Tracing Ancestors

[smurfchops]

Is there an easy, free website where I could try this? It isn't going to be easy with my family, but I am going to have a go !! Thanks.

[dr john]

The Times gave away a free DVD on Saturday linked to the book of the "Who Do You Think You Are?" TV programme, with tips on tracing families.
The 1901 census might help, after that parish records are most useful (if the family hasn't travelled about much).

http://www.1901censusonline.com/

[smurfchops]

Does anyone have the Times DVD that they don't want .. please ?

[auntiebertie]

try www.familysearch.org - amazing site run by the Mormons who seem to be documenting every record in churches all round the world.

The 1901 website is very good but you do have to pay for that one

[smurfchops]

Thanks, I'll give it a go !

[spudqueen]

www.1837online.com
www.ancestry.co.uk

These aren't free, but you can buy credits so you can see how much you are spending. Some of the census' are free, so you won't have to pay for those at all.

www.genesreunited.co.uk

I have recently found three distant cousins using this site, one of them has traced one branch of the family back to 1692!

Remember to start by asking your relatives all they know about their family. They may well have photos, birth, marriage and death certificates or even grave papers.

[shineybomb]

www.genesreunited.co.uk is the best free resource. Just register and put in everything you know about your tree so far. Its a good starting place and if you wanted to contact other people on the site about possible connections the fee for that is about �10 for a whole year.

Once you get into it more and more (its addictive) then www.ancestry.com is the best resource but at �70 or so subscription per year. This gives all birth, marriage and death registrations so you can order certificates and census returns from 1841 - 1901 (and every ten years between)

www.rootsweb.com is a good free site to use too. If you select the Mailing lists tab you can join emai mailing lists for certain surnames or places you are interested in and some of us nice people on there will often do look-ups for you and help you with advice or dead-ends.

With these 3 sites I have managed to find 45 surnames and about 400 people in my tree