An introduction to family history
There are so many reasons why you might want to start researching your family history.
Apart from the fact it's great fun, it can be something quite specific, the birth of a child or grandchild for example, that makes you think what stories you want to tell them about you and your family. The death of an elderly relative, perhaps; what stories could they have told future generations that you can now investigate. Perhaps something far more specific than that; a story that's entranced you for many years that you want to get to the bottom of. Either way, it's like a really gripping detective story. You are going to have to invest some time into this, but you never know what you're going to find.
Talking to the family: oral history
It may sound obvious, but the best place to start your research is with members of your own family, particularly older relatives, who can tell you about names, dates and places relating to people you may never have met. Some of the stories they tell though can be a bit painful, so don't push them too hard; but they will give you enough information to get you started in the archives.
Looking for clues at home - the family's personal archive
You'll be amazed at how many wonderful documents you'll find within your family. It's worth taking some time to look in attics, basements, drawers, even old boxes to see what you can uncover. I've found the birth certificate - an official record - as well as personal correspondence which shows me what my relatives thought; and photographs which lets me see what they looked like. The more time you spend looking around at home, the more time and money you'll save when you come to ordering documents from the archives.
Getting better organised: building a family tree
Start with yourself; after all, this is your detective story. Your spouse or partner sits alongside you in the family tree, and any children are written underneath. They are the generation below you. The generation above you are your parents, and above them are your grandparents. Each time you work back a generation, the number of direct ancestors doubles. So, you have two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great grandparents, and so on. There are standard ways of showing relationships on the family tree. For example, married couples are linked by an equals sign, or 'm'. Dates of birth are noted 'b', whilst baptisms are 'bap'. Deaths are 'd', whilst burials are 'bur'.
Birth certificates
Civil registration in England and Wales was introduced in 1837, and the documents it produced, birth, marriage and death certificates, can be used by family historians to track their ancestors further back in time. The key is to order duplicate certificates. To find a duplicate birth certificate, you'll need to use national indexes. From 1911, the mother's maiden name is also included, and this makes it much easier to find the right child. A birth certificate can tell you quite a lot. As well as the date, and place of birth of the individual, the certificate records the name of the child's father, as well as his occupation; the mother's name and maiden surname, and the address of the informant, usually a member of the family. The national indexes are at the General Register Office, but you can browse this site for further information and other useful links.
Marriage certificates
To track down the marriage certificate
of an ancestor, you can use national indexes for all registered marriages. A marriage certificate can tell you quite a lot. As well as providing the place and date of marriage, and the names of the bride and groom, a record is made of their age, marital status, occupation and address. The name and occupation of the fathers of both bride and groom are also noted. You can use this information to extend your family tree even further back in time. Since you have their ages, and the names of their fathers, you can make a really good search for their birth certificates.
To track down the death certificate of an ancestor, you can use national indexes to all registered deaths. From 1866, the age of the deceased is provided in the indexes, and from 1969, the date of birth is also recorded. A death certificate provides a record of the date, and place, of death; the age, or date of birth, of the deceased; their occupation, and usual address; the cause of death, and the name and address of the informant, usually a family member.
What's in a census?
Census returns are one of the best records for family historians. They've been taken by the government every ten years since 1801, but initially were little more than a headcount of the number of people living in each house. However, by 1841 far more information has been recorded which gives a really intimate snapshot of what was happening in each particular house. By 1851, you can find out the name and address of each householder; how old they were; their marital status; what their occupation was; and most importantly, where they were born. Now these records are very personal so they are closed for 100 years. This means the latest set of records you can see date from 1901. Most of the census records are now available online via The National Archives website, but you do still need to know roughly how old your relative was, and where they were living.
Going further
You may have covered the basic steps in family history, but the journey's only just begun. You can find out so much more about who your ancestors were, and how they lived their lives. For example, you might have picked up a relative born outside the United Kingdom, in a census record. The National Archives holds naturalisation records telling you where they came from, and what happened next. Equally, a birth certificate may say that a relative served in the military. Again, army service papers, naval records are all at The National Archives, allowing you to trace their career. To get you started, you can visit this site, and look at a family history gallery, and this will give you useful information and sample documents to really get you on your way.
