Getting Started

Let family history expert Nick Barratt help you get started with your research. Included in these clips are simple tips on getting key information and building your family tree.

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  An introduction to family history

  Researching your family's history is a great way to discover your roots

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  Talking to the family: oral history

  The best place to start your research is with members of your own family

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  Looking for clues at home

  You'll be amazed at how many documents are within your family's personal archive

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  Building a family tree

  Building the family tree is the best way of organising the data you have uncovered

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  Birth certificates

  In general, you can use birth certificates to extend your family tree

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  Marriage certificates

  A marriage certificate can tell you quite a lot

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  Death certificates

  Death certificates can be used to extend your family tree back in time

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  What is in a census?

  Census returns are one of the best records for family historians

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  Going further

  You may have covered the basic steps in family history, but the journey's only just begun

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  Putting it all together

  View a complete version of our 'getting started' tips in one movie