Never never assume anything
Here is what can go wrong------
Don't lose sight of the fact that although there may be only ONE of you and you may have only had 2 parents and 4 grandparents, you had 8 great grandparents, 16 gg grandparents, 32 ggg grandparents, 64 gggg grandparents 128 ggggg grandparents etc.
Before you do anything, bring a tape recorder, sheets of paper talk to the older family members and ask them to relate anything at all that they can remember about the family. Record every detail, ask for pictures, newspaper clippings, school lists. You may need several visits to some of the older relations as they tend not to remember details until after you have left and they continue to think and recall.
Find out if there are any birth, christening or baptismal certificates, or marriage or death certificates anywhere within the family. To make a start on your research you really need your grandparent's birth certificates and marriage certificates. If the marriage certificate is not in your family's possession, as long as your parents know the names of their parents and the marriage date, the certificate is easily obtained from the Office of the Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages. A Marriage Certificate is your link to the next generation, as it usually gives the names of the father of both the bride and groom.
It is best to work backwards, from known information about already-identified ancestors. i.e. your parents or grandparents.
Never ASSUME. Document everything. Keep a careful record of every search you make even if you find nothing. It will save you from searching the same records again at a later stage.
Arthur
Don't lose sight of the fact that although there may be only ONE of you and you may have only had 2 parents and 4 grandparents, you had 8 great grandparents, 16 gg grandparents, 32 ggg grandparents, 64 gggg grandparents 128 ggggg grandparents etc.
Before you do anything, bring a tape recorder, sheets of paper talk to the older family members and ask them to relate anything at all that they can remember about the family. Record every detail, ask for pictures, newspaper clippings, school lists. You may need several visits to some of the older relations as they tend not to remember details until after you have left and they continue to think and recall.
Find out if there are any birth, christening or baptismal certificates, or marriage or death certificates anywhere within the family. To make a start on your research you really need your grandparent's birth certificates and marriage certificates. If the marriage certificate is not in your family's possession, as long as your parents know the names of their parents and the marriage date, the certificate is easily obtained from the Office of the Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages. A Marriage Certificate is your link to the next generation, as it usually gives the names of the father of both the bride and groom.
It is best to work backwards, from known information about already-identified ancestors. i.e. your parents or grandparents.
Never ASSUME. Document everything. Keep a careful record of every search you make even if you find nothing. It will save you from searching the same records again at a later stage.
Arthur
