newbie at this and overwhelmed already! any help gratefully received...

[Windandsand]

I have started to look at the main sites that come up on my search engine-genes reunited, findmypast and ancestery andam totally confused which one to use! do they all do the same thing only charge differently? I don't know anything about my family, as they werel highly suspicious (ie burn birth cert!) or unfortuately passed away. have to look at wartime adoptions too, and my mother maintains she has no idea where she was born, what her real name was etc. she is a bit dotty now, but even before would just make stuff up - a different tale every time... so going to be a long journey!

Wow. Yours sounds like it's going to be an interesting project! The BBC who do you think you are site has some good advice on where to start. The first rule is to get the maximum info out of everyone who is still alive. I have no idea how to deal with adoptions and the like. There mustbe a record of it somewhere, but I don't know where you would find it.

I would see if you can find any local genealogy societies. These people get really excited, have different specialities and could almost certainly point you in the right direction.

As for which site to use I think they are all much of a muchness. I thinnk they all have free trials though so you could build a little family tree on them and see which is the nicest for you to use. I'm on ancestry and they have a siser company called my canvas that you can use to print posters of your tree when you're done.

You are definitely going to have to find your mother's real name though.

hi, thanks, the trouble is no one is still alive:( or if they are, they are completely dotty and/or refuse to talk about anything- it drives me crazy. I have looked it up, but can't find out if a marriage cert will have maiden names- but it will be her adopted name anyway. her adoptive parents died in a tragic car accident when she was 11 and she was put in a childrens home so there is no contact there, unless the childrens home keep records, but will they release them? I think she was given up for adoption about 6 months old- there was a letter but mum burnt it (!) its starting to feel a bit hopeless and I haven't even started.

there is forum called
www.familytreeforum.com/index.php
that has a very good forum for difficult cases like yours
if join for free you will see the sensitive forum and post a question t here and they have loads of people you will tell you
I think you might have to do before your mum dies as you will no chance when she has gone i think

thank you so much. its very addictive...

I would agree with longjane. The people on Family Tree Forum have done amazing work with the most difficult of family histories and they are very friendly and welcoming as well.

I started doing my Dad's family history in 1986 as a 70th birthday present. I thought it would take a year...I still haven't found out what happened to his Auntie Nellie!

D