I've been doing family history research for over 40 years, but it's really in the last 10 or so years - with the rise of the internet and computer power - that most of my results have been produced. It's not only the databases such as the IGI and those provided via Ancestry that have produced data, but also communications from other people who've linked to my family data using GenesReunited, genealogy bulletin boards and other family websites.

I used to keep various files in Filemaker Pro, Word, Excel and other formats, but now I just keep all my found data in handwritten books and transcribe it all into the (Mac) Reunion software.

Ancestors came mainly from Lancashire and Norfolk in the UK, with deeper roots in Ireland (Kildare), Scotland (Edinburgh) and probably the Low Countries. Some ancestors migrated to Canada (Ontario), some to Utah to join the Mormon faith, some to Australia and some to South America. One or two fought in the American Civil War and received pensions from the US government for doing so. Trades were mainly miners, blacksmiths, agricultural workers, shoemakers, tailors, etc.