Genealogy - Basic information…..for research in the U.K.
[I've updated this document, originally written in 2002, but it needs much more adding to it as there are vast resources now available on the web for family history]
This document is pretty basic but I hope to add more as and when I can. I also intend to include some case histories based upon my own experience as a means of illustrating the use of each of the resources.
Before you start, have fairly clear ideas about what you want to achieve. Start by writing down (and mapping if that helps) all you know about your family and its history in terms of people, dates, places, occupations, wills, and any anecdotal or "passed down the generations" stories.
Investigate what is available locally. The local library or more likely the library in a nearby large town (or county library if possible) will have some information resources. If you are researching a family that lived locally, you are in a much better position than if you are remote from the area where the family lived.
The Church of Jesus Christ of latter day Saints (the Mormons) are very keen on genealogy and have amassed a lot of information from census and Church records. This information has been made available to the public and is best viewed at a local "Family History Centre" of which there are many in the UK. Look in the 'phone book under "Family history centres" or access their website Here to find the nearest locally.
Sources of information and where to find it…..
Researching your family history relies almost exclusively on records, i.e. written evidence of events and situations made by our ancestors. This evidence can take many forms and be used in different ways, sometimes in combination, to determine factual history. Whilst these documants provide the evidence, they do not in themselves provide a family history. This is something that has to be researched by combining facts from the various resources to build a 'picture' of your ancestors' lives from various snapshots provided by the documentary evidence. You really need to be a detective, piecing together the jigsaw. The more pieces you add, the more of the picture you see but, to quote Sherlock Holmes -
Census.
Censuses have been taken every 10 years in the UK since 1801 (with the exception of 1941). Before 1841, names were eliminated from the data leaving only statistical stuff and therefore not much use to the genealogist. From 1841 onwards, names are included showing 'snapshots' of the family groupings on the night of the census, usually taken in april of the census year. These are made available to the public after 100 years so the most recent census available for public viewing is that taken in 1901. The census is somewhat awkward to access unless you know the exact location the family lived (the house or at minimum, the road/street). The census is generally available on microfiche which can be viewed at the resource centre. Census information is generally only available for the county in which the library of resource centre is - for example, if you want census information for Nottinghamshire, you may well have to travel to Nottingham. There are ways round this problem - see "Family History and Genealogical societies" and "Internet". There were some earlier censuses but they were either not compulsory, localised (as opposed to national), destroyed after the information had been analysed (probably as part of the bargain for getting people to participate), or containing numbers of people rather than names.
The first national census to contain names was that taken in 1841. The census is a particularly useful resource as it contained information on families. Typically, the entry for a particular household might include:
In order to make the census more accessible/useable, surname indexes for some areas and years have been produced. Perhaps the most widely accessible is that for 1881 where a full national surname index has been produced on microfiche. It is worth enquiring at the library as this is widely available. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have also produces a fully searchable 50 CD set of the 1881 census. This is available from their website http://www.lds.org/ or their depot in Birmingham (address to be added! - it's in the phone book). It's also now available and fully searchable on line on the Family Search Website.
Census records from 1841 to 1901 are available on line now. Some of the indexes are less than perfect so be creative and think laterally about an ancestor who you know should be there but appears not to be. There are many ways of searching - by name, age, town, place of birth etc. All will help you zoom ion on your target. Most if not all sites offering census lookups are commercial. One of them I've used is at www.ancestry.co.uk Basic lookups are free but to see any record images, you will need vouchers or credit.
The Public records office is here. Well worth a look although much of the info is available elsewhere.
International Genealogical Index. (IGI).
This resource is available at main libraries and Family history centres. It is a product of the Mormon Church and consists of a listing, by county, of Christenings and Marriages and in some cases, Burials. The original source of IGI information was Parish records. The IGI is by no means complete and is known to contain errors but is an invaluable "first step" resource. It covers the period up to about 1860 but there are plenty of variations and as far as I know, more modern indexes are available, most likely at Family History Centres. To look up the IGI at a Library, ask for the IGI for XXX county, with the surname YYY. It will generally be on microfiche and consist of a listing of entries for the particular Surname, subdivided by Given name and Event (Christening, Marriage etc) together with the Church at which the event took place.
Parish Records.
It is unlikely that your ancestors' parish church still has the early records as they are now mostly kept in County Archives. For some counties, Phillimore have published transcriptions of registers and these are sometimes available in County Archives and some libraries. Many Family History Societies have transcribed their local Parish Registers and they are available to members either to purchase, often on microfiche or in some cases to borrow from the society Library. They are also available at local archives although only for the locality. I've found the most effective way of accessing them is to go to the records office for the county you're interested in. This may be a bit of a hike but there are generally other resources available which may also be very useful. This might include other researchers' findings. Of course, sources should be checked in the normal way but it may prove to be a great help. There will also be other documents about the county such as trade directories and, of course, local census records. There may be county specific census or other local listings, all of which may help put some 'flesh on the bones' of your research.
Births, Marriages and Deaths Indexes.
Civil registration in the UK began in 1837 and was generally enforced by 1870. This gave parents 42 days to register their offspring. The registration of Marriages and Deaths was then also formalised. The registers were, until recently, held at St Catherine's house in London. An index to the entries is available at some County Libraries and Family History Centres which lists the entries categorised by Birth/Marriage/Death, Year and Quarter of event, Name of person involved, and Spouses surname if a marriage. This is followed by the Registration District in which the event took place and a reference to the entry in the St. Catherine's house register.
The register reference is vital if you are going to apply to the General Registry Office for a copy of the register entry. The entries are arranged in quarters and when taken in conjunction with the 42 day registration period, provide only a guide to the actual date of the event. Certificates of copies of an entry in the register are also (more cheaply) available from the registration district where the event took place. For this, you will need to provide the Superintendent Registrar for the district with as much information as possible, including the Name(s) of those registered, the place of the event and at least the quarter in which the event took place. The Local registry office will not carry out more than a limited search for you so it is well worth consulting the Index first unless you are quite sure of the date and place. The current (1998) price is £6.50 Sterling per certificate. The web's Free BMD site http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ has an ever increasing number of entries and will eventually list all the BMD indexes.
Family History and Genealogical Societies.
There are many Family history societies in the UK. These are geared to family history research and are generally inexpensive to join. They often have their own resources such as the IGI and many have their own indexes to census and Parish Register entries for the locality. They are an excellent way to get expert help in your research. If there's one locally, they will be able to guide you in your research but if you join one in the county you are interested in, thay will have their own records, many microfiched, for purchase or loan by post. I've found this to be a most effective way of researching at a distance.
GENUKI.
This is a great resource for Family History as opposed to just 'tracing your ancestors'. There are many County based mailing lists where questions can be put and answers obtained to various genealogical subjects. Perhaps the best place to start is the GENUKI page. This site has a wealth of relevant information to help you get started. The GENUKI website is at: http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/ There are many links to other sites of interest.
There was very little basic genealogical data available on the Internet but things are changing! As mentioned above, both the 1881 and 1901 census are available on line, as is the IGI so things are becoming easier. The Free BMD site is developing and will eventually provide access to the Births Marriages and Deaths indexes from which certificates of copies of entries may be obtained. There is also plenty of advice on how to find what you are after.
Software.
If you are computer based, there are a number of software packages available to help you record your family history. Some are simple, some are more complicated, others include some resource material, some include internet web pages for your "Family Tree". I use "Brother's Keeper", an excellent (in my opinion!) package. The best bit about it is that unlike other programs it is available, almost fully featured, as Shareware. It can be downloaded (about 10MB) from the web at the BK homepage: http://www.bkwin.net/. There are now many other programs - scan the web!
If you can't do it yourself…..
There are various researchers who advertise their services. Have a good look around on the web.
updated 29th January 2007.
©G.A. 2002-2007.