After 8 years I’m finally about to start filing my huge collection of certificates. They are currently in 4 large box files, one for my mum’s family, one for my dad, and same for my husband’s side. Still in GRO envelopes! Wondering if this will be enough, or if i need to go back one more level, so have 4 binders for each of us? Have one landscape binder, pockets, backing card and dividers on order as a start.
My main puzzle is what to do with the females... birth certificate belongs with their parents, but do you file the marriage certificate there too so you know who she marries (they’d fit nicely back to back), then her death with her husband (but that would be his birth and 2 deaths, so would need 1 and a half pockets). Or do you file a copy of the marriage certificate in both names? How about subsequent marriages?
Have done several searches both on here and google, but not found anything to help with this puzzle; apologies if i’ve missed something useful. Guess there will be options, but would love to hear some ideas. Thanks.
First before you think of doing anything else take them all out of the envelopes and store them unfolded and flat.
Any paper stored folded will deteriorate along the crease (fold line) and will eventually tear along that crease.
How you arrange your documents in storage really depends to a great extent on how you are going to access those documents.
Do you want to be able to browse your archive and read all the information you have on one person or do you simply want to dip in and out easily when you need to confirm something?
You must also take into account the size of the documents you are archiving.
I would suggest that you archive similar sized documents together as problems occur if the sizes vary greatly.
Do you already have a database in use (i.e. do you use a family tree program)?
I would suggest forgetting all about family groupings or even date & event order as the main way of archiving family history and simply use the numbering system allocated to the person by the computer.
Keeping in mind document sizes I give each document the computer allocated number followed by letters to describe the document type
Example:
B,M or D for birth certificates etc.
Bap, PRM or Bur for parish register entry
Ml marriage licence
W & Deed for wills and House deeds etc., etc.
I store all similar sized documents, such as certificates, parish register entry and licences, together for the same individual by computer number followed by event order. This keeps most family groups together but that depends on how your research developed.
This system also allows digital images of each document to be stored on the computer in a logical order but does mean having a range of files, boxes or draws etc. to keep your documents in.
Cheers
Guy