Family History Resources
Researching your Family history is one of the most popular hobbies in the UK.
It’s never been easier, with so much information available online now.
But, like everything else in life, if no-one's shown you how to go about it, how do you start? How do you avoid the common pitfalls? What resources should you use?
In our series of free guides we provide practical advice and tips to help you
get started on your own family history journey.
​
Take a look at our recommended resources for you to use:
Interested in researching your family history but not sure where to start?
Check out our FREE GUIDES below to get you started on your family history journey!
Our free guides provide you with the information and framework you need to begin your family history journey. We also have a range of free Family History charts you can use to display your research.​
​
To receive your free guides/charts, please enter your details in the form on the right.
As a subscriber, you will be first to see our blog posts and special offers. You can unsubscribe at any time by following the link in our emails.
Which Family History site shall I use?
There are many good Family History sites, the most popular and comprehensive of which in the UK are Ancestry and FindMyPast. Both have a wide breadth of records and offer the General Register Office birth, marriage and death indexes back to 1837 and census records from 1841 to 1911 as well as the 1939 register. The 1921 census is only available on FindMyPast at present but non subscribers can still access the records for a small charge. Both sites offer access to WW1 records.
Ancestry offers a broader range of global records while FindMyPast has many unique British and Irish collections and access to the British Newspaper Archives (for Pro Subscriptions).
The sites differ in their user interface and you may want to try them to see what suits you best. It is usually possible to subscribe free of charge for a trial period before committing to an annual subscription (see links below).
Alternatively, libraries often subscribe to the sites and can be used free of charge.
It is important to remember though that you can build a tree using one Family History Site and then transfer the data to another, so choosing a particular site is not an all or nothing decision.
The Best Family History Books
for Beginners & Experienced Researchers
For beginners we recommend (1):
"A Guide to Tracing your Family History using the Census"
by Emma Jolly
The census is an essential survey of our population, and it is a source of basic information for local and national government and for various organisations dealing with education, housing, health and transport. Providing the researcher with a fascinating insight into who we were in the past, Emma Jolly's new handbook is a useful tool for anyone keen to discover their family history.
There are also books specialising in researching ancestors from specific regions in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, as well as books on how to search specific occupations and professions, including ancestors in the Armed Forces.
Browse the Collection Here
This page contains some affiliate links. By clicking on these links, if you go on to purchase a product, service or subscription Your Family Historian may receive some commission at no extra cost to yourself.