Family History

The General Register Office has produced a helpful guide on how to use its services to discover your family history. The guide provides a full introduction to family history research using birth, marriage and death certificates to piece together your family tree. Civil registration started in July 1837. To trace back further you will need to look at parish records which are available from some websites, local churches or archives offices.

Help & Advice

You may want to join a local family history society where you can share your experiences and receive help with any problems you encounter. Use the link below to find your local group.

You could enrol in a family history course. Many adult education centres run these courses and they are inexpensive and extremely helpful.

Don’t despair if you can’t find out much - the minimum information you need to get started is your own place and date of birth.