General Chat

Go to your local newsagent and start buying "Practical Family History". Its very good for beginners. There are other genealogical monthly magazines but they are a bit more aimed at the more advanced family historian Len

You will find it helpful to keep notes of what you know and where you find the info. then you can always check it out. Write surnames in capitals, then if you get a family with surname JAMES for example, it's easier to keep track of than if you write William James and then later wonder what his surname is, - we've all been there! I even write down notes from a conversation eg. Aunt May SMITH said her father's family ran a greengrocers in Portsmouth, (22 April, 2004) It may be just what you need sometime later when you need to verify information found in an index. The list of all births, marriages and deaths since 1837 is often called the GRO index. Since 1911, mother's maiden names have been logged against birth entries, so if you look up someone's birth entry for say 1927, their mother's maiden name will be shown too so you can think about looking for a marriage between those 2 surnames. Never jump to conclusions, try to get at least 2 pieces of evidence if possible. Start from what you know and work back and don't be afraid to ask, we were all beginners once and although we aren't experts, you will find alot of friendly help and support on these boards. - Good luck.

Michael - you will need to go to one of the larger libraries in your area/borough - give them a buzz first! The thing you need to check is the General Register Office index of Births Marriages and Deaths - should be available on microfiche. The whole of England and Wales is listed in one index. (It used to be kept at St Catherine's House - hence the nickname some folk give it). If you go into ANY library though, there should be some basic Family History self help books - just ask the staff to show you. I also recommend you click on Resource Centre on the left here. Finally, just ask on here or the Tips Board at any time, and don't forget to visit the Chat Board! Happy hunting! Maz. XX

Hi, There is a monthly magazine callded Practical Family History. Every month they print the same "getting started" article. This is an excellent basic guide and will answer many of the questions you have at the beginning of your research. There are also good articles in the resource centre on this site. Click on the button on the left. Gwynne

hi michael if you go to familysearch(.)org they have the 1881 census for free!! they also have the IGI which is a register ofbirths deaths and marriages remember to remove the brackets from the addy first lol there are many people on GC who have various census discs who will be only too happy to do look ups for you ancestry has the 1871(incomplete)1891 and 1901(incomplete) census's ,but it subscription only i and many others have a subscription for ancestry so just ask for help,giving as much info as possible good luck and welcome to GC susie

yup the file is in seperate filches all births ,deaths and marriages in different sections but in the same room,you will find the staff very helpful and after the [strange ]feeling wears off you will have fun like i did i,m sure .Denis.

my local library is just up the road, will go have a look tomorrow I think, so I just need to look up Catherines file? Thanks for your help!

Yes every registered birth death and marriage in the country is on that list,and every town in the country. I was there myself [in shields]today and found two relies i didn,t know i had. You can go to any town library. Denis Ps no you are,nt dumb ,you should see some of my gaffes,go for it.

Hi Denis, Thanks for the prompt response! Does that include all libraries, would they have records of anyone in my local library even if my family where from somewhere totally different? And what is Catherines file, is that a specific name for something...seem really dumb but got to start somewhere!!

Hi Mick, if you have any names with dates the easiest way in the long run is your local library. You can access Catherines list in the family history section and get all your info ,dates names, areas of birth ,info as to where to get your certificates free.Most other sites are pay to view and it can work out expensive,the library is free[ all you need is time]Good hunting Denis.

Hi there, I have only just signed up for genes connected yesterday, and did the typical research by speaking to my grandmother etc...but I am really confused as to what to do in order to search a lot deeper than what my grandmother can remember, what is a census search and how do I do it? are there any websites that I can visit that I can look into things, are they free, or if not how much do they cost! I have been bitten by the bug and really want to start the ball rolling!! Any help would be great, please let me know if you know what I can do next!! Thanks Michael Taggart