Introduction

In recent years family history has become an extremely popular hobby for many people, particularly as a result of the huge number of helpful websites that have been made available on the Internet. 

There are numerous sources available to help with both basic family history and with putting flesh on bones. Different sources of information will help to answer different questions. 

Basic advice for beginners

Begin by assembling information which exists within the family:

• Birth certificates  
• Marriage certificates
• Death certificates

Talk to elderly relatives before it is too late. They often have a wealth of information and knowledge. 

Always work backwards and logically and do not take leaps back into the middle of the 18th or 19th centuries. Please note: Not everything is available online. There are some extremely useful family history sites containing a wealth of information, but you will generally have to visit record offices or libraries at some point in your research. 

Be prepared

• Tracing your family history can take a long time and can be frustrating at times. People must be prepared to carry out research for themselves when visiting the archive service of their library. 
  
  
• Variant spellings of the same surname at different times. The spelling of surnames can also be phonetic in earlier records.
  
  
• Records were kept for specific purposes, not to help later generations to research their family history. Therefore, you may not always record the information which people might expect. 

Recording information - You must record all information accurately and make a note of the reference to the source. You may need to visit the source later. 

Pre 19th century - Records prior to the 19th century may be difficult to read because of earlier styles of handwriting. Latin occurs regularly in the 16th and 17th century parish registers. Latinised Christian names are also common, for example: Johannus for John, Maria for Mary. 

Do not make assumptions about ancestors, about their faith or about their capacity to move around. Economic necessity often determined people's movements in the past. 

You will get more out of your family history if you do your research on the play where your family came from or about the social history at the time. 

Archives service

The archive service does have a research service for people who cannot visit in person. 

Before going to the archive offices, you should make an appointment. Seats or microform readers cannot be guaranteed without prior to booking.