A Guide to Tracing your Family History
Who are you, exactly? Regardless of your fame, fortune or standing, you are the result of an immensely complex and intricate mixture of genes, history, culture and geography that has taken place over generations - in fact, since the beginning of life on Earth. By researching your genealogy and family history, you dip your toe into this fascinating ocean of past events, and discover something of the unique place that you and your family hold within it. Why 1837? This is the year that formal 'civil registration' of births, deaths and marriages began in England and Wales - essential tools for anyone in pursuit of genealogy.
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Family History
There is a subtle difference between genealogy and family history. Many people want to discover the historical structure of their family, but it's the characters and their stories that breathe life into the family tree - the accidents of history, romances, eccentricities, encounters with celebrity, heroism, their tales of fortune, and of ruin.
Getting Started
Tracing your genealogy and family history can be a delightful trip into the records and collective memories that have shaped your own background - or a runaway train lurching through a colossal and uncharted mine of information. You can keep this pursuit both manageable and pleasurable by starting out with a clear idea of what you want to achieve.
Public Records
Despite the scale of genealogical material now available on the Internet, this still represents only a fraction of the totality. Ultimately, if you want to pursue genealogy and family history to the next level of detail and precision, you are going to have to look at original records.
Genealogy and Family Trees
Tracing bloodlines back through time is the essential task of genealogy. Family trees create a satisfyingly neat chart, but can often pose as many questions as they answer.
Using the Internet
Genealogy and family history studies have been utterly transformed by the Internet, with its unprecedented power to connect with others and to tap into collective knowledge.
Keeping Your Archive
Your genealogy and family history can be collected and presented in countless ways. Here are some ground rules to consider.