How to trace your family tree

Tracing your family tree is fun, rewarding, and easy to get started!

The most important steps are these:

1. Start by talking to your family. Ask senior relatives for their memories, and write them down carefully. Remember that family legends are sometimes just that... but there mayy be a grain of truth to them. Write it all down and you can use your research later to establish what's true and what's wishful thinking!

2. Gather old documents. Check the attic for old family photographs, letters or personal documents which may reveal more about your forebears. Keep them carefully in a file so that future generations can benefit from them too!

3. Use online resources. Use websites such as Ancestry.com to search the major records, such as Censuses. Birth and death records also provide major details of people's lives - see WorldVitalRecords for example.

4. Follow the clues. Always work backwards in time to avoid going down the wrong branch of your family tree. Once you've established some key dates and connections, you can push back through the generations one by one.

5. Use original sources. The web is brilliant to get you started, but local family history societies and record offices are vital for getting the real detail - and you'll soon get the bug for this exciting detective work!

6. Share your findings. Use websites such as Geni.com to upload your family tree as it grows and make connections with other people who may be researching the same ancestors as you. You can help each other, and maybe find long-lost cousins or new friends!

7. Record details carefully. Use top genealogy software packages such as Family Tree Maker to record your progress as you go. That way you won't lose track, and you'll be able to spot parts of your tree to try and climb next.

8. Learn about the context. Family history (genealogy) is even more rewarding if you learn a little background social history, and try to find out what your ancestors' lives were like. Where did they live? What job did they do? What was daily life like for them? All this helps build up a richer picture and sense of your own heritage - it's not just about names and numbers?

9. Enjoy yourself! Genealogy is addictive and amazingly rewarding - so get out there and give it a go! Good luck!