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What makes us so inquisitive to know who we really are - could it be those family legends of royal connections, a secret linked to a notorious forebear, or watching a favourite celebrity trace their genealogy on TV? |
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As a family history researcher I've been asked to prove connections to several famous people in history including monarchs and pioneers of the American Wild West. |
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Whatever your own reason your family tree will be unique and there'll be no shortage of ancestors to track down. With two parents, four grandparents, eight great grandparents, and so on, by the time you hit the 16th century, you could be looking for over 1,000 people! |
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Contact me |
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Illegitimacy article |
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Trace Your Roots |
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~ An informative and fun guide |
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~ Contains over 200 tips |
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~ Includes less well-known sources |
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~ Suitable for new and more experienced family historians |
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~ Dozens of useful addresses and websites |
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Family baptisms |
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You might not always find a baptism where you'd expect to find it. If you have difficulty locating one, search further into the register before throwing in the towel as some families had their entire brood baptised as a job lot! |
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Sample tips |
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Personal possessions |
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A will usually mentions personal possessions only if these were left to someone specifically, but a probate inventory is often more revealing about your ancestor. An inventory will list their belongings, often room by room, and include stuff like furniture, tools, clothing and so on. |
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Another way to discover a father's identity |
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The overseer kept a careful tally of incomings and outgoings in his accounts book. This included payments made to mothers of illegitimate children and money collected from reputed fathers. |
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Useful resources |
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General Register Office (GRO) |
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For birth, marriage and death certificates from July 1837 |
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www.gro.gov.uk |
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International Genealogical Index (IGI) |
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A vast index of baptisms and marriages covering the years from 1838 to around 1875 compiled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints |
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www.familysearch.org |
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The National Archives |
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The largest collection of info concerning individuals and households during the 19th century |
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www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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Access to Archives |
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An online catalogue listing the whereabouts of millions of records that are kept in local archive centres |
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www.a2a.org.uk |
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission |
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A searchable database that lists the names of 1.7 million men and woman who lost their lives in the two world wars |
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www.cwgc.org |
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Federation of Family History Societies |
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Details of regional societies in England, Wales and Ireland |
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www.ffhs.org.uk |
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Guild of One-Name Studies |
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Info on thousands of surnames |
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www.one-name.org |
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