Hints and tips for researching family trees

[busybusybee]

I went to a family funeral today. The experience of meeting relatives i have not seen for 25 years really inspired me to start researching our family trees.

HAs anyone got any hints! Reccomendations for websites for example, books etc.

Where do I start???

try genesreunited

here or
here

oops oops

We were chatting about this a few days ago here it got me back into it though and I've just taken the 2 week free trial on ancestry.com so I'm frantically trying to get all the info I can from the census's before it ends, can't really afford the subscription yet. It's too addictive!

wow! in the past 4 days i have almost all the links up to my G G G grandparents, alots of my G G G G granparents and even 1 G G G G G grandmother.

still got all the info that im collating in front of me here now actually

I have got most of my information from the census which i have found at ancestry.com and they have a 2 week free trial (hence i have been very busy these last few days)

(also have in infected hand and am unable to drive or work or do ANYTHING except type and use a PC so it has stopped me being too bored!)

I really recommend it, but the census's avaliable only go back until 1851, so the oldest living relations i have found has been born 1790's hence V old in 1851 census

also beware the census can be VERY difficult to read... most of the stuff they have transcribed in typed form (ie the essential stuff) but sometimes they do it wrong.... (when you look at it you see why!... i have words enlarged 200% on my screen in front of me and still have not a clue what they say!)

also one of my ancestors names evolved from alfred, to fred to fredrick to frederick over time, and another from eliza to elizabeth hence if you cant find something be prepared to think laterally.... also if you cant find "your" person search for a family member.

Also people wernt too good at keeping track of how old they were.... a person who starts off as 2 years in 1 census may be 35 30 years later etc!

I have also used genesreunited to build my family tree and now have over 200 ancestors (and i would ahve known 10 MAXIMUM at the weekend!)

also been on the phone to my grandparents asking about the all important maiden names etc....
but 1 or 2 i have found through putting in all the info about birth place, date and CHRISTIAN name only and found maiden names that was as well!

Thankyou for the suggestions!
I will investigate them tommorrow

Bubblerock = that is the problem that is putting me off starting out really - It all seems to cost money, and subscriptions within a short time limit. Im not sure i will be able to find the time to really make it cost effective iyswim

Wow Nannyl thanks for your really helpful post!
PArt of my hesitation in starting to research my family is that i have several other hobbies and no time to really get on with them - let alone find another all consuming activity like researching family trees seems to be!

I want to give it a go though for my childrens sake.

im also lucky in that my whole mums / fathers / fathers family tree is documented in my local museam...

it goes back along way, at least as far as Great^10 grandparents if i remember rightly, buts its only open Sundays between Easter and October so will pop by in a few months time!

also have a PHOTO of my G G G G grandmother (in the museam!) LOTS of piccys of my G / G G granparents

Document exactly where you find every piece of information IN DETAIL - e.g. if you find something in the 1851 census note down the exact film reference, folio, page etc. You will want that information later.

It's not something that you need to do all at once. I find after an initial year or so of doing a lot that every couple of years I'll have a couple of months of serious activity and then I'll let it drop for a while. You've got decades to do the research in and your ancestors aren't going anywhere.

Read around the subject -- the social aspect is fascinating. I've read books about the development of slums in Victorian England that I probably wouldn't have looked twice at before, but they acquire an immediacy and interest when you know your family were involved.