Genealogy Chat

Hi everyone, Have not been on the site long - have found lots of relatives, births, marriages etc. - Now feel the need to have a bit more personal information on these people, other than just dates. I keep seeing that some of you have got lots of detail from church records and parish records etc. - Is this accessible anywhere on line or do you need to go to the actual churches or wherever? Also - Can I look at old newspapers on-line anywhere? Any information or suggestions would be very much appreciated. Regards, Dea.

Afraid when you get to that level it is a case of delving and mooching. Anyway, dont you want to go to the churches - its brilliant, you can sit in the pews your ancestors did, look at the stained glass that they did and if you are lucky, see their headstones and take photos. When I went to my first one, I was so lucky the Church Warden had kept some of the original parish registers. I could actually look at the names of my ancestors and touch (yes, I know, naughty!) their signatures or marks in the book on baptisms and marriage details. I think there is a website that does have old papers on a pay to view basis but whether they would have the one you wanted. Local libraries or archives would have them. I think you need to contact the records office for the people you want to know more about and perhaps arrange a visit or two? Most of them have websites to check out. Good luck. You do need more than just names on your tree. Its amazing all the stuff you can find out about them. Also, are you getting birth, marriage and death certificates for them as that gives lots of interesting information. And what about army records - National Archives website. Also Wills are brilliant for giving a real insight into your ancestors life.

Good idea to join Family History society of place of interest. From that you will see what they have available in CD's or Fiche or books on monumental inscriptions, Census, parish records etc. Look at the IGI and other LDS sites and roughly plot where your folk are. Check IGI and LDS results you find against actual records at the CRO where your folk are from, and obtain further info on Parish Records for marriages, baps, burials. Look at what the CRO can offer you in the way of Settlements, Poor Law Records, Marriage Licences, Militia Records, Wills apprenticeships etc. The list is endless. If you find evidenvce of service in Army/Navy then you can go toTNA for more info. You may strike lucky and find some info on line but the real history is all there at the County Record Office(CRO) some newspapers are online but very few. Most are in local libraries for your place of interest, CRO or Colindale Newspaper Library in Colindale London. Once you are back to pre 1837 then the history and interest is in peeling the layers back little bit by little bit with a determination to stick at the research. Nothing will be handed to you on a plate at this stage. It will take years, not weeks or even months. You could spend 2 days in a CRO getting absolutely nothing, yet other days with some sideways detective instinct you can uncover pages of info. Have fun! Janet

Dea parish registers are usually available at county records offices on microfilm or microfiche. Some family history societies have indexes to them. They do vary a lot - I have found baptism entries that give father's name and occupation and mother's maiden name as well as an address and dates of both birth and baptism, and others that just give the child's name, parents married names and only a year. nell

Hi, Thanks to you all - I will follow your suggestions. Regards, Dea

nudge for Christina!