When Bermuda College history professor Jolene Bean started tracing her roots, all she knew about her paternal great-great-grandfather was that his name was John Bean.

This didn't lead very far because John Bean was a common name.

"There were men with that name born in every parish on the Island," said Dr. Bean.

But through persistence, she learned techniques to get around the problem.

She will be sharing some of her methods in a special lecture tomorrow at the Bermuda College, designed for beginning genealogists.

"A lot of people don't know where to start," said Dr. Bean. "The first place to start is with yourself.

"You write down what you know about yourself, then you go on to your parents and grandparents and so on. You work outward."

To learn more about John Bean, she kept a broad view of her ancestors.

She knew the maiden name of John Bean's wife, her great-great grandmother. Eventually, by looking at documents such as marriage certificates, she was eventually able to narrow down the John Beans.

"If I look at my grandfather I want to look at everyone," she said. "I like to have a complete picture."

She said you can often find information about your direct ancestors by researching their brothers, sisters and cousins.

Wills, for example, often mention multiple family members. Interest in genealogy research in Bermuda is growing. Dr. Bean's phone rings off the hook with people looking for basic advice. That is why she sometimes offers genealogy workshops for the public.

"I have been telling people since last year that I was going to have another beginners' course," said Dr. Bean. "I am trying to accommodate all those people who have asked for my advice. It is free."

Millions of people worldwide are now researching online, on such websites as www.ancestry.com, www.rootsweb.com, www.genesreunited.co.uk and www.genealogy.com, but Dr. Bean said no matter how high tech genealogy research gets, the basic starting point is the same.

"You start with yourselves and figure out which family you want to trace," she said. "My suggestion then is to talk to older family members."

She said information from older relatives isn't always accurate, but it can still point you in the right direction.

"For example, they might tell you that you are looking for the Beans from Somerset, not St. George's," said Dr. Bean. "When you start looking, they may give you somewhere to start.

"Their information may be wrong, but at least you have some guidelines."

She recommended that people researching ancestors from the 17th and 18th centuries visit the Archives in the Government Administration Building on Parliament Street.

"They have lots of records there," she said. "They have records, mostly of white people, but also some slave registers. Sometimes those records go back quite a distance into the 17th century or 18th century.

"People researching this time period could also read 'Chronicle of a Colonial Church: 1612-1826', by A. C. Hollis Hallett.

"They also have 'Bermuda index, 1784-1914: An index of births, marriages, deaths, as recorded in Bermuda newspapers' by C. F. E. Hollis Hallett."

But Dr. Bean said after years of researching her family tree she has become most interested in family stories.

"I teach a Bermuda history course at the Bermuda College," she said. "We start off with genealogy. My students have to select one person out of all their genealogy and write a story about that person. They have to fit that person into Bermuda history.

"One student talked about her mother who grew up around the time of the burning of the Bermudiana hotel.

"By doing the genealogy, which is post-emancipation up until 1953, they can fit their grandparents into that."

Dr. Bean did her doctoral thesis on women in Bermuda history.

"I am interested in women's history, and also the lives of ordinary people."

She said one of the most interesting stories she found was about a woman called Alice.

"She passed for white," said Dr. Bean. "I was looking at the genealogy records, I found Alice and the man she married. Then I went to look for the children. They were registered as white.

"As a child Alice's parents separated and went to the United States. Alice and her siblings were left with a grandmother.

"That must have been hard on the children, because they were not exactly like their white cousins.

"Alice wrote several letters to her mother saying that her younger sister was going wild.

"Her sister eventually had a baby. When Alice was 21 she followed her parents to the United States.

"The sister also moved to the United States, but I have not really traced what happened to the sister's child."

She said it was important to write family stories down, or make a scrapbook or picture book.

"Not everyone is a writer," she said. "But the stories need to be recorded in some way."

In addition to genealogy, Dr. Bean has a passion for photography.

She takes photographs and also collects vintage photographs, and old photos of her family.

"When you are talking to other people about genealogy, ask if they have pictures," said Dr. Bean. "If they have a photo you would like, suggest you go and scan it and then bring it back the next day."

Dr. Bean's free workshop 'Genealogy 101 for Beginners' will be held tomorrow, in the North Hall Room G301, from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. For details telephone 236-9000 ext. 4442.