Who do you think you are?

Posted on 13 Sep 2007 at 15:26

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If you want to find out more about your ancestors, the web is a crucial genealogical resource. James Taylor explains where you need to go online to keep it in the family.

Genealogy has always been quick to embrace technology, such as microfilm and fiche. But it is the internet that has made the biggest difference for amateur genealogists. It is the easiest and the quickest way to get your hands on sources of historical information. With the prevalence of broadband and the new capabilities of Web 2.0 sites, you don't have to wait for data to be put on CD and delivered through the post; you can read or download information immediately.

However, finding the information in the first place can take time. There are a huge number of websites claiming to help you research your family tree. If you're new to genealogy, this can be overwhelming. Here we've gathered together everything you need to find out more about your family history online.

Getting started

Genealogy is not an exact science; there are lots of false trails and blind alleys. You can't expect to find your full family history laid out for you. If you're very lucky, you'll come across someone else who is researching some of your family names. Joining websites such as Genes Reunited (www.genesreunited.co.uk) will help, as will signing up with one or more family history societies. You don't have to join the one closest to you. If you know the home county of your grandparents, for example, you should use the family history society in that district. Most societies have an online presence. Using your search engine, just type in your county of interest plus 'fhs' to find them. Alternatively, you can visit the Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS) at www.ffhs.org.uk.

Whatever information you do find online, you'll need to check that it is correct. To do this, you must go to the primary sources: the original documents. Clearly, you won't find these online. All online materials are secondary sources, usually in the form of indexes that don't include all the information from the original documents. Intended as quick references, they usually give you enough to identify the original documents, which you must then examine. Nevertheless, you can still find a lot of information online, and much of it ought to be reliable.

As well as indexes, you will also come across transcriptions and images. Transcriptions are where the compiler of the data has reproduced the information from the original documents in a list or table, and in a more legible font. Although transcriptions are far easier to read than the original documents, you should bear in mind that you are relying on the transcribers' interpretation of doubtful or ambiguous entries.

Images are produced by digitally scanning complete original pages as pictures. The problem with images is that they cannot be searched electronically for occurrences of words or phrases. For this reason, most online images have some kind of index. This saves you looking through page after page of cramped handwritten entries, which can be a long and frustrating task. However, working with facsimiles of the original pages lets you bring your own insight to bear on vague or ambiguous entries.

Checking the records

Within these indexes, transcriptions and images you'll find the records you need to start your investigations properly. The main types of records you're looking for include civil registrations of births, marriages and deaths, census returns, tax books and parish registers. There are also less obvious records that you'll need in order to complete your family history. These include directories, local history, maps, immigration and passenger lists, wills, military records and other people's family histories.