Finding the Motivation
Many people may have considered exploring their family history, without actually embarking on the journey of discovery. Interest may be sparked by a Television programme, or maybe a family event. Personally the discovery of my Grandmother's family in the newly released 1901 census was the starting point for me. Whatever may have roused your curiosity, I hope that I can give you some pointers to help you along the way with your research. If you are keen to learn about your ancestry but don't have the inclination or the time to undertake your own research, then I'd be happy to assist, please check out my research options. Warning: researching your Family History can become addictive!
Genealogy or Family History
It is worth considering what you wish to achieve through your research. Do you simply wish to trace back your paternal or maternal lines as far as possible. Or perhaps your are interested in establishing a full pedigree. Are you simply looking for dates and places of origin, or do you wish to uncover as much as possible about your ancestors' lives; the places they lived, their families and occupations. If you are particularly interested in English Family History Research, you may wish to join a local Family History Society, try the FFHS.
The Search Begins at Home
First consider the information that you already have at your fingertips. Even your own birth certificate can be a starting point. Speak to relatives, elderly relatives can be a mine of information. You may be lucky enough to have a Family Bible, or even letters and photographs which can assist you in your research.
Keeping Records
The importance or organized and legible records to the Family Historian can't be overstressed. There are many good software packages aimed at the family history researcher, but you'll also need a system for storing original documents and any hand written search notes that you accumulate. It's useful to keep notes of your searches even if they are unsuccessful, this can save duplicating your efforts if you pick up the search at a later date.
Birth, Death and Marriage Records
Once you have found out all you can from your own family, the next stage of your research could be the public records. Civil registration of births, deaths and marriages in England and Wales began in July 1837, although it was not enforced until 1875. To access any useful information from the records, it's necessary to obtain a certificate. Certificates may reveal the following information.
A search of the General Register Office (GRO) Indexes will yield the information needed to order a certificate.
We can search for and order a birth certificate, death certificate or marriage certificate for just £10.00 See our search options.
GRO Indexes
The indexes are arranged chronologically upto the present time, with each year divided into quarters (March, June, September and December). The March quarter encompasses events registered during January, February and March, and so on. Within each quarter, the Indexes are arranged alphabetically by surname of the person registered. The information required from the Index being: Name, Registration District, Year and quarter, Page and Volume numbers. For instance John Smith born March 1/4 1899, District: Newington, Volume 1d, Page 220
Many larger Public Libraries hold microfiche copies of the GRO Indexes. Or you can search online:
FREE BMD is gradually transcribing the Indexes. Or you can search the indexes at Ancestry.co.uk
My GRO search service fee is just £3.00 for a single search, over any date range - Free if I can't find the entry you are looking for, and certificates can be obtained for you.
Possible Problems with GRO Index Searches
Your ancestry research can hit a brick wall if you can't find an entry in the index so it's useful to be aware of problems that you may encounter. It is important to realise that births could be registed upto six weeks after the event. So a birth which took place in the March quarter may not have been registered until the June quarter. With very common names it is not always easy to be sure that you have located the correct entry! Clerical errors or spelling errors made at the time of registration may add to the length of your search, for instance Clark instead of Clarke; if you can't find the entry it is always worth considering possible mistakes and searching there. Before 1875 when parents were penalized for failing to register a birth, it was not unusual for births to go unregistered. Sometimes a child may not have been given a name before the birth was registered, in these cases it is worth checking at the end of the surname list, where such entries were made.
British Census Records
Census records are of great value to British family history research. The census was first taken in Britain in 1801, and has been taken every ten years since (except in 1941 when Great Britain was engaged in WW2). Prior to 1841 the surviving census records are little more than headcounts. From 1841 however, things become more interesting, and you can learn much about your ancestors from the census information: typical census information. The information on census returns cannot be regarded as 100% accurate for a number of reasons: People may not have known their exact age, or where they were born, they could have exaggerated their occupation, or perhaps even lied to the enumerator. Despite this they are still one of the most useful documents to the genealogist, as backup material to other sources or bridging the gaps between other sources. They can also provide clues which can further your research. For instance if someone disappears between once census and the next, it is possible that they have died and this would prompt you to search the death indexes.
Parish Registers
Using the civil registration and census records it is often possible to trace your ancestors back to the early 1800s. Should you wish to extend your research to earlier ancestors you will need to turn to the Parish Registers. These were the books, held in Anglican churches which were used to record details of baptisms, marriages and burials. The registers began in 1538, although very few records going that far back actually survive, many having been lost or damaged along the way. Those who envision embarking on a tour of Parish Churches in a quest for records, may be reassured to know that most parish registers can now be found at the relevant County Record Office (although a few are still retained by individual churches). Many parish registers have been transcribed, and it is worth checking with the relevant family history society, aswell as the Society of Genealogists to see if they hold the information that you seek. It is important to remember that anything which has been transcribed is subject to errors, and it is worth checking important information against a copy of the original parish register. registers.
Note that the parish registers were registers of the Church of England, and although from 1538 the parish minister was supposed to record all baptisms, marriages and burials of all those in his parish, many did not record events pertaining to non-conformists. So what will the parish register actually tell you? An early baptism record may just state the child's name and date, but normally the name of the father and mother are given and often the father's occupation.
Please check back soon for more information...
