Getting started

9. Summary and checklist

1. Speak to older family members, making sure that you note down everything that they tell you
2. Check the family home for photographs, letters, videos, certificates and other clues
3. Start to build your family tree in our free online Family Tree Explorer - begin with what you already know
4. Use the birth, marriage and death records on findmypast to begin to fill in the gaps, and document the events that you have so far
5. Order birth, marriage and death certificates to obtain more information and start to progress further back in time
6. Look into joining a Family History Society, visiting libraries and family history fairs, and sign up to our newsletter
7. Start to explore the census records on findmypast to see a day in the life of your ancestors, find their siblings, addresses and more
8. Explore the millions of other historical records on findmypast: search for military, migration, occupation and living relative information