Genealogy Research Guidelines

Have you ever asked the question “where do I come from?”

(not the womb story but the ancestoral one).

This question seems to cross one’s mind particularly later in life when we have lived long enough to reflect on the passage of time and are able to look back with hind sight. However, few of us ever have the time, nor desire, to spend any extended periods of time seeking the answer. Many of us on the other hand do approach this inquiry as a hobbyist, and leisurely pursue the interest on occasion.

To rekindle your enthusiasm, or to refocus you on the task, consider the following primary source documents that are readily available on line. There are five main original records used for English genealogical research. They include:

• family oral history;
• census records;
• civil registration;
• parish registers and
• probate records.

The following pages will help you to understand the kind of information that may be obtained from these records and how they may be accessed for research on line or at a records office.