| Introduction | 6 |
| First steps | 8 |
| How to begin | 10 |
| Family photographs | 14 |
| A basic family tree | 16 |
| Names | 20 |
| Research skills | 22 |
| Keeping records | 24 |
| Interviewing people | 26 |
| Back to the early 1800s | 28 |
| Certificates after 1837 | 30 |
| Other indexes at the Family Record Centre | 34 |
| Censuses | 36 |
| The International Genealogical Index and other indexes | 40 |
| Published material | 42 |
| Using the Internet | 44 |
| Wills, administrations and death duties | 48 |
| Inquests | 52 |
| Newspapers and periodicals | 54 |
| Going back to 1538 | 56 |
| Record offices, history centres and libraries | 58 |
| Births, christenings, marriages and burials in parish registers | 62 |
| Other parish records | 66 |
| The poor of the parish | 68 |
| Orphans and foundlings | 72 |
| Records for other Christian denominations | 74 |
| Maps | 78 |
| Other countries in the British Isles | 80 |
| Welsh records | 82 |
| Scottish records | 84 |
| Irish records | 88 |
| Channel Islands records | 92 |
| Isle of Man records | 94 |
| Working lives | 96 |
| Education | 98 |
| Apprenticeships | 102 |
| Guilds and freemen | 104 |
| The professions | 106 |
| Other occupations | 110 |
| Licences | 114 |
| Elections, poll books and electoral registers | 116 |
| Trade unions and friendly societies | 118 |
| Bankruptcy and insolvency | 120 |
| Physical and mental illness | 122 |
| For Crown and Country | 126 |
| Members of the armed forces | 128 |
| Army records | 131 |
| Royal Air Force records | 134 |
| The militia, posse comitatis and volunteers | 136 |
| Royal Navy records | 138 |
| Merchant Navy records | 142 |
| Other maritime occupations | 144 |
| Lifecycle checklist | 146 |
| Law and property | 148 |
| Researching legal records | 150 |
| Church courts | 152 |
| Manorial records | 154 |
| Crime and punishment | 156 |
| Transportation records | 162 |
| Equity law: property and money | 164 |
| Land ownership and wealth | 166 |
| Taxes | 172 |
| Customs and excise and the Coastguard | 174 |
| Rich man, poor man checklist | 176 |
| Migrant ancestors | 178 |
| Researching migrant ancestors | 180 |
| Jewish ancestors | 182 |
| French ancestors | 184 |
| German and Dutch ancestors | 186 |
| Black ancestors | 188 |
| Indian ancestors | 190 |
| Other overseas ancestors | 192 |
| Gypsies and other travellers | 194 |
| Emigrants | 196 |
| Researching emigrant ancestors | 198 |
| India and the Far East | 201 |
| North America | 204 |
| Canada | 210 |
| The Caribbean | 212 |
| Australia | 214 |
| New Zealand | 216 |
| Africa | 218 |
| Other British territories | 220 |
| British communities overseas | 220 |
| Appendices | 224 |
| Sources for pre-1538 research | 226 |
| Paleography | 230 |
| Latin | 232 |
| Name changes and important dates | 234 |
| Heraldry | 236 |
| Dates, money and measurements | 239 |
| Writing family history | 240 |
| Timeline | 244 |
| Specialist museums and libraries | 248 |
| Directories and ratebooks | 249 |
| Books | 250 |
| Addresses and websites | 252 |
| Picture acknowledgements | 253 |
| Index | 254 |
