the friendly club

Genealogy Help

Margaret March

Tracing your family tree can be a long and interesting project, often frustrating but nevertheless rewarding. Genealogy has become a very popular hobby especially now that there are many records online.

Help with Genealogy is available weekly with either Margaret or one of our a friendly fellow researchers. We operate as a self help group; for example, if you have hit a brick wall in your research others in the groups may have new ideas/suggestions. If you prefer you can come along and concentrate on your own research, using your personal laptop or other device.

From time to time we also hold genealogy workshops and presentations, details of which will be sent out via the club newsletter.

For those starting out on your research this Getting Started Guide will help you in the initial stages of your research. Click here.

There are a number of useful sites available and knowing which to use and how to use them effectively can be confusing. A brief overview of the more popular sites is shown below.

AncestrySubscription site. Probably one of the most popular sites used by genealogists. Contains census information, birth/marriage/death records, parish registers, military information, passenger lists, both for the UK and globally.
FindmypastSubscription or PPV (pay per view). Contains census information, birth/marriage/death records, parish records, military information, passenger lists. Records generally UK based.
Family RelativesSubscription. Birth/marriage/death records for England & Wales, plus the overseas database, parish registers, military records, trade directories.
British OriginsSubscription. Boyd’s Marriage Index, miscellaneous records of wills, apprenticeship records, London Burial Index, passenger lists.
Scotland’s PeoplePPV. The most comprehensive site for online Scottish research, including birth/marriage/death records, census returns, parish and probate records.
1911 censusPPV. England & Wales 1911 census, free search facility, images can be viewed by purchasing credits. 1911 census also available on the Findmypast website, either by subscription or PPV.
Family SearchA free site operated by the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Contains parish records, both submitted and extracted, for both pre and post civil registration periods. Submitted entries should be treated with caution and verified against original records.
FreeBMDFree site covering England & Wales birth/marriage/death records. Data is being transcribed by volunteers, currently complete from 1837 to approximately 1920.
FreeCenFree site. Transcription of census records, again being transcribed by volunteers. No images available. Limited coverage.
FreeRegFree site. Transcription of parish registers, volunteer project, regularly updated. No images available.
UKBMDFree site. Searchable databases of birth/marriage/death registrations with reference numbers and links for local Register Offices. Volunteer project. Limited coverage but regularly updated.
The National ArchivesUK government’s official archive, containing over 1,000 years of history.


Tracing your family tree is not just about names and dates. Once you have discovered the bare facts and traced your family back through the census, you may like to extend your research and discover more about the personal life of your ancestors in context with the social and political situation of the time.

Some basic resources which may help with your initial research:

Occupations

Crime & Punishment

Military & Maritime

Newspapers

Miscellaneous