The Clay Family Society uses The Next Generation (TNG) genealogy platform to organize Clay family trees, branches, and source documentation. The checklist below will help members ensure that their information is complete, accurate, and useful for ongoing research. TNG Contributor’s User Guide.
1. Confirm Your Access
Before beginning, make sure you can successfully:
- log in to the TNG member area
- navigate to the Clay trees and branches
- view individual profiles and family group sheets
If you experience login problems, contact the site administrator.
2. Locate Your Clay Line
Use the search tools in TNG to locate:
- yourself
- your parents and grandparents
- your earliest known Clay ancestor
Confirm that the correct branch of the Clay family is associated with your lineage.
3. Review Your Personal Profile
Check the accuracy of the information recorded for you and your immediate family.
Verify:
- names and spelling
- birth and death dates
- places of birth, marriage, and death
- relationships between family members
Report any corrections or updates to the site administrator or appropriate workgroup.
4. Review Your Direct Clay Line
Examine each generation of your direct Clay lineage.
Look for:
- missing individuals
- incomplete dates
- incorrect relationships
- duplicated people
- unsupported assumptions
Correcting small errors in one lineage often helps clarify larger family connections.
5. Examine Source Citations
Strong genealogy depends on documented evidence.
When reviewing a profile, check whether sources are attached, such as:
- census records
- probate records
- land deeds
- church registers
- published genealogies
If you have documentation that supports or clarifies a record, consider submitting it to the Society’s archives.
6. Add or Share Missing Information
Members often possess valuable family material that has not yet been incorporated into the database.
Examples include:
- photographs
- letters or family documents
- cemetery records
- obituaries
- local historical information
Sharing these materials helps strengthen the accuracy of Clay family history.
7. Check Related Branches
If your Clay ancestors connect with other Clay families or regional branches, review those lines as well.
This helps:
- identify possible lineage connections
- confirm migration patterns
- recognize when two families with the Clay surname may actually be unrelated
8. Connect Your Research With DNA Projects
If you have participated in DNA testing, ensure that your documented Clay lineage in TNG corresponds with the lineage used in the Clay DNA Project.
Accurate lineage information helps project administrators interpret DNA matches more effectively.
9. Participate in Workgroups
If your Clay lineage is associated with an active research workgroup, consider joining the effort.
Workgroups collaborate to:
- investigate unresolved lineage questions
- analyze historical records
- interpret DNA results
- document research conclusions
10. Report Issues or Improvements
If you discover:
- errors in the database
- missing individuals
- conflicting information
- opportunities to improve documentation
please notify the appropriate workgroup coordinator or the website administrator.
Maintaining the accuracy of the Clay family trees is an ongoing collaborative effort.
How TNG Supports Clay Family Research
The Next Generation platform allows the Clay Family Society to organize genealogical information in a structured way, linking individuals, families, sources, and historical notes. By combining member contributions with documented research and DNA analysis, the Society continues to refine and expand our understanding of Clay family history.