Letter Writing - Use It Or Lose It!

Remember the days before email and personal computers? Yes, there was life before laptops and cell phones. To jog you're memory see if these items ring a bell - ball point pens, writing paper, typewriters! Ah, those were the days! There is nothing unique about proper letter writing, people have been doing it for thousands of years. And the reason for that is simple - it works. Letters are a very effective form of communication, BUT - is it a lost art?

Why Bother

As a genealogist you will have to write the occasional letter, whether it be to a relative or institution, to request information. Your time is valuable and so you will want to maximise your efforts to get the results you desire.

People/organisations need to know who you are and what you want, and you need to make it as painless as possible for them to reply. Remember they are the ones doing you the favour not the other way around.Letters can be the means by which many genealogical gaps are filled. Don't underestimate the power of a well written, succint letter. The pen is mightier than the sword!

Well written letters are especially important when writing to businesses and organisations. Courthouses, government bodies and libraries will generally respond well to polite correspondence, so here are some tips to improve your 'expected response' from such organisations.

1. Brief is better - Clerks in courthouses etc aren't interested in your life story. Be brief and to the point. On any given day your letter will be just one of many, so nobody is going to bother with correspondence that rambles on for page after page no matter how well it's written.
2. Be specific - Let them know exactly what you are looking for:
   • Names - Married and maiden names for females.
   • Dates - Estimates are fine if you don't have exact dates.
   • Places if known.
   • Relationship - This may be essential in accessing certain information due to privacy laws.
3. SAE - Self addressed envelopes really do help in getting a reply to your letter, especially when writing to relatives. But also places such as genealogical societies may be running on shoestring budgets so it's important to be considerate of such things.
4. Copying fees - It's a good idea to make enquiries about any fees that may need to be paid prior to posting your letter.
5. Thank You - Be appreciative in anticipation of any help that you may receive. These two simple words could make all the difference.

  Writing a Proper Letter To Relatives

The above tips can be used when writing to family members too but the tone of the letter should be less formal.

Sharing family stories in this instance can certainly help 'break the ice' if you've had limited or no previous contact with the relative. It's a good idea as well to ease into the thrust of the correspondence so as not to appear pushy.

Offer to share any information you have with them. Sharing is what family history is all about.

Keep copies of all correspondence, you may very well need to refer to them in the future.

Don't be unreasonable with your requests. People, whether they be family or clerical staff, are going to be more prepared to assist you if you DON'T ask for copies of ALL their records on 'Smith'. Be considerate that not everybody is going to be as enthusiastic about genealogy as you or I. I can't think for the life of me why that may be the case but I have heard rumors to that effect!

Enjoy the experience. Letter writing can be a painless exercise with the potential to reap enormous rewards in your research endeavors. And as with anything worthwhile, the more you practice this art form the easier the process will become over time.

Here are some further guidelines on letter writing plus formats and samples:

Business letter - Click Here

Friendly letter - Click Here

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