Let me say straight away that tracing your family members ancestry is a great hobby but very addictive, so unless you want to get nicely and truly hooked, don’t begin.

When I journey around the country to Family members History Fairs, I am amazed at the quantity of people who say really cheerfully, “family members background is so simple, I did mine in half an hour on the internet.” If they are happy with that, then good luck to them, but for me, if I can’t prove it, it doesn’t count.

Family members background is not about just collecting a pile of names and then trying to fit them all together like a genealogical jigsaw puzzle. You should begin with what you know to be true and that is your birth certificate. On that will be the names of your mother and father, so, if you do not already have entry to it, it should not be hard to obtain their marriage certificate. From there till 1837, you can journey back pretty securely with hatched, matched and dispatched certificates from the Family members Records Centre in London. Pre 1837, you have to be in a position to entry parish registers, and this is exactly where the heading can get difficult. If you are unsure of the region your forbears are from, census returns can be very helpful.

In case you are preparing to have a go at compiling your family members tree, be conscious that you could be in for a couple of surprises (shocks). Just simply because granny always appeared prim and proper to you, doesn’t make it so.

Pam Drake, Parish Chest. The Premier Online Family members History Shop