I would like to start tracing my famillys history back but i need help can you h

Question:i really dont know anyone who knows how to do this what the best sites are also if the websitses are free and if you could help me that would be awsome i am from lancaster ohio fairfeild county these are the surenames may, ricketts, reid,

if you could get me started out i would apricate it

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: i really dont know anyone who knows how to do this what the best sites are also if the websitses are free and if you could help me that would be awsome i am from lancaster ohio fairfeild county these are the surenames may, ricketts, reid,

if you could get me started out i would apricate it

The key is to start with what you know and work backwards one step at the time. Talk to all of your living relatives to find out what they know about your ancestors and then go to the library and start verifying everything you have been told (oral family history usually has some grain of truth in it but not always). Most libraries will have some genealogy data availale. The local LDS(Morman) Church can be a big help. They are staffed by volunteers who will be more than happy to help you. THEY DO NOT TRY TO CONVERT YOU!! Cindyslist.com is the biggest source of sites that may be able to help you. Good luck and have fun.

I've seen the names May and Reid in Ireland.

In addition to BigDog50's suggestions, you could do a google or yahoo search for "genealogy Reid" and also for the other names. Lots of info comes up, and if you have dates to guide you, you could have a head start.

My first advice is to avoid thinking in terms of surnames..and think of exact PERSONS that are your ancestors. (obviously, persons named Reid in Ireland are probably useless).
http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/
http://www.cyndislist.com/
95% of what you need will be on these sites. Ancestry is the best known site for census records. It does have a fee, but it can be well worth what you get in return. I have researched for 25+ yrs, and just signed up.. and am getting stuff in return.
You learn by doing, one step at a time. What works for your Ohio grandfather in 1925 will not work for the Virginia ancestor in 1782. But that's the fun of it!
Remember... work from the present backwards... understand the critical importance of documentation... don't expect to find everything on the internet... living persons are not likely to be findable online...
and make friends here, who can help you as you go.