Genealogy Chat

Ok, for all those looking for a place to start researching their trees. No-one is going to hand you the information on a plate it does require time and legwork. Although many people recommend the LDS site I would caution against reliance on that source if you are serious about getting reliable information. The LDS information is split into different categories, information transcribed from parish registers (IGI) and trees 'created' by LDS members as part of their ceremonial duties (Ancestral File). Whilst the parish registers are incomplete and contain mistakes they can be used as a guide. The ceremonial trees though are in many cases closer to fiction than anything else. Parish registers are on average transcribed upto 1840 so they aren't the place to start if you don't even know your eight great-grandparents. For this you will need to use what you do know about your family to consult birth, marriage and death records and the census records for the years 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1901. Marriage certificates for your grandparents will give the groom and brides fathers names and their ages. The birth certificates will give both parents names. For a guide look at your own certificates for the information you can expect. The census are good for putting families together, you can discover siblings of your ancestors as well as parents and if lucky other relatives staying at the address. For information on census and civil registration (births, marriages and deaths) and how you can access these records goto the Genuki site (search for Genuki in your search engine).