Is there any way to trace back my family tree?

Question:This is an All English Speaking Board. People on it are from the U. S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

I am in the U. S. so take that into consideration. Not everything I have to say might apply if you are in some place other than the U. S.

First of all, get as much information as possible from living family members, particularly your senior members. Tape them if they will let you. It might turn out they are confused on some matters, but what might seem to be insignificant story telling might turn out to be very significant. Us old folks like to talk about old timey. See if anyone has any old family bibles.

Go to your public library and check out the resources they have in the genealogy section. They might have a subscription to Ancestry.Com which you can use. Ancestry.Com has all the U.S. censuses through 1930. The 1940 and later are not available to the public yet. They also have U. K. censuses.

Now, please don't take as absolute fact everything you see in family trees on any websie, free or paid. The information is submitted by folks like you and me and mostly not documented or poorly documented. Even when you see the same information over and over by many different submitters that is no guarantee it is correct. A lot of people copy without verifying. Also if a person has Family Tree Maker and a subscription to Genealogy.Com, they can merge others people's files into their and then upload their file into Ancestry.Com, Genealogy.Com, FamilySearch.org, Rootsweb.Com. Actually Genealogy.Com encourages it which isn't a good idea at all. Before you take any information from someone else, you should verify it with documentation. Documentation is the most important thing about genealogy. A lot of people are just too anxious to add names to their database.

A Family History Center at a Latter Day Saints(Mormon) Church has records on people all over the world, not just Mormons.
In Salt Lake City, they have the world's largest genealogy collection. Their Family History Centers can order microfilm for you to view at a nominal fee.

I have never had them to try and convert me or send their missionaries by to ring my doorbell. I haven't heard that they have done that to anyone else either that has used their resources. They are just very nice and helpful.

You will also need vital records, birth, marriages, deaths. Now in the U. S., each state has its own laws as to who and when a person can obtain birth and death certificates. Also, in most states, governing bodies (state,county,city) did not start recording vital information until the first quarter of the 20th century. Even after they did, a lot of people who were born at home or died at home did not get recorded.

Birth and Death records and applications for social security numbers give the names of both parents, including mother's maiden name. The applications for a social security number I have seen and the death certificates also gives the place of birth of each parent.

Now, before states, counties or cities started recording vital information, you need to turn to churches for baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriages and Deaths. For some faiths, these give parent information including mother's maiden name. I am Catholic and I know Catholic records do. If you are in the U. K. and you are C of E, I would imagine their practice is very similar.

Another source arewills, deeds, cemeteries, obtiuaries, etc.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: This is an All English Speaking Board. People on it are from the U. S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

I am in the U. S. so take that into consideration. Not everything I have to say might apply if you are in some place other than the U. S.

First of all, get as much information as possible from living family members, particularly your senior members. Tape them if they will let you. It might turn out they are confused on some matters, but what might seem to be insignificant story telling might turn out to be very significant. Us old folks like to talk about old timey. See if anyone has any old family bibles.

Go to your public library and check out the resources they have in the genealogy section. They might have a subscription to Ancestry.Com which you can use. Ancestry.Com has all the U.S. censuses through 1930. The 1940 and later are not available to the public yet. They also have U. K. censuses.

Now, please don't take as absolute fact everything you see in family trees on any websie, free or paid. The information is submitted by folks like you and me and mostly not documented or poorly documented. Even when you see the same information over and over by many different submitters that is no guarantee it is correct. A lot of people copy without verifying. Also if a person has Family Tree Maker and a subscription to Genealogy.Com, they can merge others people's files into their and then upload their file into Ancestry.Com, Genealogy.Com, FamilySearch.org, Rootsweb.Com. Actually Genealogy.Com encourages it which isn't a good idea at all. Before you take any information from someone else, you should verify it with documentation. Documentation is the most important thing about genealogy. A lot of people are just too anxious to add names to their database.

A Family History Center at a Latter Day Saints(Mormon) Church has records on people all over the world, not just Mormons.
In Salt Lake City, they have the world's largest genealogy collection. Their Family History Centers can order microfilm for you to view at a nominal fee.

I have never had them to try and convert me or send their missionaries by to ring my doorbell. I haven't heard that they have done that to anyone else either that has used their resources. They are just very nice and helpful.

You will also need vital records, birth, marriages, deaths. Now in the U. S., each state has its own laws as to who and when a person can obtain birth and death certificates. Also, in most states, governing bodies (state,county,city) did not start recording vital information until the first quarter of the 20th century. Even after they did, a lot of people who were born at home or died at home did not get recorded.

Birth and Death records and applications for social security numbers give the names of both parents, including mother's maiden name. The applications for a social security number I have seen and the death certificates also gives the place of birth of each parent.

Now, before states, counties or cities started recording vital information, you need to turn to churches for baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriages and Deaths. For some faiths, these give parent information including mother's maiden name. I am Catholic and I know Catholic records do. If you are in the U. K. and you are C of E, I would imagine their practice is very similar.

Another source arewills, deeds, cemeteries, obtiuaries, etc.

Go to "Genealogy.com"

you will have to pay to contact people but its good and some of it is free www.genesreunited.com

first you need death or birth certificates of already dead relitives. (live ones have closed records so you can't use them)
and depending on where you live you should have a FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY in your area... I live in crappy montana and we have one. or if you live near salt lake city, they have a WONDERFUL center for that... and I think it's the biggest in the US.
or you can even go down to your local records depertment (the place where they keep liscence plates, marrage certificates, birth certificates, death certificates. The paperwork of life. But you may not be able to access them if you live in a closed record state.

When you trace your family tree, always start with yourself and work backwards with what you already know. This may seem obvious but so many people want to get way back they forget this important step. Go to www.familysearch.org and click on the link on the right side that says "Getting Started With Family History". You will find simple basic instructions to get you started researching. Good Luck!

Yes there is. There are several ways.

Start with yourself and work backwards. Make sure you documents, birth, death, marriage certificates, obits and cemetery records.

Sit down and talk with family and get as much info as you can. Use a tape recorder for later reference. Then invest in a book called unpuzzling your past by Emily Croom. She is a well know researcher and takes you step by step

Check your local library's homepage to see if they subscribe to ancestry and heritagequest. If they do you can use ancestry from the library for free. If they subscribe to heritagequest you can use your library card to access it for free from their homepage.

Visit your local LDS Center. They have tons of stuff to sift thru and will help you get started.

Just remember two things. 1. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING with birth, death, marriage certificates, obits and cemetery records. 2. DON'T believe everything you find online until you can document it and prove that it belongs to your line.

There is a lot of research out there that is not too reliable. If you come across something that someone has submitted contact them and see if they will send you copies of the documents that they used. Most haven't documented. That makes the research unreliable.

Good luck in your quest.

Follow ShirleyT's advice and you you wont go far wrong.

Good luck and good hunting