Category:Starting Out

The County Records Office is the place where you will find your primary evidence - a myriad of documents which will be useful in your research. The Records Office Guide will explain what is likely to be found there and how it is going to be useful.

To be 99% sure that you are researching the correct people, you are going to have to get Birth, Marriage and/or Death Certificates. These pages will help you find out All About Certificates and how to go about obtaining them.

Alongside the personal details of your families, one of the most useful sets of documents for you will be the Census Returns. The Census Search Guide will give you more information on using these valuable sources of evidence for your research.

Before you can start constructing your tree, you need to find the branches and twigs to populate it. The Guide to Creating Your Family Tree will give you advice on how to go about it and where to find the information, together with hints and tips on deciding whether they are "yours", using The Wiki pages and external links.