Frequently asked questions

How far back can I trace my family?

For most British families, to the early 1700s or late 1600s with ordinary effort, because that is where parish registers become patchy and lives were recorded only at baptism, marriage and burial. Some lines go to the 1500s where registers survive; a few, through landed or well-documented families, go further. Anyone claiming an unbroken line to a medieval figure for an ordinary family has usually jumped a gap. See parish registers.

How much does it cost?

It can cost nothing: the indexes, the 1901 and 1911 censuses in Ireland, FamilySearch, FreeBMD and much more are free, and libraries give free access to the paid sites. Typical spending is a few pounds per certificate or PDF, around £10 to £20 a month for one subscription site when you need it, and £60 to £100 for a DNA test. See free websites and paid sites compared.

My ancestor was illegitimate. Is that a dead end?

Not necessarily. The birth certificate may name the father if he attended the registration; after 1875 he had to. Bastardy orders at the quarter sessions or poor law records name fathers; the child often took the father's surname as a middle name; and DNA matches can identify the paternal family. The maternal line continues normally.

What if someone was adopted?

Legal adoption in England and Wales began in 1927; before that children were informally taken in and appear under the new family's name with no record. From 1927 the Adopted Children Register links the adoption to the original birth entry, and adopted people (and, since 2005, birth relatives) can apply for access. Before 1927, look for the child under both surnames and in workhouse and charity records.

I can't find my ancestor in the census. Why?

Transcription errors, a different spelling, the family using a middle name, the person being away on census night (in a hospital, barracks, ship, workhouse or prison, all enumerated separately), or simply being missed. Search by first name and birthplace without the surname, try a different website's index, and browse the images for the address. See census records.

The ages don't match between records. Which is right?

Possibly none of them. People didn't know or didn't say their exact age, and 1841 ages were rounded down. A birth or baptism record beats a census age, which beats an age at death. Allow a few years either way and look at the whole pattern.

Did people change their names?

Constantly, informally. Spelling varied until the mid-1800s, immigrants anglicised, people used middle names or stepfathers' names, and anyone could change their name without paperwork. Deed polls exist from the 1800s but were never required. Search variants and keep an open mind.

What's the difference between genealogy and family history?

Genealogy is the proven line of descent; family history is the lives around it. See what is genealogy?

Is my family tree on Ancestry accurate?

Only as accurate as the records attached to each fact. A hint accepted from another member's tree carries that tree's errors. Check every link against an original record. See the beginners' guide.

Should I take a DNA test?

If you have a reasonably researched tree for it to connect to, yes, with your eyes open about privacy and surprises. If you have no tree yet, build one first. See DNA tests.

Where are Scottish and Irish records?

Scottish records are centralised on ScotlandsPeople; Irish civil records and the 1901/1911 censuses are free on official sites. Both have their own guides: Scottish ancestry and Irish ancestry.

When should I hire a professional?

When you've exhausted what you can do remotely and the records are in an archive you can't visit, when the problem needs specialist knowledge (Latin, manorial records, a foreign country), or when you simply want it done. The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA) lists accredited researchers; expect to pay by the hour and to supply a clear brief of what you've already checked.

Can I use the old Genhound record search?

No records are held or searched on this site. The guides explain where each type of record is held and how to search it, mostly free.