I just started this and I am very excited. Te Samuel B
Edwards and Sarah were my Great Grandparents. Herbert Victor Edwards was my grandfather and he married Elizabeth
Williams, My great Aunt would have been Ada Edwards and she
married William Williams. Grandmother Elizabeth died when
my father was 3yrs old and Herber Victor gave the child to
my great and great uncle to raise.

We thought we were Welsh. I'm trying to go back as far
as I can to see where these Edwards came from.....
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Myra,
Looks like you have a good start for someone who just started.

Census records make a wonderful outline of a family. You can request copies of obituaries which add a lot more information too. Can't take everything in an obituary as absolute truth because mistakes are made.

Another thing that is important to do is to collect the birth, marriage and death records for each person. My family didn't do that and for 40 years they had a mistake which was published again and again and wasn't found until another family member tried to join the Mayflower Society.

When you get to 1790 and earlier, you can find the information in books published which contain births, marriages and death info. I use Google Books a lot.

I'd search for a book on Chester Co, PA History because your family lived there very early. Also find the Chester Co PA Genealogy Society on-line and see what they have. Read about PA because it's a very challenging state to find records in because the county boundary lines were always changing. A family could live in the same house for 40 years but the records will say three different counties. Successful Searching!

Myra,
Welcome to Genealogy. You are now a Special Agent of the family. Your task is to investigate the crime scene for all clues and attempt to identify documentary evidence, as well as physical evidence leading to information about your Subject. I've been involved in genealogy research for about 30 plus years on my own family, but helping for the last 15 or so. As a career investigator, I've always likened genealogy to an investigation...it is and the techniques are similar.

You must start at the first crime scene...the first person in the family and then go back in time. Interview any living witnesses about where they were born, where they lived, their siblings, and what they remember about their parents. Document everything you learn in "Interview Notes".

Then begin to obtain documentary evidence. Obituaries, family albums, photo's, address books, Death Certificates, Birth Certificates. At the first crime scene, many of these will be easy to obtain. As you go back in time, more difficult for many reasons.

If you intend to use the computer for not only research, but also documentation, START NOW. Many use commercial genealogy family tree software, such as Family Tree Maker, etc. You might wish to use just a word processor, such as Microsoft Word to document information. You might wish to have a family tree, AND, word documents. This "Report of Investigation" will take on a life of its own. If you use online information, you will need to start a "Favorites" on your computer. First, a Directory called "Genealogy", then divide this with sub-directories of Different States, Countries, Cemeteries, Obituaries, etc. Then sub-directories to these, for example, under "States", you might have "X County", "Y County", etc. Each link would then be readily accessible.

Major search sites such as Ancestry.com have the US Census, World War I Draft Card images, State Marriage, Death databases, etc. It is a great site for finding information; but there is the cost. Your local library might offer it for free with your library subscription. Heritage Quest, also a library free site, has census and old genealogy books online. I use it at home. For current newspaper obituaries, some libraries offer News Bank or other newspaper sites. For census there is also Family Search Labs: http://labs.familysearch.org/ . There is the Ellis Island website for immigrant arrivals. If your family is of Norwegian Descent, the Digitalarkivet has the Norwegian Census, emigration records, etc. There is emigrant records for England, ship record databases, Canadian Census online.... So, start your "Favorites" in directories, you will need them.

There are also so many helpers out there, Rootsweb sites, Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness.

BUT....The dark side... There are people that try to help will give you bad leads, suggestions on people that can easily be proven to be the wrong family. So, you MUST look at each clue, individually and make decisions to eliminate or further keep the "Suspect" under surveillence. I have seen people that say...this was your person, only to show he was a son of people born in the wrong country. Genealogy research is like a criminal investigation. You MUST PROVE beyond a shadow of a doubt that your SUSPECT is indeed the person you seek. Otherwise, you might just "convict" the wrong person.

Have fun.
Ron Bestrom

Here is a website that explains how to write a good query:
http://www.tedpack.org/goodpost.html

ALWAYS try to post the persons date of birth and place of birth. If you don't have that, give an approximate time period; parents, siblings, etc. Identify where they lived during what period of time. If a person can be found in the US Census (1930 and before) that really helps. People that read your posts do not have the information that you have.

I found your family tree posted online:
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/10389020/person/-522382216?ss...=
Very good start.

When you post, put in the link to your family tree. That also would answer a lot of questions a researcher may have.

You have already received far more expert advice than I can offer you, Myra, but if you'd check www.familysearch.org website of LDS Church under name T K Williams b.c1833-NY you will find him & his wife Ann E b.c1843-IL as parents of 10 children including (1)William Williams b.c1871-OR who md Ada Roselle Edwards (2)Elizabeth Williams b.c1873-OR who md Herbert Victor Edwards (3) Minnie D Williams b.c1877-OR who md Ada & Herbert's brother Alva Edwards 1873-1935.

Don Houk in Tokyo

Oh my goodness...someone answered me.

Please don't leave me..can I help you in anyway, I
have no idea what I'm doing and I don't have anything
direct, so I go so far and a block wall comes up.....

Are you a relative?

Thank you Myra