How do you begin to research your family history?
The golden rule is to start with what you know. The majority of us grow up listening to family stories about our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and their extended families, which we often don’t fully appreciate until we are adults ourselves.
When you begin your research, talk to your older relatives and gather as much information as possible, including birth, marriage and death certificates. If possible, locate family photographs to help identify those mentioned in the certificates.
In addition to the certificates try to build a broader picture of their lives. Ask your living relatives about their good times as well as the times of struggle and hardship, what jobs they held, the types of homes they lived in, schools they attended, where they spent their holidays and if possible, their memories of the second world war, and if they served with the forces.
Keep a record of what you find out.