(Advent 19) – Software

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Julie Goucher

Created by Julie Goucher, using word cloud, 2020

This continues the process from Advent 17, where I talked about how to create the database. This post is about where to put the database – which genealogy software?

The most frequently used software by those with One-Name Studies, and many other projects are these (listed in alphabetical order).

  • Family Historian
  • Family Tree Maker
  • Legacy
  • Roots Magic

The first software listed is very much used by researchers in the UK, the others are US focused. The reality is regardless where you are living, and where your research is centred, the most important factor in software is which one do you find the most intuitive to use? If you have taken a Pharos course with me, then you will have likely heard my story with software.

In short, I used Family Origins starting with version 4 and updating to the final version, number 10. I then switched to Roots Magic. The relationship I had with the software up to this point was a love-hate relationship. It worked, doing just what I set out in the Advent 17 post, but there was something that was not intuitive to me, and I could not put my finger on what the something was. Over the years I had taken trials with Family Historian and I could not get to grips with it, no idea why that was the case.

Then Family Historian released version 7, I was drawn to take another trial, which I did. I have no idea what happened, only that I began to feel more in tune with Family Historian. I purchased the software and purchased the manual which focuses on version 6, but if I got stuck then I prefer to be able to open a book to find the answer, rather than trawl through help in the program itself. 

I then extracted the Gedcom from Roots Magic and imported it into Family Historian. There was no issues with the data transfer, but I did, and still need to do some sorting with data, sources and repositories within the program.

We do explore software as part of the Introduction to One-Name Studies course, and more so in the Practicalities of a One-Name Studies course. The important message though is this – take the time to explore the software, create a test database, add a source and some basic data. Don’t take hours adding information at this point, instead spend the time on checking the functionality of the software. Does it feel comfortable to use?  Is entering data feeling like a hassle or a joy? Whilst you won’t spend enormous amounts of time entering endless data into your software, what time you do invest in your study needs to be spent wisely and with ease.

There is other software out there, and I would suggest think about the following:

  • What are the aims of your study?
    • If you want to have a Guild hosted website for your registered study and to use TNG then using software that does not enable you to meet those aims might not be a good idea.
  • Does the software produce a Gedcom?
  • Is the software available to purchase or free?
  • Consider the longevity of free software?
  • Is the software maintained by the developer?
    • Update to the latest version to keep your program in tip-top order

In the Pharos courses we discuss these things and more.

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(Advent 18) – Records

Posted on December 18, 2025 by Julie Goucher

© Julie Goucher, 2019

This is a post that I wrote probably about five years ago, and I think it is worth resharing now.

I kept spreadsheets full of unprocessed and unrelated data prior to it being added to my software database. 

I use Excel, but this will work with the Google and Mac equivalents. Also the aesthetics will look different if you are on a tablet Apple or Android, or on a laptop etc.

When I open Excel and create a new workbook I create a series of sheets, these are the tabs at the bottom (or might be at the top).  The first sheet is always a guidance sheet, this tells you a variety of things, depending on the purpose of the file.

If you look at the download of the 1837 onwards GRO download which can be found HERE you can see an example, the first sheet is the Guidance sheet, the next three sheets are the births, marriages and death sheets.

In my Miscellaneous data workbook I have the guidance sheet, and instead of having different workbooks, each with a sheet of different data I have moved the individual sheets to the Miscellaneous workbook. That way, each different data group retains the columns for each field header and yet there are not lots of different spreadsheet files.

There is a trade off, a workbook marked Miscellaneous is not exactly helpful, but the alternative is lots of different spreadsheet workbooks, and one worksheet containing a variety of field headings means the amount of columns could and, in my case did, mean the open workbook went off the screen and I had to resort to scrolling across, which was just unhelpful.

I should point out that for each study (or database) I have a Miscellaneous workbook. My file names are defined as:

  • BUTCHER – Miscellaneous
  • GOUCHER – Miscellaneous
  • ORLANDO – Miscellaneous
  • VIRCIGLIO – Miscellaneous
  • EUROPE – Miscellaneous

The first three are my One-Name Studies, the fourth is a surname study that is unregistered with the Guild of One-Name Studies currently, and the fifth is my gathering of data resources for European Ancestors.

The first lesson in the Practicalities of a One-Name Studies course, looks at spreadsheets, their uses, creations and why they are not a great fit for storing a One-Name Study long term – correct tool for the job!

My method is effectively using a spreadsheet as a holding pen. Once I add the data to my database, which is generally when I have expanded the detail beyond one person, I annotate the line as done, eventually deleting the sheet from the workbook.

Whilst the sheet maybe removed from the Miscellaneous workbook, it moves to the archived workbook, just in case I want to refer back to it in the future, with my archived material stored in Dropbox.

As an addition to the original post, I have made some tweaks, not necessarily to the structure of the Miscellaneous workbook, but in the processing of the information. When I download the material, adding it to a sheet within the Miscellaneous workbook, I include the URL that the information came from and the date I accessed it. I also make a note in my research log. Whilst I do tend to date data gathering material, it means that I can backtrack easier should I need to.

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(Advent 17) – Questions…..

Posted on December 17, 2025 by Julie Goucher

Created by Julie Goucher – Feb 2020 Using Wordclouds.com

One of the most frequent questions I am asked by Introduction to One-Name Studies students is HOW do you use family tree software, or HOW do you keep One-Name Study information?

It takes a while to find your rhythm in how you can retain information for a One-Name Study, the same also applies to One-Place Studies or anything else which relates to a gathering of genealogical data where the individuals could very well be unrelated, or some related, but others not.

I had a mental block of how these people who did not connect to each other could be retained within a genealogical software, and at the beginning I did a test case, just by creating one project, called Butcher test case and entered six different John Butcher’s – one was mine and the others were unrelated to my family, actually they came from a different county completely. I did not add lots of data, name, parents name and baptism dates. I then closed down the file.

Three days later I opened the Butcher test case file and did a search within the database itself. There listed, were six individuals bearing the same name, each had a unique reference number, this is generated by the software itself. I then made two additions to the file.

In our usual family tree software we have a root person, this is someone who is always the starting point when you open your software. In the case of my own family tree that root person is my late Mum, who is individual 04.

As I said, I added two individuals, myself who I made the root person and then my husband. I did a search of the database, there listed was an alphabetical list of everyone in the database, now 8 individuals, everyone unconnected from each other, apart from myself and my husband. I could now begin to see how the database would look. I then selected one other individual that had lots of information. I made that person the new root person and added the bear bones of three facts. I closed the database and left it for a few days.

The next time I opened the file up, the root person was the last person I added, I added one more fact, then added a new individual, making that person the root individual.

I then set about writing my methodology out, which is essentially what I have written here. I then created my actual database project called Butcher One-Name Study and selected my first individual….. I am going to pause here and come back to this thread (Advent 19).

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(Advent 13) – Migration

Posted on December 13, 2025 by Julie Goucher

Migration is the reason that a true one-name study is global. There have been peaks of migration, from the United Kingdom and various countries in Europe over time. The reasons for that migration varies depending on the starting point for the migration.

Having made the decision to migrate there are a number of factors to consider, here some are listed from the view point of the migrant and the view point from the researcher. They are listed below in a potentially random fashion and I plan to as we move into 2026 undertake a series of posts.

Each point should be considered in alignment with WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW.

  • Reasons for migration
  • Is the migration for a set period of time?
    • Chain migration
    • Migration to establish a family base
    • Plan to return home after earning 
  • Time of migration
    • Weather
    • Economy
    • Environment of homeland
  • Route of migration
    • Nearest port or cheapest port
    • Direct migration – Place A to Place B
    • Varied migration route –
      • Did they need to work to afford the next part of the trip?
      • Did they Country hop, perhaps overland, via sea or a mixture of both
  • Traveling alone or with a Companion?
    • Was the Companion friend, family or friend of family member, family member of a friend?
  • Religion of the individual/family migrating
  • Which port did the migrant arrive at?
    • Was that the intended place?
    • Did they need to travel further, into the Country interior?
    • If so, did they travel directly, or work/stop off on route?
  • Where did they settle?
    • settle in one place, one town/state
    • settle for a while then move on to a different town/state
    • Did they benefit from a land grant?
  • Working
    • What did they do back home?
    • What employment did they do after the migration?
  • Names – names with vowels are frequently open to being changed – A,E,I,O,U
    • Accents, Dialect, Alphabet
    • Name changes because it is being said, and it is written as what is thought to have been heard
    • Name changed to make it more aligned with local population
    • Name Changed to begin a new life with new partner
      • Getting on the ship as Mrs X
      • Getting off the ship as Mrs Y

With all that, I am sure you can see why migration plays such a part in researching surnames. 

As I said, I will look at this element in the early part of 2026, so if you are not a subscriber, either watch out on social media or to ensure you receive the posts, please subscribe.

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(Advent 12) – Learning and Reading

Posted on December 12, 2025 by Julie Goucher

Created by Julie Goucher, 2018 using word clouds

The way we each learn is different, I prefer to write notes, so for me I am likely to recall something if I wrote it down having read it or heard it. There is a plethora of genealogical and historical learning offerings out there, so much so it is easy to feel overwhelmed by it all.  If I am undertaking research, say planning a book, article, course, I tend to make notes as I read.

If I make a direct copy, perhaps a sentence that “speaks to me” then I do that in a different colour and create the citation so that I and anyone else can find their way to the same information, in the same format. I must stress, this is not taking someone’s work as mine, it is identifying that this particular bit (sense, concept, theory etc.) was written by author/presenter ABC in (name of book, presentation etc.) and published/presented (year and publisher or date and host if in a presentation. This is about recognising and respecting another person’s work product mentioning what they said and in what format they said it.

The more reading and listening you do the more grounded your knowledge and subsequently your research will be. However, it is not just about reading and listening on our own. Interactions with us – peers, tutors, presenters etc is just as valuable and provides a mechanism for sharing ideas.

The following are the Pharos courses that I teach the first three are about Surnames and these are in a layered learning style:

Introduction to One-Name Studies course – a foundation for undertaking a study – learning about the numbers that reflect the people in your study, the history of surnames, and then drawing conclusions as to the history of your surname of interest.

Practicalities of a One-Name Studies course – focuses on tools that you can use in your study. I am often asked whether this should be taken first, or the Introduction course, and it is probably as broad, as it is long. If I was coming to this as a fairly new genealogists, or surname researcher, I would likely take both courses; they focus on different things and provide a rounded focus on researching a surname and developing a study.

Advanced One-Name Studies course – builds on the material learnt in the introduction course and is probably best taken when you have some time under your belt with a study. This provides the opportunity to create an article and for those who elect to, to have the article tutor assessed and published in the Journal of One-Name Studies.

Each time a course runs, students are invited to leave feedback. Feedback is important and provides a mechanism for me to develop the course, or perhaps create an additional paper. A recent addition, as a support document is guidance for developing, and building a study profile – you can download a copy HERE.

Researching Ancestors in Continental Europe – this is a course that I designed to give a broad understanding to mainland Europe. The course has description can be read HERE. There is focus on how complicated Europe is, given how many countries make up the Continent, the differences and similarities, religious focuses and prejudices. We look at the scale of influence of Europe and most importantly, we hone in on events within the last 100 years or, BUT, war in the 20th Century can and does impact records from pre 20th Century era. 

This course is very much about getting the basics right, building research on solid foundations, because without that, it would be a bit like building a house in the middle of a swamp. As this is already quite lengthy, I am going to continue this on day 21!

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(Advent 11) – Keeping Track

Posted on December 11, 2025 by Julie Goucher

Screen capture of the Guidance information – research log – copyright Julie Goucher, 2014

Keeping track of our research, successes, next steps and research ideas is really important. Without it, and I speak for myself here, when I say, if it is not written down then all bets are off if I will remember or not.

I maintain a research log. Over the years this has existed in various forms, but all forms record the same information. There is a spreadsheet research log available to download HERE. There are three sheets in the Excel workbook:

  • Guidance sheet – all of my spreadsheets have this feature, as it tells me the purpose of the file and other information

    Screen capture of the Guidance information – research log – copyright Julie Goucher, 2014

  • Research log
  • To do list

Those of us who have been researching a while, often know the next step, where we might be able to prove or disprove A, B, or C;  if you play chess, that moment when you can see the potential next moves depending on your opponent.

I never add discovered material directly into my family history software, or into my database for any specific studies or online offering until I verify the facts.  Everything is written down in my notebook, I know what the date was, as I date each page. I make a firm note of what I looked at, what database, what provider, that is in addition to my written notes of the actual information. Subsequently, I write my next steps and firm up those steps when I next focus on that particular individual. I also make sure that I incorporate the reference number the software gives to each individual person. 

A research log also records negative searches – as that too helps over time, as it provides:

  • A link to the search on a specific date, thereby it is easy to check if there has been an update since you did the actual search
  • What did you hope to find in the search? What did you find?
    • Did you get no results?
    • Did you get a result, but discounted it? if so why did you discount it?
      • Did you discount the result, but nonetheless, want to contemplate further, or undertake some further contextual research.       
  • Did you perhaps not understand immediately the results, or the results were inconclusive and therefore required further research
  • Did you decide you wanted to re-evaluate all the research undertaken to date, and create a timeline, what happened when and where the gaps were. Researching the gaps more comprehensively? 

Each year or so I re-evaluate if my process for recording research by considering if it is thorough enough – let me clarify this – is the way I record search results sufficient? Sometimes you can only tell this, by actually doing the process, then see where there are holes in the process, or perhaps a change is needed because there is additional material further down in the process that needs to be considered and/or incorporated.

Earlier this year I began sorting through a huge collection of images, these were screen captures, book covers, images of documents etc etc, not all genealogical. As part of that I began to consider the wider focus and that led to a larger project that is not going to be completed anytime soon. Essentially, a change was going to be needed and I have spent a couple of months checking that my provisional change is robust enough and won’t need changing in the future. I will come back to this in 2026 and share the details in a future post.

In closing, as I finish each notebook I go back through the pages, checking the “To Do’s” – I always tick if complete and each entry is accompanied with the date. If I am part the way through, I make a note in a different colour pen (if at home, pencil if in an archive) of where I got to, then add this symbol >> to the page, thus indicating the item has moved to the next To Do list, it is worth mentioning that I do this whether this is to the next page or later page in the same book or a new book; and of course there is a larger entry in the dated research log itself. 

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(Advent 10) – Journey

Posted on December 10, 2025 by Julie Goucher

Family history is akin to going on journey. When we start we do not necessarily know where we are going, we don’t know what we might see on the journey, nor the destination.

We use our starting point and move forward, doing rough arithmetic to estimate the year of birth for the next generation back. We work through the census hoping that the first names are different and therefore it is easier to establish who is who. The reality is that the family used the same few first names and therefore we may have two or more people with identical names, in some cases they marry someone whose first name is the name of their mother, if we are very unlucky they marry again, to someone with the same first name.

It is examples such as these that frequently why someone undertakes a one-name study. I have also encountered researchers who are focusing their research on an individuals who each bear the same name. In my own instance of this, it is Ralph Butcher and I am sure I will get round to sharing why the focus is on Ralph, but I am going to leave that for another day.

In the case of my several times Great Grandfather, George Ellis he married three times. The image immediately below is his second marriage from 1805 where he declares he is a widower. His bride was Sarah Beagel, and I descend from one of the son’s of this marriage. In 1823, Sarah dies, leaving George with a family. 

Marriage of George Ellis and Sarah Beagel 1805, St Mary’s church, Guildford. Parish Register, Surrey History Centre

In 1824, George remarries to Mary Virgo who is herself a widow. If you look carefully at the certificate below you can hopefully see the error that was made on the marriage certificate.

Marriage of Mary Virgo to George Ellis 1824, Holy Trinity Parish, Guildford, Surrey. Parish register, Surrey History Centre.

At time time of Sarah’s death, she and George had been married for just under 20 years. He therefore would have been used to calling to his wife. Was this a slip of the tongue? Or something that went on over the years? Was it true love, or a marriage that was simply transactional? We will never know, but these are ponderings that I had not considered when I first found the marriage.

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(Advent 9) – Individualistic

Posted on December 9, 2025 by Julie Goucher

Created by Julie Goucher, 2018

I am always amazed at the number of genealogists who are surprised or curious about the concept of One-Name studies. 

Broadly speaking, we all have a surname. It might be one we were given at birth, one that was “given” to us, through adoption, one that came to us via marriage, or perhaps, if we are being individualistic, and have a surname that is a compound name; essentially this is one that typically exists through the joining of two surnames, though the name itself usually does not have any “history” to it.

There are also hyphenated names, names that appear as middle names, that are surnames, giving a nod to a former generation. The opportunity for research is wonderfully exciting, regardless of how you have acquired your surname.

There is also, for Italian families, surnames that are known as Detto’s. This is where a nickname is given to an individual, but instead of it being connected to one individual, this continues to further generations. I have one in my own family, the name Magro Malosso, the true surname is Malosso,

Given how much variation there is around the way we have surnames, we should not be surprised that there are recognisable types of surnames, and all studies are completely different. We cannot compare apples to bananas, but we can compare apples to apples!

In the case of surname studies they are all different – different aims, different starting places, different statistical information. Essentially anything goes!

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(Advent 8) – Help at Hand

Posted on December 8, 2025 by Julie Goucher

The Genealogical community, both on and offline is in the main a friendly one, where sharing knowledge and ideas for research is given freely and frequently.

The internet has shrunk the world to the size of a matchbox, with interactions using social media platforms, or online provisions such as those operated by archives, record societies, local history groups and many, many other formats.

Essentially the genealogical global community is friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming.

This post is a little late, and I am glad it is. I gave a presentation on Tuesday evening, to a genealogical group online, about researching in Europe. I expressed that there had been a great distribution map for France, and having merged into another site, it had vanished. A lady in the online audience was French, and in France, she advised the site was still there….and it is, in French. With a bit of twiddling, by clicking on the French flag, and then selecting the surnames section, I could see the map….again.

It is the little things in life that make all the difference.

The site shows the distribution of the surname, in this case for ORLANDO across France in four time blocks – 1891-1915, 1916 -1940, 1941 – 1965 and 1966-1990. By clicking the buttons under the map, you change the distribution. Each department in France is revealed along with the number of births, when the mouse hovers above the individual region. You can look and see your surname distribution in France HERE

Thanks of course, once again to the lady who provided the link and for the guidance navigating the idiocrasies of the website.

You can download my Researching in France document HERE. I wrote a series on French research which I indexed and you access it HERE.

You might also be interested in my European Ancestors Course HERE

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(Advent 7) – Gathering Data

Posted on December 7, 2025 by Julie Goucher

Created by Julie Goucher, 2018 – using wordclouds.com

Any One-Name and surname research project will involve the collection of material, what I refer to as raw data.

Regardless of where your surname originated from or where you reside, to undertake a One-Name Study and register this with the Guild the study should be global and there is no pressure on how soon you go global.

So what follows below, in no particular order, are some global quick wins. Sites where you can acquire material from without a paying subscription, even if you acquire the material and do not process it immediately – there are some real gems and my Orlando study has benefited greatly by several of the sites.

We talk more about Collecting data in the in the Pharos Introduction to One-Name Studies course.

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