Page content section :
History
Researching your family history and family tree
Tracing
your family history is a rewarding and exciting hobby which many people
enjoy, but it can also be time consuming, complicated and frustrating.
You can either read through the introduction to family history research below, or skip that and jump to the useful family history research external websites (further down this page)
So where do you start?
The best first step is to gather as much information you can from your living relatives and family friends, especially your older relations. You are looking for as much information as they can remember about your relations including : names, dates (of birth, christening, baptism, marriage, divorce, work, death and burial or cremation), addresses (of places lived or worked), occupations, military service, religion(s), criminal records, countries they came form (or went to, or visited or worked in) and also their health problems or disabilities. They may also be able to give you other types of valuable information that will be very difficult to track down from official records, such as hobbies or interests, nicknames, personality traits, exploits they were involved in and other interesting bits of information (if they were builders then what did they build and where, eg schools in Brighton). Unfortunately when your older relations die this sort of information will go with them unless it is recorded.
The next step is to track down and make copies of as many documents as possible that are still in the family such as birth, death and marriage certificates, wills, family bibles, photographs and newspaper cuttings. These documents will allow you to confirm what you have been told so far and will also help you fill in dates and gaps (and sometimes uncover family secrets!).
Next start to draw up a family tree based on the information you have found so far. This may help jog your relations memories and they may also be able to fill in gaps and add more details. Add photos if you can so you can spot family likenesses and put a face to a relation's name.
Next you will need to further verify what you have found out and take your family tree further back. You can do this by tracing and applying for documents for your relations from archive sources. This will help you make sure people really are related to you. If, for example, you know your grandfather's date and place of birth, you can apply for his birth certificate. Doing this will give you full names of his parents, including his mother's maiden surname, and possibly other valuable information (such as addresses or occupations). Your could then search for his parents' marriage certificate and so on.
It is always worth trying to find out more information about your descendants, rather than just the hard facts, that way they become 'real people' rather than just names on a tree, and you will end up with a fuller more interesting family history.
The links below will help you in your searching - but most of all remember to take you time and enjoy your searching!
Useful family history research external websites :
Note : Most of the websites below are free to use,
but some of them make a charge to fully access the information or use the
services they provide. Please make sure you read their rules and scales of
charges before using their websites. Adur DC does not recommend or endorse
the websites listed below, and cannot be held liable for their content or
services offered.
The links below have been grouped into types of sites, either click on a heading below to jump to that section, or feel free to browse down the whole list :
Note : the full website URLs of all the links below will be included on the page if you print it out.
- General information and research sites
- Archive and record office websites
- Burials and cremations
- Censuses on-line
- Directories
- Family tree sites
- Genealogy websites
- Maritime and shipping
- Military, cemeteries and war sites
- Name research
- Other countries or nationalities (including Irish, Scottish and Welsh links)
- Miscellaneous
- Ancient research
- Heraldry, armorial bearings and coats of arms
- See also
General information and research sites :
- BBC : Family history (www.bbc.co.uk/familyhistory/)
- BBC : Family history - Who do you think you are? (www.bbcwhodoyouthinkyouare.co.uk)
- British History On-line (www.british-history.ac.uk)
- Cyndi's list of genealogy sites on the internet (www.cyndislist.com)
- Family Records (www.familyrecords.gov.uk)
- Federation of Family History Societies (www.ffhs.org.uk)
- Genealogy Guide (www.ffhs.org.uk)
- Genuki : UK and Ireland genealogy (www.genuki.org.uk)
- West Sussex Past Gateway (www.westsussexpast.org.uk/gateway//links.aspx)
- WSCC website : Family history links and copy certificates (www.westsussex.gov.uk/redirect/?oid=[com.arsdigita.cms.contenttypes.ArticleSection:{id=2251030}])
- WSCC website : Marriage licences - historic (www.westsussex.gov.uk/redirect/?oid=[com.arsdigita.cms.contenttypes.Article:{id=187865}])
Go back to main family history links index list
Archive and record office websites :
- A2A : Access to Archives (www.a2a.org.uk)
- Brighton & Hove : Researching your family tree (www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1103301)
- British Library (www.bl.uk/collections/wider/genealogyref.html)
- East Sussex County Archives and Records Office (www.eastsussex.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/localandfamilyhistory/esro/default.htm)
- Gazettes On-line : London, Belfast and Edinburgh Gazettes (www.gazettes-online.co.uk)
- General Register Office : England & Wales (www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/research)
- General Register Office : Northern Ireland - see 'other countries section' below
- General Register Office : Scotland - see 'other countries section' below
- Kent Archives (www.kentarchives.org.uk)
- London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) (www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/family-research)
- Medway CityArk (http://cityark.medway.gov.uk)
- National Archives (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) (The National Archives was previously known as the Public Record Office (PRO) which was officially merged with the Historical Manuscripts Commission in July 2003 to form The National Archives)
- National Archives : Divorce Registry (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/familyhistory/divorce/default.htm)
- National Archives : Documents on-line (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline)
- National Archives : The catalogue (formerly PROCAT) (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue)
- The Scotsman archives : Every issue of The Scotsman from 1817 - 1950 (http://archive.scotsman.com)
- West Sussex County Archives and Records Office : Family history links and information (www.westsussex.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/category.jsp?categoryID=185130&g11n.enc=UTF-8)
- World Gen Web project (www.worldgenweb.org/howtostart.html)
Go back to family history links index list
Burials and cremations :
- Deceased on-line (www.deceasedonline.com)
- See also :
Go back to family history links index list
Censuses on-line :
- Family Search - 1881 Census (www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=census/search_census.asp)
- 1901 Census (in association with the National Archives) (www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk)
- 1901 census UK on-line (www.1901-census.com)
- 1891 UK census (www.1891census.co.uk)
- 1881 census UK on-line (www.1881-census.co.uk)
- 1871 census UK on-line (www.1871-census.co.uk)
- 1861 census UK on-line (www.1861-census.co.uk)
- Find my past (1837 on-line) (www.findmypast.com/home.jsp)
- FreeCen : UK Census on-line project (www.freecen.org.uk)
- Census Finder (www.censusfinder.com)
- Census On-line : England census records links (www.census-online.com/links/England)
Go back to family history links index list
Directories :
- British Phone Books : 1880-1984 (http://content.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=List&dbid=1025&offerid=0%3a7858%3a0)
- Historical directories : Local and trade directories for England and Wales, from 1750 to 1919 (www.historicaldirectories.org)
- Proceedings
of the Old Bailey, London : 1674 to 1834 (www.oldbaileyonline.org)
- Modern directories :
Go back to family history links index list
Family tree sites :
Ancestry.co.uk (www.ancestry.co.uk)- Ancestry World Tree (http://awt.ancestry.co.uk)
- Free BMD : transcriptions of the Civil Registration index of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales (http://freebmd.rootsweb.com)
- UKBMD : Births, marriages, deaths indexes and census transcriptions for the UK (www.ukbmd.org.uk)
- Family Search (www.familysearch.org)
- Family Tree UK (www.familytree-uk.co.uk)
- Family Tree Searcher (searches family trees at 8 sites) (www.familytreesearcher.com)
- Genes Reunited (www.genesreunited.co.uk)
- One Great Family (www.onegreatfamily.com)
- Rootsweb (www.rootsweb.ancestry.com)
- Tribal Junction (requires flash) (http://www.tribaljunction.com)
- Family Trees History (www.familytreeshistory.com - currently not working)
Go back to family history links index list
Genealogy websites :
- Ancestor Hunt (www.ancestorhunt.com)
- Ancestor Search (www.searchforancestors.com)
- British Genealogy (www.british-genealogy.com)
- Curious Fox (www.curiousfox.org.uk)
- Dead Fred - Genealogy photo archive (mainly US) (www.deadfred.com)
- GenCircles (www.gencircles.com)
- Genealogy links worldwide (www.genealogylinks.net)
- Genealogy LinkSearch (www.genealogylinksearch.com)
- Genealogy.com family finder (www.genealogy.com/ifftop.html)
- Genealogy searches for Google by using your family tree (www.genealogy-search-help.com)
- GeneaNet (www.geneanet.org)
- IGI (England) batch numbers (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Ehughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers/CountryEngland.htm)
- Kindred Konnections (My Trees) (www.kindredkonnections.com)
- Origins Network (www.originsnetwork.com)
- Society of Genealogists (www.sog.org.uk)
- Sussex Family History Group (www.sfhg.org.uk/index.html)
- The Genealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk)
- UK Genealogy (www.ukgenealogy.co.uk)
- UK Genealogy Archives (www.uk-genealogy.org.uk/resources/gettingstarted.html)
- The Genealogy homepage (www.genhomepage.com)
- UK Genealogy Links (www.genealogy-links.co.uk)
- UK and Ireland Genealogy Records On-line (www.ukisearch.com)
- 123 Genealogy (www.123genealogy.com)
- 192.com Genealogy (www.192.com/Genealogy)
Go back to family history links index list
Maritime and shipping :
- Ancestors on board (a new database of outward passenger lists for long-distance voyages leaving the British Isles from 1960 right back to 1890 - more years are being regularly added to the searchable database of all UK ports) (www.ancestorsonboard.com)
- Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild (www.immigrantships.net)
- Mariners
: Researching the mariners and ships of the merchant marine and the world's
navies (www.mariners-l.co.uk)
See also their : Mariners : Ships index (www.mariners-l.co.uk/ShipsIndex.html) - Maritime Memorials (National Maritime Museum) (www.nmm.ac.uk/memorials)
- South Australia Shipping Lists (www.slsa.sa.gov.au/fh/passengerlists/intro.htm)
- The Ships List : Passengers, ships and shipwrecks (www.theshipslist.com)
Go back to family history links index list
Military, cemeteries and war sites :
- Army Museums Ogilby Trust (www.armymuseums.org.uk)
- British Legion (www.britishlegion.org.uk)
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission (with searchable database) (www.cwgc.org)
- Imperial War Museum (www.iwm.org.uk)
- Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth (www.regiments.org)
- Military Genealogy (www.military-genealogy.com)
- National Army Museum (www.national-army-museum.ac.uk)
- Roll of
Honour (www.roll-of-honour.com)
- Roll of Honour - links page (www.roll-of-honour.com/Links/index.html)
- The Long, Long Trail : The British Army in the Great War of 1914-1918 (www.1914-1918.net)
- UK National Inventory of War Memorials (www.ukniwm.org.uk)
- War Memorials Trust (www.warmemorials.org)
- Western Front Association (www.westernfrontassociation.com)
- World War One Cemeteries : A comprehensive guide to Military cemeteries and memorials around the world (www.ww1cemeteries.com)
- 1914-1918
Great War Family Research (www.fourteeneighteen.co.uk)
- Armed Forces Memorial (www.forcesmemorial.org.uk)
- International War Memorial / International Armed Forces Memorial (with
searchable database) (www.wargraves.org.uk or www.britishwargraves.org.uk
- currently not working)
- Current armed forces links :
- Army Records Office (www.army.mod.uk/contacts/divisions/records.htm)
- Royal Air Force Records Office (www.raf.mod.uk/info/faqs_2.html)
- Royal Navy Records Office (www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.108/changeNav/3533)
- MOD : Ministry of Defence (www.mod.uk/defenceinternet/home)
- Veterans Agency (www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html)
- Other miscellaneous :
- Gazettes
On-line : London, Belfast and Edinburgh Gazettes (www.gazettes-online.co.uk)
- Gazettes
On-line : London, Belfast and Edinburgh Gazettes (www.gazettes-online.co.uk)
Go back to family history links index list
Name research :
- Ancestor Search : Free dictionary of surname origins and last name meanings (www.searchforancestors.com/surnames/origin)
- Ancestry.com : Search by name for : Life expectancy, name distribution (UK and US), name meanings, occupations, place of origin and more ... (www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx?ln=)
- Behind the Name : The etymology and history of first names (www.behindthename.com)
- British Family History : Pedigrees and people of the UK (http://web.ukonline.co.uk/sheila.jones)
- Glossary of Last Name Meanings and Origins (http://genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/bl_meaning.htm)
- Last Name Meanings (www.last-names.net)
- Surname site (www.surnamesite.com)
- The Guild of One-Name Studies (www.one-name.org)
- Baby's Names Crib - with 24,000 first names and meanings (www.babynamescrib.com)
- Baby's Names World - with 11,000 first names and meanings (http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/)
Go back to family history links index list
Other countries or nationalities :
American
Family Immigration History Centre : Ellis Island (www.ellisisland.org)- Asian seamen working on British ships : Lascars (www.lascars.co.uk)
- Australia Genealogy Search (www.searchwhateveraustralia.com.au)
- Bangladesh Genealogy (www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Ebgdwgw/)
- BACSA : British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia (www.bacsa.org.uk)
- Canadian Genealogy Centre (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/)
- Caribbean World Genealogical Project : Every Generation on-line (www.everygeneration.co.uk)
- Irish : General Register Office of Northern Ireland (www.irishfamilyresearch.co.uk)
- Irish : Irish Family Research (www.irishfamilyresearch.co.uk)
- Irish : Irish Roots (www.irish-roots.ie/)
- Irish : National Library of Ireland (www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx)
- Irish : The National Archives of Ireland (www.nationalarchives.ie)
- JewishGen : The Home of Jewish Genealogy, an affiliate of the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A living memorial to the Holocaust (www.jewishgen.org/databases/)
- Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain East of London (JGSGB EOL) (http://jgsgbeol.tripod.com/)
- Jewish Genealogy Links (www.pitt.edu/~meisel/jewish/About.htm)
- Romany and Traveller Family History Society (http://website.lineone.net/~rtfhs/a1.html)
- Scotland : Am Baile - Highland history and culture (www.ambaile.org.uk)
- Scotland : General Register Office for Scotland (www.gro-scotland.gov.uk)
- Scotland : National Archive of Scotland (www.nas.gov.uk/familyHistory)
- Scotland : National Library of Scotland (www.nls.uk/family-history/index.html)
- Scotland : ScotClans - Scottish clans and clan history (www.scotclans.com)
- Scotland : Scotland's People (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk)
- Scotland : Scottish Documents (www.scottishdocuments.com)
- Scotland : Scottish Genealogy Research (www.grscotland.fsbusiness.co.uk/index1.htm)
- Swiss Roots (www.swissroots.org)
- Welsh : National Library of Wales (www.llgc.org.uk)
- World-wide genealogy resources - an extensive list of genealogy links for countries all over the world (www.genhomepage.com/world.html)
Go back to family history links index list
Miscellaneous :
- Burke's Peerage and Gentry (www.burkes-peerage.net/Welcome.aspx)
- Debrett Ancestry Research (www.debrettancestry.co.uk)
- English Handwriting 1500-1700 : An On-line Course (www.english.cam.ac.uk/ceres/ehoc)
- Gravestone photograph resource (www.gravestonephotos.com)
- Old Liverpool Newspapers On-line (www.old-liverpool.co.uk)
- People's History Museum (www.phm.org.uk)
- The Salvation Army : Family Tracing Service (www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/familytracing)
- Towns and Villages of Kent, England (maps, photos, etc) (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Emrawson/places.html)
- Useful family history links (Suffolk CC) (www.suffolk.gov.uk/LeisureAndCulture/LocalHistoryAndHeritage/SuffolkRecordOffice/FamilyHistory/FamilyHistoryWebsites.htm)
Go back to family history links index list
Ancient research :
- Medieval English Genealogy (www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk)
Go back to family history links index list
Heraldry, armorial bearings and coats of arms :
- Civic Heraldry of England and Wales (www.civicheraldry.co.uk)
- College of Arms (www.college-of-arms.gov.uk)
- Heraldry on the Internet : Coats of arms, family crests, charges, dictionary of heraldry, surnames, genealogy (www.digiserve.com/heraldry)
- House of Names (coats of arms, name meanings etc) (www.houseofnames.com)
- See also :
Go back to family history links index list
