BarbaraW56

By BarbaraW56

19 November 2007 14:10

I want to trace my family tree – can you give me some pointers on where to start?

Yours Expert Answer

Yours Reader Editor

By Yours Reader Editor

For a hobby to keep you mentally and physically alert look no further than your own family history.  

You will discover enough puzzles to make tracing your ancestors stimulating. And there is nothing quite like the buzz you get when you finally track down that elusive great-grandmother.

All you need to get started is an inquiring mind, a notebook and a sharp pencil.

Family history – genealogy – is one of the fastest growing hobbies in Britain. Over the past 30 years, looking for one’s ancestors has grown very popular – perhaps, a million people are now engaged in the search for their ancestors and genealogy is the second most
popular subject on the Internet.

It is a hobby you can pick up or put down when it suits you. After all, your ancestors aren’t going to disappear! There is no pressure to trace everybody – indeed it is nearly impossible. And if one forebear is frustratingly elusive, there are plenty of others to find.
One of the great things about family history is how helpful most family historians are. If you get lost on your first visit to a record office, somebody will point you in the right direction.

If you have Internet access or can use your local library you’ll find the most amazing resources online. Check web information with the original records. The Internet has revolutionised family history but be careful, otherwise you might end up tracing somebody else’s family tree!

Start your research with what you already know about your family and where they came from. It’s often worth talking to the oldest members of the family. Sadly, most researchers find they are the oldest member of their family. ‘I wish I had asked Granny when she was still alive’, is a common lament.

Many families have heirlooms, which may tell you something about immediate ancestors, so ask relatives. Family bibles are particularly useful, because they record births (and perhaps marriages and deaths) of family members and if you’re lucky yours may go back centuries.

See whether the box of family snaps of reunions, weddings and holidays tell you anything or ask relatives for any information

Once you’ve exhausted everything at home, it’s time to start using original records. You’ll need to visit archives (sometimes called record offices) and libraries. Every county has a record office and local studies library. Find the details on the Internet (www.hmc.gov.uk/archon) or check in Yellow Pages. Ring up before you go to see whether they’ve got what you want.
The first records you will need are birth, marriage and death certificates, which started in July 1837.
Individual certificates cost £6.50 each but are essential, as they contain information you can’t find elsewhere, such as the exact date and place of events, as well as addresses, occupations, and parents’ names. 

Before you order any certificates find a reference in the register. The main set is at the Family Records Centre (FRC), Islington but microfiche copies are available at large libraries and Latter Day Saints (LDS) Church family history centres. You can also check them online at www.1837online.com (for a fee) or at http://freebmd.rootsweb.com (for free, although the site was incomplete at the time of writing).

Once you have found the event you want, order the certificate itself, either in person at the FRC, or by post or phone from the General Register Office in Stockport (see Useful Addresses panel on Page 92). Make a note of the volume, book and page reference from the register for when you order.

Before 1837 births (usually baptisms), marriages and deaths (burials) were recorded in parish registers, which are still kept today. Both Church of England (Anglican) and nonconformists (such as Baptists, Methodists and Quakers, as well as Roman Catholics) kept their own records. The Anglican ones are the oldest and most complete because it was an offence not to be baptised,
married or buried by the Church of England. Its registers begin in 1538, although not many survive until the 17th century. Up to 1812 entries were often brief and hard to read. Anglican registers are usually found at local record offices. Most nonconformist registers begin in the mid-18th century, most of the earlier ones are at the FRC.

Many Anglican and most nonconformist registers have been indexed by the LDS Church and appear on their International Genealogical Index (IGI) online at www.familysearch.org. It is full of errors so check any information you take from it. The IGI only includes details of baptisms and marriages. There is also the National Burial Index (NBI): The equivalent for deaths. Both indexes can be seen at large libraries and at LDS Church family history centres.

The Census records are some of the most important – and interesting – records for researching your ancestors. With the exception of 1941, a census has been taken every ten years since 1801. The first census to contain details of every person was 1841.

Entries reveal where your ancestor lived, other people in the house, their marital status, ages, occupations and places of birth – information you can’t find elsewhere. In addition they can suggest other leads to follow, either to find out more about individuals or to take your search back in time.  

Census records are available between 1841 and 1891 at the FRC and The National Archives has a set of the 1901 records. Most local archives and libraries have copies of the census for their area and an increasing number are
available online. The 1901 census is at www.1901censusonline.com, while the 1891 census (and eventually earlier censuses) can be found at www.ancestry.co.uk.

Family history has given pleasure to thousands of people. It’s hard enough to be a challenge, but not impossible to crack. And who knows what you’ll find? You’re unlikely to be related to anybody rich or famous – most researchers are happy finding a poacher who was hung for sheep-stealing!

Family history centres
The Latter Day Saints Church runs a series of family history centres around Britain. Everyone is welcome to use them and efforts are made to help beginners. They can also order films from the world’s largest genealogical centre – the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, a useful service if you can’t get to London. Addresses are given at www.familysearch.org, or ring the Hyde Park Centre for information. Tel: 020 7589 8561.

Further reading
The Joy of Family History by Simon Fowler (Public Record Office, 2001)
Beginning your Family History by George Pelling (Federation of Family History Societies, 1998)

Useful addresses

General Register Office, PO Box 2
Southport PR8 2JD. Tel: 0870 243 7788
www.direct.gov.uk/gro

National Archives (formerly Public Record Office), Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond TW9 4DU. Tel: 020 8392 5200 www.pro.gov.uk

Society of Genealogists, 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA Tel: 020 7251 8799
www.sog.org.uk

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