Genealogy Chat

hi, i am new to all of this only been doing it a week, (i am enjoying it even if my head is a whirl when i go to sleep with names and dates) had some great help finding stuff, but dont understand some of the techinical stuff yet. probably not the only one but no one likes to ask!
HOW DO I FIND FREEBMDS?
HOW DO I USE AND GET TO, AND WHAT ARE THE SCAN TO VIEW DETAILS I GET ON A REPLY.
WHAT AND WHERE IS THE VOLUME AND PAGE NO.
WHAT ISTHE RIGHT WAY TO REPLY TO AN ANSWER, been told a couple of different ways, not sure which is right.
if i post a question on trying to find, people can get back to me sometimes in 5 minutes, when i could of been looking ages.
how and where do i find this info so quick.
I go to search records and go through year by year and still cant always find stuff even when i know its the right date? example my dad died in oct 2002 i know where full name etc, but records show nothing then or following quarter.
are there any quicker ways to do it, or other places i should be looking.
looked at familysearch.org, cant seem to find anything there.
I know this will take time, and its like building a wall one brick at a time, get birth certificates etc and go from there.
I just want to make sure i learn to do this properly.
any help greatly appreciated, as my husband will want a divorce soon naming the computer as the other party!!
THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ANSWERS.

Bev, look at the Tips for Newbies thread, Ill bump it up for you. You probably need to sub to ancestry.co.uk if you havent already done so (sadly big hike in prices today) you can always get a 14 days free trial.

Read the Tips for Newbies, Ive bumped it.

Most of us on here use Ancestry.co.uk to find information in census records and BMDs - you have to pay a subscription, although I think at the moment they have a free 14-day trial offer on.

To search for your father's death entry, make sure you are searching in the right section - "England & Wales, Death Index: 1984-2005" - if you are really stuck on this and can't locate it you can post a request on the boards. Sometimes a 2nd pair of eyes is all it takes.

When you order your certs it's easy to do this online at the gro.gov.uk website - cost is £7 each.

We all started out like you, Beverley, so don't worry about asking questions as that is how you will learn. It does take time to pick up all the little tips and ways of searching for things but you'll pick things up as each week goes by.

Here's one tip - make LOTS of notes :) Keep records of everything you have researched, all the helpful tips and useful websites to use that you come across from day to day (or save them in "Favourites" in Internet Explorer).

You can also set up a free online family tree website with TribalPages.com - lots of us on here have a Tribal account as it is a very easy, professional-looking way of keeping your records and photos online with added security of password protection (so you can choose who to give access to).

Here are a few useful websites to note down:

www.ancestry.co.uk
www.familyhistoryonline.net
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk (for Scottish ancestors)
www.1914-1918.net (for info re WW1)
www.familysearch.org (IGI records)
www.tribalpages.com
www.blacksheepindex.co.uk
www.cwgc.org (for war deaths)
www.genfair.co.uk
www.londonancestor.com
www.oldbaileyonline.org
www.parishregister.com
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
www.victorianlondon.org
www.ww1photos.com

Some of those websites I've given are for researching of the historical element of our ancestors, so that you can build up a picture of their day-to-day life and experiences. You can find out all sorts of useful things about an ancestor - not just their date of birth, marriage and death. That is what makes this hobby so addictive and interesting.

Anyway, all the best - Athena

Which counties are you looking at? There are more websites but they are regional

THANKYOU YOU ARE A STAR! will take note of all this, i am hoping i dont drown in all the notes i am making.

CANT THANKYOU ENOUGH
BEV

THANKYOU YOU ARE A STAR! will take note of all this, i am hoping i dont drown in all the notes i am making.

CANT THANKYOU ENOUGH
BEV

Hi main places/counties i am looking for at the moment, are st pancras in london.
Essex
Kent
and CORK,southern ireland
will be different ones but trying to concentrate on one lot at a time!

Oh dear, Ireland. Work on Essex and Kent!

Did you read the Tips for Newbies?