Genealogy

Check you local library (main hub) on-line.

they may have wonderful investigating tools/software including genealogy.

All you need is a library card.

I see your not from the United States,..... Check out what the U.K. has.

While I believe them to be a cult and not a religious group, the Mormon church has, by far, the most extensive genealogical information anywhere.

I'm not sure their motives are always beyond reproach (they were at one time posthumously baptising people into their cult). The motives were not totally genuine.

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default....

I've heard http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/ is good too.

I've had great fun with Ancestry.com (not affiliated). I have had a subscription for about 7 years now, and have uncovered many great and interesting bits (former Vice President of the US, Makah Indian Chief, etc.).

The subscription works with findagrave, the church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons), and various public gov't resources from the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, etc.

I have tracked three family names to the 1500's in England using Ancesty.com.

to the 1500. that is pretty good.

I've checked on my materal grand parents.

Ancestry.com has 10-12 seperate records not connected.

and I know enough about them to correct and put them records together

but they don't know me from Adam. so I can't correct them.

but fragulated records become a problem for futher generations.

There is a way on the Ancestry site when viewing the original sources to suggest corrections to the transcribed records.

When viewing the "original document", select the index tab at the lower left of the document window. This will bring up a transcribed text version of the document (helpful if you cannot read 17th century handwriting!). Select (left click) the fact (name, date) in the window frame at the bottom of the browser window. The fact will change to an icon with a pencil...select that and move your cursor into the editing pop-up. Complete the information as necessary.

I have had several successful edits accepted by Ancestry, which in turn led to contact from (previously unknown) relatives who had received hints on their family trees. Very cool.

I'm not an avid genealogy researcher, but I've been happy with the info I've gotten via Ancestry.com. I've only paid for searches within the US (there is a slight upgrade in fee for international research) but even that info has led to me to info on ancestors from Scotland, Ireland, and England in the 1800s and some ancestors in Germany in the early 1700s.

My wife has been doing genealogy for most of her life. We have used "Family Tree Maker" and have been quite happy with it. It links directly into Ancestry.com so you can compare your information with information other people have put out on the web and also other data sources like census and passenger ship data. (You are not required to put your information out if you don't want to. Also data on living people is not viewable.)

Most all depend on what their member have trace and reported. My sister did research on our ancestors. I believe she used Ancestory.com. She also had to go out and research graves and churches and their records to fill in blind ends that most these site don't. Churches can be the best source. As they kept records better then most governments on their congregation. Members and the church they previous came from their marriages and births.

If I need to know who came from where I just need to talk to my grandpa Arnie.

As I found out growing up he apparently knows everyone who knew anyone else that had any relation or tie to any branch of our family tree even in the remotest way.

Kind of made dating awkward being no matter how far away the girl was from here he could ask her about 10 questions on family names and come up with a relation tie from me to her. Some way closer than I would have thought too.

Now my wife is from Turkey and thought I finally had him beat. Unfortunately not so much. Being her ancestry comes from the central west side of the Black sea and a fair percentage of mine does as well...... Damn we are likely related anyway.

I thought everybody was related.....?

You can google lots of sites. Here is my anecdotal evidence to use something like ancestry.com (same as .co.uk) . My wife is a Brit and she comes from a family with a somewhat hidden past. Her father was raised in an orphanage but the records went missing after WWII. I had used a site from UK called "find my past" with limited luck. We knew my wife had at least one aunt that went to live with another relative but we had no idea of names. That split my wife's father and sister through the rest of their lives. After spending many British pounds, I let the storm rest.

This year my wife tried ancestry.com and had a major hit within a couple of hours. They will link you to others doing similar searches and provide hints. She left a message with one of the contacts who appeared to be a son of her aunt (a cousin). It took a couple of months to get a response but sure enough she found a relative and then found out she had a host of cousins, unknown till the contact. My wife had no known relatives in England up to this year. Now she knows of at least 11 cousins, some dead. She has been delighted to find very enlarged family. We will scamper to make physical contact soon.

Ancestry requires a subscription but it has been worth the money and lots cheaper than my old method. FYI

Some great responses, thank you for all of those. I think my plan is to use one of the free family tree sites or programmes just to get the stuff I have into some sort of order, after that, I can look at using Ancestry.com to try to find other connections.

I know that this is not directly applicable to your software choice but hopefully a little help for you:

Can't emphasize enough the need to have good records and with legitimate citations. Almost everything you get off the internet is potential information and only a potential information. Everything must be independently verified and cited. All it takes is access to a computer to post a blatantly intentional incorrect family tree that leads you astray. Also best to have two independent sources. Best are copies of documents such as birth records, marriage certificates, pension records, death records, etc. I do not use any data sites such as Rootsweb, Ancestory or others as fact. There are a lot of errors there and once you start using one of them it leads you astray and hard to correct and continue on. Remember, generally the more you pay for the software the better you get, just like engineers.

Since you indicate you are from SE UK, I have found a very good source of leads and making connections with people, in that area, who will send you verified documents are to start with a map of the vicinity. Do a Google search of the location and find the information (tel #, address, politician' s names, etc.) "city hall", "records dept", churches, pubs, etc. Start with the town government and the churches. Contact them and ask them if they could help you or provide a potential source of genealogical information. I have been very successful with this method in the vicinities of Rye, Giggleswick, Bristol and North Yorkshire.

Do not limit your researches to one area or family segment. Do several at the same time with the software data guiding you. I call it the "spider" approach. If there is a "missing gap" as you seemed to indicate, approach it from "before" and forward and also "after" and working back.

You are probably going to find some interesting things about your ancestors, including some that you want to continue to keep quiet about. I found out that an ancestor was the Sheriff of Kent and slain "the notorious Rebel, a JAKE CADE". On the other side I found some things that I won't mention here.

Once you get started you will find it somewhat "exciting" and rewarding. Even more if you can travel to the places that are relevant to your ancestors. I found out that many of my forefathers lived only 30 miles from where I now live. I visit the area often for research.

Good Luck, Old Salt

Good advice. As you noted, I am based in SE UK but the family roots are in London, Ireland & Scotland. I also know of a branch of the family in Canada so my searches could be far ranging & I am unlikely to be able to visit many of the locations.

An excellent and rewarding choice of activity. I found Family Tree Maker to be very helpful in keeping the records straight. Besides researching that long lost cousin, the hardest thing is to keep your records straight and organized. This software lets you keep things going and informative by searches, sorts, citations, sources, images, etc. The most important part of keeping things organized is to make sure you cite your sources. Without them your information is hard to work with and documentation wise it is worthless.

In the UK there are many towns, villages, regions, etc. that people took the surnames of during the 1000 to 1300 AD's. See if there is one for you. Both my paternal grandparents ancestors have village or town surnames. My father and uncle visited them and I plan on doing the same. If there is one there may be a wealth of information there.

With the internet do searches of the names on all the search engines. I found some leads there. I prefer the Genealogy.com, Rootsweb.com and Ancestry.com family message boards and family listings. Lots of others looking for the same info and very willing to share. Again, make sure you get good and definitive citations.

See if there are any books written by genealogists or family members. I have several for my families. Also religious groups such as the Quakers and LDS have very accurate and available records as part of their religious beliefs. Contact cousins and other relatives and see what they may have.

Once you get hooked on it you will be tapping a hobby of immense interest. Sort of like finding the answer to a complicated project that goes on and on much like engineering. I have been able to trace/document, personally and with others research, over 11,000 people going back to the mid 6th century, the 13th century, the 15th century and the 17th century. Also found that we are mentioned in Shakespeare.

Get the software that will serve your needs the best. It will be money well spent in better records and less mental confusion and frustration.

Good Luck, Old Salt

Thanks for the comment, some more good links there. I already have some information about the origins of the family name, it seems to be Norman. I'm also aware that the family owned a large chunk of Scotland way back, something that is recorded in various texts. What I am missing is the stuff in between then & perhaps 150 year ago. I can see that this is going to be a long term project.

Living in the South East you are in the area for the Kent Family History Society. Check out the title as there may be more than one FHS in your area. They will provide a lot of help and support and probably have done a lot of transcribing of parish and other registers. Try not to be too enthusiastic in accepting other peoples information. One American "researcher" got back to the 15th or 16th century and was very pleased until someone pointed out that one of the mothers was over 200 years old when she had her first child - well the names fitted! Also during the transcription of the 1891 records, some one, not from this country UK, confused Sutherland with Sunderland thinking they were the same and all the records were changed. These sections needed re doing. Similarly, local spellings were changed labour to labor. Always check local records to confirm your information. Use others information as a guide. A lot of records were destroyed during WW2. Good luck with your searches.

Ancestry is pretty good and the subscription allows you to search lots of records without having to keep topping up search fees. I traced my wife's family back via Ireland and India to Anne Boleyn's sister c:1505. Download lots of blank record pages and use these to add written notes and as a cross reference. You will quickly build up a huge pile of information and it is easy to wander off into side branches of the core family. The notes also allow you to pick-up where you left off on the computer. If you collect family photos remember to write their names on the back, I have a box full of old family photos - no idea who they all are and no living ancestors who can help.

If you can, get copies of birth and marriage certificates as they contain valuable information such as names of witnesses. Family members tend to return home for weddings, etc and their details may be on the certificate.

Once you link your 'family' to other trees on the web you will start getting enquiries and links to their family trees - beware of linking to any ancestors with the names Smith or Jones as you will be inundated with 'family', (other surnames are available)!

Geneology is addictive and time consuming, but very worth doing and your kids will be grateful for the data, (one day). You also have an excuse for travelling to distant places to search old parish records and may even discover lost family.

A lot of the stuff I've just inherited is family photos, some identified, some not. I also have my great, great, great grandfathers marriage certificate & lots of other bits that I haven't even looked at yet.

One of my daughters gave me a set called Generations Millenium some years back and I still use it. It works on XP and Vista quite well and is easy to use and record family trees and history. I have no idea if it is still available.

That led me to this site which seems to have a lot of useful stuff.

For what it's worth: www.worldvitalrecords.com/England‎

Another useful looking link, thanks.

I found that checking the names and addresses of the other people on the census who report on or near the same days can lead to future marriages or cousins and whatnot.

You have come up with good points I have learned as well.

Ann Boleyn...nice find!

I have Family Tree Maker but there are others as well.

Rootsweb.com Ancestory.com

Check if your area has a historical library they can be a great help

I've been to Fort Wayne they have one of the largest librarys around for genelogy

Another source the Mormans have files on many familiies

FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com are probably the 2 best. I would start there.

Now you have me thinking. My mother's side of my family is very well documented. I have her grandmother's family bible which records births and marriages back to the late seventeen hundreds in the US. However, my father's family has been a total mystery. He never spoke about his family while he was alive, and the only relative I ever met was a distant aunt (by marriage) many years ago. The only record that I have is my own birth certificate. To complicate a possible search, our name is Jones with an unsubstantiated suspicion that the family name might have been changed sometime in the past.

Tracking this down could be a real adventure.

Good luck researching that name but I would advise avoiding records in Wales.

Don't distress about not being able to find much information on your father's side. You have your grandmother's family bible, one of the most recognized sources and accurate ones. There is much information out there just for the looking and labor of love.

As I mentioned before there are the good sides of finding ancestors and relatives. The cousins I have researched or they researched me who we have mutually met are all real nice people and I keep up with several of them (others due to death). One set of relatives I don't know if I should put them in the "good" column or the "bad" column. I guess it would be based on my political preferences. George H. W. Bush is my 8th cousin and George W. Bush and Geb Bush are my 8th cousins one removed. Good or Bad?

Good Luck, Old Salt

When I started my family history research, a lovely (old) lady asked me what side of the family was I going to research. My answer, my fathers side, brought a smile and a twinkle in the eyes of the lady as she replied, "remember, your father is only your father because your mother said so". Good luck