Where do I start to trace family tree?

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Question:

My dad has told me he has a great interest in tracing his family tree!. Not just simply grand parents and great grandparents, but pretty much way way back!

I thought it would be nice to do this for him as a gift or even just give him a head start but I don't know how to get the ball rolling!. Can anyone help!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

I love Geneology!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!. My late Aunt gave me some details of my paternal roots (thank goodness) and started me off!.!.!.!.!. Many years later I joined genes reunited - a sister site to friends reunited - check it out at genesreunited!.co!.uk

Yes, as others have said it does cost money, but there are ways and means to do it on a budget and as you want to start your Dad off with a gift then he has no excuse does he!?! And with children to research for he will have someone to pass on his tree!!

My sister gave me a gift pack last year, the only useful gift I have had from her in all my adult years!! The pack had a book and a month's membership of ancestory!.co!.uk plus a discount offer should I wish to renew - I think this may be the one at;
http://www!.buyagift!.co!.uk/Product/Id/841!.!.!.
please note though that ancestory also has a 14 day free membership offer on it's website!.!.!.

There is a 7 day free trial at one great family too;- http://www!.onegreatfamily!.com/Home!.aspx!?!.!.!.

Alternatively you could buy a subscription to a geneology magazine:
http://www!.myfavouritemagazines!.co!.uk/st!.!.!.

Or for "socking fillers" see; http://www!.familytreefolk!.co!.uk/

I bet your Dad would really appreciate a little help - especially as lack of interest from the family is very discouraging!.!.!.
Why don't you check out the LDS website which has free research and could, if you are lucky, add a few generations to the information your father has already accumulated: www!.familysearch!.org
I used this and traced my Mum's grandmother to her birth place and tracked back her family by several generations!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.being on the genes reunited website this attracted the attention of others who found matches with their own trees - including a second cousin who I had never met!! My tip is; if you do not have luck with one branch of your family on the free websites try another branch!!

Good Luck, this is an excellent hobby for all the family!.!.!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I've been doing this for years!. but you need to start at home first!. get as much information as you can from your own family!. write it all down in a book!. an index book of some sort is best!. ask your dad for his mum and dads details!. dates of birth, marriage and death are important!. then ask your mum!. than your uncles and aunts!. show them your book!. it might be easier for them just to write in any details!. this is good when someone forgets something, as its likely someone else will remember!. once you have gone as far as you can you can begin the real work!.

http://www!.ancestry!.co!.uk is a good place to start!. you will have a small annual fee to pay at some stage!. but it does work out much cheaper than anywhere else once you get serious about your tree!.

from there you can start finding out who your ancestors were and where they were and when!. its a good idea to get certificates for key members of your family when you can!.

also watch "who do you think you are" on BBC 2!. but you just missed the latest series so look out for the re run!.

you could also go to your local library and museum and ask about the local history, genealogy groups there!.

so far i have 520 people in my tree going back to 1701Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hi Jadey,
I have been doing my family tree, for a few months now,
the cheapest site if you are on a budget is Genes Reunited, this starts around ￡10 but if you want full access to census records, this is ￡39 for six months unlimited access!.
You may then be lucky and find someone researching the same family tree as you, so you can share the Information you find!.
There are also plenty of people on the site willing to help!.
You can also do a family tree for free on ancestry but you have to pay to view the census, but they do have partial freebmds,(births,marriages and deaths)
You can find out a certain amount of info for free at
www!.familysearch!.co!.uk or Free Bmd index just put that into Google!.
you can also put questions on here!.
hope this helps good luckWww@QuestionHome@Com

Do as I did - try one of the well-known "Free" sites - and after you've found yourself and possibly your own father, they'll tell you that in oder to progress, you will "need to buy credits" or pay a fee!.
When I paid a fee, I got as far as my paternal grandfather (of whom I obviously already knew!) and was then asked for more money to progress!.
Con jobs don't come into it ! ! ! BEWARE - it's cheaper to go for day trips and visit the places you last heard of anybody!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Firstly, this is going to cost you money!.

If you want to do the work online, you could use ancestry!.co!.uk or http://www!.scotlandspeople!.gov!.uk/ (depending where your ancestors might have come from)!.

Once you get back to the beginning of the 20th century, it gets easier!. There are free sites such as http://www!.familysearch!.org/eng/default!.!.!.!. (not always reliable) and http://freecen!.rootsweb!.com/cgi/search!.p!.!.!.

You might also try joining genesreunited!.co!.uk

Good Luck!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

At the trunk!Www@QuestionHome@Com