Tracing people born after 1901

[lizwizz]

How do I go about tracing people who were born after the 1901 census? I have not yet got enough information even to start paying to see archives. I have asked my family but all they can tell me is names and approximate year of birth and roughly whereabouts they were born. Can anyone set me off on the right track please?

[CheekyChops]

It is more difficult tracing people aftre 1901 as you have no census info to go on. The only thing you can really do is to search the birth marriage and death indexes for these people.

The indexes are free to search on Ancestry (you have to register first) and after 1911, the birth index gives the mother's maiden name which may help you ascertain that you have the right people.

You have to search each year, quarter by quarter, but as you have an idea of where and when they were born, it shouldn't take too long.

Some counties have their own BMD indexes on theor own websites, it depends which county your relatives were from. If you go to www.ukbmd.org.uk and then select the county on the left, it will tell you of any sites dedicated to that particular county.

Hope this helps.

[spudqueen]

If you start with your parents, get their birth certificates, then you have the names of their parents (your Grandparents), from this you should be able to find your Grandparents marriage certificate which will give their ages at marriage. From this you should be able to trace their birth certificates. Keep working backwards like this.

[dot.hawkes]

Gravestones are very useful, they can give you lots of detail and are free to look at. Many civic cemetaries have excellent records of burials and plans of the layout that identify where a grave is and who is in it. Many graveyards have been surveyed by familt History Societies, as these societies are registered charities and to maintain this status they have to perform this typew of useful work and make it available at a resaonable cost to the general public, usually in the form of an indexed film or similar media, I suggest you seek out the family Hisatory society for the are you are looking at and find out what they have recorded.
check out the site of the Federation of family History Societies.
http://www.ffhs.org.uk/
Another very good source would be Town Directories which would be available in yoru local library fior free searching and will contain lists of individuals and businesses, these were published every few years and the most famous are Slaters or Pigots.

[lizwizz]

Thanks again for that very useful info. I'll give those a try.

[dot.hawkes]

sory i missed out another very useful source, local newspapers, your local reference library will hold back issues and usually on microfilm or even online now.
Also be aware that the majority of sources you will want to look at are available for reseacrh free of charge, it is the cost of copy certificates and online sites that you pay for.