Genealogy Chat

Have you got an ancestry sub - you will definitely need that. As Sam says, you need to spend money to get back through generations and to get valid info. Work backwards through what you definitely have as facts as you will get there. Get the certs/dates that are still in living memory - get dads birth cert - that gives you his parents names - get their marriage cert, that gives their fathers names (and check out the witnesses) and so on backwards. (Im still wondering how you got back that early without any certs??) Dont expect dates to be exact - dont expect people to have the names that great auntie told you but by getting the right certs you will prove the right line. Get the ancestry sub and a good family tree program for all your info. And like Sam says, if you think this is tough, wait till you hit 1837 backwards.

That is no brickwall - wait till you get back before 1837. You need to get certificates for people born after 1901 - before this time is easier, you can use census records, After 1901, you HAVE to buy certificates, there is no easier way round it - you do need them before 1901 but it is easier due to the availability of the census info. This isn't a cheap hobby, anyone that tells you otherwise is lying!

Thanks for everybodys help. One of my main problems is that on one of my dads sides of the family, his grandparents died before he was born and his parents (my grandparents) died when I was a baby so nobody really knows much about them. Also on my mums side of the family, I could ask my grandparents, but I don't want to upset them by prying. I have done quite well on some parts of the family (don't know how I did it but as far as 1786!) with some information I did have, but it's frustrating when you think you've found something but have no way of proving it because dates are wrong or names miss spelled! Anyway, sorry for ranting (breathing in,out,in, out) Thanks again for all tips Vicky

Hi Vickki, I'm a bit of a newby and one of the mistakes I made was not understanding why I couldn't find people and dates I knew. This was because sometimes the birth wasn't registered until the following quarter.

Vicky The hardest (and most expensive bit) is getting yourselfe back to the 1901 census. Do you know your DOB?....yes. Do you know when your Mum n dad married?...yes? Get this cert and it will give you the fathers of both your parents also the fathers occupations. (your grandparents)..... The next bit is to look for your grandparents marriage reference and buy that cert...so on n so on... Get it? If you get stuck on finding any references...dont be afraid to ask on here. Last tip is...Never pay more than £7 for a cert. Good luck and have fun Gerri x.

you need to search the (Complete BMD Index ranges & Images 1837-1983) on ancestry, you search these by looking at the images of the index quarter by quarter on ancestry home page where it says MORE COLLECTIONS British Phone Books Updated British Army WWI Pensions+ England & Wales BMD Indexes UK Census Collection UK & Ireland Parish and Probate Records Photos Stories Pallot Marriage Index See all databases click on, England & Wales BMD Indexes then a page will open that has got 3 boxes box 1, Complete BMD Index ranges & Images 1837-1983 box 2, Partial FreeBMD Indexes & Images 1837-1983 box 3, Complete BMD Indexes 1984-2004 Select any of the Birth Marriages and Deaths in box 1, Roy

I have only been reseaching my family tree for about a month and I'm already addicted. It is so interesting to see all the places you come from and find out a few family secrets along the way. Now I seem to be stuck every way I turn whether it's because people go missing, they are listed as being older/younger than they are, because they where born just after the 1901 census or for some reason they can't be found as being born, married or died in the BDMs. Does anybody have any tips on where to go from here? For example I can not seem to find any births/deaths/marriages on ancestry.co.uk after about 1915. Thank you Vicky