Find British Ancestors

Frequently Asked Questions

The most frequently asked questions people ask about family history research are:

Is it difficult?

When finding your ancestors involved reading old, heavy, leather bound books in records offices miles form where your ancestors actually lived, it was quite difficult. Now that many BMD (births, marriages and deaths) records from 1837, census returns from 1841 and many wills and military records can be searched online from anywhere in the world it is relatively easy to make an great deal of progress fairly easily. You may even be able to trace back to ancestors born in the 1700's without leaving home.

Visits to the places your ancestors lived may be useful, and is always fascinating, particularly for distant ancestors. If you get to this stage, you can decide if you want to do this or hire a professional for a few days to help out or combine it with a holiday.

People search for their onw family trees and those helping them seem to be among the most friendly helpful communities on the net.

How much will it cost?

Do it yourself and it can cost very little. You can find many BMD records free and may find someone has already collected information about a branch of your family which will save both money and time. There are several ways you may be able to do this:

Contact a "One Name" society and find someone collecting your family name.

Search UK specific sites such as Genes Reunited that allow you to search for other people who have family with the same names and dates of birth.

A professional genealogist researching many generations can cost thousands. The professional is quicker but takes away the fun and personal satisfaction of doing it yourself. Doing as much as you can yourself and, if completely stuck, getting professional help with specific problems, is what many people choose.

If you join a website like Ancestry.co.uk or Genes Reunited, which really is worth it for the help, data and contacts that they have, it is still likely to cost you under £100 to do some really worthwhile and fascinating Family History research.

Note to Overseas Readers
local sites, such as Ancestry.com in the USA, give access to the British records section but you have to choose a membership option that includes this.

How long will it take?

It can take as long or a quick as you want depending on how far back you go and how many family tree branches you want to find out about. Be warned: genealogy is so fascinating that you may become addicted and find that the fun of finding out about how your forebears lived, and linking with others doing the same, is likely to make it a major hobby. I have been studying my Family History for over three years and, every time I think I am getting as far as I want to go, I find another ancestor that takes me down another branch of my family tree

How do I start?

This depends on what you already know about your U.K. ancestors. What worked for me and many others, gives some quick results and a great starting point for further research is explained on the Get Started page. You can also read how I searched for my own ancestors and some of my family names here.