Guides and Tips

Follow our guides and tips to help you discover your family history

Below are a selection of guides and tips to help you learn how to discover your ancestors. Learn about family history records, sources, genealogy research techniques, and more.

Categories

Getting Started
Category
Research Techniques
Category
Analysis and Interpretation
Category
Record Information
Category
Tools
Category
Other
Category

GETTING STARTED

Starting your family history
Free advice

Enjoy our top tips on how to start tracing your family history.

How to start your family tree
Free Guide

Read our extensive guide on how to start tracing your family tree.

5 Reasons to Research Your Family History
Free Guide

Considering tracing your family history? Here's why you should!

6 Essentials for Kick Starting Your Family History Journey
Free Guide

Whether you're new to genealogy or seeking a re-start, here's 6 essentials you need to know!

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

How to get the best results from FamilySearch
Free Advice

Discover our in-depth guide to getting the best results from FamilySearch.

How to get the best results from the IGI
Free Advice

The IGI, or International Genealogical Index, is a valuable tool. Are you making the most of it?

Surname searching: What's been done before?
Free Advice

Discover existing family histories and pedigrees in libraries and online.

London research
Free Advice

Do you have London ancestors? If so, this is the guide for you!

Probate Research: A Quick Guide to Executors
Free Guide

Where there's a Will there's a way! Enjoy this quick guide to executors.

How to search for your military ancestors
Free Guide

Your questions answered: Discovering your military ancestors

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Fact or fiction? How to analyse your research
Free advice

Discover tools and tips for analyzing your genealogy research.

Writing genealogical reports
Free Advice

Learn how to write genealogy research reports with this in-depth guide.

Standards and Good Practice
Free Guide

Learn about genealogy standards and good practice in this handy guide.

RECORD INFORMATION

How to use Probate records
Free Guide

Where there's a Will there's a way! Discover in-depth probate record guidance here.

Palaeography Part 1: How to create abstracts from old documents
Free advice

Learn these simple methodologies to reading old handwriting.

Palaeography Part 2: Reading Secretary Hand
Free advice

Historically, English handwriting has not been so easy to read for our modern eyes. Part 2 of our palaeography guide is here.

How to search Census records
Free guide

Discover the census records and learn how to use them to trace your ancestors.

How to search Birth, Marriage and Death certificates
Free guide

Discover our in-depth guide to Birth, Marriage and Death certificates.

Anglican Parish Registers and their Finding Aids
Free Guide

Discover Anglican Parish Registers in this in-depth guide.

Nonconformist Records
Free guide

Who were the non-conformists, and what records detail their lives?

Criminal Records
Free guide

Discover our in-depth guide to criminal records.

TOOLS

20 Brilliant Genealogy Tools To Try This Year
Free Guide

Learn about 20 genealogy tools to try this year.

Family History Software
Free Guide

Get help deciding which family history software package to use.

OTHER

Genealogy as a career
Free advice

Interested in a career in genealogy? Here's our in-depth guide.

Employing a Professional Genealogist
Free advice

Read our guide on employing a professional genealogist.

The right to arms
Free advice

What is a Coat of Arms and who has the right to use one?

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We all have roots. Let’s find them together.

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