How Do I Find My Family Tree? A Beginner’s Guide

To find your family tree you will need to think like a detective. The clues are all out there waiting for you to discover, but where should you start? Begin your journey into your family’s past with Unlock Your Family Tree’s essential beginners guide…

Step 1: What Do You Already Know About Your Family Tree?

Begin your family tree research by recording all the information that you already know. There are many computer packages that you can use to record your family tree, but to begin with all you need is a pen and paper. Sketch out a family tree, putting yourself first and then working back. Record full names and any birth, marriage or death dates that you know of. You can use the prefix c. (circa) to indicate an approximate date if you are unsure. It is also important to note the places where these events occurred.

Once you have recorded all the basic information you can start to add other details about your family’s lives that may be useful later on in your search. What did they do for a living? Did they fight in either of the world wars?

Step 2: Interview Your Family

The next step in your quest to discover your family tree is to talk to your relatives. Elderly relatives are perhaps the greatest family tree resource as they can put a personality to the names and dates. It’s amazing the stories that can be revealed in an interview that you would have otherwise been unaware of. You never know till you ask!

Write down your interview questions before you start. It’s easy to forget to ask vital questions as you become absorbed in the family stories that are revealed! Family secrets, myths and legends can provide you with a starting point into avenues of research you had never even considered. E.g. Did anyone travel abroad? Is there a black sheep in the family? Are there any tales of heroism in the war? Is Aunt Edna convinced you are all descendants of an illegitimate son of King Charles II?

Before you begin asking questions it is important to remember that some family secrets may still need to be kept a secret and your interviewee may not wish to reveal certain information. It is also worth keeping in mind that the details and dates you hear could be inaccurate. Events from the past can get mixed up and confused in people’s memories. Ancestors could also have been known by nicknames rather than the name that appears on official records. Use the information you are given as a guide to your research, but the golden rule of family research is not to regard anything as fact until you have historical evidence to back it up.

Be sure to record all the information that you hear. Even if it seems insignificant now, it could provide useful clues later on. You will find many records of people with the same names and ages in the same place on census returns. Anything you can find out that will point you to the correct person is worth remembering and noting down. Making an audio/video recording is a great way to capture all the information for yourself and future generations.

Step 3: What Do You Want To Research?

Next you need to decide which branch of your family tree you want to trace first. You may have a particular line you want to follow, or a story that you want to look into. Maybe your interviews have revealed ancestors whose lives have intrigued you.

If you don’t have any preference about where you start then go with the least common surname. When you start to consult historical records you can find that hundreds of people existed with the same name at the same time. The rarer the surname, the easier it is to trace that line.

If you don’t have any particularly unusual surnames then look at first or middle names. A distinctive name can make finding the correct records much easier and is a great way to start learning how to find your family tree.

Step 4: Use Historical Records

Here is a quick overview of the essential records you will use in your quest to find your family tree:

Birth, Marriage and Death Records (BMDs)

From 1st July 1837 onwards it became law for all births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales to be registered. These records provide vital information to help you uncover the next generation back.

A birth certificate will reveal the names of your ancestors’ parents, including their mother’s maiden name. Once you have discovered the names of the parents you can then track down their marriage certificate. This will then reveal the names of their fathers and their father’s occupation. You will then have a wealth of information to help you search for more certificates and the census returns (our next vital record) to go back another generation.

Birth, marriage and death records can also reveal other interesting information, such as occupations, addresses, ages (which can be used to estimate a birth year) and even cause of death.

You can order duplicate copies of your ancestor’s birth, marriage or death certificates from the General Register Office (GRO). To do this you will first need to find the GRO index number that corresponds to the certificate you require. To find out more about the GRO index and how to order certificates read our guide here:

Using The GRO Index To Find Births, Marriages and Deaths

Census Records

A census has been taken in England and Wales every 10 years since 1801 to provide information about the population. The census records are kept private for 100 years in order to keep the details of the living confidential. Once 100 years have passed the records are available for the public to view.

The first four censuses aren’t much use to those aiming to find their family tree as they only provide a simple head count of the population.

For the 1841 census it was decided that the names of all the people living at each address should be recorded, along with their ages, occupations and birthplaces. Details of the relationship between the members of a household were included from 1851 onwards. In the 1911 census (the latest to be released) you can even see the original form your ancestor filled in, including their signature!

The information provided by the census returns allows you to piece together the members and events in a family tree by providing a snapshot of the family every 10 years. For example you may see your great great grandparents as newlyweds on the 1881 census. By the 1891 census you meet their children including your great grandparent. In later censuses you see the children leaving to get married and start their own families. You may see their occupations change, their living conditions change and their relationships change. The details you find can provide leads on other avenues of research and help you track down birth, marriage and death certificates.

Previously the census was only available in record offices and local libraries. The 1901 census was the first census to be made available to search online upon its release in 2001. The popularity of this resource has lead to the online publication of all the previous censuses in a searchable form on many subscription/pay per view websites. The latest census to be released is the 1911 census.

Parish Records

As well as BMD certificates you may also be able to find your relatives in parish records. Anglican churches have recorded the details of the baptisms, marriages and burials they carry out from 1538 onwards. This makes parish records an especially useful resource when trying to trace your family before the introduction of national registration in 1837.

Unfortunately searching for parish records is not as straight forward as searching for BMD certificates. You will need to have a good idea of where the event occurred before you start. There is no one place where all parish records are kept. To see these records you will have to travel to the the area in which the event occurred. Some parish records are still held by the church, some are kept in local record offices or libraries.

However things are getting easier for the online family historian. In the last couple of years many popular family history websites have started to upload and transcribe parish records, making them easy to search online. A record that may have taken hours of research to track down in the past can now be found and viewed online with just a few clicks of your mouse! The coverage is getting better by the day so even if you can’t find your ancestors today they may appear in the very near future.

Don’t Just Collect Names and Dates

Finding the names and significant dates of the members of your family tree is just the beginning. There are hundreds of other records out there that you can compile to create a full picture of your ancestors lives. The National Archives, local libraries and museums are an absolute treasure trove of records and resources containing information about the way our family used to live.

Finding your family tree can really bring history to life. You will discover how major historical events have had a direct impact on you and your family.

Here is a taster of what other records are available to help you tell your family story:

Migration: Did your family move from Ireland to England to escape the effects of the potato famine?

Did the industrial revolution inspire your ancestors to move from the country to the city? Did your great grandparents emigrate? Or are you a descendant of someone who made the move to this country dreaming of a different life?

War: What impact did the World Wars have on your family story? Was a member of your family tree killed in action? Do you have a war hero in the family?

Living Conditions: How did your ancestors live? Where did they work? What were they wearing? Did they make an impact in their community?

More and more records are being added online daily that can be used to uncover your ancestor’s lives. Unlock Your Family Tree will keep you up to date with the latest records available. Be sure to check the site regularly for more tips and advice. Good luck with your search!