My First Genealogy Project… And What I’d Do Differently

I’ll be honest—
I didn’t plan my first research project.
It just… happened.

📜 The Spark: One day, I stumbled across the beginnings of a family tree my mother had started. I figured I’d poke around, confirm a few names, and be done. Simple, right?

Wrong.

What started as “just a little investigating” turned into a full-blown obsession with genealogy. Before I knew it, I was:

• 📍 Chasing leads without a plan

• 🕳️ Going down rabbit holes

• 📂 Forgetting to validate or properly document key facts

I was flying blind—and missing opportunities I’d never get back, like interviewing older relatives while they were still here.

💡 TIP #1: Start with a plan—it will save you years of backtracking.

🗺️ Adventures Without a Map

Once the bug bit me, I was traveling miles to:

• 📚 Dig through local archives

• 🪦 Walk through graveyards (terrifying at first)

• 👋 Meet distant relatives

But here’s the problem: without a clear plan, I didn’t always know what to ask or where to look. I’d leave thinking, “Well, that could’ve gone better.”

Thankfully, I had family members who shared oral histories—stories of life in the community where my paternal family lived. That was a blessing I’ll always treasure.

💡 TIP #2: Learn basic genealogy best practices before diving in—future you will thank you.

📖 From Chaos to Clarity

Eventually, I started pulling the threads together:

• Organizing my notes 📂

• Validating information ✅

• Making meaningful family connections 🤝

Word spread, and more people reached out—wanting details, wanting to collaborate. While exciting, it was exhausting to repeat the same information repeatedly.

That’s when I decided to:

• 📝 Clean up my documentation

• 📚 Share my work through articles and a book

💡 TIP #3: Document with a purpose—your work could be the foundation for future generations.

🔄 What I’d Do Differently

If I could go back, I’d:

1. Plan before I ever started

2. Learn the basics like a student

3. Document like a professional

🤝 Need Help Starting Your Genealogy Journey?

That’s exactly what The Driver Research Group is here for.
We can help you avoid my mistakes—and maybe even make the process fun!

📩 Contact us today to learn how.

📚 References & Resources

• The Road Back to Route 606 – The History of the Driver Family from Gloucester County, VA
  📖 Available on Amazon

• “Free Negroes” and “Mulattoes” of Gloucester County and the Tidewater Area of Virginia Prior to 1800
  Published by Vikki Bynum on Renegade South: 🔗 Read here

• The Driver Family of Gloucester, Virginia
  Published in The Family Tree Searcher (Vol. 14, No. 2, Dec. 2010)
  🔗 View PDF