Genealogy

callow

I was able to trace back a lot of my family by getting subscription to a geneology site. I used findmypast, although I think some others might of been better.

As long as you have someone born before 1901 you can use the census records. The census lists all the people in the family at that address, and you just keep going back each 10 years. Some of the ages are not exact so you need to add a few years either side. You can only really trace the male side, as it doesn't give the wife's maiden name.

I went all the way back to the first census records in 1841. Most families tended to stay in the same town.

Sally

kezia

One source I use for finding parents is local newspapers. Some parents announced the birth of children in the births, marriages and deaths columns. Earlier births usually just give the fathers name.

May not help in this case but maybe in the future?

Another great source for research is the times on line site. Some libraries give free online access (at home) to the UK site which has searchable copies of the paper going back to the 1700's - mine does - and it is a great site for searching for family history.

sammy_kaye18

patchwork cat

there is a genealogy site called scotlands people which has birth, death adn marriage certificates online.

I think i might even have some credits for it if you require any help with your scottish line i would be happy to help.

I began researchign my mother in laws tree last year in august for her and by the time christmas rolled aroudn i had researched all her lines (mums side) back to both sets of grandparents, grandparents parents names back to the 1800s for her. and all she had to go one was her mums name, and her parents names. (form a death certificate) so feel free to pm me if you would liek any help and ill get on with it asap

sammy_kaye18

demented housewife - alot fo irish records are hard to trace though as there was a fire in the records office a while back and alot of them were destroyed by the fire - ive also been tryign to research an irish line but am having no luck - i have the english side and scottish side completed - jsut need to get on with the welsh and irish now.

Also if anyone else needs scottish line help - i have 31 credits left ont eh site and it is 1 credit for a search so feel free to leave message if you want a hand

patchwork_cat

Thankyou Sammy - yes I have been on scottish roots and subscribed to 3 lots of 30 searches. Have gone as far back as i can on the scottish side with this resource. It is the Welsh side I am struggling with. Not helped of course that they are called things like Jane Jones!!! HAve found one branch in Scotland back to the deserted Isle Of Stroma! Funny to think that no one lives there know and it was once a thriving self contained community.

mary43

A couple of other free sites worth trying are
www.familytreeforum.com
www.ancestryaid.co.uk

There are some very helpful people there plus Links and Tips along with a host of other info.

I've been doing my family tree for the last 7 years and initially found a family contact through genesreunited.She had a wealth of info and we shared what we had. The rest of what I've found has been through name searches on genesreunited and the free sites I've mentioned, plus rootschat and the rootsweb search.

Good luck. It can be very frustrating but also a lot of fun.

javajim

I have found a genealogy site and I was wondering if any body knows if it is safe. I have registered etc and then a page has come up in which I have to do a once off installation. So not at all sure about it. What do you think?

The site is https://www.myheritage.com

Thanks in advance

setmefree2

Hi Patchwork cat,

IMHO you would be better of buying the birth certs here

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

they are not really that expensive and then you will be absolutely sure you are tracing the right tree. There is nothing more exciting than seeing a birth cert either and it will have tons of info on it. The names of your Gt grandfathers, their occupations, addresses, wittnesses (often siblings). I think it's worth the investment. You will need the BMD reference - do you know that?

All The best

SMF2

RedBern

if you have a Mormon Church (Church of Latter Day Saints - or LDS as referred to on earlier reply) near to you I'd have a look there - they have extensive library archives usually on microfiche of church records. The local church here in South Wales, Merthyr has a library facility and they are very helpful. If you have an idea where your family may have been living in 1905 you could try parish records - or go further forward for marriage records and then back from there?

hardpressed

Have you considered that if they are from Wales they might have been 'chapel' not church? If you contact the church or chapel near to where they lived they might have baptismal records that give the parent's names.

As for getting info from birth certs, they will give you the parent's names and usually the mother's maiden name. Marriage certs will have both father's names and witnesses.