www.sog.org.uk

Start family history with the

SOCIETY OF GENEALOGISTS

ESTABLISHED 1911 ASK THE FAMILY CENSUSES

Searching for your ancestors must begin with If you know an ancestor that was alive a hundred what you know. Collect all the family documents or more years ago, you can consult the official you can and question your relatives: the older census returns for 1911, 1901, 1891, 1881, ones may know about letters, diaries, papers 1871,1861 and 1851. The censuses are a and dated photographs, while, if you are lucky, snapshot of a family together on a particular night, the Family Bible will have vital dates. They may recording the members of each household, their be able to estimate ages and suggest locations, relationship to its head, ages, occupations and even if they cannot give exact details of births, birthplaces. The 1841 census is also available, marriages and deaths. Every fact and its source but is less informative. A useful book is should be noted, as well as vague remarks Census.The Expert Guide by Peter Christian and which can prove unexpectedly useful at a later David Annal stage (such as ‘that was before the war’, ‘she was grey at your aunt’s wedding’, ‘I believe an Census returns are generally made available to elder brother lived on the south coast and went be searched online via the large commercial to Australia or New Zealand’). genealogy websites such findmypast, Ancestry, the Genealogist etc. All have name indexes and START READING & RECORDING images of the census and are often made available free in local libraries and at the Society Record what you learn about each relative on of Genealogists. a dedicated family history computer software package or else use separate cards or pages of The Scottish returns for 1841 to 1911 are a loose-leaf notebook. There are many books available at the National Records of / and websites that will give you advice and tips Scotland’s People Centre in Edinburgh for your next steps. www.genuki.org.uk or www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk www.bbc.co.uk/familyhistory/ are useful online guides. M. Herber Ancestral Trails (Alan Sutton) or N. The first complete Irish census extant is that for Barrat Who Do You Think You Are? 1901, which, with that for 1911, can be seen at Encyclopedia of Genealogy (Harper Collins) are the National Archives, Bishop Street, Dublin D08 comprehensive guides. DF85, Eire and free online at: www.census.nationalarchives.ie You may want to buy at least one of these, but they should all be available from a public library. BIRTH, MARRIAGE & DEATH CER- You don’t have to use a computer for family history but one could certainly be of great help. TIFICATES There are several family history magazines and available from good newsagents that regularly review genealogical software programmes, Births, marriages and deaths have been websites and include cover discs so you can find officially recorded by the General Register Office which software is right for you. The Society of (GRO) for England and Wales since 1 July Genealogists’ online bookshop stocks useful 1837. The certificates give details of names, titles and software and the learn pages of the dates, ages, addresses and occupations. Each Society’s website link to useful guides and official paper certificate currently costs £9.25 education resources. and takes four days to prepare. However the GRO is currently experimenting with delivering Scotland cheaper non-certified PDFs of documents via email. You will need the appropriate reference Such events in Scotland from 1855, are available from the GRO indexes to order the certificate at the National Records of Scotland, Scotland’s or PDF. Copies of these indexes are available People Centre. The Scotland’s People Centre is in some libraries including the Society of the official government resource for family history Genealogists, on microfilm or microfiche. research. It provides access to the Scottish birth, The GRO website has links to the 7 libraries death, marriage, divorce and census records, and offices where indexes with information Catholic parish registers, Coats of Arms, up to the present day can be found. valuation rolls, wills and testaments. The Centre is located in central Edinburgh with search The GRO online ordering service includes a rooms in historic General Register House and revised and updated online index to births New Register House. Details of opening hours 1837-1916 and deaths 1837-1957 and planning a visit are found on: www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/visit-us/scotlandspeople-centre

Indexed information for later births and deaths, There are copies of the Scottish GRO indexes and marriage from older GRO paper quarterly 1855-1920 on microfilm at the Society of indexes can be found online on Genealogists in London. Digital images of the www.freebmd.org.uk, an ongoing collaboration Statutory Scottish GRO certificates can be found between family historians to transcribe the GRO on the Internet (births over 100 years, marriages birth, marriage and death indexes entries from over 75 years and deaths over 50 years only) 1837 up to about 1983 onto the Internet. Not all along with online indexes up to 2016 via the pay- the indexes are available yet, but there are about per-view website www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. Later 332 million records and the work is growing all documents can be ordered but not viewed the time. This site has some images of the online. original quarterly paper indexes as well. Northern Some commercial organisations such as: www.ancestry.co.uk, www.findmypast.co.uk The General Register Office for www.FamilySearch.org, www.bmdindex.co.uk have (GRONI) was instituted after the creation of launched digital images or databases compiled Northern Ireland in 1922. However the GRONI in from all the old GRO quarterly paper indexes for Belfast has computer indexes of births, Catholic England and Wales up to 2006 to use on a pay marriages and deaths that occurred in the per view or subscription basis. All these sites will Province from 1864 and Protestant Marriages give the reference needed to obtain a birth, from 1845. The General Register Office for marriage or death certificate. Prices to view the Northern Ireland is within the Northern Ireland indexes vary. Some of these sites can be viewed Statistics and Research Agency and administers free of charge at the Society of Genealogists. marriage law and the registration of births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and Once the appropriate index entry is found, official adoption in Northern Ireland. The public search paper certificates and/or PDFs of birth, marriage room can be found at: NISRA, Colby House, and death can be ordered online: Stranmillis Court, Belfast, BT9 5RR. www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/ Tel: 0300 200 7890 (028 9151 3101 if calling from outside Northern Ireland) Certificates can also be ordered by post and by Email: [email protected] telephone. You can telephone the Certificate Services Call Centre on +44 (0)300 123 1837 to Online searches of the indexes and images of place your order or write to Certificate Services birth records in Northern Ireland over 100 years at PO Box 2, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 2JD. old, marriage records over 75 years old and deaths records over 50 years old can be made at GRONI online https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk Eire to 1966 can also be searched online at www.ancestry.co.uk but this website does not make The Irish Genealogy website copies of the wills themselves available. www.irishgenealogy.ie/en makes available free online indexes to births over 100 years If you do not wish to go online to obtain a will, old, marriages over 75 years old and deaths then postal applications for searches and copies over 50 years old. Having obtained the index can be made through the Leeds District Probate entry, photocopies can be ordered in person Registry using the official PA1S application form. or by post (see below) or via a downloaded A PDF of the form can be found on online: application from the Irish genealogy www.applications.cabre.co.uk/maps/Bereavement/LinkedDoc website or online from: uments/Probate%20Application%20for%20a%20Search.pdf www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/bdm/Certificates for €20. Postal search and copy fees include copies of Certificates for Ireland from 1864 (and Protestant the Will and/or grant if a record is found. If you marriages from 1845) can be obtained in person want the Probate Registry to conduct a search from the search room of the General Register, for a period longer than the standard four years Werburgh Street, Dublin 2 Ireland. See: additional fees are charged for each four year www.groireland.ie for information about fees, period after the first search. opening times and search facilities. They can be obtained from Leeds District If you have a date and index reference of a birth Probate Registry, Leeds District, Probate marriage and death then research copies of Registry, York House, 31 York Place, Leeds LS1 certificates can be ordered by post at a cost of 2BA. Tel: 0113 3896133. €4. Otherwise and extra €2 is charged for a search. Postal enquiries should be addressed to From Sumer 2017 microfilms formerly held General Register Office, Government Offices, by The London FamilySearch Centre of the Convent Road, Roscommon. Tel: 090 6632900 Mormon Church containing images of the wills from 1858 to 1925 will be held at the Society of Indexes for some civil birth, marriages and Genealogists’ Library. Having noted the date of deaths registered in Ireland up to 1959 can probate and probate registry from the various be found on: www.familysearch.org and online indexes, copies of the will can be made www.findmypast.co.uk and www.ancestry.com. there. It does not have the official grants of probate or the administrations WILLS Wills before 1858 were under the jurisdiction Much useful information can be gleaned from of church courts and are mostly in local wills and administrations (admons), copies of repositories, described in Jeremy Gibson and which for England and Wales back to 1858 may Stuart Raymond, Probate Jurisdictions: Where to be obtained online the Court Service’s Find a Look for Wills (FFHS, 6th edn. 2016). The Society Will Website: www.gov.uk/search-will-probate of Genealogists has indexes for wills proved in most church courts and microfilm copies and The Find a Will website currently consists of abstracts of wills amongst its collections. three searchable databases:

• Wills and Admons probated from 1858-1995 • Wills and Admons probated from 1996 to date • Soldiers Wills

Having found an index entry for an appropriate will or administration you can order a PDF of the will to be made available to download at a cost of £10. This can take up to ten working days. Images of the probate indexes from 1858 The records of the highest church court relating to various nonconformist denominations known as the Prerogative Court of Canterbury have been published by the Society of (PCC) can be searched online via the Genealogists as part of the My Ancestor... series National Archives Website at: and are available from the Society’s online http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ bookshop www.sog.org.uk or as eBooks on Amazon. Many local record offices are beginning to index and digitise the wills from lesser courts All Scottish parish registers are at the Scotland’s in their collections and the National Will Index People Centre in Edinburgh. Few begin before on www.findmypast.co.uk is making good progress in 1750 but all the baptisms and marriages prior to indexing wills for many church courts. 1855 have been indexed by the Genealogical Society of Utah and again are available on CHURCH REGISTERS microfiche at various libraries and Family History Centres. They are also available through the Before general registration started (1837, 1855, website: www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk 1864) births and deaths were not recorded as such, but baptisms, marriages and burials were Many Irish registers have not survived. Those entered in the registers of the appropriate that do survive are mostly from rural areas and churches or chapels. Some parish (Church of date only from the early 19th century. In the England) registers date from 1538. Most over a many Church of Ireland hundred years old are now deposited in County registers have been deposited at the Record Offices, though a few remain in parish Representative Church Body Library, Braemor churches. Access to original registers in public Park, Rathgar, Dublin 14 and most of those of hands is mostly free; for those still at the church the Roman Catholics are on microfilm at the the clergy are allowed to make a charge. The National Archives, Bishop Street, Dublin D08 whereabouts of any register may be determined DF85. Free digital but unindexed images of from C. R. Humphery-Smith, The Phillimore Atlas Catholic Registers from the National Library are and Index of Parish Registers (Phillimore 2003). online http://registers.nli.ie/ while indexed images Links to all record office websites can be found can be found on the commercial Ancestry and via The National Archives’ Find an Archive facility: findmypast websites. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/find-an-archive Records from parishes in Northern Ireland, which Over the years a great many parish registers are not retained in parish custody, are deposited have been transcribed (perhaps to 1812 or to in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 1837 or later) and the largest collection of these Belfast. For further details about research in copies is at the Society of Genealogists. Ireland consult John Grenham, Tracing your Irish Hundreds of millions of baptisms and marriages ancestors (Gill and Macmillan, Dublin ) or Chris from parish registers between 1538 and 1875 Paton Irish Family History Resources Online. have been collectively indexed, by the Genealogical Society of Utah (Mormons) and are LOCAL RECORDS available free online at: www.familysearch.org and many of the commercial genealogy websites are When you have exhausted the records of civil developing contracts with local archives to registration and have begun to look at the parish digitise and make local registers available online. registers of the area from which your family Most surviving nonconformist registers in came you will need to consult the other sources England and Wales before 1837 are at The available in the County Record Office. Here you National Archives and the majority have been will find other parish records such as accounts, indexed rate books and poor law records along with local into the FamilySearch website. Most wills proved before 1858, the records of the nonconformist records and some Catholic administration of the county (including the records are also available on the Internet on: Quarter Sessions or Magistrates Courts, Land www.bmdregisters.co.uk, findmypast and Ancestry. Tax records, at least from 1780 onwards), and Guides to the history and genealogical sources the records of local land or estate owners. THE SOCIETY OF GENEALOGISTS THE GENEALOGICAL COMMUNITY

Anyone starting their family history should In addition to the Society of Genealogists there consider visiting the Society of Genealogists at are many local family history societies and 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, membership of those in your area and where London EC1M 7BA (open Tues, Wed, Sat, 10am- your family came from may be helpful. A full list 6pm; Thur 10am-8pm). www.sog.org.uk. Its can be obtained from the Federation of Family remarkable library of over 140,000 books, CDs, History Societies, website www.ffhs.org.uk. The databases and microform holds many local Federation has no library and does not undertake sources for the places where your ancestors research. The Society of Genealogists hosts the lived. It collects research notes and published Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain family histories and biographies along with special (JGSGB) and the Irish Genealogical Research collections of genealogical research compiled Society (IGRS) within its premises. over the last century. Free Internet access is given to certain genealogical pay per view or The World Wide Web is the most popular means subscription sites. There are sources for the of communication between family historians. Two armed services, professional and trade useful genealogical reference sites are GENUKI directories; apprenticeship records, school and www.genuki.org.uk and Cyndi’s List www.cyndislist.com. university lists, will and marriage licence indexes Social network sites such as Genes Reunited and and much, much more. Information on using the Rootsweb can be a good way to contact other library can be found on the Society’s website researchers. The Society of Genealogists has its www.sog.org.uk where you can also find links to its own website www.sog.org.uk and its members’ free online library catalogue and information on forum is a useful way of seeking support and help the Library search/copy service. Internet access from other SoG members. The SoG website also to many SoG indexes and databases is available has useful information leaflets and learning exclusively to its members as SoG Online Data resources. News from and about the Society and which is part of the website www.sog.org.uk the genealogical community can also be found on www.sog.org.uk and via the Society’s Facebook You need not be a member of the Society of page @societyofgenealogists or Twitter account Genealogists as the collection is open to all @SoGGenealogist. You can also sign up to searchers on payment of hourly or daily search receive the SoG newsletter via our website. fees, which are outlined on the Society’s website. If, however, you join (details available on the SoG If you are not in a position yourself to trace your website) you also benefit from the online quarterly family, or if you need help in distant parts of the Genealogists’ Magazine, access to SoG data , or with documents in Latin or online, discounts on some publications, lectures difficult handwriting, there are professional and seminars, courses for beginners and for more searchers who undertake such work. The advanced searchers. Free tours and family history Association of Genealogists & Researchers in advice sessions are held on alternate Saturdays Archives (AGRA) was founded to promote high in the Library. Details of the SoG’s telephone standards among genealogists and publishes a family history advice line can be found on the list of members who undertake research. This is SoG website www.sog.org.uk. available from the AGRA website www.agra.org.uk

14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA | Tel: 020 7251 8799 www.sog.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 233701. Company limited by guarantee. Registered No. 115703. Registered office, 14 Charterhouse Buildings, London, EC1M 7BA. Registered in England & Wales.