How to Find English Ancestry
Researching your family history and ancestry can be a time-consuming process, but many people find the reward of knowing when in history, where in the world, and from what family lineage they descended well worth the time and effort involved. If you want to begin researching your family history and find your English ancestry, a few good sources of information are available on the Internet to help you in your search.
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Instructions
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Ask your relatives, especially those who are older than you, for any information that they have regarding your family history. Any documentation, such as birth or marriage certificates, can aid in your research. Don't forget to include all of your relatives.
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Work backward starting with the oldest person in your family whose information you know well. For instance, if you know your grandparents' first and last names, including your grandmother's maiden name, you can start with your grandparents. If you don't know your grandmother's maiden name, start with your grandfather. A marriage certificate can give you your grandmother's maiden name.
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Use online resources to find birth, marriage and death certificates from local records. Larger municipalities are putting these databases online, though smaller areas do not generally have these types of records available on the Internet. Visit the International Genealogical Index to trace your ancestry back, not only to England, but to any country in the world.
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Look for censuses online to aid in your research. Censuses contain basic information, usually just names and occupations of all individuals who lived in a household, but they can be useful when trying to match parents with their children. English censuses as old as 1841 can be found online, some for free and others for a small cost.
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Get help with your ancestry research from the BBC's website. The Family History section offers guidance and tips on researching your English ancestry.
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Be willing to travel. Fully researching your English ancestry may require a trip or two. County record offices, and sometimes even local libraries, usually store copies of town censuses and records, such as birth and death certificates. These are public and can be searched by anyone.
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Tips & Warnings
If you can't travel, send a letter to the county records office. Many public records offices will search records for you and send copies through the mail.
References
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Comments
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Marlene Wessel
May 21, 2010
With ancestor surnames of Smith, White, Black, Walker, etc. it is VERY difficult to find some of our English ancestral records. (Is ancestral a word?) :) Anyway, thanks for the starter info - I'll keep trying. 5*
