Find Ancestors

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great advice! especially the family stories part. Have spent many an hour searching for someone who didn't exist/wasn't actually related/had a different name.

You really need to buy certs too, I would have failed at the first fence if I had believed the father my nan "invented" on her marriage cert. Her birth cert proved it wrong for me

Hi There Heather,
I just wanted to 'Thankyou' personally for taking the time to write theses important tips and websites out for us.
It has been a huge help to me!
Bless Your Cotton Sox!!

Kindest Regards Angelina

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Excellent post ... only hope people read and digest it.

Always amazes me how many people want to find answers without spending money on certificates.
Censuses are not official data.
I have a Gt Grandfather who appears on the 1911 census as head of the household,... except that I have his death cert for 1910.
It seems he was "written in" by his widow afraid that she would be evicted because it would have been his name that was on the rent book.

Countless children are recorded on censuses who were actually stepchildren or grandchildren.
"Wives" who were not married at all, etc etc.

If you want to guess and assume that some information fits, you will invariable go down the wrong track.

These are really good tips, if only they could be shown to people who are just starting and haven't yet been on these notcieboards. Most of this my mother and I found out the hard way, by making mistakes, and we also forgot to make a note of where we got some information from, which meant that when we looked back later we couldn't remember where we'd got it from. Thanks for taking the time to write this, hopefully it will save other new people from making the same mistakes we did.

nudge for newbies
........and oldies too for that matter !

Very useful advice.

nudge.

Nudge

nudge.

Just wish those who need to, read it.

Very sound advice, and most helpful.
A small update: I did just buy some certificates onlline from the Registrar General, and "the cuts" have started to bite. They are £9.25 now, up from £7. Direct from the local registrar they cost only £9, but you have to ring up, ask nicely, write a letter [bang goes your 25p], and there can be quite a long turn round time. The odd times I have tried it the staff have been brilliantly helpful: they found the birth certificate of a great uncle of mine who was baptised and died "Faithful". Who could havea guessed his birth cert. would read "Richard".
Cheers everyone.
Arthur Rimbaud

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thanks a millon for the info i,m a novice and the more *how to* the better

You still out there Heather???