| Beginning Your Family History Research | | | | records might be questionable and that there are |
| Family history has become something of a social | | | | gaps, so you really should try to verify the |
| phenomenon since I started my research in the | | | | accuracy of the information using other sources. |
| 70's. At that time, the initial searches for the UK | | | | However, it is a great place to start and at the |
| started with the Births, Deaths and Marriages | | | | very least will be very useful in helping you to |
| registers at St. Catherine's House at the Aldwych | | | | determine the geographical location of your family |
| in London. Now we can all search for records | | | | name. For instance, I was able to learn from |
| globally and the online publication of many of our | | | | these records that my family had three main |
| family history records has made the journey of | | | | locations in the UK: Kent, Bedfordshire and |
| discovery easier. | | | | Northamptonshire. |
| So how do you start to trace your ancestors? | | | | Your next step would be to search your |
| Well all the published advice says start with your | | | | country's government records of Births, Deaths |
| relatives, and yes that's great advice, especially | | | | and Marriages. These are often index registers |
| for older close family members. However, some | | | | from which you can obtain the information |
| of us would be a little reticent about contacting | | | | necessary to order a copy of the certificate |
| great aunt Lucy who we haven't seen for thirty | | | | issued at the time of the event and many of |
| years, out of the blue and with the sole intention | | | | them are now available to view online. You should |
| of interrogating her about her past. We can make | | | | have some idea of the year date of the event |
| contact with Aunt Lucy in a slow, measured and | | | | you are looking for before starting your search. |
| empathetic way over time that may encourage | | | | The yardstick for such searches is 25 years |
| the sharing of historical family information, but if | | | | between generations, eg marriage 25 years after |
| you're anything like me, you want to get started | | | | birth. Unless you are extremely lucky you may |
| right now! | | | | not find the entry in the chosen year of your |
| There are a number of things you can do almost | | | | search, in which case you will have to "bracket" |
| immediately: | | | | the year i.e. search up to 5 years before and 5 |
| Find and access locally a copy of the IGI. This is | | | | years after the optimum year date. If you still |
| the International Genealogical Index that is being | | | | have no luck then you should increase the |
| compiled by the The Church of Jesus Christ of | | | | bracketing one year at a time. |
| the Latter-Day Saints and can usually be found in | | | | These records only go back so far. In the UK civil |
| reference libraries or your nearest local family | | | | registration started in 1837, and in the US there |
| history society. It used to be available to search | | | | are variations in the start date of the recording of |
| on microfiche and CD at Family History Centers | | | | Vital Records depending on which State you are |
| and libraries, but is now available online at Family | | | | searching in. To go back further, you must track |
| Search. Don't be fooled by the words "being | | | | down the original records preceding registration |
| compiled". They have being doing this work for | | | | and this where the fun and the challenge really |
| decades and have many millions of records. Be | | | | begins. |
| aware that the accuracy of some of these | | | | |