Trying to find out about your lineage can be a daunting task. Where do you start? This invaluable reference work will answer all your questions and more.
| 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 |
Overview
Trying to find out about your lineage can be a daunting task. Where do you start? This invaluable reference work will answer all your questions and more.