Tracing back through your family tree... anyone tried?
 

Anyone done this? How much info did you have to start with? How did you go about tracing back and how far back did you get?

I'd be really interested to trace back as far as possible but haven't got a clue where to start as I know nothing about my family past my Grandparents, of whom only one is still alive.

Any helpful info and pointers much appreciated :)

I just let my great uncle do all the hard work - that seemed to do the trick (back to 1697 anyway) :)

Why not try the 1901 census site (http://www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk/) If you can get your aged relatives to dig up a few names and details that a good starting point.

I got up to about 120 people (mainly alive) from talking to aged aunts and uncles - they love talking about their aunts / uncles / etc. Got back to about 1890 without too much trouble.

Also been on the census site mentioned by Colex - I think it costs about £5 for 24 hours (but am probably wrong). It would be worth having an idea of a name, occupation and birthplace of who you're looking for as well - took me ages just to find my great grand parents.

Be cafeful - it might take over your life!!

Here's my familytree.......

http://merridales.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

Boring to those of you that don`t share the same surname.....but went back quite a way.

Joan.
(I am from the MERREDLE part)

Back to John O'Gaunt seems we arew all Bar Stewards before !

Thanks for the replies. Don't think I am going to get too far, I don't have many/any aged aunts and uncles, just one gran.

Will have a think as to where I can go with this, cheers :)

Bravo - there are loads of sites dedicated to this, but be warned it is very time consuming. My Uncle did loads of work on our family tree. It quickly mushroomed (my grandmother was one of 14 kids, so you can imagine how it progressed...). We also found relatives in the US and Australia. It really is a monster undertaking.

One of the best sites for doing family searches is the Mormon Church - they have this thing whereby your dead relatives can be converted to the relgion (something like that - don't ask I'm not an expert), so they spend a lot of their time collecting old church records of births/deaths etc. What this means to you and I is that they have one of the largest databases of its type in the world (with an obvious US bias, but still useful).

Chris

Cheers Chris, yeah my gran on my dads side is one of 8 or 9 brothers and sisters from the East End, quite a job tracing that many branches. I know one of them went to Aus and there is family over there but I have never even spoken to them let alone met them.

Thing is I can only really ask my parents and one remaining gran as the others are either dead or family that is not kept in touch with. Will have a chat with parents and see what they think as if they are not interested in helping with info then this isn't going to get beyond my great grand parents lol.

DON'T DO IT! It'll cost you a fortune in postage at Christmas!


:)

LOL I don't want to meet any of them or talk to them, not unless they are filthy rich :D