Genealogy Chat

My advice would be the same as everyone elses, except use a different notebook for each name!!! I didn't and i'm now trying to sift through the reams of paper, notebooks and even scraps of tissue!!! And if you get a folder seperate that into names to! Makes life slightly easier!! good luck

Firstly, good luck! You've started the hobby of a lifetime! I have 2 general tips for you: 1. keep all those little scribbles you're doing now - get a folder (it'll soon grow into a filing cabinet!) - just in case... 2. get some software to keep all the info together - when I started there wasn't any software available (well, PCs weren't common at home) and we had sticky labels all over the living room wall! Of course we had to carefully take them off when we moved... they're all filiedin the filing cabinet now, but the basic info is on the computer - a godsend. all the best Maria Vatanen (nee Grogan) born in London SW15, living in Leicester

Just a few tips for you.Nearly everyone lied about their age,the victorians were not as straitlaced as you may think and when looking for parents marriages check back up to 30 years prior to the childs birth.These will come in handy.My paternal grandmother knocked 3 years off her age on her marriage and those years disappeared until I found her birth certificate.There are far more "premature" babies born in victorian times than you would imagine!The first time I found a child born more than 9 months after the parents marriage,I had to pinch myself! Oh one last thing,always make a note of the witnesses at a marriage,sometimes they're the aunt or uncle of the bride and give you the mothers maiden name.

I have managed to find some things on 1837online and on the 1901 census thingummy too on both sets of great-grandparents. I have also spoken to the "wiser elders" of the family who have given me even more maiden names and places of birth and occupations. I am frantically writing everthing down and trying to sift through fact and family legend with the help of the sites I already mentioned. Even if I don't find much out, I'm enjoying it! Thanks or the email rick! I have found both ggrandmothers but not ggrandfathers on 1837 and 1901 (maternal) I still know nothing about the paternal side, apart from my ggmothers maiiden name......but I'm going to keep pushing through, all help greatfully recieved!

Hi Samantha, As Karen said, let us know some names & dates and we'll see if we can point you in the right direction. Rick.

Hi Samantha This very much depends on how old your grandparents / great-grandparents are. If they are old enough to be alive at the time of the 1901 census, you could try looking for them on that, and from there you could get their family details. Do you have your grandparents date of birth? You could search for their birth certificate (from this you will get their parents), or if you don't have their birth date but you have their death date, why not send for their death certificate which should have extra information on it to help your search. Good luck - do send me an e-mail if you need any more help. Karen

I would really like to start tracing my tree but don't have a clue where to start, I can't get past my grandparents on one side (paternal) and not past my greatgrandparents on my maternal. All help greatfully appreciated!