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There are so many reasons why one might want to start researching your family history. Did you like to hear your grandmother's stories of the 'old days'? Was history one of your favourite subjects in school? Do you like to read historical novels? Sometimes the urge to find out where we come from is triggered by something quite specific, the birth of a child or grandchild for example, the death of an elderly relative, perhaps. Whatever the reason, the following steps should help you with your first research.
 | TALK TO YOUR RELATIVES |
Compile a list of questions you would like to ask and talk with or write to all your relatives you think would be willing to and interested in talking to you. Check to find what documents (certificates, letters, newspaper cuttings, family bibles, photograph albums, diaries, etc.) you or they possess. Try to establish as carefully and completely as possible the basic genealogical facts (date and place of birth/baptism, date and place of marriage, and date and place of death/burial) of as many of your near relatives as you can.
Don't be shy to ask your second cousin's great auntie you hardly knew. Note down what they are saying, or even better tape it (with their permission) - any family stories or rumours will become handy once you establish the basic facts and dig deeper. They usually turn out to be based on the truth and if they are not there are reasons why such family legends are told.
Your main aim is to establish the names, dates and places of birth of your ancestors who were born before 1901 so you can then find them in the 1901 census. If your grandmother can give you the names of her parents and where and when they were born that then gives you the crucial information from which you start your research. If she can give you the names of her grandparents - even better. When you find a family in 1901 census which fits that description you can be sure these are your folks.
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KEEP RECORD OF ALL INFORMATION
AND ITS SOURCES |
Keep a full record of all information given by each relative and most importantly write down where the information came from. This is a good practice for you for when your research grows. Each piece of information needs to be crossreferenced with other sources and it is important to know how realiable the source is when it comes to accuracy in your research.
Find a way of keeping records of your family history research which suits you and be consistent. When writing notes put a date on them when you they were written so you can see at what stage of your research the note was made.
When keeping your records electronically, don't forget to back up all your files regularly. Put a rewriteable CD aside and overwrite it with newer versions of your records on a regular basis. A great way of keeping your records is to use one of the family history software available which usually allows you to create charts and reports from information you put in.
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DON'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED |
Verify any information you receive. Your Gran might think her Grandad was called Fred because everybody called him that but when you order his birth certificate you might find his name was really Arthur and you have to look for him in the census under the name Arthur. Similarly, if someone in your family has done some research or even found a fellow researcher researching one of your branches on the internet, before you incorporate the information into your own file check whether it's correct. There's nothing worse then researching a family for a few years and then finding out that they are not related to you because of an error way back.
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