Finding Your Past
This part of the website is to help you in 'finding your past'.
The first step is to decide how you are going to document your tree. You can do this:
The next step is to start with the information you know. Such as full name, date of birth etc.
After that you can talk to other family relatives about what they know - If possible.
If you were adopted, and want to find out your biological family, you will have to buy your adoption certificate. From there you will have to look for your parents.
From here you have to do your own research. If you are paying for a subscription on a website you may be able to find a birth which should give a mothers maiden name if born after 1911. If you are not paying for a subscription then FreeBMD, should be able to help. However this website may not have everybody on as it is a voluntary website. Also this website goes up to around 1970 - with few births after that. When you have a mother's maiden name you can look for a marriage between the two names.
If you have a birth before 1911 you can use the census records. For the 1911 and 1901 censuses, you may have to buy 'pay as you go' credits on these websites, which are usually quite cheap. Also for the census records between 1841 and 1891 you can try FreeCEN first. However the 1881 census is free to view so I would use another website - such as FindMyPast to look at these. However FreeCEN is also a voluntary website so your record may not be found.
For pre-1837 records you will have to look for records in the district the person you are looking for was born in. FreeREG may be a good website - although not all parishes are on their. If not, you can try typing into your search engine [the parish you are searching for] followed by 'parish records'. However not all parish records are online. Family Search is also a good website to look at for parish records. Also you will find parish records on microfiche at the record office, in the county of the parish you are looking for.
If you would like help with your family tree, hit a brick wall or need help with census records RootsChat is a good forum where there are lots of people to help.
The first step is to decide how you are going to document your tree. You can do this:
- On a website, such as Ancestry, FindMyPast, Genes Reunited and many more.
- On computer software
- On paper
The next step is to start with the information you know. Such as full name, date of birth etc.
After that you can talk to other family relatives about what they know - If possible.
If you were adopted, and want to find out your biological family, you will have to buy your adoption certificate. From there you will have to look for your parents.
From here you have to do your own research. If you are paying for a subscription on a website you may be able to find a birth which should give a mothers maiden name if born after 1911. If you are not paying for a subscription then FreeBMD, should be able to help. However this website may not have everybody on as it is a voluntary website. Also this website goes up to around 1970 - with few births after that. When you have a mother's maiden name you can look for a marriage between the two names.
If you have a birth before 1911 you can use the census records. For the 1911 and 1901 censuses, you may have to buy 'pay as you go' credits on these websites, which are usually quite cheap. Also for the census records between 1841 and 1891 you can try FreeCEN first. However the 1881 census is free to view so I would use another website - such as FindMyPast to look at these. However FreeCEN is also a voluntary website so your record may not be found.
For pre-1837 records you will have to look for records in the district the person you are looking for was born in. FreeREG may be a good website - although not all parishes are on their. If not, you can try typing into your search engine [the parish you are searching for] followed by 'parish records'. However not all parish records are online. Family Search is also a good website to look at for parish records. Also you will find parish records on microfiche at the record office, in the county of the parish you are looking for.
If you would like help with your family tree, hit a brick wall or need help with census records RootsChat is a good forum where there are lots of people to help.
*Note - No copyright infringement was intended. If there is a breach in copyright contact me through the 'Contact' section so it can be removed. The two photos that contain pictures of people are Copyright © 2014 Harry Clarke. All Rights Reserved.