It's something I've been interested in pursuing for years but never got around to it. I can imagine it's a fairly lengthy and time consuming process...
Has anyone mapped out their family tree? Where did you begin?
What's the consensus on these online options like Ancestry etc? The reviews for that particular site are poor.
You start with your mother and fathers birth certificates*, gives grandparents.
Then get grandparents death dates (gives approx birth year) then cross reference against birth records. Marriage certs/parish records can also give parents names occupation etc.
Once you can get to ancestors living 1911 and earlier things get easier as you can look up census records**.
Ancestry is actually very good but you need to cross reference multiple names location family members across multiple censuses.
Do not assume that a name and birth year match is the right person (thats why multiple certs are needed).
Most uncomplicated families you'll easily get to 1800.
Don't assume anything!
free resources
freebmd.org
mormons (latter days saints),
online parish clerks
*they are needed to confirm details are accurate and are available to order online from gro
**cross reference the number of children match (and their names/ages) from census to census addresses, occupations, also misspellings of names, name changes.
Example of name variations, scholar schollar, schollor, then for an unknown reason family changed name to roscorla. Further back you go variations become more common, people cant read and write, census chap writes down name as it sounds. Also if someone unexpectedly dissappears from the next census, they may be dead, married, living with another relative.
), or your mother's side has two Smiths marrying each other....<crying>