How can you find out about your family history?

Question

I want to know more about my historical background. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Go to the nearest mormon church and ask. We are very advanced when it comes to family history. We have many resources available.

Answer 2

Start with what you know.
List the names of your parents, grandparents, etc.
List the dates of their births, marriages, deaths, burials, and places where they lived.
Next visit www.rootsweb.com This is the oldest free genealogical website, and it is loaded with information, including tips on getting started with your research. Sections to check out there are WorldConnect, a collection of already researched family trees, and US Genweb, which will connect you to websites for each state and each county.

If you are living in the area where your family has lived for generations, go to the local library. Ask for information about local history/genealogical societies. Librarians and genealogists are usually very helpful, especially if you say you are just starting your research.

Answer 3

Go to your local library and read a how-to book, usually in the 929 section. Look for the modern 'Dummies' and 'Complete Idiots' guides, as well as old standards like 'Finding your roots' by Jeane Eddy Westin.

Answer 4

First off, I am a convener for a Scottish Highland Clan. We tend to keep these records for members, help track geneologies and so forth. One way, if you have Celtic roots is to check with the Clan or ethnic group organization and ask what they have. It might surprise you. Sons of Norway/Sweden work much the same way.

Answer 5

1) Talk to your family members and write down full names; birth, marriage, and death dates; and location information.

2) Focus on one name/family at a time and research online. Some of my favorite free sites are:

[Huge LDS Database] http://www.familysearch.org
[For English research] http://www.freebmd.org.uk/
[Social Security Death Index] http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi
[Western States Marriages] http://abish.byui.edu/specialCollections/westernStates/search.cfm

Browse the message boards on ancestry.com and genealogy.com and even do searches on Yahoo or Google with your more unusual names in quotes (e.g., “Ebenezer Beetlejuice”). You will be surprised what you find!

3) Visit your library and ask them if they subscribe to ancestry.com or heritagequest.com and also visit a NARA (http://www.archives.gov/) office if you have one close by. Your largest and most valuable source of information will be censuses.

Answer 6

Your local courthouse. If the family is not from the area that you live then it will be at the courthouse that is in that city or county that they are from. The courthouse has all kinds of files on marriages, births, deaths, and other information.

Answer 7

go onto rootsweb.com enter your name and info-add your parents and you will see all sorts of documentation. Start with your birth year-take an average of 20yrs old and subtract to find relatives.

Answer 8

get your birth certificate, then your parents,then your grand patents,you can also use death certificates,baptismal too.you can read head stones for info too.it's a lot of work and takes a lot of time and money,good luck.remember ask all relatives for info first[also many old papers have names spelled differently ]

Answer 9

If you are looking for free info, start by looking here:

http://free-genealogy-info.zoomshare.com/0.html

Good luck.