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Step 1
Recognize that researching your British roots may take you to one of four countries that make up the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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Step 2
Think about what you already know. Family bibles, letters and yellowed clippings all provide information that can help you get started. Remember to include any oral history handed down in your family. Important details to further your research will be years of specific events and British locations.
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Step 3
Trace British roots with the resources available at the LDS Family History Centers, one of the most extensive repositories for genealogical information in the world. Additionally, the Family History Library contains outlines for the best way to organize your research.
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Step 4
Review British resources on how to get started. Many provide links that are even more helpful. The BBC produced a television series called, "Bloodties: How to Get Started in Genealogy" that you might be able to find. You should also check out the GenUKI, Society of Genealogists and Federation of Family History Societies websites. See Resources.
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Step 5
Request birth, marriage and death records since 1837 for England and Wales through Civil Registration. GenUKI can point you in the right direction. Before 1837, individual parish registers of the Church of England kept all information about births, marriages and deaths. Both should provide more names and locations to add to your research.
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Step 6
Move on to census reports, particularly the Victorian Census Returns of 1841 to 1891, to gain more pieces of the puzzle of your British roots.
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Step 7
Follow up on the various links in your research. Some will reach a dead end, but you should amass enough information so that you can look in different directions to learn more about your British ancestry.
