Genealogy - A basic guide to tracing your family history (Part 1)

Posted in , By Carl Brind 0 comments

Thanks for having a look at this blog. Along with art and music, genealogy is another subject Im very interested in. It all started about 10 years ago, with a family mystery. Like so many families theres always stories that are passed down. It maybe that its thought you are related to someone famous (a very common one). It could be that an ancestor did something brave or was wealthy. I will warn you, genealogy is very addictive, time consuming, expensive but highly rewarding.
Right, where do you start? I suggest the first thing you do is get a sheet of paper and pencil (you will see why I said pencil later on). Draw out the family tree that you know of. A majority of the time you will be able to name your parents and often grandparents. The next thing I would suggest is talk to your family members about family they remember. I will pause here for a second to give you some important advice. As well all know, families are funny things. Every family has had their own problems, which should be dealt with very delicately. This should be remembered at all time when researching, especially when speaking to older family members.
Right, getting back......Your parents may remember their grandparents, aunts and uncles. Also keep a seperate sheet of paper at hand to note down any family stories they may know of. Ask family members for copies of any birth, marriage and death certificates they may have, to back up your tree. The reason I say this is because not everything thats been told verbally is correct. For example, my grandad was always known as Joe. Nothing unusual about that......apart from the fact his name wasnt Joe and didnt have Joe anywhere in his name. Joe was infact his nickname. Another example is when ancestors were refereed to by their middle name. Your great uncle William you was told about may have actually been registered as Richard William. Often the son was named after their father, so to avoid confusion was refereed to by their middle name. It can get very confusing, which is why I said to use a pencil to draw out your tree.
Birth, marriage and death certificates are available to buy online from the governments website. Their website and guide to ordering can be found by clicking here You can also visit the FREE BMD register to obtain the reference numbers by clicking here
Certificates can hold a wealth of information, which was previously unknown...place of birth, mothers maiden name, fathers occupation etc. A great guide to understanding a birth certificate can be found here