The Best Way to Trace Family History

Historical family artifacts are sometimes found in attics.

No matter how small or large your immediate family may be, your family history is still rich with a wealth of information regarding its history. It's surprising what things you find out about your ancestry once you start to poke and prod around. Once you have decided to find out more about the people, places and things that make up your family history, different steps are essential to your quest.

Instructions

1. Gather information from the family's elder members. One of the best sources filled with a plethora of information about your family is one of the elders. Grandparents, great-aunts and uncles and older cousins have been in the family longer than anyone else and have often times lived in different eras of your family history. Your elder family member will most likely have more knowledge of your ancestors and the places they lived. This is a great start in your quest since the more names and locations you have, the easier your search.

2. Fact check with other family members. Though the elders have memories that go back farther than your own, other family members are equipped with useful pieces of family history, as well. Even your older siblings may have lived to meet family members you were not around to meet or whom you never met. Your mother and father, for instance, would know more about their great-grandparents that passed on before your birth.

   Also, when your family has migrated to different parts of the world or country, family members in those specific areas other than your own may have knowledge about your family tree in that particular region.

3. Register with online family tree and genealogy websites. Many different websites are readily available to provide you with information about your ancestors and other family members. The choice of a site with which to register is dependent upon what you are seeking to find. Family tree and genealogy websites can help you trace your lineage back farther than other family members' memories are capable of reaching.

4. Search public records. Some public records are available online while others are only able to be accessed in person. One example is searching land title and deed records at the city hall in the town in which you know your family ived. Birth and death certificates also help fill the gaps you need filled in order to compose an accurate account of your family's history.

References

• Beginning to Research Your Family's History, Part I

Resources

• Researching Your Family History on the Web