Researching Your Roots Ernest Williamson

How do I start? To start your research you ask your parents about their parents, their brothers and sisters, if it is possible look at their birth certificate, marriage certificates. Grandparents can be a mine of information. Usually they have loads of old paperwork, letters, old photographs etc. Write all the information down, no matter how small. You will be surprised what you can learn from it at a later date.

How far back can I go? On my own personal tree I have gone back to the 17th century. I have seen records for the 16th century, and there is the possibility you can go back further, depending on the records kept in the particular region you will be researching in.

What information do you need to do my research? The names of your parents, including the maiden name of your mother, the names of your grandparents, dates of birth if possible, where they were born etc. The more information you can give, the more economical if will be for you.