the laundry, clean or otherwise, of the
family!
* It's important to have a list of questions ready. You may not ask
them all or you may need to alter the focus of some during the
interview, but you should have a list of core questions ready. Why?
Because this will ensure that you don't forget anything important and
secondly it gives the impression that you actually know what you are
doing. Dithering and looking up at the ceiling every 5 minutes trying
to remember what to ask next does not inspire confidence and will
likely make the interviewee uncomfortable.
* DON'T outstay your welcome. You are the only one that can judge when
that might be.
* Show your appreciation for their time by either presenting them with
a small gift or simply saying those magic words, "thank you".
Verify Or Else
Family interviews are a fantastic way to fill in the gaps in your
family trees, and will provide far more information than you could
ever glean from a marriage certificate. The quality and detail can be
extraordinary and enlightening, BUT don't accept everything Uncle
George says as being entirely accurate. His "true story" may not be
true at all. THE FIRST RULE IN GENEALOGY IS VERIFY - wherever
possible. The truth can be stretched, twisted, bent and made to
disappear altogether. That doesn't mean Uncle George is lying, he may
just be repeating what he was told by someone else or may have
forgotten the details over time.
My Story
Here is an example of just such a point from my own family history. It
is very illustrative of the need, when researching family trees, for
accurate information.
My great-grandfather George BURLS came out from England and settled in
rural Victoria, Australia. My grandmother, his youngest daughter,
always said that he was a detective and that he solved a murder
investigation in a nearby town. Well, that was all I had to go on.
Firstly if THERE was a murder the local newspaper was the place to
start. I knew I would have to go back to the early 1900's because my
great-grandfather died in 1919 aged 70.
Back at about that time a water reservoir called the Waranga Basin was
being excavated and so there was a great influx of workers around the
area. Two of the workers living in the tent city that sprung up were
James Edwards and William Skinner. They were friends but Skinner got
drunk one night and attacked Edwards with a shovel. He defended
himself with a nearby axe and killed Skinner. Fearing the police would
not believe it was self-defence, Edwards proceeded to cut up the body,
placed the parts in hessian bags and threw them into the basin. The
parts were later found and an investigation ensued. All these details
I got from a newspaper, The Rushworth Chronicle of 1905.
George BURLS and his son Alfred were rabbit trapping, which was their
occupation, when they were approached by the culprit, Edwards, who
they both knew from another job site where they had previously worked
together. Edwards denied ever knowing them and said he wanted to buy
some tobacco. He did so then left. They were both called to give
evidence at the subsequent trial. End of story!
The above are the facts of the case. My grandmothers version was
somewhat more elaborate, granting my great-grandfather, who by the way
only had one eye, with the tracking down and apprehension of Edwards.
But again, she may have just been repeating what she had been told.
Handy Interviewing Questions
Okay, so here are some sample questions to get your family trees
talking. These are in addition to the mandatory ones such as names,
dates of birth, marriage death etc.
1. Describe your childhood - relationship with parents, siblings.
2. The greatest joy of your childhood was .......?
3. As a child, what was your worst fear?
4. What was your father's occupation and what was the quality of your
life like as a child?
5. How would you describe your parents and or grandparents - physical
characteristics and qualities?
6. What is the most pleasant memory you have of your parents and or
grandparents?
7. What was the dumbest thing you ever did as a child?
8. What was your most memorable holiday?
9. What was one thing that attracted you to your spouse? Why?
10. What was the most difficult moment for you as a parent?
11. What one thing would you change in your role as a parent?
12. What would you like your children to most remember about you?
13. What was your greatest fear as a parent?
14. What activities do you enjoy?
15. What do you find really annoying in other peoples actions or
characteristics?
Play with the questions. Add to them if you wish. They are just to get
you thinking. Good hunting!

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