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Starting Your Family History

 

7 RULES TO REMEMBER

1 – WORK BACKWARDS

Start with yourself and work backwards generation by generation. This will ensure you can check your sources at each stage

 

2 – BE ORGANISED & HONEST

You will end up collecting a lot of information. Start with a simple filing system using A4 binders with loose-leaf pages and dividers. Have somewhere to keep certificates safe and easy to find.

 

3 – START WITH YOUR RELATIVES

Get all the information you can from relatives. Ask if you can make copies of any certificates they have. Make a note of any dates they know. Talk to as many relatives as you can, especially the eldest. Some of what they tell you may not be relevant (or may not sound it!) but make a note for future reference. You never know when it may be needed.

 

4 – SET YOUR SIGHTS

Decide which line you want to follow. Don’t aim to do your total ancestry. It is better to move from yourself to parents then grand parents rather than everyone at once. You can always do one line at a time and then move to another at a later stage

 

5 – CLASSES AND SOCIETIES

It is always worth joining a family history society. It could be the one for the locality your ancestors came from. Or maybe your local one. Or even both. You will find many other people who can help in your research. Many will have expertise in an area unknown to you or be able to point you in the right direction when you get stuck. And it’s a great way to make friends

 

6 – UNDERSTAND SURNAMES

They are usually derived from one of 4 basic roots: a place, occupation, a nickname or a patronymic relationship. The less common the name the easier to search (usually).

 

7 – USE TECHNOLOGY

Although not necessary it can be a great help if you have access to a computer or the internet. A computer is an efficient tool for storing, copying, sharing and presenting your research. Not forgetting email, internet, scanning and printing. There are programs specifically designed to help you store and draw your family tree.

 

 

 You could always try leaving a message here and see if anyone can help.

http://nmfhssouthport.myfreeforum.org/

 

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HOW DO I START DOING MY FAMILY HISTORY?

 

Begin by:

Writing down everything you know about yourself, your parents, grandparents and other family members.

Gather all your old letters, documents, photos and heirlooms to see what they tell you about your family’s history.

Talk to other/older family members to see whether they can help.

You should now be able to draw a simple tree or fill in a family chart so you can see what information is missing. This will help you to know where to look next.

Certificates

These are legal documents confirming birth, marriage and death dates

They tell you the exact dates and location of events.

They also provide other details such as occupations, parents names, ages etc.

They started on 1st July 1837

The General Register Office, (GRO), indexes can be found locally at Southport Reference Library and cover all England & Wales.

And online at – http://freebmd.rootsweb.com - free but not a complete listing yet.

To Order a Certificate:


You can order a certificate online from the General Register Office or by telephone or post from the local register office where the event took place.

Details of how to order a certificate using any of these methods can be found by using the link below  

          How to order birth, marriage and death certificates

There are forms in the Southport Reference Library, which will help when sending by post to the GRO.


Census


These are a detailed record of almost everyone in the country on census night. They will tell you who was at home on the night, their ages, occupations, marital status and where they were born. They also include lodgers and servants.

The first census for which records survive is 1841 and they have been taken every ten years since. The latest available is 1901.

If you don’t already know your ancestor’s address, there are national indexes for 1881.

Southport Reference library has this on microfiche (don’t worry staff are very happy to help). It is also available online at – www.familysearch.org

The 1901 census is also available online. You can see the index for free but there is a charge to see the full transcript. www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk

North Meols (Southport) FHS also has all of the census for the area available to loan on fiche for any member. A fiche reader is also available.


Parish Records

These are registers of baptisms, marriages & burials. They tell you the date an event took place, plus information such as ages, address, occupation, parent’s surname.

They started in 1538, although few survive from before 1600. Many are missing or incomplete. A duplicate set of records was also kept. Known as Bishops’ Transcripts they are worth checking if the original records no longer exist.

For the local area they are kept at the Lancashire Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston. Details can be found at


         http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/record_office/

 If you are not sure of your ancestor’s local parish the International Genealogical Index (IGI) has details of baptisms and some marriages but not burials.

Again Southport Reference Library has this on microfiche

You can also search the index online at www.familysearch.org


JOIN A FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY

As well as the monthly talks you will meet people who are also researching their families. They will be able to help when you are stuck, they can suggest where to look, give advice on what helped them and you could even get together to go to the record office. You will find a day out much more enjoyable in a group than alone.

It may also help to join the society that covers the area your ancestors lived. To find one that covers that area look at - http://www.ffhs.org.uk

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And for those of you who haven't given up yet, this might offer some inspiration..

 23rd Psalm for Genealogists

 Genealogy is my pastime, I shall not stray.

 It maketh me to lie down and examine tombstones.

It leadeth me into still churchyards.

It restoreth my ancestral knowledge.

               It leadeth me in the paths of census records and ship's passenger lists for my surnames sake.

Yea though I walk through the shadows of research libraries and microfilm readers.

I shall fear no discouragement, for a strong urge is within me.

The curiosity and motivation, they comfort me.

It demandeth preparation of storage space for the acquisition of countless documents.

It anointests my head with burning midnight oil.

My family group sheets runneth over.

Surely, birth, marriage and death dates shall follow me all the days of my life.

And I shall dwell in the house of a Family History Centre forever.

       Author unknown

 

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7 Rules to Remember

How to Get Started

23rd Psalm for Genealogists