This page was last updated on: 02 May 2006

Research into family history (genea­logy) has become an increasingly popular pastime in recent years. To begin looking into your family history here is a brief guide.

Most researchers choose to trace their father's family history. Tracing other or all branches of the family can be equally rewarding, especially if a branch has lived in the researchers local area for many generations. This allows a better understanding of local records and may lead to research in local history to complement the family history.

All research begins by contact with as many known relatives as possible. Start with the generations closest to you and work your way back. Compile a list of questions before you start and take notes during the conversation. The main information required from them will be names of all their relatives, dates of births, marriages and deaths, if known, and where these events took place and where their relatives live or lived.

Keep a full record of all information given by each relative as they will have to be kept informed of details given by other family members. This serves to jog their memories and may result in further information.

Try to obtain photocopies of any documents found and copies of old photographs which will help illustrate the history at a future date. Ask relatives if they possess any old diaries or letters that may be of use.

Try also to locate any old bibles which have passed down through the family as Victorian bibles contain the names of members of a family and their dates of birth etc.

Don't forget first and second cousins, as documents and photographs of ancestors pass through all branches of families especially to females who generally take greater care of such items.

If relatives provide enough informa­tion on other surviving relatives who may be unknown to you, then contact them in turn.

As information comes to hand, the compiling of a Family Tree can begin. Make out a pedigree chart beginning with you and branch in and out to parents, grandparents and so on. Fill in dates of births, marriages and deaths. If you have been lucky enough with information your family tree may already date back almost 100 years to great grandparents.

When all contacts have been exhausted it will be time to decide exactly what research you wish to carry out and whether to go it alone or seek help by joining a local Family History Society.

Whatever your decision you will then be ready for theactual records. However, this will depend entirely on how far back your initial research has taken you and to where it has taken you. If you can go back as far as 1901 then census returns become immediately available to you, which in turn lead you to parish registers for further details.

If you have not been so lucky then the process is a little more involved with the indexes of births, marriages and deaths to consult and the purchase of one or more certificates to start off your research.

With modern copying methods and the use of computers, records are now available in many forms;

·        books

·        microfilm,

·        microfiche

·        computer discs

These records are available from various sources;

·        reference libraries

·        family history research societies

·        libraries run by the Church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons)

·        county record offices,

·        internet websites.

The records kept by these sources include;

·        parish registers

·        census returns

·        indexes of births, marriages and deaths

The originals of these records are in churches, county record offices and national record offices, along with numerous other records dating back hundreds of years, which form the sources of information for researchers.

Many books have now been written on Family History and these explain in detail how to go about consulting records, the type of records which exist and where to find them. In addition help is at hand on internet websites. Take time to study as much as possible to familiarize yourself with these records before attempting to use any of them.

It takes many years of research to piece together a full history of a family so time and patience spent on preparing the basic groundwork should lead to many rewarding years of research, producing many surprises about your ancestors.