How to trace your ancestors?

Dara Robinson

I really didn’t know where to place this so please move if it should be.

Ok, we were talking about this in work. How does one trace their ancestors?

I mean you can go to all your family and get all of the dates of birth, dates of death, and dates of marriage and so on and then just slog through the government records but who has the time.

Are there any good companies out there that will trace your ancestors and create an accurate Family Tree for you?
What free resources are out there?

Anyone that has tried (successfully or not) and have they any tips or advice regarding this based on their experience?

Ruu_Old

My Dad done a huge amount of work on our family, will find out from him later how/what resources he used.

Hagar

You will be up against it as a lot of records were lost in the various hostilities 1916 to 1922. I think a lot of the files were burned in the Castle/Customs House. You may have to rely on local parish records for a lot of it.

Corruptedmorals

My mam traced our family through the census records at the National Archives......the 1911 census is the best one, the 1901 census isn't as widespread, and only some of the 1921 census has been released, apparently.

The National Archives offer a service to help you trace your family. Most of the census' are on microfiche, but you can make copies of the ones you want.

All of the records prior to 1901 were destroyed during the Rising..the Public Records Office caught fire..from Liberty Hall, I believe, but the census' after that are fine.

Dara Robinson

I've heard if companies that will do the work for you. But I'd assume I would have to morgage the dog kennel for that service. Anyone know of any?

Or any websites that provide this kind of service? I have seen a few for the UK so I'm hoping there are from Ireland just have not seen them yet

InFront

If you go into the National Library there is a place there where some geneaology experts give you advice and resource material if you have an Irish family.

I think it's free of charge as well.

looksee

A lot of the time the only way to trace ancestors is to go through parish records etc, many of which are not computerised. Sometimes you would have to literally walk round churchyards looking for family names. I don't see any of the geneology services doing more than computer research unless you are prepared to pay serious money. If you are seriously interested its something you need to be prepared to make a project of.

Even if you just get all the information you can from older family members and write it down it will be a valuable resource for someone in the future. My daughter got loads of information from my mother, stuff I didn't know, and shortly afterwards my mother had a stroke and now her speech has gone. She was the last of her generation. On my husbands side we were recently given a stack of old family photographs, but there's no one left to tell us who the people are. We have labelled the ones he could identify, but many are a mystery. Even if you start your family tree from now, its better than not doing it at all!

Dara Robinson

/bump

No one know any thinks to Irish websites?

Overheal

All I knows is I am a direct descendant of the Lad that founded Methodism and his brother that wrote Hark the Herald Angel Sing.

You can find a bit on Wiki...you just have to be famous-ish

Terry

http://www.apgi.ie/members.html

Check out the history forum.
If you are willing to go to lengths to research your family tree, then I'm sure trawling through 18 pages looking for links won't be a bother to you.
I got to the second page, which is where I found that link.

barney4001

looking for relatives of Edward and Lily Houlton born around 1894/96,they were 2 orphans reared by my grandparents James and Alice Woods 9monascreebe ,ballymascanlan Dundalk Co Louth

AnonoBoy

I always start by getting them to lie down, arms outstretched on a big piece of paper.......

Praetorian Saighdiuir

I love this thread...................

Who's my daddy?
Who's my daddy's daddy?
Who's my daddy's daddy's daddy?
Who's my daddy's daddy's daddy's daddy?
Who's my daddy's daddy's daddy's daddy's daddy?
Who's my daddy's daddy's daddy's daddy's daddy's daddy?

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/records/index.htm

http://www.irishgenealogy.ie

http://www.myirishancestry.com

http://www.irishgenealogycentre.com/

Any of the above may help..................not sure though!
Good luck.

owenc

Overheal wrote: »

All I knows is I am a direct descendant of the Lad that founded Methodism and his brother that wrote Hark the Herald Angel Sing.

You can find a bit on Wiki...you just have to be famous-ish

Class, its great to find this out, i'm also descended from these famous ones in scotland who owned castles and all and named a town by my surname, and they came up from england and the ones before them were dukes of Northumberland! To trace your family tree just goto the graves at diffrent churches and you will find your relatives, then assuming that you get someone from 1800s you use there name to go back further I.e you find your great great great grandfather, you find him in familysearch.org and trace them back to whenever you want, thats the way it worked for me;.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

barney4001 wrote: »

looking for relatives of Edward and Lily Houlton born around 1894/96,they were 2 orphans reared by my grandparents James and Alice Woods 9monascreebe ,ballymascanlan Dundalk Co Louth

Try the Helpdesk.

AnonoBoy

benwavner wrote: »

Try the Helpdesk.

Oh behave you!

biko

Lock and copied revival post to reg forum.