Genealogy Chat

hi, i am really new to this malarky :) i have found names of about 5 generations back, and have some info from census or marraige cert, like the odd address or occupation but how do you find out more ?? on teh TV programme 'who do you think you are' they are able to tell these celebs alot more than this.....where do i find the same kind of info i want to know more than just thier names.

hope someone has a bit of advice for this novice, who by the way is so addicted to this already, as if i didnt have enough to do already with my time i havent been to bed before 1.30am for 4 days .....not good :-)

linda

The television programmes make it look far to easy to trace your ancestors and the details of their lives. After all, I expect they have lots of researchers spending months on the programmes.

If your ancestors had money or businesses I would think it might be easier to find out a lot more information.

If they were like my lot and mainy agricultural labourers there isn't too much you can find out about them.

Kath. x p.s. When I started out more than 5 years ago I used to spend all day and half the night on the computer researching my family. The housework stopped and my family used to tell everyone they were on the "family history diet" because I didn't have time to cook. It is a VERY addictive hobby. Be warned!!!

LOL family history diet .... i like it :-D

funny enough, but cemetaries can hold quite a lot of information too, we found out that two relatives drowned on the same day, and because of that, it was in the paper and quite well documented, that was in 1877, so there are lots of ways of finding information, it just depends on what you want, and don't get too dispondent, as sometimes you get nowhere.

Youve done 5 generations? Have you got birth, marriage and death certs to back your research and to find more info re occupations, addresses, witnesses and so on?

Then you look for wills, settlement certificates, apprenticeship records, Old Bailey online, local records, google, employment records, rate books, work houses and so on. Go to cemeteries, read local history books, take photos of houses/pubs/churches your people would have been in.

Dont rush backwards without checking and rechecking and proving your line - some one one her last week suddenly realised that she had taken on board info going back hundreds of years and it was all wrong because she hadnt worked though it herself checking by using certificates.